Amy,
You
mention that "full spectrum light" is needed for vitamin D3 synthesis. This
statement can be a bit misleading.
Specific wavelengths of light in the UVB spectrum are needed for vitamin
D3 synthesis would be correct.
The
lighting industry definition of "Full Spectrum" is a lamp that mimics
daylight by having spectral emissions in all parts of the visible spectrum, has
a correlated color temperature over 5000 k, and a Color Rendering Index (CRI)
over 90. A "Full Spectrum" light does not specifically have significant
output in the UV range because UV is not in the visible
spectrum.
It is
my experience that D3 in most reptile supplements are a proven replacement
for UVB synthesized D3 in Phelsuma day geckos. there are also several studies
out there that support my experience with D3
supplementation.
Greg
Christenson
Leaping Lizards Day Geckos
-----Original Message-----Jason, full spectrum light is needed for vitimin D3 synthesis. More specifically, UVB light, which is 285-315 nanometers of wavelength, allows the gecko to manufacture its own vitimin D3. This in turn allows for the gecko to metabolize calcium. It is not necessary for D3 to be present in your supplement since the type of D3 in most supplements is intended for use in mammals and is not proven to be effective in reptiles. I guess the answer to your question is yes you can leave cacium in the cage and multi vitamin supplementation is fine every other day for juveniles. What species are your geckos? AMY BAIRD
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2002 4:04 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [Gecko] calcium / vitamins
