Urgent Care :: new turtles

[SpotsMama]

As long as the part that heats up is under water, it won't burn your turtle. The heat dissipates very quickly in cool water. Feel it and you'll see what I mean.

The only danger would be if, as your turtle gets bigger, he bites it and breaks it. This has been known to happen although it's not common. Someday you'll have to replace your heater and, when you do, why dont you look at replacing it with something like a Stealth Visitherm? It's plastic instead of glass so it can't shatter.

Your little guys are brand new aren't they! When they are little and in a strange place it takes them a long time to settle down and not be scared. It's normal for them not to eat at all for several days - even a week - when they first come home. Also, they may not bask for several days and then, when they do, they may only bask when you're not there to see them. As they grow up and learn that you're not going to eat them, they'll get more confident and eat and bask in front of you. At the first, give them lots of peace and quiet - and privacy - so they can settle in.

[steve]

i already got a water heater, but it is not needed at the moment because the temperature usually stays at around 77-79, but when i do start using it, its safe to keep it in the tank with the turtles without using a barrier seperating them from the turtles right? its got a glass tube on it, would the glass be hot enough to burn one of the turtles if they were to touch it accidently?

You can look into the Tronic heater guard or make your own out of PVC pipe (with holes drilled into it). But you should look into a Stealth as SpotsMama said.

[pao]

and also is there a bulb that provides enough heat and the necessary uva/b that the turtles need?

[steve]

You need either one bulb called a mercury vapor bulb (MVB) for UVA/UVB/heat or 2 bulbs, a fluorescent UVB and incandescent bulb.

MVBs are expensive and powerful, it should NOT be used on a small tank.