Habitat - Indoor :: Lighting question

[WB2]

As i was a bit confused by all the different types of lamps online i went to a specialised (20+ years) reptile store which only sells reptiles (snakes, turtles, chameleons).
So i asked the guy which light i had to use and i told him i had read that i need TWO lamps - one for UVB for the basking spot, and one for heating for over the water part....
He then told me that this was wrooooong.

He said that in nature, the sun gives off heat AND UVB rays, and that putting TWO lamps would confuse the turtle because it would be as if one would say "you can choose between UVB or Heat but you can't have both..."
This explanation did make quite some sense to me....

So he sold me ONE lamp (exo terra solar glo 160 W), which was pretty expensive but which has UVA and UVB in one....

Any thoughts on this ?

Online and in other shops i see a lot of "Daylight" lamps, which are a bit cheaper, but if i understand correctly, these don't give off UVB, but only heat ? right ?

Thanks for your help !

Ed.

[ljapa]

What you got should be fine, if expensive. It's a mercury vapor bulb (MVB). It provides heat, visible light and UVA/UVB.

Those lamps are self ballasted, so they need to be mounted pointing straight down. If they are mounted at an angle, they burn out fast. UVB output will not last as long as visible light/heat, so it will need replacement before it looks like it does.

Check out

http://www.redearslider.com/index_lighting_basking.html

[vear]

Also, make sure your tank is large enough (it might overheat) and that the MVB is positioned at the correct distance. For those of us who use 2 bulbs, they are both placed above the basking area. The turtle does not choose the bulb it wants to use or think "uvb... or heat?". If the bulbs were in separate areas, the turtle would probably choose the one that produces heat, since this is what entices them to bask, but it's not like it actually "thinks" about it.

[amwassil]

... He said that in nature, the sun gives off heat AND UVB rays, and that putting TWO lamps would confuse the turtle because it would be as if one would say "you can choose between UVB or Heat but you can't have both...

This guy was stuck with an expensive lamp he couldn't unload for who knows how long and then you came along. Seriously, put a heat bulb and a UV bulb side by side over your basking area - do you really think your turtle cares if there are two separate lights? Does your turtle ever look up and seem to wonder: "hummm, which one should I sit under?"

You bought a "good" lamp. But you spent a lot more money than necessary to provide what your turtle requires. Then, I think probably we all spend a lot more money than we "need to" for lots of stuff for our special little friends, don't we? I sure do, just not for high end lamps.