Habitat - Indoor :: tank question for baby res

[3walcks]

i just set up my 10 gallon tank for kermie. i got the filter and heater on and i was wondering about the lighting. ffor the regular light that said you can use a regular household light does this light have to be directly on top like the basking light ? if you do hook it up on top what are some light fixtures you would recomend ? i have a floor lamp about 2 feet away from my tank would that be good enough ?
by the way kermie just loves his new home.
i find it funny to that any time anyone walks over to him he tucks his head in and hides but wwhen i go over he comes right over to me and sticks his head out of the water. guess he knows who his mom is. i just think that is cute. from what the vet said he is probly only 2 to 4 weeks old.
also for my filter i got a Tetra brand repto filter is this a good choice or should i use a reg fish aqquarium filter on the back ?

[bradhart]

The basking light should be 6-8 inches from the basking platform, depending on what watt it is. You can take the temp of the basking area to make sure you have it right. I'm using a exo-terra reptile basking light, it contains UVA, but as you said, a regular light will work too. I have the bulb in a small desk lamp, sitting on a piece of cardboard I have over 1/2 the tank(keeps the ambient temp up and cuts down on evaporation) You'll also need a UVB light (most commonly in a floresent tube light) This aids in healthy bone and shell growth. It's absolutley necessary.

[marisa]

You need both a UVB light (which is flourescent and doesn't give off heat) as well as the lightbulb as a heat source. The UVB light shouldn't be more than 10-12 inches from the turtle, and 6-8 inches is best, so he can get maximum benefit from the UVB rays.

The basking area will be warmed by the lightbulb, and having the basking area temp 88-90F is generally good. Unless the bulb in the floor lamp has a really high wattage, I don't think 2 feet away is going to do it. You can get a clamp lamp and clamp it to the side of the tank over the basking area to put the lightbulb in. Lamps with ceramic/porcelain sockets are good for putting heat lamps in. Use the wattage that can get the basking area temp in the above range, and adjust the temp if necessary by either moving the light away or using a lower wattage if the temp is too high or vice versa if the temp is too low. Use a thermometer to check the temp, don't just go by what "feels" good.

[3walcks]

ok i went to the pet shop and got a basking lamp and a 50 watt bulb and i got a little desk lamp that you can move around and put a 40 watt bulb in that . i put 2 differnt thermometers on the side with the heat lamp and it is running in between 80 and 83 degrees and i have the water temp set at 78 -79 degrees. is this good or do i need to lower something ? hope i am doing good for kermies sake.

[bradhart]

bump up the basking temp. try a 75 or 100 watt bulb. the temp should be around 90. the water temp is ok. and did you get a UVB bulb? Kermie needs it!

[steve]

78 is good, and you can lower it to 75 when kermie gets bigger. are you using a water heater?

an accurate way to measure the temp of a basking area is to put a rock that is the approximate size of your turt on that area and place the thermometer on top of it. you should get a good reading (unless your turt will hold still for you )

also, keep the exposed areas of the tank away from drafts and a/c.

[marisa]

Is there a UVB light for your turtle? (Look at my previous post for info on them.)

[3walcks]

i just looked at the light that the pet shop gave me and i thought he said that it gave off both uva and uvb rays but now that i looked at it, it says that it only gives off uva rays .
so i have that basking light set up with a regular desk lamp up with a household 40 watt bulb in it and now i know that i dont have a bulb giving off uvb so i am taking the light bulb back and i will get one that gives off uvb instead of uva. right ?
i just looked at the stickey note and it said you can use a reg. light bulb for the uva so yeah i need to go get a uvb bulb. boy didnt know having a turtle was so much work ! just thought it went into a tank and whala you were done. boy did i learn quick. kermie is worth every bit of it though.
what kind of thermometer do you use to ddo the basking area ? one of those stick on kind or something else ? just so i know i did it right or if i have to get something differnt.

[marisa]

Welcome to the world of caring for turtles. A regular lightbulb is fine for the heat. Make sure whatever bulb you get says that it gives off UVB rays. Don't get one that gives off 2% UVB rays--it's not enough. Look for one that gives 5% (or more) UVB rays--Reptisuns are good, but there are others as well.

Some people use digital thermometers to take the temp. I use a regular house one that I got at Walmart for now.

[bradhart]

can I use the thermomater I use for the water to get an accurate basking temp reading?

[marisa]

I've read of some people using the same thermometer to measure the basking area temp and water. I don't, though (they're not expensive to buy).

I suppose you could compare the accuracy of one by comparing the temp you get with it against the temp taken with a regular thermometer.

[3walcks]

ok i went to the pet shop for the 10th time and i got the only uvb bulb they had. i almost had a heart attack when she said the bulb was $ 31.95 ! YIKES !
but the one they had was a zoo med reptisun 5.0 uvb. it says it gives off 5% uvb and 30 % uva and it is a 26 watt = to 130 watts standard incandescent.
i put it up and iit is about as low above the tank as it should be and i am using one of those thermometers that you put on the outside of the tank but i put it on the dock and it is around 82 i tryed a digital and it wouldnt work so that is the only one i got to use. dont know if that is acurate enough or not. it is not 90 though. which light do you use for the basking light? the uvb or uva ? sorry i have to ask all this but at the pet shop they told me i dont even need a heater or light so i am not going by them. so please let me know if this will do or not. not sure if the house hold light is to be the heat basking lamp and the uvb bulb is just for light and the rays.