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i dont have a water heater.
how important is it to have one, cuz dosen't the lighting provide heat and stuff

First off where are you located? In hot climates you may get away with not having one, but anywhere else where you have 4 distinct seasons you need a heater to regulate temperature. A heat light should be aimed right at the basking area and will heat that area. I have found personally that it doesn't effect my water temp. That's why I have a heater. Turtles need a constant temperature day and night (heat light shouldn't be used 24/7 but follow regular daylight hours). For older turtles water should be kept at 75 degrees and for hatchlings 78. It's important not to let it fluctuate during the day and night or it could lead to illness in your turtle...

Hope this helps some... How big is your turtle (shell length from tip to tip not including curve)? and what is the rest of your setup like?

Sorry I forgot to add this link for you to read...

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15

i have 3,

two of them are bout 1.5 inches long and the other is a little smaller than the two.

and yea there are 4 distinct seasons where i live. its still hot for now, so the temp doesn't change much between nite and day. [/list]

You need to make sure the water temps aren't drastically fluctuating. If you have 4 distinct seasons you need a water heater. The lights should be on a day/night cycle, therefore, the water temps would drop a lot during the night.

What is your setup like, what size tank, filter, lighting.. etc.?

i have a 50 gallon tank.
heat light, a fluval filter, although i htink i need a bigger filter.
no heater yet.

its still summer temps right now, plus it gets hot in my room. but hopefully i'll get one.

tryin to get one of those UVB and UVA light bulbs, the 2 in 1 kind/

Mercury Vapor Bulb. That is the only UVB heat light I'm aware of. Kinda spendy 35-45 dollars US. Most you will not need to replace for at least a year. whereas the standard Florescent UVB needs to be replaced about every 6-8 months.

Check out www.reptilesupply.com they have the best prices I've found.

Also make sure you get a good thermometer, digital, cheap from Wal-Mart or target. MVB's produce a lot of heat and may need to be positioned further away from the basking spot.

good luck.

Oh yeah. Get the water heater. if your tank is 50 gallons. Heat lights will not keep it warm enough unless your house never gets cooler than 75 degrees F