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Is a heat lamp nessacary? I just got back from the pet store and was essentially talked out of buying one by the owner who seemed to be knowledgable (there were a wide range of turtle species that he claims to have raised from hatchlings.) I have a UVB flourescent strip light, and he basically said that unless the room gets cold it won't be necessary and would be a waste of money. In fact he claimed that it could potentially raise the temperature too high. I have a water heater as well. The tanks about a foot away from a window and gets sun during the day.

It is. The turtle needs the UVB to convert calcium to bone, but the increased heat from a basking lamp is a part of that process.

Plus, it's the heat more than the UVB that encourages basking. Basking is important not only for calcium uptake, but the drying of the shell helps prevent infection.

But you don't need to spend a lot of money on one. A 60 watt incandescent bulb in a cheap clamp lamp works great.

My experience has been that the basking area must be warmer than the surrounding environment or the turtles will not bask. As ljapa indicates, there is no need to get fancy or expensive, you can use an ordinary incandescent bulb. Alternatively, a 30 or 35 watt halogen spot will provide enough warmth to entice the turtles up.

I would find another pet store to shop at