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I have mine at 6 inch away from basking spot and 8 inch from the surface of the water and I wonder if it's ok or too close/too far away? There is no mesh between light and the basking spot (it stands on top of eggcrate).

I wonder if bright light like that won't hurt my turtle eyes? It's so goddamn bright.

I've not seen too much issue with my turtles about the distance effecting their eyes, I mean, to be fair, the light is replacing the sun which is fairly bright itself

That being said, I feel it safest to rely on thermometer readings. I like to keep my basking area around 90 degrees at "turtle height", and then just ensure you aren't over heating your water (mine raises my tank about 1 degree during the day from 75-76 which I'm fine with). Also, with the lack of a mesh, consider the location and the height of your turtle, can the turtle brace against the tank and reach the light? If so, consider moving it or getting some protective mesh.

It might be a little too close, especially if you have a 26W. Do you have a picture of how it's setup?