Equipment Review and Discussion :: lighting

[bumpers mom]

has anyone used a zoomed halogen bulb for their turtles? what did you think and is it worth the cost? does it put off any more heat than a heat bulb? does it emit uvb at all? i need heat and uv for bumper this winter. if you have any thoughts or comments about halogens for turtles i would appreciate it. thanks

[marisa]

Regular UVB lights are flourescent and don't give off heat (they do give off UVA rays, though). So, the halogen bulbs won't give off the UVB rays your turtle needs (but he will get heat). If you use one, you also need a UVB light.

I've never used the Zoo-Med halogen bulb (seemed rather pricey to me), but I have used regular halogen bulbs along with UVB lights, positioning them next to each other over the basking area.

I don't know how large your tank is, but if it's around 50 gallons or larger, you could use a mercury vapor light, which would give you heat, UVB and UVA rays, all in the one bulb. They do give off a lot of heat, so they are meant for use with larger tanks. T-Rex and Mega-Ray are two good brands. If you intend to get one and are looking at the one by T-Rex, choose the flood (not the spot). In most set-ups a 100-watt one is adequate.