Habitat - Indoor :: New member here....I have a couple of lighting questions,

[jridge]

I am really enjoying this website...It is chock full of great information....

I have a couple of questions regarding my lighting.....I have a 2" RES and I recently bought him a 20 long aquarium which he seems to be enjoying....I have been using a red ZooMed NightLight for basking and heat.....However, I've seen a few opinions on here that maybe that isn't a great idea.....Also, I have an ESU 18" flourescent fixture with a ZooMed ReptiSun 5.0 bulb (15 watts).....

My questions-
1) Can I continue to use the red night time light?
2) Is my turtle getting enough UVB to be effective? The light does not seem to be extremely bright....

Thanks for any help !!

[steve]

I personally don't think a red heat light is a good idea, though there are some that use it without ill-effects. Since a normal light bulb works just as well and is much more inexpensive, I would consider switching to that. For your UVB light, you just need to make sure that it is positioned over the basking area for the maximum effect. Also, any fluorescent UVB light needs to be replaced every 6-8 months of normal use.

[jridge]

Thanks, Steve........I only like the red light because it adds a little heat at night.......I have a heater in the tank, but we keep it kind of cool at night in the house and I don't want Sam to get cold.....LOL

[steve]

Do you mean you have a water heater? That should be sufficient and turtles wouldn't normally bask at night.

[jridge]

Yes, I have a water heater.......Thanks, Steve--Great site !!

[marisa]

If it's winter and the room your turtle was in were really cool, keeping a red heat light on 24/7 for warmth and using a UVB light during the day would be fine--I've done this for several winters with hatchlings and have never had a problem. The bulb you mentioned doesn't interfere with sleep patterns and isn't the same as some black lights, which can damage the eyes.

However, since the weather is getting warm, your turtle can probably do without the added heat at night, and using a regular lightbulb to warm the basking area during the daylight hours would be fine as well.

How cool does the temp get in the house at night? Are you using AC?---if so, keep your turtle away from any vents/drafts/breezes from it.

If you feel the need for a little extra heat in the tank, since you have a water heater, cover a good portion of the tank at night. It will trap the warmth that's escaping from the warmed water and keep the ambient air temp in the tank a little warmer.