Habitat - Indoor :: Confusion over lighting

[Starchick]

Hi all,

I've been reading everything I can find online about turtle lighting, but have not found an answer to my question. It sounds like 5-10% uvb light is optimal right? And according to Austinsturtlesite, about 5% uvb rays will pass through a glass window, if I'm understanding it correctly. My tank is directly under a massive skylight, literally 12 feet by 3 feet. At this time of year the rays don't ever land directly on the tank because of the angle of the sun, but the room is literally flooded with light. I'm trying to determine if this is going to provide enough uvb rays for Napoleon or if I should add a separate source. (I'd prefer to just let him outside but I live in NY and I suspect that's not the best option this time of year...brrr!)

If I need to be looking at other uvb sources, what do you recommend? Could people please mention specific products, as I am admittedly an idiot as far as this stuff goes and will probably buy the wrong thing unless I'm armed with a product name.

Glad to have found this community! I'll post a proper introduction in that section!

[Kallistos]

No, the light from the sky light will not be enough. As ATP said, most of the the UVB is filtered out, and the light will have to travel from the ceiling to the tank, and by that time there probably is absolutely no UVB rays left. Also, sun light is notorious for causing algae growth and over heating tanks.

There are a variety of options for providing UVB.

1) Mercury Vapor Bulbs (T-rex Active U.V. Heat) these bulbs are very powerful and should only be used in tanks 75 gallons and larger. They provide UVA/UVB and heat, the minimum distance for the 100 watt flood (smallest size) is 1 foot so be prepared to accomodate that.

2) Fluoresent (sp) tubes, (Reptisun 10.0) These require a tank hood of some sort ,but they provide sufficient amounts of UVB rays although little to no heat is given off.

3) Reptisun compacts, these incandescent (sp) bulbs fit into any kind of light socket. Like the aforementioned tube, these do not provide heat, just UVB. Note, it seems that there's a bad batch of these bulbs going around and are causing eye problems. This isn't confirmed, I'm just saying this b/c on this board and others like it, people are posting that eyes are becoming swollen from this bulb.

The Lighting section on this site will provide in-depth information so I suggest you read that also. Welcome to Turtle Talk!

[marisa]

As RESowner34 said, your turtle still ideally needs a UVB light. You have a 30-gallon tank? If so a MVB would probably heat up the tank a little too much. They're best used in tanks that are at least 50 gallons.

If it were me, and if I wanted a bulb that's considered to be basically "foolproof," I'd go with a 5.0 Reptisun tube flourescent UVB bulb, an 18-inch one. You'd need to get a fixture for it (try Home Depot or similar store before buying one from a petstore). The tubes are known to be more reliable than the compact flourescents, and with the 5.0 version (they also come in 10.0) you won't have to worry about it being too close to your turtle (6-8 inches is optimal). Try to position it (or as much of it as possible)over the basking area next to a heat source (regular lightbulb).

Did your painted have access to a UVB light before he got sick? If not, I'm wondering if somehow that didn't somehow play a role in the color change of his shell in combination with being ill.

[Starchick]

To the best of my knowledge, he has never had uvb light, at least not in the seven years prior to when we got him. My friend's family had him in the entryway of their house with just an incandescent bulb for heat and light.

So I should look for the special bulb at a petstore but head to a hardware store for the fixture? What type of fixture am I looking for to work with the flourescent bulb? Is this different from the incandescent bulb mentioned by the first reply, and are there any concerns with those bulbs causing eye problems?

[mkoby]

The fixture will depend on the bulb. If you purchase a compact florescent, you can use a clamp lamp or regular light fixture. If you buy the tube lighting, you will need a fixture similar to one you would find on an aquarium hood or a "light strip" fixture. You will also need to figure out how you will mount it. You might want to make a trip to Home Depot or a simular store before deciding on your light.

As far as eye problems. I have the Reptisun 10.0 compact (the bulb in question) and so far I haven't had any problems. I've only had it for a couple of weeks though. If you're concerned, You could always go with the Reptisun 5.0. I haven't heard any complaints so far.

[marisa]

Some people just place the tube UVB flourescent on the tank, not mounting it on anything.

[Starchick]

Just sort of set it crosswise? If you think that will work it just might be my best answer.

I did a lot of running around tonight and found that my local pet store carries 2 options: 1. a 15 watt flourescent tube called Repti-Glo 5.0. I wasn't sure if this is comparable to the Reptisun lights mentioned earlier, or if I should keep looking. 2. Something called ESU Reptile 20 watt Super UV Coil-Lamp , which states that it gives off 'optimal amounts' of UVA and UVB rays, but doesn't specify how much that is. That is sort of a corkscrew shaped bulb to fit a standard incandescent fixture. Are either of these appropriate? I'm willing to order online if necessary to get the right thing. My trip to home depot for fixtures was equally unsuccessful. I guess I'll start with the bulb then get creative if necessary!

[grey goose]

The repti glo 5.0 puts out 5% UVB. Thats fine for your turt. Just position it 12" over the basking area. The ESU lights (super coil?) only put out 3% UVB. Probably not enough...
At Home Depot just get the cheap plastic 18" fixture, take the plastic cover off, put the Repti Glo in, then figure out how to mount it. If you have the basking area on one side of the tank, you may be able to lay it on the screen in a way that its not too close.
I have an 18" fixture mounted on my tank, with a daylight bulb for general lighting. Here's the thread:
http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... 3&start=15
Good luck.

[Starchick]

Ooh yes, I was looking at that earlier, very jealous of your setup by the way. Totally gorgeous! I love how you've mounted the lights but I can't quite tell from your pictures what's holding the wood in place. What are they attached to?



Thanks for the advice, everyone! I'm sure I'll be back with more questions but you've all been so helpful!

[grey goose]

The wood is attached to the frame using 1/4" bolts. The tank is slid flush against them.
Look here:
http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... 3&start=30
Scroll down, there is a few pics of it....