Other Turtle Discussion :: IM Having Trouble determining my turtles Age

[Lashanae]

Hi i just got a RES Four months ago and I dont Know how old she is. I beleive shes a girl because all the signs point to it short nails etc. Shes about 4 inches long and her anmes Lavender I have her in a 10 galleon tank(his that big enough) and I have a filter but I dont have a Uvb light? I would love to have some info on what I can do.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

You realy need a UVB light and a bigger tank (a 40 gallon tank is okay, but bigger is better) Do you have a water heater? The water needs to be kept at a constant temperature to prevent pnuemonia. There is no way of telling how old your turtle is, unless you have hatched it/seen it hatch then there is no way of telling.

[Lashanae]

About how much is a UVB light? and no I dont have a water heater

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Get a water heater (they cost about 15$) The water needs to be at a steady 75 degrees. UVB light prices vary, the lowest i have seen are 24$ and the highest 50$. Look around in the reptile special lighting section in www.bigalsonline.com if you order a bulb make sure it says UVB not UVA, UVB!

Also, they need to be changed every six months.

[Lashanae]

Thanks alot I live across the stree from Petco so I can find all this things

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Remember get a bulb that clearly says UVB. Do not get fooled by "full spectrum lights" or "spot basking bulbs" Get a bulb that says UVB. I got fooled with one of those "reptile basking bulbs" and I regret it (never trust pet store employees)..

[Lashanae]

IS a zoo med Turtle Tuff Good I have one of those its a 75 watt?

Im Not sure that I can Get a 40 gal., I may be able to get a 20gal or 30 but not a 40

[xsavingsaturdayx]

No. I believe you are talking about the zoo med UVA lights, right? (waste of money, you can just use a normal lightbulb to heat up the basking area) What you need is a UVB light. Go to the website I mentioned above and look in the reptile lighting section - there you will find UVB lights.

Note: Without a UVB light your turtle can get ill with diseases like shell rot and if its too severe, it will need a vet.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

If 30 is the biggest you can get, then fine. As long as its JUST your turtle then its okay, for now. But in the future (in about a year, you will need to upgrade. Its 10 gallons per every inch of your turtle) When its an adult, you will need a 120 gallon tank.

[DavidY]

The UVB lights usually come in either long flourescent tubes or in a compact flourescent bulb with a screw in base (like a normal light bulb). If you get the tube kind you will also need a flourescent light fixture to put it in (more money). The best way to go is the compact flourescent bulb since you can use a regular lamp to screw it in. These bulbs also have ratings for how much UVB the produce. I recommend the 5.0 bulbs for RES. You should stay away from the 10.0 desert bulbs as these are too strong and several people have had problems lately with their turtles getting eye damage from them.

Take a look at the RES Basic Care link at the top of the page and read the different guides there. They contain just about everything you need to know to make your turtle healthy and happy.

Welcome to the forum, by the way!

[iac637]

I found one of ours at petsmart for $13 I was so excited lol

[megcornell]

I see you're in CA. So long as your turtle can get natural sunlight (by taking her outside, not putting the tank near a window-- it would overheat), you should focus on getting a larger tank and a heater first, those are more important. 10 gallons/inch of shell is what's recommended for tank size, so upgrade as large as you can to stay as close to that rec. as you can. Rubbermaid containers are much cheaper and can be an economical alternative so long as you support them so they don't bend due to the water's weight.

[Lashanae]

Thanks everyone for the feednback its been alot of help