General Care Discussion :: Heating

[judemiller1]

I was told at the pet store that I did not need a heater for my RES.
I have a basking light and a flourescent lamp (18") that is supposed to also heat the water. I am afraid that the water will be too cold during the night time when the lights are off. The ambient temperature around the tank is NOT always over 75 degrees.

Should I be worried about this. I am new to this--my RES is two months old.
Thank you.

[megcornell]

Yes. It's best to keep the water temperature as constant as possible. Water heaters are cheap and really help you keep a healthy RES. Hatchlings should be kept in water that is around 78 degrees while larger RES are fine in 75 degree water. Temperature fluctuations can cause illness so you should buy a heater as soon as possible.

[SpotsMama]

Sadly, many people get erroneous info from the pet store. You do indeed need a water heater.

The purpose for the lights is two-fold. The basking light is to warm up the basking area (not the water). For this, a regular household incandescent bulb will do - you don't need anything special (and expensive). The other need is for a UVB bulb. A heat lamp or incandescent bulb cannot provide UVB - it has to be a fluorescent but not all fluorescents provide it - it has to say on the box that it provides UVB (or say something like 5.0 or 10.0, which means percent of UVB) or it won't do the job.

Do you know what brand of bulb your 18" fluorescent is?

[Safdar]

Please do not listen to the store people
You need a heater
Also make sure the fluorescent bulb is UVB
If it doesnt say it on the box
Then it isnt a UVB

The basking light will only keep the backing platform warm
And Fluorescent lights do not emmit much heat

[judemiller1]

My flourescent bulb says on the package "ESU reptile slimline reptile fixture with super UV lamp." It has 15 watt UVB and UVA light. The bulb over the basking area is also a 75 watt UVA light. I also bought a thermometer and this morning the reading is 76 degrees. I have them both on a timer of 12 hours light, 12 hours off, as I read that the turtles need sleep time.

[megcornell]

How large is your tank? A 75 watt bulb is pretty big for a smaller tank. Also, you'll need to get a water heater so that when the light is off the water temp doesn't drop drastically. In my old 30 gallon tank I accidentally unplugged the water heater one night and just overnight the temperature went from 79-80 to just about 75. In a smaller tank, the drop would be bigger. I noticed in your other thread your turtle isn't eating. So you're going to want to keep the water even warmer (80-82) because there's a chance she's getting sick. A big reason turtles get sick is improper temperatures. To prevent further illness (hopefully) you want to get a heater as soon as possible.

[rmicklit]

What does the UVB do for the turtle? I only have an incandescent light shining on my tank. Should I get another lamp for the UVB?

[judemiller1]

Oh gosh--I am so scared. Her tank is only 5 gallons! The basking light has been too hot for her I am sure. I just turned it off and will replace with a 60 watt plain and simple light bulb. I am going out in a few minutes and I think I am going to buy a 20 gallon tank and a heater.
What wattage heater would I need for a 20 gallon tank--100 watt?

Thanks so much--I just feel like crying because I love her so much and I don't want to lose her.

[Turtle_Turtle]

yea that would work something between 60 - 100 watts would do for a 20 gal

[SpotsMama]

If the fluorescent bulb you have is the one I think it is (7% UVB) then it's a good one.

On the temps, the only way to know if they are right is to measure them with a thermometer. You can't tell by how it feels. Do you have one? you need to check both the water temperature and the basking temperature, then adjust as needed. Nobody gets it perfect the first time!

[judemiller1]

i want to thank everyone for their help.
I drove to Pets Mart and bought a 20 gallon aquarium, with a screen top, a 50 watt heater and filter, some river rock for the bottom, a siphon and vacuum to clean it and stopped at the super market and purchased 13 gallons of spring water.
Brought it all home--had to rearrange the living room to accomadate the whole apparatus--got it all put together and then remembered--I had no thermometer. So--back to Pets Mart.

It was a costly trip and I live on Social Security so it makes it kind of hard, but I had to do it all to save her life. I am hoping that her new habitat and correct water temperature will get her swimming and eating in a few days.

Thanks again

[SpotsMama]

It sounds like a wonderful turtle home! Your turtle will appreciate it.

Keep the water temp extra warm for a few days until you are sure she's not coming down with an illness. You can set it at 80 to 82 degrees. Let us know whether or not she gets more active and has a healthy appetite. If you need to jump start her appetite, try offering something that you'd normally only offer once in a while as a treat - like a little tuna in water or boiled chicken or a shrimp.

[DavidY]

Getting everything you need for a new turtle is pretty confusing and hectic at first. But once you get it all setup properly you will be able to relax and enjoy it a lot more.

[judemiller1]

Now I'm afraid she is going to get stuck behind the filter--arrgghh-I have never had a pet that I worried so much about at this beautiful little RES

[DavidY]

Yeah, you do want to make sure there are no places that she can get wedged into and stuck. Maybe you could stuff some cotton or a rag behind the filter so she wont fit back there. It is like having a baby!