General Care Discussion :: Do I Need a Tank Cover, the UVB Light Says So

[Crazy Girl Turtle]

Hi. We just bought a 48 inch single tube light unit and a UVB florescent light bulb. However, we do not have a tank cover and the light unit has a warning to only use it with a tank cover.

Do you all have tank covers? The water level is about 10 inches below the top of the tank.

Thanks!

[SpotsMama]

I've used tube lights and fixtures for years without a cover. In fact, I'm using one now. However, I don't recall that any of my fixtures came with such a warning. Maybe someone else knows why your fixture has the warning.

[Steve C]

I think they may say that so you dont accidently drop it in the tank. The slimline fixture I have said to take off the clear lens cover if you installed uv bulbs. They will discolor plastic over time.

[DavidY]

Glass or plastic covers filter out the beneficial UVB light rays from reaching the turtle and screen covers will block out a large percentage of it as well. Most of the setups here do not use any kind of cover between the basking lights and the basking platform. I think the instructions you read are probably meant to protect the manufacturer from any liability should the water get splashed into the fixture or if it falls into the tank.

[untsmurf]

I agree with David.

[SpotsMama]

Does your electical outlet have a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter)? This is a device that you can get at a hardware store (or an electrician can install one) that should protect against a fatal shock or fire if a light fixture falls into the water. I think all outlets used for electrical equipment in aquariums should have one. Water and electricity are a bad combination.

[malekogirl]

SpotsMama, if you use a tube UVB light with no cover, what's between the light and the water?? i just bought a 48" UVB tube light (ReptiGlo 5.0) but i could only install it into my tank's regular hood, which has that clear plastic where the light goes. now that i see the plastic filters out all that UVB, what to do?...... do you use a screen top?

[kermitzaqd]

If you got a 48" long bulb, then you probably have a pretty big tank. I don't have anything between my 48" light and the water. I wouldn't say that there's any chance of it falling in though. There's the support bar, so even if it did somehow come out of the fixture it wouldn't just plop right into the tank. As far as splashing goes, I've never had a problem and my turts are crazy splashers. My light's only 6" from the basking area, but it's an older bulb, so it's already been worn in.

[SpotsMama]

Crazy, I have a portable fixture for my fluorescent bulb. I simply lay it across the top of the tank so that each end is supported by the tank walls/shelf. Here's some photos:





I'm not using the fluorescent for UVB these days. I've got an MVB bulb in the hanging fixture. I just use my old UVB fluorescent tube bulb to light the right half of the tank.

[untsmurf]

I've got a tube light on half of the tank to. I just broke the glass out of the top and rested the light fixture on top. ( I broke it out because it was a UVB light at one point, now it's a normal fluorescent light though)