General Care Discussion :: Baby Turtle

[SpotsMama]

For aquariums, the best "glue" to use is aquarium silicon. You can get it at the pet store. People use it to seal leaks in aquariums but you can use it for all sorts of things.

Best not to put wood in the water unless it's cork bark. Most wood has been treated with chemicals that will leach into the water. In addition, wood that hasn't been treated with rot if constantly wet.

You can make a very nice basking platform with cork bark. It has a rough texture and turtles like to climb on it. It holds up very well in water and it floats.

Also best not to put paint in the aquarium. Turtles will bite just about anything and would probably chip the paint off after time.

[1981camaroz28]

I 2nd this statement most Pet Stores tell you what you want to hear not what you need.

Pet stores aren't typically that knowledgable....If you have serious questions you're better off to contact a herp vet than a pet store employee.

[taylor_a]

For the UVB light go with the same brand but make sure it says 5.0 instead of 10.0


10.0 can be eye irritating.

[hdaisog]

You don't have to spend that much on a UVB bulb if you want. For the cheapest way to provide heat and UVB I would suggest the following:
2 clamp lights (clamp to the side of the tank)
1 5.0 UVB bulb (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2752555)
1 regular household bulb 75 watt or 100 watt (Not the compact florescent kind, just the old fashioned incandescent bulb. I would suggest trying each wattage and try to get the basking temp right)

[imderanged]

Accually my little turtle had some eye problems with the 5.0 compact florecents too. I have a Zoomed reptisun 5.0 and "burning it in" and moving it back alittle cleared up the problem, but I wouldn't buy another one. I have a MVB comming by mail any day now. This is where this problem with the lights was talked about on this forum:
http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11796

[taylor_a]

I currently have a 10.0 and have yet to have any problems with it. The reason I have it is because that's what the pet store recommended. However, since hearing about the issues I will be buying a 5.0 next.

[marisa]

Reptisun tube flourescent UVBs are reputable bulbs. That price of $49.99 sounds a little steep to me, though. You need to have the 10.0 a little further from your basking turtle than the 5.0 because of the greater UVB strength. You can have a 5.0 six to eight inches from your basking turtle, so for the 10.0 I'd go more like 8-10 inches, toward the latter end of that range when the bulb is new.

[starscollided]

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15815

thats what my turtle was rescued from
Congrats on being responsible and trying to help! <3