General Care Discussion :: new owner...just a few questions

[shadowfox12]

i have very recently acquired a new little guy named Squirt (my bf is the proud owner of Crush) and i have a few questions about the care of my turtle. at the moment i just have a regular lamp that lets off quite a bit of heat once i get enough money i intend to get a uv lamp and other accesories like that. one of my main questions is if the basking area is becomes too hot will Squirt leave it on his own? i'm assuming the answer is yes but i just want to be sure. Also my other main question is: i live in a dorm and i don't really feel comfortable leaving the lamp on all day while i'm away at class and will turn it on when i'm home in between classes and at night (until i go to sleep generally) is this ok?

[mikee]

Shad-12 You will need a thermometer to check the basking area and the water temp. The basking area should be about 90 to 91 degrees with an additional uvb lighting. Most folks have a timer and try and mimic the daylight as much as possible. Your water should be between 74 to 77 degees depending on size. There are other rules of the road regarding required size of tank and filter size. Good Luck!

[TheComputerGremlin]

You can leave the light on all day, no worries, as long as you have enough water and the turtle can easily escape to cool down, it's fine. Basking areas are usually kept around 90 degrees F, and incandescent bulbs lose a lot of their heat through the sides and top so only part of it is being focused on to the basking area. You should get a UVB bulb setup within a month of getting your turtle, as longer can cause health problems.

However, have you thought through the prospect of owning a turtle? First, turtles get big and need a large tank. By time your little guy is a year old, he (or she) will need a 40 gallon tank. Full grown, 75-120 gallons, depending on size. What is he currently living in? A ten gallon tank or a "death bowl" from a street fair? These accessories you need to buy include a water heater ($20-50), a UVB bulb and fixture ($40), and a filter ($100-350). These are necessities, besides a tank and a basking area. Grand total, an intermediate setup will cost you about $500, and the ultimate setup probably closer to $1000.

I'm not trying to sway you, since you already have the little guy, I just want you to be aware that you may have seen only improper turtle care up to this point (90% of people don't care for their turtles correctly, and generally the turtles die). Please read over this site extensively, it has a lot of good details. www.redearslider.com

[bradmeisel]

I must echo what computergremlin said. Turtle care is expensive and alot of work.

[TurtleKeeper48]

My opinion - I have WAY too much money into equipment for my turtles, but I have spent less than $10 on a thermometer and a timer - I know that the basking area temp is right at 88 deg and the lights go on and off at the same time every day. NO matter what type of set up you are creating, a thermometer and timer are must haves.

[bradmeisel]

very tru