General Care Discussion :: couple questions

[crock1120]

Chould the UVB light stay on at all times? Is it ok to turn of all the lights at night? Also, does it matter how close the UVB light is to the basking area? Right now mine is about 6" above.

Any responses are appreciated.

Thanks

[SpotsMama]

The UVB light should be turned off at night. You can turn off all the lights at night. The idea is to try to mimick the normal outdoor day/night cycle.

It makes a lot of difference how close the UVB light is to the basking area. UVB intensity dissipates the further from the basking area the bulb is so if it's too far away the turtle won't get any benefit from it. On the other hand, if the UVB source is too close, it can burn the turtle or harm his eyes.

Exactly how far away is the right distance depends entirely on the type of bulb, fixture and wattage. The packaging should say what the recommended distance is. If you don't have your packaging, can you say what kind of bulb you have? For example, a Reptisun 10.0 tube flourescent bulb is a common type.

[grey goose]

I keep my lights on 12 hours, off 12 hours.....some keepers have 10 hrs. on, 14 off. You have to mimic (the best you can) the day/night cycle.
What type/amount of UVB do you have? 6" seems a little close to me....

[crock1120]

It is a flourescent, 18", 15 watt, (7% UVB)

[SpotsMama]

10" to 12" would be fine.

Anyone else with different opinion on this? Pipe right up!

[grey goose]

Can you move it back a little? For a 7.0, I'd say 10" should be the minimum distance, assuming it's a new bulb...and even then I would keep an eye out for overexposure (swollen eyes, lethargy, etc.).
Here's a site all about UVB bulbs and exposure. It's mostly for lizards, but it covers everything about fluorescent UVB bulbs.
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/index.htm

[marisa]

Is a a Reptisun? For a 7% UVB tube, you shouldn't have a problem with a distance of 8-10 inches.

[lisajonathan00]

Oh my UVB light is a 8.0 and it is sitting on top of my tank. Should it not be? My heat light is 8-10 inches away. Now I am confused.

[steve]

How many inches is the UVB away? The heat should be as far away so that it only warms the basking area 10F warmer than the water. It should also be out of reach by your turtle and should not allowed to get wet accidentally.

[marisa]

It's a tube UVB flourescent and you have it on the tank width-wise? If so, if the distance from the light to your basking turtle is 8-10 inches, your turtle should be fine (there's no plastic/plexiglass in between the turtle and the light, is there? If so, you need to remove it). If, at the distance you say the basking light is, the basking area is in the range of 88-90F, then that's fine.