General Care Discussion :: One growing - One not?

[CApears4u2]

Although he was knowledgable, the vet is not specifically a "herp" vet. But he was recommended by the other vets because they said "Dr. ___ see's turtles also" And he was available that morning.

He did in fact talk to me at length about the lighting necessary to absorb calcium but based on what I told him, he assumed I already had the correct lighting. Heck, I assumed I had the correct lighting and ya know what they say about assuming.

Nevertheless, after I "fix" everything i.e. light, continue with the calcium, etc. I'll continue to closely monitor them. Incidentally, Little Guy has been jumping and swimming in the water more often just during the last couple of days. GOOD sign!

Oh, the bulb. I ordered one this morning ($33 on internet vs $49 @ Petsmart!) Yes after all the reading I've been doing about these types of bulbs I'm gonna be extremely careful about placement. I ordered the lowest wattage. And I'll definitely keep the box and receipt.

Thanks for the kudo's Reptilegrrl. Appreciated.

Hope everyone's weekend is going/has gone well.

T

[CApears4u2]

I'd better come up with real names for them instead of LG & BG.

T

[marisa]

I would recommend a T-Rex Active UVHeat mercury vapor bulb over the Zoo-Med one, if that's the route you want to go. While I haven't used one, there have been many complaints, mostly about longevity with the Zoo-Med bulbs (the reason why I never got one). I have used the T-Rex one, however, and had very good luck with it--it was still working when I replaced it, one year after I installed it.

However, since I just realized you already bought one, good luck with it.

[CApears4u2]

Figures... But of course - that's my pattern!

Will save the box & receipt fer sher.

Now that we're talking MV bulbs, and I WILL read more before I install it, I do have another question: I ordered a 100watt bulb. I'm wondering if I can use it in the same 5.5" ceramic lamp my other bulb is in. It's rated for 100 watts but doesn't say one way or another about MV bulbs. I know it has to be higher/further away becuase of the heat...

Awe heck with it. I'll wait until I get it and will probably just get another lamp. Probably hafta do that anyway.

I'm curious tho... What wattage do you have and how do you have it set up?

T

[marisa]

If the fixture is ceramic and says it will take 100 watts, I would think it would be OK, but, that 5.5 inch dome (I'm assuming that's the dome) is rather small. The bulbs give off a lot of heat, and it would be better to have a larger dome so the heat isn't trapped as much (plus spread the light out over a larger area).

I do like to have fixtures rated for higher wattages just in case I want to buy a higher wattage for whatever reason, though. The fixture I'm using with my MVB is rated for 250 watts (and has a 10-inch dome), and the bulb is 160 watts. I have it hanging over the basking area (Zoo-Med makes a lampstand with a base that partially goes under the tank to keep it stable if you want to buy one. Or, you could figure out something on your own. I have mine hanging from an iron flag stand of all things; it has a heavy base). The bulbs work better if they're vertical (per the instructions with T-Rex's bulb, anyway) and you do need that ceramic fixture because of the heat it gives off. Follow the instructions about distance from the basking area, and check the temp with a thermometer.

FYI, the bulbs can overheat and stop working/just go out. If the bulb suddenly goes out for no reason, turn it off for about 10 minutes to let it cool down, then turn it on again. If it's cooled sufficiently and there's nothing wrong with it, it should light. If not, it may have just died. These bulbs can be somewhat fragile...