Habitat - Indoor :: Lighting questions

[JohnG]

Hi,
We recently adopted a RES (about 4 in long) from someone who was going to release it into a lake.

They gave us a tank, but it did not have a filter or heater. We purchased those thing, and they are working quite well, but the thing I haven't been able to figure out is lighting.

The tank came with a lid and a light hood on top. It has a 24" Sun-Glo bulb in it, which I assume if florescent, but I'm not certain. It gets a little hot, but does not seem to give off a lot of heat. Will this bulb provide Scampie's UVB needs.

Also, the light fixture sits on top of a piece of glass on which is part of the tank lid. Is this a problem, will it block UVB rays?

I think I need to get an incadescent light for him, for heat. What would you recommend. Will a regular household bulb do? If so what wattage? Can I use a fixture that is clipped to the tank?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as we want to make sure Scampie is healthy.


Thanks,
John


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[marisa]

Welcome. I think the Sun-glo you're talking about is a broad spectrum bulb, and that it does not emit UVB rays. I'd look for a 24" Reptisun, either the 5.0 or the 10.0 for your turtle's UVB needs. There should be no barrier between the light and your turtle, so the glass needs to be taken out.

A regular lightbulb will work fine for the basking bulb. Basking area should be 88-90F (use a wattage that will get it in that range). A clip light is fine, if that's what you plan to use. Try to get the UVB light over the basking area as much as possible (or at least a good portion of it). A bulb like the 5.0 should be 6-8 inches from your basking turtle; a 10.0 a bit further away.