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I went and got a working Exo Terra 5.0 compact UVB today and it seems to be working great. It is kind of purplish/whitish when it glows. I am still using the ten gallon tank but all their needs are met..It is too small but both of them can sit on the floating dock without it sinking but I would like to move them into the twenty gallon long tank which I can't set up until I get a stand (went broke buying the stuff for it). Their new habitat will be a twenty gallon long tank with a 20 gallon reptofilter, 50 watt stealth heater, zoomed floating dock, both a uva and uvb compact lamps with a fake plant and some river rocks. They will also be living with their snail. I hope I have taken the correct steps to providing them with a decent home and will let you guys know when they move into it.

I would also allow it to have a "burn-in" period that is recommended for the Reptisuns.

I have the tip of the bulb about 14 inches away. This is a Reptiglo 5.0, not a reptisun. I didn't want to risk the problems with 10.0 yet those are still with reptisuns. My last one did not work but I exchanged it today amd they are already basking.

The radishes are almost done so they will be getting some leaves soon and I am growing lettuce. They have their veggie clip and cuttlebone so it looks like 2007 is shaping up to be a good year for them. The change has been very dramatic since I used to have them in a little critter container and this setup seems outrageous to most people because of all the things turtles need. I would have never known to fix their setup without this site, though.

I know its not a Reptisun, but it seems most types of UVB bulbs have a "burn-in" period. The Reptisun 5.0 has cause problems too and another brand... (I forgot the name). But you are right, the Reptisun 10.0 has been the culprit in most of these strange cases.

Yeah, I have the bulb pretty much as far away as possible. It says effective up to 12'' but I have it at 14'' because I don't want their eyes to get swollen.

what's a burn-in period??

The compact uvb bulbs emit a lot more uvb then they are supposed to so the first few weeks they should be placed farther away as the amount of radiation will be very high.

I jinxed it...the snail died

I've been reading some about the problems that people are having with certain brands of UVB lights (mainly those Reptisun 10.0 compact flourescents, but there are others as well). Briefly, the term given to the condition that reptiles are experiencing is photo-kerato-conjunctivitis, which is compared to "snow blindness" skiers can suffer when not using sunglasses. One particularly interesting hypothesis given for at least some of the problem is that some of the newer bulbs on the market are being made with a new phosphor, which contains a very different light spectrum than more classic bulbs (i.e., the Reptisun 5.0 and 10.0 flourescent tubes, the ExoTerra Repticlo 5.0 and 8.0, for example). The different light spectrum, and not the total amount of UVB being given off, is being looked at as a cause for the eye problems.

Yeah, I honestly don't understand any of this stuff. I didn't even know what a UVB bulb was until I joined this site. I just use a moderate bulb at a safe distance and honestly expect it to work. I hope the problems stop, though.

That's some interesting news, Marisa. Thanks for the update. It'll be interesting to see what the next round of bulbs will be like.