Hi -



First of all where on LI do you live? I am in Islip.



Second of all -- how cold does your water temperature get in the tank?



I agree that if you are keeping your sliders indoors for the winter you should have a heater for your tank. The water is best above 70 degrees . The basking light is only necesary during the daylight hours. As far as the reptosun 5.0 blah de didle dee dah -- I am not going to sit and debate about the whether it is important or not (why take chances and cheap out though?). Here is what you should do and you will be fine. Get a Mercury vapor type bulb (t-rex or reptisun makes them) This gives you heat and the UVB rays etc. for your basking area all in one bulb. Put that in a fixture and the ceramic fixture on a timer. Let them have about 8 hrs of that light and when the lights go out and the air temperatures cool off they will retreat and sleep at night in the heated water.



This will be ideal for them.



Sliders are a very cold tolerant species it is just that when you keep them indoors you must maintain them at temperatures that will keep them functioning optimally.



My animals are currently in water that is beginning to drop down into the 40's and most are already hibernating. This is the luxury of keeping them in outdoor ponds. Indoors you should have that water at around 72 - 73 degrees and they will be fine.



Steve

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• Questions!!! - newturtlemom, Sun Oct 19 18:44:37 2003
• RE: Questions!!! - Fusiongt, Mon Oct 20 01:43:13 2003
• RE: Questions!!! - dsgngrl, Mon Oct 20 08:58:21 2003
• RE: Questions!!! - TurtleTom, Tue Oct 21 13:41:52 2003
• RE: Questions!!! - honuman, Tue Oct 21 15:55:31 2003