Hi, I have a baby RES that hatched on August 20. His/her name is Sandy (I'm not sure of the sex) and I'm having problems keeping the water cool enough so Sandy'll want to bask. Sandy's in a 15 gallon tank with a ceramic 80watt heater over the elevated basking area (I bought one of those basking ramps so I don't think access is an issue). The water temp is usually around 80 and the air is between 80 and 85. How does everyone keep the water cool enough? And, how do you know if your turtle's developing shell rot? Thanks!
Saerom
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How do I keep water cool enough?
Rom
Sep 22, 2003 05:38 PM
Replies (1)
Linda G
Sep 23, 2003 01:09 PM
Your heating device has too many watts for the enclosure.
I would change it and try a 60 watt regular old household
bulb. Place this above the basking area and then check the
temp on the area with a thermometer. Try to get the basking
area about 85 degrees. The bulb should also warm the water
during the day. Leave it on about 10-12 hours. Also, you
did not mention one very important thing! Do you have a
UVB source like a Reptisun 5.0. This is CRITICAL to the
health and development of hatchlings. I would also consider
making the babies enclosure larger. The large rubbermaid
containers work great and are cheap.
My babies are now 4 years old and this is the type of setup
I raised them in with great results.
Hope this helps
Linda
