Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I like this site because all ofyou know what and what not to do. am i missing anything.

thanks

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0.0.1 Red Eared Slider

whats the thing in the middle bottom of the tank?...is that like a hide out?

Someone on this site made it for me. It was a little over $100. It's cool, huh? When I first got it a couple of months ago--Turtle could fit. Now she can't. but she still lays on it and sleeps.
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0.0.1 Red Eared Slider

Do you have a UVB basking lamp or just a regular bulb? I would get him a better basking platform too. Is the tank a 20 gallon?
He will out grow it sooner than you think. (they have a way of doing that).

Overall you have the basics down. Just be sure to have a UVB light source and perhaps one of those basic ramps that attaches to side of the tank.

Good luck with your little friend.

Steve

It's a UV Basking light.

It's a 46 Gallon Tank

And I'm hoping she can deal with it for a little longer (hopefully 2 more yrs). When we move into our new house, i'm planning on getting a tank made. Like 7ft x 4ft x 4ft. Something really big.

How big is your turtle? I bought that green turtle ramp and also that creame colored turtle ramp. She makes it sink and never fully gets out of the water.

thanks
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0.0.1 Red Eared Slider

You might try some plastic or silk artificial plants attached to the side of the tank or to the top of the tank. All turtles like to have a place to feel secure. I buy artificial silk plants at dollar stores, and even just floating them in the water adds to the sense of security for a turtle.

Also, you say the bulb is UV - but does the packaging for the bulb specify UVB? Unless it's a mercury vapor bulb, it likely doesn't have UVB.

How often are you feeding? She looks large enough to feed every other day.

Katrina

so im pretty sure its UVB. and i feed her a little bit every day two times a day. she acts like she's starving. so i was thinking of just getting the amount i would feed her every other day---and split it up so she can eat every day twice a day. but i have no idea how much to feed. do you feed as much as big as her head? or how mcuh they'll eat in 10 minutes? thanks
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0.0.1 Red Eared Slider

As the other poster mentioned, if this bulb is not a mercury
vapor bulb which costs anywhere from $50-90 depending on
where you purchased it, you do not have a UVB source. What
you have is a bulb that puts out UVA. There is a HUGE
difference between them. I would recommended the Reptisun
5.0 for UVB. It is a long fluorescent tube that looks like
a fish light. Do not confuse the two, make sure it is UVB.

To be honest, I think the UVA heat bulbs are a waste of money.
I use regular household light bulbs of proper wattage.

Please don't guess at you turts set-up. It could cause big
problems especially in a young turtle.

Linda

Hey,

Just wondering....so what's the deal with all the bulbs on the market that say UVB & UVA? False advertising? Because the bulbs I bought say "produces UVB" right on the package and I certainly did not buy them for $50-$90 (that's craaaaazzzy, btw...not you, the price). I bought mine for like $15 or so each. They're supercoiled fluorescents, not the long types. I supplement that with natural sunlight (whenever possible) for my baby turtles.

On Austin's Turtlepage, the author breaks down the details of some of the bulbs on the market, including which ones have not been adequately tested for UVB performance. I am not sure whether the info is correct, but here's the link. http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Community/review.htm#U V B L i g h t i n g

I paid about $25 for my ESU brand Super Coil UVB light. I have read that these types of UVB lights produce about 3% UVB versus the 5% that many of the tube lights produce. Obviously, 5% is better than 3%, but sunlight is better than both.

Do you have a UVB light??? They need that too for proper growth.
~Walnut~
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1 Dog- Mollianna Mae
1 Cat- Macey Montana
2 Red Eared Sliders- Gator and No-No
2 Beta- Swamp and Swims
4 Fish- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Sorry, completely missed the other threads about UVB and stuff...opps
~Walnut~
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1 Dog- Mollianna Mae
1 Cat- Macey Montana
2 Red Eared Sliders- Gator and No-No
2 Beta- Swamp and Swims
4 Fish- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish