Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I understand that there are two basic spectrums UVA and UVB. The UVB is usually found in some kind of flourecent design where as the UVA is the heat element.. My question is; is that all UVA is? just heat? or is there actually light benefit for the turtles? I ask this only because there are so many different types of UVA bulbs out there such as daylight bulbs and basking lights what does my slider need? I have plenty of UVB but am suspecting they need UVA aswell which I dont have at the moment... Ive also seen these full spectrum bulbs claiming to have both,,,do they work well? or is it better to have 2 different lights individually?

thanks

The main gist is not to worry too much about lighting. Sunlight is the best, so focus on that aspect. Basking lights are too expensive, and won't exactly give the turtle all its benefits other than heat.

Well.. some people can't exactly give their turtles full spectrum sunlight all the time.

Hi, The correct lighting is very important. I have
been a keeper for many years.

You need a heat bulb which can be a regular household
bulb of the appropriate wattage. You will need to
check the temps at the basking area to make sure it
gets around 85-90 degrees. The wattage of the bulb
depends on how far from the basking area it is and
how large your enclosure is.

The 2nd light is VERY important. I always recommend
the Reptisun 5.0 which you can buy online for much
cheaper than a petstore. I buy from LLL reptile usually.
It is a fluorencent bulb that produces UVB. Reptiles
need this light so they can make calcium.

My turtles get to spend summers outside in natural
sunlight but I always use one in the winter when
they come indoors.

Hope this helps
Linda