Turtle setup help. Very confused?

Question

I am getting a baby res turtle in a couple weeks. i know i have to have a certain type of light for the basking area. What is it? do i need two different light fixtures. What watt size. how hott should it get. how far should the lamp be away from the basking area?

Answer 1

Oh boy.  None of these simple seeming questions are esay to answer with a flippant reply.

Not only do you have to worry about water/land area, and the correct UVB lighting; but you also have to worry about water temperature (and filtration) for proper health and digestion (depending on where you live, and the temperature of the room; heating the water may not be necessary).  But some research is going to be needed.

So, it's good that you do not have the turtle yet, and you have time to do a little research.  I have listed a few sites below, which might help get you started, and you can also google RES turtles on line.

Before you get your pet, I strongly recommend that you locate a qualified reptile vet and ask their opinion/advice, too.  As you research your turtle; you're going to come across sound advice, and a lot of it will be contradictory!  So, educate yourself the best you can, before you make decisions on how to house the turtle and actually getting the turtle.

I also strongly recommend, as you would with a new puppy or kitten, that you have your new turtle inspected by the vet for over all health/fitness, and tested for disease/parasites.

Most reptiles are long lived, and grow their entire lifespan.  Your turtle is going to be with you for a long, long time.  Reptiles are slow to show signs of illness, and the problem is usually pretty progressed by the time they show symptoms, so it's a good idea to have a vet who is familiar with the animal, long before anything above a routine inspection is necessary.

Though some of this may sound a bit daunting, and to be a big undertaking - keeping waters turtles is relatively simply, if you know what they need, and your animal is healthy.

"Forewarned is forearmed," as the adage goes.  You should understand the turtle's requirements/needs before you purchase one, and before you start to set up its environment.

Above all, once you reach that stage, enjoy your new pet!

I hope this has been helpful.

Answer 2

u need to get a basking light and a uvb and uva light it need to be right on top of the basking area the rest depends on the time of light fixer u get

Answer 3

You need a UVB light. When the turtle basks on whatever basking object you give him under the light, it will help harden his shell  which will increase his immunity to disease and other things. Watt size is up to you, it should get to about 91 degrees. I believe there supposed to be about 12 inches away from the turtles area. You should join my new group to talk about your baby Res! i got one ten days ago. The address is http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/redear...

good luck and hope to see you soon!

Answer 4

best you can do is go to a pet shop and tell them what kind of turtle you have and ask them.

Answer 5

U need a basking/heating light and a UVA/UVB light as well. They need to be about 12 inches from the top of the tank, turtle tanks dont have to have a mesh cover like most others require because turtles cant escape. The mesh could melt due to the very hot warming light. so i wouldnt even bother with one. The temp should be between 75 degrees at the lowest and about 89 or 90 degrees at the most. Turtles also need cool water to swim in, about 70 degrees or they get too hot. I have a 75 watt fluorescent UVA/UVB bulb.  Hope i helped.

Answer 6

u will need a uv light. this is usually a strip light. this helps bone and shell growth and is very important. then u need a basking lamp which provides the heat. this is usually set so the temp one end will be about 90degrees and the cooler end about 80degrees. u can use thermometers to measure the temp and thermostats to keep the temp contant

Answer 7

yes you need two different light fixtures, of different types. but i go with just one, not the best environment for them but it works. the lamp should be able to create some type of heat... a basking lamp. the lamp shouldn't be too far away from the basking area. and it shouldn't be too close as well. just so that there is some heat around the basking area.

for my tank, i also have a filter... a tetra whisper filter. they're really quiet. and not really that expensive.

also, i have some sand on the bottom, so my tank doesn't look to plain. and the sand helps camouflage the p**p that's going to be there.

since you're getting a baby res, maybe you can get like a huge tank for him. he will be so happy. and when he grows bigger, he will have enough. buying a big tank for when he's a baby helps you to save the money of buying a bigger tank every year (or every few years) as the turtles do grow really quickly.

the websites will tell you tons about what you'll need to know to properly care for your res.

the second includes pictures of products, but it talks about all types of turtles, but there is good info in it.

Answer 8

u should get a 75 watt bulb with a clamp so u can clamp it onto the tank...u should have it by the turtles basking spot...u should leave the light on a couple hours a day...i have a screen on my turtle tank and i have the light directly on the screen (only a couple hours a day)

Answer 9

Two fixtures.  One for heat and one for UVB.  It must be UVB.  Here is my care sheet:

RES

Recommended size of tank is 10 gallon of tank per inch of shell.  For example, a 4 inch long turtle should be in a 40 gallon tank.  Water depth should be 1.5 times the length of turtle.  A 4 inch long turtle should have 6 inches of water.  They need a basking platform.  Something that they can easily climb out of the water onto so they can be completely dry.  They need a water heater.  These are made for turtle tanks and will keep the water at 75-78F.  If water is too cold, they can get sick.  A strong water filter is usually needed, as these are very messy animals.  There are many types of filters available…get the most powerful one you can.  Water quality is also very important.  Filters do not remove ammonia waste, so frequent water changes are needed.  Clean water will go a long way in keeping your turtle healthy.  Do not use gravel or sand on the bottom of the tank.  This will make cleaning too difficult.  Also, turtles commonly try to eat gravel which can lead to fatal intestinal impactions.  

They need a heat lamp with a light bulb to provide heat for basking.  Place this above the basking platform.  The temperature on the basking platform needs to reach 85-90F.  They need this temperature to raise their body temps in order to digest food properly.  Use a digital probe thermometer to measure the basking temp.  These are sold as indoor/outdoor thermometers in most garden departments.  Set it to “outdoor” and place the probe on the basking platform. You cannot use stick on or dial thermometers, as these only measure air temps and not basking temps.  They can be off by more than 20F!  Adjust the wattage of the bulb or the distance to the basking platform to adjust temperature.  OR better yet, plug the heat lamp into a dimmer switch to adjust the temperature as needed.  Dimmer switches are made for lamps and are sold at most hardware stores.  You plug the heat lamp into the switch, and then plug the switch into the electric outlet.  Cheap and easy!  If the basking temp is too cold or too hot, the turtle won’t bask properly and will get sick.

They also must have UVB lighting.  These are bulbs specially made for reptiles and look like fluorescent light bulbs.  You’ll need a fixture to put them in as well.  A good place to get these from (and other supplies) is from www.reptilesupply.com.  Very good prices!  A Reptiglo 8.0 or Reptisun 10.0 are both good brands.  UVB lighting needs to be placed above the basking spot as well.  It needs to be within 12 inches of the basking platform.  These bulbs should be changed every 6 months as they lose potency long before the light gives out.  Both heat and UVB should be on for 12 hours a day.  This is best accomplished by plugging them into timers.  This helps create a normal day/night cycle for your turtle.  

Feed a good turtle diet.  Use several types and sizes and vary each day.  Feed all the turtle can eat in 15 minutes.  Babies can be fed daily.  Adults can be fed 3-4 times a week.  

For more info on care, health, and feeding, please see Austin’s Turtle Page.  It is the most complete and accurate web-site on turtles and tortoises I’ve ever seen!

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/ca...