Urgent Care :: TURTLE NOT EATTING-BUT HAS BEEN TO VET

[marisa]

I think high 80's to 90F would be good for a basking temp (your turtle may have a preference as to which end of this he likes (95 is a little too warm). A water temp of 77 -78F would be good (you do need to check those temps with thermometers...).

I have to say I have my basking lights closer than 12 inches to my turtles (this are lightbulbs, not combo mercury vapor bulbs), and they have no problems with it as long as the temps are in an acceptable range (88-90F) and they can't touch them (they can't). I'm wondering, why should they ideally be even further away than this?

I do use red heat bulbs in the winter to keep the ambient air temp up in the tank at night, but a regular lightbulb works just as well for basking and is cheaper.

[reptilegrrl]

As I mentioned upthread, it's not very comfortable, psychologically, for a turtle to have a lightbulb closer than 12 inches to itself. In ten years of reptile rescue, I have never read or heard a recommendation to keep a light that close to a turtle. (or anyone else.) Think of how very close that is, and how large relative to their eyes. Do you like being that close to a high-wattage bulb with no deflection?

[marisa]

Not being a turtle, I can't say what would be psychologically comfortable/uncomfortable for me (I can only imagine, consider what's comfortable to me (or not), and to some extent experiment). But if the behavior of my turtles is any indication, they're fine with the way things are. I've also never read or heard a recommendation regarding the distance of a light (exceptions here are UVB lights and MVBs) from a turtle. The guide I've always gone by is the basking temp (not too hot/cold) and safety (not being close enough to burn themselves or being so close as to be able to break the glass if if the bulb should get splashed on). Common sense would dictate (I hope) not having a bulb THAT close to a basking turtle to have that happen.

In one set-up I have, the heating source/light bulb is suspended above the basking area in a dome next to the UVB light. The turtles bask under it and I've never seen them spending time craning their necks and looking straight up above them staring into the light; I frankly doubt they'd be that stupid. In another set-up, the lights are clamped to the side of the tank, and the turtle basks under them with his back to them. My RES basks under a MVB, also hung over the basking area and I've never seen him spend time staring at that light either (that light is powerful and so it is more than 12 inches away from his corkbark)

I'm wondering what is meant by a high wattage bulb here...And, what is meant by no deflection...The wattages on all my turtles' heat bulbs have all been lowered to accommodate the heat currently here in NE, but I use whatever will get the bulb into that high 80s -90F range. I use domes with my bulbs and the bulbs themselves are frosted around the sides so the light/heat is directed downward. It's not like they're stuck staring at a naked lightbulb, which, of course, would be uncomfortable for anyone...I think I could easily read with the lights they have if the reading light was the same distance from the reading material (or do whatever).

I have to ask---if as was suggested, the basking temp should be 95F (I still think too high for a healthy turtle) and the bulb is to be 12 (or more) inches away, what wattage are we talking about here? And what do you mean when you say no deflection?

[reptilegrrl]

<i>I've also never read or heard a recommendation regarding the distance of a light (exceptions here are UVB lights and MVBs) from a turtle. </i>

Do you think it's any more comfortable having an incandescent in your face than a fluorescent?

<i>The turtles bask under it and I've never seen them spending time craning their necks and looking straight up above them staring into the light; I frankly doubt they'd be that stupid. </i>

My turtle is a light-gazer, and so is my friend Meliny's. I don't think they are necessarily stupid; her turt stares at the sun, as well.

<i> what is meant by no deflection</i>

What I meant by deflection was something like a lampshade. When we sit next to a bright light bulb, we usually have a shade between it and us- that diffuses the light and makes it less painful/damaging for our eyes. Such a thing would not be good in an indoor captive setup.

I have always been told, that a good basking temp is 90-95'. I like to offer a gradient, of course: that would be the hottest part of the basking area.

The wattage would depend on the need, usually on the time of year. I started out using smaller bulbs with my turt, and as his habitat got larger I went to large bulbs. I think that when he was last inside I was using a zoo-med spot that was 100 watts. Maybe 150? I can't remember. I know I used both of those at various times- probably the 150 in the winter and the 100 in summer when it was required.

[marisa]

Regarding the incandescent vs. the flourescent in your face, I thought I had made myself clear when I said they don't have lights shining in their faces. I use domes with all lamps, which are shades. And I had said a naked lightbulb (I'll clarify here and say flourescent or incandescent) would be uncomfortable for anyone.

I've never seen my turtles stare at the sun or their lights, a quick look, maybe, but staring, no.

I know what deflection is, and believe the domes provide that.

As for the basking area temp, I've been told that high 80's to around 90F is a good, safe range. Some people say they're turtles do bask at higher temps, my RES will bask at 88F, a few degrees higher and he won't get on his basking area. (BTW, you've altered your temp from 95F to 90-95F, which is better.)

Obviously the wattage would depend on the time of year, which I thought I also had made clear when I said that I lowered the wattages to accommodate the heat currently here in NE.