General Care Discussion :: Did I buy the wrong bulb?

[beavissolid]

My RES has always had a basking light, but I was talking to my friend who has a tort. And she brought hers to a vet and the vet bitched at her not having a lamp that produces UVB light. She recommended that I get a UVB light for my RES. After some research, sure enough, she was right. So I hop on Amazon and get a Exo Terra solar glo 125w bulb. It came in the mail today, it's HUGE! The lamp box says, it should be used with a wire light because it produces a bunch of heat. Doing a little research on the Exo Terra website, it says RES's have a UVB rating of two stars which means....keeping the bulb 32 inches away from my turle. 32 inches? Is this for real?

[steve]

You bought an MVB (self-ballasted mercury vapor bulb) and yes, follow directions closely. Though they say the fixture should be wire, most of us use a large dome with a ceramic base. MVBs are powerful (don't get too close to it), and it does need to hang straight down. It could be a pain, but you will have a much easier time adjusting the distance for optimal basking temps.

The good: Lots of UVB, heat and light in one bulb.
The bad: A bit expensive, needs replacement 6-12 mo
The meh: Average brand, more effort to mount.

We also recommend it for larger tanks/turtles (40+ Gallons). How big is your setup?

Your other option was a fluorescent UVB with a basking lamp.

Welcome to the site!

[Kansasslider]

No you didn't buy the wrong bulb. As Steve has stated its an MVB bulb. The distance it should be away from the basking area is where Exo terra needs improvement as they don't make this clear.
I did some reasearch and from what I could find I would say the distance is determined by basking area temperature. Their own web site says 12+". At 15" the basking temp should be around 90 degrees. I would start with that distance and adjust accordingly. Also as Steve pointed out you will need a ceramic socket light Fixture. Make sure its rated for a 125 watt bulb. Do NOT use a plastic socket light! It could melt and catch fire! Exo terra makes quality ceramic lamp fixtures and they sell them on amazon. Plaese watch this video for a better understanding of the bulb
https://youtu.be/2ZraKiKFtCY

[beavissolid]

Alright cool! Thanks guys...I checked out the video, it helped. I only have the bulb right now, my basking light lamp is way too small for this bulb. I have so many questions. I measured my glass tank, it's 48 x 12 x 21 inches high. My turtle, Tim, is pretty big about 10 inches, I'm assuming he is really a girl. I came to this website because for the longest time, I didn't have much money thus me and my turtle lived in poverty. When I got Tim, my parents didn't have much money either. Now that I'm on my own, my money situation is better so my Tim should upgrade with me. Tim's about 17 years old and his tank set up sucks. It has rocks piled on the one side, the basking lamp above that, gravel on the bottom and only about 7 inches of water. He looks to be having shell rot, but it's not too bad. His scales are peeling off a little and his shell is pretty dark. I think it's because he has never had a UVB lamp before. He never has had much water before, and I'm worried he can't swim lol. It shoulds stupid but I don't want him to drown. He sleeps under the water.

My questions are, does anyone have any diagrams of tank set ups?
And is this shell rot going to go away with the introduction of UVB rays?

I feel bad for him, it's time for change!

[Kansasslider]

I'm glad Tim is getting a much needed upgrade. I don't have any diagrams but the possibilitys are endless. I will let Steve talk to you about shell rot. He will probably ask for pictures of your turtle. Oh, Welcome to the site!

[steve]

Yes, Tim sounds like a she. Yes, put up some pics when you can.