General Care Discussion :: UVB help

[A11D3LETE]

So, because in a couple of weeks from now the weather here in Wisconsin is going to get a bit too cold, I will not be able to take our RES outside to get that sunlight. So I'm going to need to buy a UVB, except I don't know which to buy, and if the socket I have will be the correct one. I need instructions please on what to do, thank you.

[steve]

How big is your tank? How many RES do you have and how big is the basking area? Bigger turtles are fine without UVB for a few weeks.

[A11D3LETE]

Its a 65 gallon, only one RES and her shell is 7.5 inches last time I checked, couple of days ago.

[Jeremiah]

It really depends on how your tank is set up. If you're tight on space, it's best to go with a mercury vapor bulb (MVB). The last I heard, Arcadia and MegaRay make nice ones. The 100W bulb is a good one to try. The cheaper option is to go with a Home Depot-style brooder lamp with an incandescent bulb for heat and a fluorescent UVB tube (Zoo Med 10.0, for example).