Habitat - Indoor :: New tank basking lights

[Starscream]

Okay, I am still not seeing how I should do the basking area on the new tank. What I will have is a 2'l x 2'w basking platform in a 4"l x 2'w turtle condo. I will need visible light, uva/uvb and heat hopefully in only 2 bulbs. What should I get, money is no object, there is an unlimited budget.

[talal]

I know you had bad experience with MVB's but that's the best way to go, atleast that's what I think since you get both uvb+uva in 1 bulb and you don't have to change them out for a year. As long as you have a thermometer on your basking area and your lamp is atleast 1 feet above the platform you will have no more casualties/issues with your turtles getting cooked. If you want to go the other route then I would say try using a long tube UVB along with a heat lamp. That way you have uvb rays not only on your basking area but the water as well.

[Starscream]

Thanks tatal. I was thinking a 2 long bulb thingy 48 inches long. One bulb would be like a reptisun and the other a florescent light, then I just have to provide heat in 2 spots, on the 2' x 2' basking area, and on the ladder to it. Maybe a one bulb deal with a florescent and 2 mvb?

[talal]

Are you planning on having two basking areas on both ends of the tank? I'm asking coz you mentioned providing heat in two seperate areas or two mvbs.

[Starscream]

I had originally, but not anymore. There will be a 2'x2' platform, and the stairs leading upto the platform. My turts are a bit dumb, so I have to have the ladder heated as well. I doubt that one mvb is enough to heat 2'x3' area.

[talal]

lighting the stairs is a good idea since turtles sometimes just chill on the stairs partially submerged in the water. Two mvb's would be fine since it's 2 feet by 2 feet that's huge. Make sure you use two thermometers for both spots and keep them away from each other so one spot is not being over heated by two bulbs. Also your turtles will need a cooler land area as well where they can just bask without any heat either use one of those zoomed wooden caves or build a shade.

[Starscream]

Really? I did not know that. I am going to get a second condo, I will run it no heat, should it still have uva and b?

[talal]

second condo? I'm sorry not following. can you fit two condos on one tank? on top of each other or on each side?

[Starscream]

Lol, side by side, its an 8 foot tank.

[talal]

Gotcha, so it's basically another basking area correct?

[steve]

We need pictures and or sketches

[Starscream]

http://www.glasscages.com/?sAction=ViewCat&lCatID=76


Ok that is the condo, 4 foot x 2 foot on a tank that is 8 foot by 2 foot. I may add another condo later maybe not. But I have to figure out how to light the whole blue area in the pic, which is the platform is 2 foot by 2 foot, and the ladder area is 1 foot by 2 foot.

[talal]

that looks pretty big, I think one condo would be sufficient

[Starscream]

Me too, the one I got is actually bigger than the one in the pic I think. The question is how to heat and light the whole thing

[talal]

I built an ATBA for my turtles with egg crate, ceramic and porcelain tile and the ungrateful bastards almost quit basking so after two weeks of them being jerks, I just tossed it out put their lame zoomed dock back in and within 10 minutes they were basking and swimming around it.... lol