Habitat - Indoor :: What next? Questions questions...!

[kissiffer4]

Hello,

So today I bought a UVA lamp (75W) for my 10 gallon tank, a Tetra Whisper Power filter (for up to 10 gallons) and rocks and pebbles to create a basking area. The whole process is fascinating and since I only got the turtles a few days ago I'm learning all the time.

I do have some questions and would really appreciate some advice

i) How long do I leave the UVA lamp on for (does it have to be on for 24 hours a day)? It is one of those swivel lamp jobs.

ii) The pet store guy sold me an Aqueon full hood for the tank that came with a fluorescent light. Can I use this and still have the external UVA lamp shining through the clear plastic strip of the hood? I tried it and it appears to create a nice spot on the basking area.

iii) Should I replace the fluorescent light with a UVB light (is that even possible)? I would then have the UVA external swivel lamp and the UVB light strip in my Aqueon hood.

Thanks so much!

Christopher

[joeybsmooth]

Few things.

GET THE pebbles out . You will also need a bigger tank soon. The rule is 10 gals pre turtle inch.

Also your filter should be twice the size of your tank because turtles poo so much. Live the light on to be like that day and night cycle .

The rays are effect my the glass .

They have UVB fluorescent lights .

[kissiffer4]

Cheers Joey. These are pretty big pebbles (about 1/2-1 inch width). The PetCo person said they would be alright. But if you still think they are too small or something I can take them out. The turtles seem to really enjoy sitting on top though!

I'll try to pick up a UVB lamp for my Aqueon hood. One thing, the fluorescent light is designed to sit on top of a plastic strip and shine through. From what I have read, this takes out all of the UVB rays. What can I use as a cover instead for my tank?

Could I use some sort of mesh top and just place the hood light on top of that? Would the rays still get through from the UVB and UVA lamp?

Thanks v. much!

[marisa]

You're right, the plastic strip will block most of the UVB rays from reaching your turtle, so it needs to be removed. You don't really need a cover like the one used on fish tanks (I'd return it). If the UVB light is a tube, you could rest the fixture on top of the tank width-wise. You don't say many inches the light is, but a 10-gallon tank is small...You could also make a cover with half-inch hardware cloth (at hardware stores or places like Home Depot) and rest the light on that. Sufficient UVB rays would get through to your turtles. You want as much of the light over the basking area as possible along with the heat source. If you haven't, check the temp with a thermometer.

The filter is grossly underpowered for a 10 gallon tank with turtles and you're going to have to upgrade at some point (filters are made for fish which aren't as messy as turtles). You'd want a filter rated for at least a 30-gallon tank.

How many turtles are in that 10-gallon and how big are they? Depending on their size, the tank could be too small already.

If the rocks are large enough that they can't eat them, that's OK. However, a bottom lined with rocks is going to trap debris and cause the tank to need more frequent cleaning. They will also make cleaning more of a chore...