redearslider.com

Hi there, I just received 2 baby res for christmas, Michelangelo and Leonardo. I have a basic tank setup for now, and they seem pretty happy in it. I found an aquatic reptile starter kit at Walmart, it included a 10 gallon tank (I know I'll need a bigger one in the future, the two babies aren't much longer than an inch) with a dome lamp and 60w incandescent bulb, a nice rock terrace thing for basking, some baby Reptomin pellets, a water filter, and a wire mesh lid. Now I need a UVB light and a water heater, which is where I'm a little confused.

From what I've read, I think I should opt for a 5% UVB 26w, now the question is, which is better: Exo Terra Reptiglo or Zoo Med Reptisun? Is there much of a difference besides the length of the bulb? I plan to get one of these hoods to hold both bulbs, since I don't want to get another ugly dome lamp: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HWBPVI/ref=cm_cr_asin_lnk

For a water heater, my local petsmart only has this one: (well this was the only one in the reptile section, I didn't think to look in the fish aisle)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IWXHMI/ref=s9_simh_gw_p199_d0_g199_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1EDWKC41W93WHYZMZ7KG&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846
I really don't like that the temperature isn't adjustable, it's preset to 78... and some of the amazon reviews say it doesn't even keep the water that warm, it only gets up to the low 70s. What's a better inexpensive option with a temperature control? And how many watts should I be looking at for a 10 gallon tank about half full?

Also, this is the filter that was included in the kit...
http://www.amazon.com/Tetra-Whisper-Filter-BioScrubber-20-Gallon/dp/B0002DHYG8/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1325088029&sr=8-13
I'm going to start moving the turtles out of the tank to a dish for feeding to keep the water cleaner, but do you think this filter is adequate for now or should I get something better? It says it's for 20 gallons and i probably only have 5-6 in my tank, so I think it should be ok.. but you guys know better than me

Either the Reptisun or ReptiGlo should be OK. The Reptisun is a little stronger, so use it further away. Keep in mind that hood would limit where and how you position you basking and UVB lamps. This in turn will limit things like water levels, filter hose locations and where you have your basking area.

As for the heater/filter... those are inadequate but your choices are limited in a 10 gallon. Those are necessary items, just keep in mind you will need to get new ones when you upgrade.

Look in the aquarium aisle of your local petsmart for a heater. The heaters that are marketed as reptile heaters are usually junk. Speaking of junk... also stay away from the Petsmart store brand "topfin".

VeipaCray, based on your heater faq thread (which was very informative, by the way) I'm going to go ahead and get a 200w-300w Eheim Jager heater from amazon.com, so I can keep using it as I upgrade tanks. Everything at petsmart is just so outrageously expensive, I prefer to shop online unless I need something immediately. I'll buy that next week, plus it'll take time to ship, so in the meantime I just grabbed a 50w auto-temp one from walmart. I know you advise against the automatic type, but I just needed *something* immediately and temporarily, as it is quite cold right now. It's better than nothing, it keeps the water about 76-77.

Steve, you're right about the hood, I hadn't thought of that. I just grabbed a second clamp lamp and a Reptiglo for now. At some point, I'd like to get these:
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Combo-Fixture-Black/dp/B003F6XW56/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1OLHME053AHYJ&colid=32NQOCEKF00NG
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptile-Lamp-Stand/dp/B000255OUO/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1F1RL837L0J0X&colid=32NQOCEKF00NG


Thanks for the advice!

Sounds like you are on the right track. Keep in mind the size of the larger eheim jagers... they're fairly long heaters that need to be fully submersed in water. You can lay them horizontal but if you have a small tank - be aware of the size constraints.