Habitat - Indoor :: Basking?

[jasmiester]

So I learned recently about this turtle basking business .. hehe ^^v..

So anyways, what do you guys recommend? Do I just a normal desk lamp using an incandescent bulb shining into the "basking spot" and what other kinda of lights / light bulbs do I use?

Also, should I leave the lights on according to the sun?..

Thanks a lot to everyone!

[Tenodera]

Did you read the care sections on this web? They contain a lot of useful detailed info.

You can use a normal incandescent to provide UVA and heat, but you'll NEED to buy a UVB light from a pet store. These preovide UVB rays which is essential for your turtle to live and grow.

[turboturtle8]

A regular heat buld should do the trick.But it is a must you have a UVB I reccomend Retiglo 5.0.Make sure you check out the lighting section of the site!

[jasmiester]

uhmm a comment on what Tenodera said up there, you said the incandescent bulbs supply heat as well? Does that mean I dont need a heater for my tank? or is the incandescent bulb itself not enough to heat up the tank.

[megcornell]

No, you also need a heater. The light bulb cannot maintain a constant temp, and can't keep the water warm enough. Ideally your water temp should be 75-79degrees F. Ambient room temperature alone can't get the water that warm.
Heaters are cheap and can be picked up at any petstore, and are a great investment because inadequate temps can lead to serious illness in cold blooded animals like turtles.

[steve]

This page should explain most of your questions regarding this: www.redearslider.com/basking.html

[SpotsMama]

Just to make sure it's clear - you need two light bulbs that shine on the turtle's basking area - a heat bulb (regular incandescent will do) and a UVB bulb (from pet supply place - everything you need to know is on that link Steve posted).

AND you also need a water heater.

You need to have the lights on around 10 or 12 hours a day (like the sun) and off at night (so the turtle can sleep). Most of us use cheap timers from the hardware store to control the light cycle.

[jasmiester]

So my turtles recently moved into their new tank..but now the smallest one, is kinda shy im guessing and wont go up to bask, he stays in the water all the time and ive never seen him even attempt to go near the platform..should I just give him more time? It's only been 1 day and hes always been the shy type..

[SpotsMama]

It's pretty normal for turtles not to bask right away when there's been a change in their setup because they are too nervous. Make sure after he settles down that he resumes his basking.

The main motivator for turtles to bask is heat. They instinctively seek heat, that's why it's important to keep the basking area about 10 degrees warmer than the water. If you're concerned that your turts aren't basking enough, check the temps both of the water and on the basking platform and make adjustments as needed.