Habitat - Indoor :: Basking temp and light height

[coopville]

I have read all over saying that the basking temp needs to be at least ten degrees warmer then water. So 90-95 is ideal. I have my lights positioned at the recommended 10 to 12 inches. I put a digital food thermometer on the platform right under where the light shines. It reached upwards of 105. If I move the light higher does it loose effectiveness? Or is 105 directly under the light ok? I don't want him to get hurt.

[marisa]

105F is too warm. Moving the heat light higher will naturally lower the temp (you want it more around 90F).

I don't know what UVB light you're using, but moving the UVB light further away will decrease the UVB rays reaching your turtle quite dramatically even if you move it away a relatively small distance (it gives off negligible heat).

It sounds like the two lights may have to be placed at different distances. Or, you could simply use a lower wattage heat light.

If your turtle won't bask after you've lowered the basking area temp to 90F, trying lowering the water temp several degrees (from what you wrote, I'm assuming it's around 80F or a bit warmer, and could be lowered).

[coopville]

I'm using a 50w basking bulb. My water temp is around 78 right now. The 50w was the smallest I saw at the store. Is there smaller? The temp in his ATBA may be lower then 105. But directly under the light it is hot.

[coopville]

I will try to position the bulbs a little differently. Raise it up to 12 inches away and see how that does. I feel like if this Is happening to me the way mine is set up, then others would have the same temps. I used the post of peoples ATBA for reference in building mine.

[marisa]

A 50 watt basking bulb 10 - 12 inches away from the basking area is heating the basking area to 105F? The temp seems really high for such a low wattage at the distance. Is it a halogen bulb (they seem to be a little warmer than regular bulbs)?

Either the thermometer is off, or the walls of the ATBA aren't allowing for air circulation and the heat is building up in that area...

Can you recheck the temp with a different thermometer just to make sure?

Also, if this is a "spot" basking bulb purchased from a pet shop, which concentrates the heat in one area, and you can't raise it further away, you might try just a regular incandescent lightbulb, which would diffuse the heat more.

[coopville]

It's a 50w zoo med reptile basking spot lamp. I'll move it up higher.

[coopville]

Since it is a spot lamp, can I move it further away and still benefit from the UV rays?

[steve]

It'll only produce UVA rays, so its fine.

[coopville]

And a regular incandescent produces UVA?

[coopville]

I raised my spot lamp up to sixteen inches today. Where the light shines the temp is sitting just under 95. I also positioned my 5.0 UVB lamp over the same area but lower, at about 10 inches. Im trying to find a way using foil to keep the lights from shining at us when were on the couch. its not attractive, but it works. And i dont need to put any light over the water?
This is how it currently looks, just one lamp is hung higher now. Im currently using a Zoomed 50w Basking spot lamp and a Exo Terra 5.0 UVB Bulb. Is this good? I Want to make sure he is getting the light he needs for him to be healthy.

[coopville]

Any input on how to clean this up. Or consolidate the lighting would be appreciated. The liight on the left is my basking spot lamp. It is now hung above the tank and on the right is the UVB. I have foil wrapped all over the front. But it really annoys me. How about a 100w megaray mvb. Will that be the only light I need? If so, then I will be able to hang a single light in a deep socket so the light doesn't bother us. Give me some help please.

[marisa]

A fix to consolidate the lighting would be to get a mercury vapor bulb (you're tank is a 72-gallon bow front, right?), which would do everything (UVB, UVA and heat). But, it would cost some money (for the bulb and fixture) and you'd have to position it so that the enclosed basking area wouldn't trap too much heat. It's something you could think about for the future, though.

[coopville]

It's 50 gallons. Is that too small for mvb? I was looking at the 100w one by megaray. That's all I need for light then right?

[marisa]

Yes, that should do it. The 100-watt MegaRay (like most of these bulbs) needs to be about 12 inches from your basking turtle. There is a little wiggle room with the range, however, and if your basking area gets too hot (because it's an enclosed area and the bulb gives off a lot of heat), you can move it away some (UVB strength will be somewhat decreased accordingly). The range and output should be on the box.

These bulbs are best positioned hanging, not clamped. I've found objects to hang them off of and for one of my painteds (in a 40-gallon stock tank), I use an adjustable stand made by ZooMed (if you wind up getting one, don't get the small version). The fixture has to be able to accommodate a relatively high wattage and needs to be ceramic. I've gotten some good reflector domes in the past from Lowes or Home Depot (can't remember which); they're good for up to 250 or 300 watts, and they even come with the clamp (which I don't use). But you can get them from pet stores for a bit more. Get one that will be deep enough so that the bulb doesn't show (I've never had a problem, but I seem to recall that some people have).

[coopville]

Thank you. I'll order a bulb tonight. This will look much cleaner. And I hope he likes it. I read nothing but good things about these bulbs.