Newbie Needing help!

[SLahire]

Hi all, Well im going to be getting 2 terrapins in the next couple of weeks and at the moment am setting up a tank for them to live.

I have a large area for them to swim and also plenty of room for them to bask.

The tank i have is 24x12x18(height) so not a bad size. I know i will need a UV lamp and also a heat lamp, but hear is my question! I dont want to cook the poor wee guys when there basking, the heat lamp will be around 7 inches above the basking rocks, so im wondering what wattage i will need. Also should it be both the heat and uv lamp that is about the basking rocks, or just the heat lamp? Could anyone point out a good + cheap heat and uv lamp?

Am i right in saying that i will not need a water heater either?

Any help would be great as im new to all this

Thanks in advance

Steven

[Graham]

What species are you getting and how old will they be?

The spotlamp and the UVB need to be shining on the same spot, a 60W spot (R63 or R80) will be adequate, and I would recommend a Repti Glo 10% compact UVB, I usually buy them on eBay from whoever's cheapest at the time.

[SLahire]

Erm this sounds bad, but im not sure the type, just seen them in my local aquatics centre...... they are only about 1 and a half inches - 2 inches, so i think there young

Yeah it has been repti glo i have been looking at but i think they come in 13w and 26w anyy ideas for the size of my tank?

[AnythingWithAShell]

I personally would get the 26w, as the bulb is physically bigger, allowing more UVB to be emitted.

can you describe what the turtles look like? The most common types in shops are yellow belly sliders, or sometimes cooters (which can look very similar). Do a google image search and see if you can find anything that looks the same.

[Graham]

Actually I would use the 13W lamp, in a small tank it's perfectly adequate, the 26W costs twice as much to run and unless you're trying to illuminate a big basking area there's no advantage.

You really need to find out what species you're getting, care can vary considerably, they could be Tropical, Sub-tropical, or Temperate for a start, all of which require different temperatures, and individual species within those categories have different habitat and dietary requirements.

[SLahire]

hi i found out that it is a cumberland slider, guy in the shop said a heat light is all thats needed, no uv. . . . will i need a water heater to? Thanks

[Graham]

The guy in the shop is talking out of his backside, a UVB is essential unless you want your turt to suffer from softshell and other conditions associated with a lack of Vitamin D3!

Assuming the turts are hatchlings then you need a water heater as well, to maintain water temps in the mid-20s Centigrade, older Sliders wouldn't need this as ambient room temp + the heat lamp would be adequate.

Have you read a Slider caresheet The Terrapin Tank • View topic - North American Sliders?

[SLahire]

Yeah though he might be talking rubbish!

Ok i will be getting a heat light and also a uv lamp,

One more question, i have used aquarium gravel for the base of the "wet" area in the tank, will this be ok?

Thanks
Steven

[AnythingWithAShell]

Gravel that can fit in their mouths is a no no, as they will eat it, and this can cause impaction of the gut. This can be very very dangerous. I'd stick to a bare bottom tank, or use large pebbles or slate chippings or similar.

[Graham]

I'm always surprised when they tell you you don't need a UVB, they'll sell all sorts of other rubbish to get a few quid more out of you, but not something that the turts actually need!