BABY TURLE

Question
QUESTION: I JUST BOUGHT A BASKING LAMP FOR MY BABY TURTLE AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW LONG SHOULD I KEEP THE LIGHT ON AND HOW OFTEN? (CONFUSSED) (MORNING, AFTERNOON, EVENING, ETC.)THANK YOU! JOSE.

ANSWER: Hi Jose,

Can you please tell me what kind of turtle it is?  Also what kind of basking lamp?  (brand, name, just heat, uva/uvb etc.)

Thanks,
Amanda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Amanda! It's a baby green turtle with red markings on both sides of his head/face bought at a neighborhood pet shop. The lamp is a clamp type with a heat bulb(25 watts)also bought at the pet shop. The water is checked frequently to make sure that it is not cooking the water! Thank you! Jose

Answer
Jose,

I think you may have a red-eared slider, but I could be wrong because I'm a box turtle expert.

If the heat lamp is JUST a heat lamp (you can but a UVA/UVB and heat lamp in one, or each seperatly).  If it is just a heat lamp, you need to have a thermometer placed on the basking rock/platform to help you gauge whether to move the lamp higher up, or further down over the basking area.  It should not be over the water - so I'm not sure what you mean by cooking the water.

Here is a link to the type of thermometer similar to what I use:

http://www.petco.com/product/8193/PETCO-Thermometer-Humidity-Gauge-Combo-Pak.asp

You'll also need a water temperature gauge, and I think a water heater (check the link below).

I don't think you need a humidity gauge for a water turtle, so if you can find the thermometer alone it will probably be cheaper.  The basking temperature should be 85-88 F (29.4-31 C).

Here is a link abouth all that good stuff:

http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

Anyway, now if the bulb is JUST heat, you will need to get a UVA/UVB bulb.  If this bulb does not give off heat (some do) then there will be instructions that come with the bulb that say the minimum length the bulb needs to be from the turtle.  

I like to but a combo UVA/UVB/heat lamp, but I hear they don't last as long.

-Amanda