equipments and aceesories

Question
QUESTION: hey mark, i just swapped my 10 gallon tank for a 40 gallon plastic container, i also bought a brand new zoo med floating dock and an amazon sword plant for it to nibble on. my mom also gave me the UV light tube which she used for plants to me.

What am i missing now? a filter and a heater? since it is summer is it necessary for a heater? and i switch water 1-2 weeks once. thx for the help mark, very appreciate it

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ANSWER: Heater- if the water is between 75-80F you are OK, but our houses are often a bit cool indoors for turtles.

Filter- yes. Even with a filter we'd change about 1/4th of the water every week, sucking it off the bottom. In captivity, water cleanliness is a big part of health.

Wild turtles live in filthy water, but they also get powerful sunshine, good diet, etc. to keep their immune systems up high. Captivity is stressful, and their immune systems need all the help they can get.

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QUESTION: so should i purchase a new uva or uvb lamp? or would the light tube for plants be just as decent?

Answer
If a bulb does not brag about being UVB, it probably isn't- and most plant lights offer no UV at all. Most that do, only offer a little UVA.

Turtles don't really need UVA and what they do need, they get from UVB bulbs (or, ideally, the sun sometimes.)

Another consideration is that most UVB bulbs stop emitting UVB after about 6 months so old bulbs need replacment as well.