So I am currently re configuring the Heat/UVB Lamp combo (Using a dual fixture by Zoomed). I could use some advice regarding both temperature and UVB
Turtle: Shelldon Leo Kooper, Red Eared Slider, been with me 10 years
Previous Set Up:
Lamp: Zoo Med Dual Fixture
Heat Bulb: 50 Watt Reptibasking Spot Bulb (Zoomed) 12 Inches Away;
UVB Bulb: Exoterra UVB 100 12 Inches Away
Basking Area: Slate Tile 'Throne' with eggcrate ramp.
Zilla Fresh Air Screen covering Tank
(Basking Area, Lamp Fixture, and Fresh Air Screen will remain the same)
My current goal is to set up some lamps that are a tiny bit closer to the throne, which will help for future tank upgrades I am currently planning (Having the lamps hanging too high will create problems for a higher tank)
Temp Question: Experimenting with a 25 W Zoo Med, and for the most part it is better. I am having difficulties obtaining consistent temperature measurements. I am using two zoo med thermometers; one a standard dangly one (Dangler for Short), and one an infared thermometer (Calling it Red for short). I am trying to get measurements from the 25 bulb to the basking about 7 inches away. Measuring beneath the hottest part of the lamp, Red measures it at about 88-90 which is beautiful and exactly my goal (if the ideal temperature range is about 85-95, then 88-90 is that neat middle, and 88 is around 10 degrees higher than the water temperature). Dangly says it is about 95.2 (after some time has passed) which is less neat. I don't understand why the two thermometers are saying such different things... They seem to agree on the water temperature. Red gave measurements that gradually increased the closer I got to the light and Dangly was somewhat similar but they are apart by 6 degrees... I was wondering if anyone had any input for which thermometer is more accurate? I just got Red today and until now I was using Dangly.
UVB Question: So I am hugely stumped on how much UVB my turtle should be getting. Exoterra has done its job well, for sure (changing bulbs every 6 months and her last physical two months ago went very well), but when it comes to measuring UVB and how much Shelldon should be getting, I am stumped. In experimenting with Temperature and UVB combinations, I ordered some Zoomed UVB Bulbs (10.0 Mini Compact), which I will be testing when they arrive. Either way though, I have no idea what to do with the numbers that I get when I measure the UVB (USing a Zoomed UVB Meter, measuring it in µm/cm2). Zoomed has a neat little chart, but it lists recommendations using the UV Index. I do not know how to convert UVB Measurements in µm/cm2 to the UVI (not for lack of trying). Furthermore, recommendations vary wildly from source to source for a red-eared slider. According to the box of the bulb, the RES should get 8-20 µm/cm2 (According to the annoyingly unspecific star system they use, and the back of the bulb package). A friend of mine said that 140 would be good (albeit conservative implying that slightly more would be even better) leaving me quite lost as to how much an RES should get (Whether it is a minimum or a range). I am following the bulbs directions (whether it is zoomed at around 7 inches, creating a furgerson zone of about 3-4, or exotera about 12-16 inches) but I want to know that Shelldon is getting the right amount of UVB using exact units rather than annoying 'rating systems'.
My initial plan was to use the 25 W Zoo Med Reptibask Heat Bulb at about 7 inches away from the throne, and the Zoomed 10.0 UVB Mini Compact around 7 Inches away (According to the instructions by zoomed and fergurson zones https://zoomed.com/wp-content/uploads/C ... 018-07.pdf . Long story short, I want to get measurements in units and I have the means to do so (Two Thermometers and UV Meter) but am having difficulties measuring/interpreting measurements. Any help would be appreciated.