So let s take a closer look at what you actually need to look at when buying a heat lamp.
Red eared slider heat lamp.
Yellow bellied slider turtles spend a good deal of time in basking spots which for captives must stay at the correct.
Moreover it can help at night especially if the temperature is too low.
Heat is what keeps your turtle going.
When setting up your new red eared slider turtle tank consider having 10 gallons of water per inch of turtle as a general rule of thumb but a 20 gallon tank is a minimum size for hatchling red eared sliders.
Red eared sliders also known as red eared terrapins are among the most popular pet turtles in the world.
The basking area should have a gradient of temperature such that the turtle can choose a suitable temperature.
Drying off also helps hardening of the shell scute shedding as well as minimizing algae growth and waterborne infections.
You must provide your red eared slider with a night time.
They belong to the pond turtle family emydidae and species trachemys scripta elegans.
Heat lamps are vital for all pet turtles.
If your slider wants to go to the other side of the tank and cool down he should be able to do so.
That doesn t mean you should keep a light on for him all night but it should be on for part of that time.
Without one their health will be greatly affected.
One of the first things that you have to know about a pet turtle is how to correctly light the tank and how to get a good temperature for the basking area.
Yes red eared sliders need a heat lamp.
As noted above you will only need a heat lamp if you can t get the basking temperature to at least 80 degrees fahrenheit.
Without heat your slider s internal temperature falls because reptiles as ectotherms cannot self regulate their body temperature.
The heat lamp should never be placed in such a way that your slider cannot get away from it if he wants to.
Proper lighting is crucial for a captive yellow bellied slider turtle s health.
They rely on the heat source of the sun.
At night when sleeping extra heat and light are not necessary as long as the temperature remains around 65 o 70 o f 18 o 24 o c.
Keeping in mind that red eared sliders can read 10 12 inches as adults you can see that eventually you will need a very large tank.
This warmth elevates their metabolism along with their digestive and immune systems.
Red eared sliders being ectothermic regulate their temperature by the ambient temperature.
So a heat lamp is required for a red eared slider but just getting any heat lamp won t do it.
Heat entices your turtle to bask.
One mistake many first time red eared sliders.
An integral part of any red eared slider habitat is its source of temperature.
So to help you with that i made this guide that will go over everything that you need to know and do to properly.
Do red eared sliders need a heat lamp.
In the beginning you can be overwhelmed by all the different types of bulbs available and all the different types of light.
