Every type of reptile or amphibian has slightly different needs but a general rule of thumb is to keep the uvb light heat source on for 12 hours and off for 12 hours a programmable power center can manage the time rotation.
What does a uvb bulb do.
In recent tests the zoo med 5 0 and 10 0 bulbs were found superior to several other models please see this article.
Not just any bulb from either of these two companies will do though as you need a bulb that will produce the right amount of uvb light for turtles.
Make sure that uvb bulbs are used during the day and turned off during the night to mimic daytime and nighttime.
The highest uvb levels occur within 6 inches of the bulb.
Uvb 100 bulbs are approximately equivalent to the former 5 0 bulbs while uvb 150 bulbs roughly.
In the past compact fluorescent uvb bulbs came in the same 3 strengths that linear fluorescent bulbs do.
So if you want a long lasting high quality adequate producing uv bulb check out either the zoo med combo pack or the mega ray mercury vapor bulb.
You may feel a little hesitant about a light bulb that costs a lot more than the general premises but it s a long term investment.
Now modern cfl uvb bulbs come in 100 150 and 200 models with each model progressively emitting higher uvb levels than the model below it.
One causes premature aging the other is more prone to causing sunburn dna damage and skin cancer.
Therefore your pet s basking site should be within 6 8 inches of the bulb.