i finally got what seems to be the best reptile light on the market. zoomed's powersun is a mercury vapor full spectrum heat bulb that comes in 100 watts and 160 watts. they cost about $70 retail. i got one from work so it was a lot cheaper since we get a great discount(no im not talking about a five finger discount). anyways my dad built a nice stand for it, i painted the stand. the stand mounts to the table the turtles are on and holds the light about a foot and a half above the basking area. this bulb is supposed to have adequate uvb output from 6' away and lasts "over 2 years". i havent had any problems yet and will keep you guys posted if anything about it i dont like or especially do like.

cool! what type of turtles?

dont yell at me! i have a 5" common snapper and a 3" penninsula cooter, and a 3" western painted. i know not to mix snappers with anything, but it has been fine so far and i am aware of the risks and i dont recommend it. all are in a 40 breeder. i use a whisper 5 for filtration.

that was me. i didnt mean to yell, i just knew if i didnt say i know what im doing wrong, about 5 people would tell me.

ok.................. idont get why you recomend snappers for at least 75s and you have one in a 40 gallon? i hope it works and do something about it!

in the end they need to be in at least 75. people need to know that when they are deciding whether or not to get one or deciding what to do with one they just found. hes only 5" and is doing fine in 40 gallons. people can start it in a smaller tank, but if they think they only need to have it in a 55 or something in the end they will be very upset when it cant turn around. an oscar needs to be in at least a 55(arguably) but can start in a smaller tank. in both cases you need to move them into bigger tanks before they are stunted from it or get stressed and therefore sick. if i told you you could put a little baby pacu in a 20 gallon tank you may think "great, i got one of those, ill get 2" but you should know before you buy pacus that they can reach 16" and grow extremely fast. they should end up in at least 150 gallons. if i dont tell you that, they outgrow tanks and put you in a bad position, overwhelm the filtration, die from disease, or break the tank by bumping into the decor and causing the decor to break the tank. yet you could still technically start them in a 20 gallon (for about two weeks).