Hi
I have been happily using a 175 watt heat lamp 24 hours a day in my Red foot tortoise table and it does a fair job of keeping them warm.The bask temps are higher than they should be but the tortoises don't stay under the hottest part for any length of time.
I think they like this heat but I am wondering if they can see the red light?
They all go to bed at night and find a hide to share-there are many hides but they seem to hang out in the one that they all can fit into together.

I have plans to build a reptile room and another option for heat that I have on hand is a large radiant heat panel.I can't suspend that from the ceiling in my living room though so I'll wait for the reptile room.


I have had ceramic heat emitters but they seem to be less active when I have those(they would be less intense too than the 175 watt though)-maybe mine are just used to the red lights?


Any thoughts on the red heat lamps and night time etc?
The only real concern now is that my male is breeding one or 2 of my females and if they walk under the light he could burn his head being elevated and he doesn't seem to think about anything else at that time.
I have removed him from the female a few times (don't think he was really attached) or else I switch of lamp.

I use the red or black light bulbs, however, some folks have had trouble with their tortoises eating the substrate under red bulbs. It appears that they see different wave lengths than we do and the red light makes substrate appear edible to them.

Thanks Yvonne
That is interesting.My lamp sits over a huge flat rock and I have not had any trouble with substrate eating thus far.(good to know though)
I use peat moss mainly and some cypress mulch.
Its hard to get anything in good quantities here.

I personally like CHE for night time, dark.

so is the general opinion here that the red light is disturbing to them at night?
I know for chickens for instance they don't get disturbed by the red lights on at night but obviously tortoises are different and it is difficult to know what they see for sure.

I know most tortoises prefer the foods that are red and will pick that color out in experiments that have been done with colours and smells etc.

(10-15-2012 07:53 AM)Tortoise Wrote:  so is the general opinion here that the red light is disturbing to them at night?
I know for chickens for instance they don't get disturbed by the red lights on at night but obviously tortoises are different and it is difficult to know what they see for sure.

I know most tortoises prefer the foods that are red and will pick that color out in experiments that have been done with colours and smells etc.

Tortoises eyes see the same spectrum we do but are also capable of seeing wavelengths in the ultraviolet spectrum. So yes, they see the red light and I think it would be disturbing at night. This is why I use CHE's for 24/7 heat and tube florescent + low wattage halogen bulbs for daytime lighting.

Thanks perhaps I'll try a higher wattage CHE as my table is 8 feet by 4 feet so it takes a lot of heat.
I use the UV tubes too.
Being in a bright room, they don't need extra lighting here.
Thanks for the info!

I've used a red heat bulb since I've had my red foot and he doesn't attempt to eat the substrate [orchid bark] he hides on a night under his log that has a cut out tunnel hide. my enclosure is a viv 4x2x2ft but the lamp is at one end to give a gradient heat choice.

Along with my other lights, I use a ceramic heat 24/7 and i have a dimmer switch on it so i can adjust the temp throughout the day into the night. They don't have much light in the wild to begin with and so i turn everything except the ceramic heater off at night.

LongislandPhan Wrote:Along with my other lights, I use a ceramic heat 24/7 and i have a dimmer switch on it so i can adjust the temp throughout the day into the night. They don't have much light in the wild to begin with and so i turn everything except the ceramic heater off at night.

Same as me!