Night heat help

[tortoise❤️food]

Hello other tortoise lovers I was wondering if I should leave my tort's heatlight on at night?
It's getting really cold were I live and sometimes at night it gets extra chilly
Thank you for the help from me and my tort

 

[Yelloweyed]

If it's cold and you aren't hibernating your Russian (?), then yes. However, almost all members on TFO would suggest you switch to a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) on a thermostat. CHEs don't have light - just heat - and a thermostat would minimize overheating risks.

 

[W Shaw]

My guy went off his food a few weeks after I got him. His day temps were fine, but I figured out that the issue was that he was getting chilly at night -- put in a heftier night bulb and within 48 hours he was back to eating normally. So, I'm still new to the whole tortoise thing, but I'd say warm him up at night for sure.

 

[Jodie]

A Ceramic Heat Emitter on a thermostat is the best option for night heat. Tortoises need dark at night, so a light is not the best option.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

For years I have used black light bulbs for heat. Some here disagree with that, but it's a light that the tortoises can't see or if they can mine just got used to it. I have either a black light or a CHE in all my house enclosures. The Russians like to cool down at night but in the middle of the night I see my other tortoises right under the heat source. Whatever you use, your tort needs a heat source at night...

 

[ZEROPILOT]

For years I have used black light bulbs for heat. Some here disagree with that, but it's a light that the tortoises can't see or if they can mine just got used to it. I have either a black light or a CHE in all my house enclosures. The Russians like to cool down at night but in the middle of the night I see my other tortoises right under the heat source. Whatever you use, your tort needs a heat source at night...

I also use black lights and timers.
In my case it's because I can see the very faint purplish glow from a distance that shows me that it is indeed working.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I also use black lights and timers.
In my case it's because I can see the very faint purplish glow from a distance that shows me that it is indeed working.

Plus you can check on them at night without turning on a bright light. My sis taught me that, she's been using them for 30 years or so. Mostly everything I first learned about tortoises was from her. I had no interest in them as I was driving truck and gone all the time. Then I hurt myself, she asked me to keep this 5 year old 10 pound tortoise for her because she had no room just then. She said just keep him in your yard for about 2 weeks. And you know the rest of the story. That was 12 yrs ago. I still have some, a Hermanni, lots of boxies and an illegal tort that I've been trying to rehab, Russians. But none are Bob, and THAT'S the bottom line.....