Night heat

[huntevans20]

Hello. My night heater for my torts went out and I’ve been using a 50 watt heat lamp at night to keep a higher temp on one side of the enclosure at night until the new ceramic gets here. Is this harmful for the tortoise to have a light on at night it’s not very bright and they seem to be sleeping just fine. Just temporary. Just don’t want to cause any issues for them. Thanks

 

[GBtortoises]

Is the 50 watt lamp a low light emitting or blue or red colored light emitting lamp? If it is one of those it should be fine. As long as it's not producing a bright light that makes it appear like daylight in the enclosure.
What species of tortoise? Not all tortoises require heat at night.

 

[huntevans20]

Is the 50 watt lamp a low light emitting or blue or red colored light emitting lamp? If it is one of those it should be fine. As long as it's not producing a bright light that makes it appear like daylight in the enclosure.
What species of tortoise? Not all tortoises require heat at night.

It doesn’t produce very much light at all. It maybe lights up a 1 square foot area of the enclosure. Leopard tortoise as well

 

[TechnoCheese]

Is the 50 watt lamp a low light emitting or blue or red colored light emitting lamp? If it is one of those it should be fine. As long as it's not producing a bright light that makes it appear like daylight in the enclosure.
What species of tortoise? Not all tortoises require heat at night.

Colored lights should not be used for any reptile. Even if they can’t see the color (which tortoises can), they can still see the light. It’s equivalent to the sun being out at all times of the day.

 

[TechnoCheese]

It doesn’t produce very much light at all. It maybe lights up a 1 square foot area of the enclosure. Leopard tortoise as well

You should be using a ceramic heat emitter or radiant heat panel on a thermostat to keep the entire enclosure above 80 degrees. There should not be any lights on at night.

 

[GBtortoises]

Colored lights should not be used for any reptile. Even if they can’t see the color (which tortoises can), they can still see the light. It’s equivalent to the sun being out at all times of the day.

Sorry but that's not true. While some light is emitted from a colored lamp, tortoises, as well as many other animals do not pick up or perceive the light as daylight partially because of the color of the light within the spectrum and the fact that they do not emit a bright, intensive light that a white lamp or natural sunlight does.
Black or purple lamps can also be used which emit even less light. A ceramic heat emitter works well and obviously produces no light whatsoever but if lacking one a dark colored lamp provides the same result with no issues.

 

[TechnoCheese]

Sorry but that's not true. While some light is emitted from a colored lamp, tortoises, as well as many other animals do not pick up or perceive the light as daylight partially because of the color of the light within the spectrum and the fact that they do not emit a bright, intensive light that a white lamp or natural sunlight does.
Black or purple lamps can also be used which emit even less light. A ceramic heat emitter works well and obviously produces no light whatsoever but if lacking one a dark colored lamp provides the same result with no issues.

Here are a few articles on the topic. I especially advise reading the second one.

Reptile Lighting Information - Reptiles Magazine

Information on how natural and artificial lighting affects reptiles.

www.reptilesmagazine.com

Frances Baines on lights at night for reptiles | Reptiles Amino

The credit for this does not lie with me but with Frances Baines, a well-known expert on reptile lig

aminoapps.com

Colored Lights & Reptiles

Colored Lights & Reptiles covers the myths most reptile keepers believe regarding the colored lights sold by most manufacturers.

reptileapartment.com

Any light, no matter the color, will always be brighter than natural moonlight. They are an outdated way of heating, proven to be ineffective, and should no longer be used.

 

[huntevans20]

Colored lights should not be used for any reptile. Even if they can’t see the color (which tortoises can), they can still see the light. It’s equivalent to the sun being out at all times of the day.

I was just asking if it would cause an issue only being used temporarily. Should i remove it and have no heat at night besides in the hide box or should i leave it until the new ceramic arrives

 

[TechnoCheese]

I was just asking if it would cause an issue only being used temporarily. Should i remove it and have no heat at night besides in the hide box or should i leave it until the new ceramic arrives

It should be alright until the ceramic arrives. Heat with light is better than no heat at all, if it’s only temporary

 

[LasTortugasNinja]

Ceramics are now sold at every Walmart I've seen. They put them with the fish flakes & filter pumps in the pet area.

 

[huntevans20]

It should be alright until the ceramic arrives. Heat with light is better than no heat at all, if it’s only temporary

What night heating device do you recommend? I’d like to make the best possible choice for my tort! Thank you

 

[Maro2Bear]

What night heating device do you recommend? I’d like to make the best possible choice for my tort! Thank you

Check out these Radiant Heat Panels coupled with a nice thermostat with a probe.

RHPs create a nice overall “warm” enclosure with no hot spots — good for day & night. Plug it in, set the trmp, let it go.

✅ https://www.reptilebasics.com/rbi-radiant-heat-panels

 

[TechnoCheese]

What night heating device do you recommend? I’d like to make the best possible choice for my tort! Thank you

I personally use CHEs, but radiant heat panels are the best thing out there if you can afford them.

 

[Maro2Bear]

I personally use CHEs, but radiant heat panels are the best thing out there if you can afford them.

Yes, they aren’t too bad in price, easy to install, don’t have that intense heat as a CHE.

 

[Bee62]

I was just asking if it would cause an issue only being used temporarily. Should i remove it and have no heat at night besides in the hide box or should i leave it until the new ceramic arrives

No problem when it is temporarily until your new che arrived. Better light in the night as too low temps.