Red Bulb Help/Debate

[RedFootedLove]

Are red bulbs really because I have used them still do and I haven't seen any eye problems or problems with her at all but if they are really super horrible for redfoots I will fix it asap if you need a picture of my enclosure I don't have any updated ones since I fixed the enclosure but I can give a detailed description

 

[wellington]

The red bulbs are only bad because they can make tortoises eat substrate, as the color red attracts most tortoises. If your torts don't seem to do this and you like the red bulbs then that's fine. However, tortoises do not have lights in the wild at night, so for this reason I would not recommend them for night heat. A Che last longer and gives heat with no light.
The coil bulbs are the ones that are bad on the eyes.

 

[Tom]

Tortoises see colors better than we do. If you can see the light from the red bulb, your tortoise can see it even better.

The red bulbs make everything look funny to them and they keep everything lit up at night. Tortoises need it dark at night.

Try this: When you sit down to dinner tomorrow night turn off all other lights and put a bank of red bulbs over the table where you are eating. The food won't look right and it will mess with your brain. Imagine your whole house was lit up red all day and all night. Just close your eyes and imagine that for a moment…

I wouldn't want to live that way, so I don't make my animals live that way either. Ceramic heating elements warm things up better, last longer, and let your tortoise have a normal day and night cycle.

 

[ascott]

Are red bulbs really because I have used them still do and I haven't seen any eye problems or problems with her at all but if they are really super horrible for redfoots I will fix it asap if you need a picture of my enclosure I don't have any updated ones since I fixed the enclosure but I can give a detailed description

Red night bulbs and black night heat bulbs work fine..if you don't use them once their coating starts to change then they are fine...I keep them changed out before they ever begin to change..once they begin to lose their coating they become an actual light and then no good for night...again, this is just one of 4hose tooics that are opinion based ...so if the torts in your care do fine then they are fine..

 

[SteveW]

Red night bulbs and black night heat bulbs work fine..if you don't use them once their coating starts to change then they are fine...I keep them changed out before they ever begin to change..once they begin to lose their coating they become an actual light and then no good for night...again, this is just one of 4hose tooics that are opinion based ...so if the torts in your care do fine then they are fine..

You know, if you were to Goggle 'visual pigments in reptiles' you would discover that enhanced (compared to human) color vision in reptiles is not an opinion, it's actually a thing. So even if red bulbs don't cause damage (they don't) or induce substrate consumption (reports vary) at the very least you are subjecting them to a completely unnatural perpetual day cycle. Seems like a poor choice when CHEs are cheap, durable and available from 45wt-150.

 

[Yvonne G]

This is a case-by-case situation. Some tortoises, under a red bulb, see their substrate as something to eat. Other tortoises don't have that problem. So if you're using a red bulb and your tortoise is eating his substrate, you need to not use a red bulb. In my case, I have three red bulbs going during the winter in my outdoor sheds. The tortoises sleep through the night and the light doesn't effect them at all. On indoor habitats I'm using black lights for night heat and it also does not affect the tortoises.

As regards to the "...subjecting them to a completely unnatural, perpetual day cycle" comment, what about the moon. My black lights are pretty much like moonlight. I've been using them for over 20 years and my tortoises are very healthy and stress free. I've only been using the red bulbs for two winters, and I don't see any stress or problems with the tortoises in those sheds.

 

[SteveW]

Yeah, so complete darkness is likely not needed, the moon as you say. I have a hard time imaging how a red bulb is analogous to that. Maybe species specific? Red bulbs kept my redfoot up all night and had my leopard eating orchid bark. Given the stated color vision, these responses are not surprising.

The black bulbs I have no experience with. As an aside, I've been playing with some 'moonlight'LED lights that precede and follow the fist incandescent lights by an hour. The Mee seems to respond and is active in this 'twilight '

 

[Yvonne G]

Manouria is one species of tortoise that IS active at night. None of my other species are. They all go to bed in the early evening and don't get up until morning. But the Manouria seem to be alert all throughout the night, and if I should happen to go into their yard after dark, they'll come out to see what I'm doing.

 

[SteveW]

They are crazy beasts. I'm considering Elongated in part because there seem to be similarities. Sorry for the tread high jacking.

 

[RedFootedLove]

This is a case-by-case situation. Some tortoises, under a red bulb, see their substrate as something to eat. Other tortoises don't have that problem. So if you're using a red bulb and your tortoise is eating his substrate, you need to not use a red bulb. In my case, I have three red bulbs going during the winter in my outdoor sheds. The tortoises sleep through the night and the light doesn't effect them at all. On indoor habitats I'm using black lights for night heat and it also does not affect the tortoises.

As regards to the "...subjecting them to a completely unnatural, perpetual day cycle" comment, what about the moon. My black lights are pretty much like moonlight. I've been using them for over 20 years and my tortoises are very healthy and stress free. I've only been using the red bulbs for two winters, and I don't see any stress or problems with the tortoises in those sheds.

I really like this reply my tort only has one lighting change in his enclosure throughout the day and it is obviously the uvb my uvb turns on at 8:30 am and she usually comes out and explores by about 9:30 - 10:00 (because that's how long it takes her to get out of bed) and it turns off at around 8:30 and I haven't seen her up at night, sleep through all day until the next ,or try to eat the substrate so I think im good thanks for everyones help this forum has done me nothing but good

 

[SteveW]

I really like this reply my tort only has one lighting change in his enclosure throughout the day and it is obviously the uvb my uvb turns on at 8:30 am and she usually comes out and explores by about 9:30 - 10:00 (because that's how long it takes her to get out of bed) and it turns off at around 8:30 and I haven't seen her up at night, sleep through all day until the next ,or try to eat the substrate so I think im good thanks for everyones help this forum has done me nothing but good

I really like your reply . It's cool that you are watching the behaviors and making decisions accordingly. Good for you.

 

[Turtlepete]

This depends how you set it up…

In my hatchling redfoot terrarium, there are three lamps: a UV lamp, a sunlight/basking bulb, and a red bulb. The red bulb is positioned directly over the two hides. The effect is it warms up the hides nicely while also heating the ambient air within the enclosure without spreading any red light over any area other then directly over the hides, an area the tortoises can't access anyways. Sure, a little bit of red-light spills over the edges of the hide, but even at night it produces light only in one area of the enclosure, an area inaccessible by the tortoises. It's only function is for heat.

 

[ascott]

You know, if you were to Goggle 'visual pigments in reptiles' you would discover that enhanced (compared to human) color vision in reptiles is not an opinion, it's actually a thing. So even if red bulbs don't cause damage (they don't) or induce substrate consumption (reports vary) at the very least you are subjecting them to a completely unnatural perpetual day cycle. Seems like a poor choice when CHEs are cheap, durable and available from 45wt-150.

Thank you for the heads up, I am very familiar with your reference. I however base opinion here on what I know to be true and thus share as such..but thanks again in the event I was not in the know.

 

[Anyfoot]

This is something I have been thinking about lately. Yvonne picked up on the point, moon light.
I was thinking of creating moonlight at night with a black bulb to imitate the moon light.
However I believe torts (well reds anyway) find burrows or other natural hides to bunk up at night. So maybe a night light but a dark hide that is not lit up is one way to imitate the natural habitat at night.