How about LED lights?

Moozillion

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So I need to increase the amount of light in my mud turtle's aquarium because she has quit eating. Her temperatures are plenty warm: 80* everywhere in the tank.
But I need to trick her into thinking it's summer so she'll eat.

I have 2 fluorescent UVB bulbs in a 24" long fixture, and a 25 watt Soft White incandescent bulb in a shop light sitting on the top of the screen on her tank. I was thinking of getting a higher wattage incandescent, but may have to raise it up a bit if it increases the temperature of the tank...
So then I wondered if LED lights wouldn't be BRIGHTER with less heat. Thoughts???

IMG_1338.JPG
 

jaizei

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Yes, I like LEDs but I try to avoid having them where the animal can look directly into the LED. Or use a fixture that has a diffuser or frosted lens of some sort.
 

Len B

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With a lamp dimmer you can adjust an incandescent bulbs wattage up or down to get a correct temperature without raising the bulb. They only cost about $10.
 

ZEROPILOT

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I placed a few on some of my fish tanks. (Before I got rid of most of them)
The light was much brighter than florescent and it was a pleasing color. Intense.
However, I soon started to have issues with carpet algae. The tanks with the LED lights had all become covered with thick blankets of green and brown algea.
So there was a trade off. And I'm wondering if that would be made even worse with a high waste load produced by a water turtle.
 

Tom

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I'm using LEDs in my new cages and I'm happy with them. Very efficient and very little heat produced. Mine are all in "frosted" fixtures as Jaizei suggested.
 

Moozillion

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I'm using LEDs in my new cages and I'm happy with them. Very efficient and very little heat produced. Mine are all in "frosted" fixtures as Jaizei suggested.

Where did you get your fixtures, @Tom?
What brand and brightness?
 

Markw84

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LED's would be a good addition for what you are trying to accomplish. They tend to be in the higher - 6000k - solor ranges and that will add more summer color to your lighting. It is the blues and UVA that gets filtered out the most as the sun lowers in altitude in winter.

That will indeed encourage more algae growth in the tank, as we are giving a much more "summer" balance to the light.
 

Tom

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Where did you get your fixtures, @Tom?
What brand and brightness?
I got a bunch from Home Depot for the one bank of cages, and months later got a bunch from Lowes for the other two banks of cages. These were just "regular" countertop lights meant for under cabinet mounting in a kitchen.

If you want pet branded stuff, I know ZooMed has recently come out with some that are meant to go over tanks and terrariums.
 

Moozillion

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WHOOP! WHOOP!
She’s eating AND venturing out and about more ALREADY!!!!!!!
I just changed the 25 watt incandescent to a 60 watt LED and increased the timers to 14 hours!!!!![emoji2]

YOU GUYS TOTALLY ROCK!!!!!![emoji2][emoji2][emoji2][emoji2][emoji2][emoji2][emoji2][emoji2][emoji2][emoji2][emoji2][emoji2][emoji2][emoji2]
 

Moozillion

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LED's would be a good addition for what you are trying to accomplish. They tend to be in the higher - 6000k - solor ranges and that will add more summer color to your lighting. It is the blues and UVA that gets filtered out the most as the sun lowers in altitude in winter.

That will indeed encourage more algae growth in the tank, as we are giving a much more "summer" balance to the light.
Very interesting- so it's not just the AMOUNT of light that changes with the seasons, but the TYPE of light as well!!! And they almost certainly pick up on that!
This is FASCINATING stuff!!!
Whod'a thunk? :)
 

DanB

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How about the LED plant lights, any good? Will they hurt my Redfoots eyes?

Dan
 

Tom

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How about the LED plant lights, any good? Will they hurt my Redfoots eyes?

Dan
Lights designed for plants are of a different spectrum than what is best for animals. I wouldn't use them.
 

DanB

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So what do I do about the live plants in my enclosure?, I guess I should of mentioned that.
 

Markw84

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How about the LED plant lights, any good? Will they hurt my Redfoots eyes?

Dan

My opinion:

There are now really good full spectrum grow lights that I believe would be a really good choice for an enclosure with live plants. The "older" and still the cheaper, grow lights had a very limited color spectrum. Since LED's individually only put out one color light, you need to use a combination of different LEDs in making a good light to get the best effects. So the grow lights tended to concentrate on the needed blue and red LEDs and leave gaps in the color spectrum. Now, a good full spectrum grow light is about the best thing you can do to come as close to natural sunlight as possible indoors. Add a UVB tube on for a peak midday spike in the uv end and I think you have a great enclosure lighting. I do use grow lights in my enclosures.
 
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