Dimmers?

[smarch]

I know theres timers for lights but can you get dimmers?

Nank currently uses a MVB day bulb and one of those red "night" heat bulbs (right now CHEs scare me because of the hot-spots and stuff, but i'm starting to look into them). So right now we don't need the night light, but when I turn off the day light or turn it on its so abrupt. At night he's usually already snoozing when I go to turn off the light and the sudden flip to dark wakes him up since he sucks into his shell and I hear the hiss, and in the morning he just opens his eyes and squints for a while and I don't blame him. I'm wondering if anyone knows of a dimmer switch that can be attached to the light plug to work to transition smoother rather than a sudden dark or sudden light.
Or if i'm crazy tell me lol, I just like to think its more natural and pleasant if he gets light tuned on slower like it would be if the sun rose and set.

 

[Yvonne G]

You're crazy! No - it's a good question, I'm just kidding.
I don't know for sure, but I THINK that if you use a dimmer switch on an MVB it will shorten the length of the bulb.

It's nice that you're thinking about your tortoise's mental well-being, but instead of a dimmer, why don't you gently touch him or somehow let him know that the light is going to be turned off?

 

[smarch]

You're crazy! No - it's a good question, I'm just kidding.
I don't know for sure, but I THINK that if you use a dimmer switch on an MVB it will shorten the length of the bulb.

It's nice that you're thinking about your tortoise's mental well-being, but instead of a dimmer, why don't you gently touch him or somehow let him know that the light is going to be turned off?

I know we're all crazy lol so I mean that's a given. I'm still new to the MVB world so its all new there, i'd only really use the dimmer to make the quick lighting change slightly less sudden but still semi quickly, but I do recall that essentially anything can shorten the life of an MVB so maybe its not the smartest idea lol. I'm always sure to say goodnight/good morning to him so he knows but at night he still gets kind of freaked that it gets dark all of a sudden, if I touched him even slightly he'd have the same reaction because of how shy and timid he is, I always have to work around how shy he is or frightened he gets by shadows since I completely understand its instinct. I wonder if theres a way other than touching him that'll let him more aware that its going to change more than just my voice, which I try to be loud enough about but he most likely sleeps though it anyways.

 

[lisa127]

I do not use MVB's so I can't comment on using them with dimmers. I will say though, that I have a dimmer hooked up to every heat bulb in my reptile room. It's much easier to use a dimmer than fool with height of the heat lamp when the ambient temps in the room change.

 

[smarch]

I do not use MVB's so I can't comment on using them with dimmers. I will say though, that I have a dimmer hooked up to every heat bulb in my reptile room. It's much easier to use a dimmer than fool with height of the heat lamp when the ambient temps in the room change.

My personal use of dimmers would be for them to run full power when on, but just be a smoother transition to on/off. I don't mind fooling with the hight since I have the zoo-med lamp hook so its quite easy to bump higher or lower. Good to know i'm not crazy though!

 

[Yvonne G]

My lights are on timers, so I'm not usually around when the lights go on or off. I have never ever given any thought to the fact that my tortoises' sun seems to jump into and out of the the sky.

Maybe you can give him more 'stuff' to hide in so he's not so out in the open when the light goes on and off. Pack his hiding place with sphagnum moss or something.

 

[smarch]

I like being in control of his lights because then I HAVE to get up to wake his beautiful face, and its a help with my depression since I can't stay in bed in the morning I have to get up since he relies on me. That's why I've never considered timers, so when I go on vacation for a weekend he just has an extra long day. (unless the family is home then my dad takes care of the lights and a pre picked baggie of greens). He only has so much room right now, a naughty naughty 20 gal, and he almost NEVER sleeps in his hide, maybe on but not in lol, he seems to prefer sprawling out in his food dish or the middle of the tank. I do think pplants area good idea though. I'm currently planning ot steal some hosta bits from outside and plant a small one in the corner near his water... but i'm thinking about creating a leafy canopy over the water/cool side since he rips plants off the sides and stuff. I don't think he's be bothered if he actually did use his hide, I like to think he's semi-comfy enough to feel he doesn't have to hide too much

 

[Maro2Bear]

I have a very small wattage incandescent bulb, on a timer, that comes on about 30 mins before the bright/basking bulb and stays on all day, and on for about 30 mins to 1 hour when bright lights turn off at night. This way at night, when the bright lights turn off, the smaller wattage bulb provides a night light giving off light for our Sully to navigate back to his hide for the night. Same thing in the morning. Dim light wakes him up, but doesnt startle.

 

[Len B]

One dimmer I use is this store bought one, It is good to 300 watts for incandescent and halogen bulbs. I don't think the MVB bulbs can be used with dimmers. These dimmers work fine for me, I have been using them for a couple years now. I also use them with CHEs

 

[smarch]

One dimmer I use is this store bought one, View attachment 97498 It is good to 300 watts for incandescent and halogen bulbs. I don't think the MVB bulbs can be used with dimmers. These dimmers work fine for me, I have been using them for a couple years now. I also use them with CHEs

Well I guess all I need to do is hope theres someone who's using a MVB on a dimmer or has and failed and whatnot... its frustrating that MVBs have so many limitations but are better than CFLs because I could have done anything I wanted with the CFL he never seemed bothered either... but its the fact of "could" that had me change it out. The MVB instructions said not to run it at too low or too high but I didn't plan to use the dimmer to force it to run dimmer or brighter, just to slowly turn it on... maybe I should add it to the "questions" on amazon see if any purchasers there tried it.