Lighting times

[MrTurtlesKeeper]

How many hours should the day light be on and then the nighttime light for baby indoor sulcata to get adequate sleep and etc. 12&12?

 

[TechnoCheese]

I do 14/10, but 12/12 works fine

 

[Tom]

I usually give them 12-13 hours of daylight. It should be dark at night, but still warm. I don't like colored bulbs. It messes with their heads.

 

[Hutsie B]

I also do 14 when I had my sulcattas

 

[Emily Contreras]

I usually give them 12-13 hours of daylight. It should be dark at night, but still warm. I don't like colored bulbs. It messes with their heads.

Can I ask why it messes with their heads? We have a colored bulb and are currently getting shipped a new one that isn't colored. And I want to ask why it messes with them lol.

 

[Tom]

Can I ask why it messes with their heads? We have a colored bulb and are currently getting shipped a new one that isn't colored. And I want to ask why it messes with them lol.

Tortoises see light better than we do. Imagine living in a red world, or a blue world. Its worse for them. It disturbs their circadian rhythms, and it makes some of them eat substrate, rocks or other inedible materials. They need it dark at night. Many people will tell you they've been doing it for years, but it is one of those things that I think is a bad idea and an old outdated practice. Many people keep russians in 40 gallon tanks and the tortoises live. Doesn't mean its good for them. Many people feed a lot of grocery store lettuce and their tortoise seems fine. Again, survival isn't my standard for how best to care for my animals. I want optimal, and optimal is dark at night in my experience.

 

[Emily Contreras]

Tortoises see light better than we do. Imagine living in a red world, or a blue world. Its worse for them. It disturbs their circadian rhythms, and it makes some of them eat substrate, rocks or other inedible materials. They need it dark at night. Many people will tell you they've been doing it for years, but it is one of those things that I think is a bad idea and an old outdated practice. Many people keep russians in 40 gallon tanks and the tortoises live. Doesn't mean its good for them. Many people feed a lot of grocery store lettuce and their tortoise seems fine. Again, survival isn't my standard for how best to care for my animals. I want optimal, and optimal is dark at night in my experience.

Yeah I heard they also want to eat the substrate (which Ive seen him attempting, then spitting it out.) Thanks!!

 

[EmeraldxxEyesx]

I got a red light at first, because thats what the vendor told me to get. When I changed their enclosures I made sure they got heat panels instead. I couldnt use CHEs with the enclosures because theyre PVC. I can tell you the difference in sleep I could see IMMEDIATELY. I work night shift and get home 2-4am. As soon as they heard noise they were awake. Now with the heat panels, its completely dark (besides my sons small night light) and they sleep like ROCKS. They're much happier in the day time too it seems because they're well rested. Make sure you use a thermostat with both panels and ceramic heaters!