Lights inside the heated night box?

[Megatron's Mom]

Recap - I made Tom's double door night box. Optimus Prime has been using it all summer. It has been working amazing, temps staying right where I want it. We had a few unexpected cold nights where the temps dropped as low as 50* but Optimus was nice and toasty.

So here is my question. Now that our days are getting shorter, should I have ambient lighting inside the night box? Even when Optimus was inside his lights stayed on for 13 hours a day. But outside that's not going to happen unless I add lights inside his house. Thoughts?

 

[Megatron's Mom]

Answering my own question. I found the answer when I was looking up something else.

So if anyone reading is interested. The answer is yes, to ambient lights. I'm going to head out tomorrow and buy an LED string light to make it nice and bright on a 12-13 hour timer for Optimus.

Boy I wish they would stop the insanity of turning the clocks back.

 

[wellington]

I agree, but it still would get dark sooner than in summer. In Illinois/Chicago, it's dark now around 6-6:30. Summers 9-9:30. Still to early in fall/winter even without turning the clocks back. Either way it stinks!

 

[Megatron's Mom]

I agree, but it still would get dark sooner than in summer. In Illinois/Chicago, it's dark now around 6-6:30. Summers 9-9:30. Still to early in fall/winter even without turning the clocks back. Either way it stinks!

It stinks for sure

 

[Len B]

I don't use much inside the house lighting for my 4 sulcatas. Walker doesn't have any, but there's a bulb outside just above his door. That light penetrates through his door flaps a little. Been using this setup for about 15 years and it seems to work for him. The other 3 have internal lights, 2 have 1/2 watt LED night lights and the other has a 7 watt soft white light bulb. That seems to work fine for all them all year. I guess I should mention that I don't close their doors unless we get severe weather during winter. So they are dependent on their daily activities by natural sunlight. They seem to adjust to the shorter days OK. That said I can't wait for December 21th to get here.

 

[Tom]

Recap - I made Tom's double door night box. Optimus Prime has been using it all summer. It has been working amazing, temps staying right where I want it. We had a few unexpected cold nights where the temps dropped as low as 50* but Optimus was nice and toasty.

So here is my question. Now that our days are getting shorter, should I have ambient lighting inside the night box? Even when Optimus was inside his lights stayed on for 13 hours a day. But outside that's not going to happen unless I add lights inside his house. Thoughts?

I would not use any lights inside for a sulcata. The night box simulates their burrows. Its dark in an underground burrow. If I want them to have more heat, I put in a radiant heat panel and set it on a timer.

I do use basking lamps during winter cold spells for smaller non-burrowing species, like my Burmese stars, so that they can warm up above ambient during a cold overcast day. This is not effective for a large sulcata, and can do harm, plus it should stay dark in there.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

I would not use any lights inside for a sulcata. The night box simulates their burrows. Its dark in an underground burrow. If I want them to have more heat, I put in a radiant heat panel and set it on a timer.

I do use basking lamps during winter cold spells for smaller non-burrowing species, like my Burmese stars, so that they can warm up above ambient during a cold overcast day. This is not effective for a large sulcata, and can do harm, plus it should stay dark in there.

Maybe I'm a bit confused here. Are you saying that ambient lighting should not be used in just the night boxes or in any outdoor structure? I've been using a 5K LED shop light in my tortoise house. It's quite a bit bigger than your typical night box. Should I do away with the ambient lighting?

 

[wellington]

Maybe I'm a bit confused here. Are you saying that ambient lighting should not be used in just the night boxes or in any outdoor structure? I've been using a 5K LED shop light in my tortoise house. It's quite a bit bigger than your typical night box. Should I do away with the ambient lighting?

If your tortoises go outside in winter and the shed is just a night box but in shed form then you don't need to light it. If your tortoise lives only in the shed during winter and does not go outside then they need lights and heat.
If you have a hide inside the shed, then you can light the shed, but not the hide.
My tortoises live in their shed all winter, so it has lights to simulate day light. In the summer, when they can go in and out, the shed lights are all off.

 

[jaizei]

Maybe I'm a bit confused here. Are you saying that ambient lighting should not be used in just the night boxes or in any outdoor structure? I've been using a 5K LED shop light in my tortoise house. It's quite a bit bigger than your typical night box. Should I do away with the ambient lighting?

How has it been working out for you?

 

[Tim Carlisle]

How has it been working out for you?

Working out great. Hence my confusion.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

If your tortoises go outside in winter and the shed is just a night box but in shed form then you don't need to light it. If your tortoise lives only in the shed during winter and does not go outside then they need lights and heat.
If you have a hide inside the shed, then you can light the shed, but not the hide.
My tortoises live in their shed all winter, so it has lights to simulate day light. In the summer, when they can go in and out, the shed lights are all off.

Ok...good. I was starting to worry about bit. I like to go up there and watch the football games with him on Sundays as to not disturb my wife who absolutely hates football. lol

 

[wellington]

Ok...good. I was starting to worry about bit. I like to go up there and watch the football games with him on Sundays as to not disturb my wife who absolutely hates football. lol

Lol, I can hear you talking to him and complaining about the refs call or a stupid play. Lol.
That's okay, I talk to all my animals, including my fish and even the wild ones in my yard.

 

[Tom]

Maybe I'm a bit confused here. Are you saying that ambient lighting should not be used in just the night boxes or in any outdoor structure? I've been using a 5K LED shop light in my tortoise house. It's quite a bit bigger than your typical night box. Should I do away with the ambient lighting?

Here in southern CA, adult tortoises live outside full time all year. We don't house them in any kind of structure, so no need for any lighting. The night boxes are just for sleeping at night, or hanging out in it as if it were a burrow in the case of sulcatas, so no need for any lights inside.

In any sort of building, room, or shed, where the tortoise is going to be living for extended periods and not have access to the great outdoors, lighting is necessary. The sun is my light here. If you have a heated night box area inside your large indoor sulcata area, you don't need to light the inside of the box, just the larger area where the sulcata will be moving around during the day.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

Here in southern CA, adult tortoises live outside full time all year. We don't house them in any kind of structure, so no need for any lighting. The night boxes are just for sleeping at night, or hanging out in it as if it were a burrow in the case of sulcatas, so no need for any lights inside.

In any sort of building, room, or shed, where the tortoise is going to be living for extended periods and not have access to the great outdoors, lighting is necessary. The sun is my light here. If you have a heated night box area inside your large indoor sulcata area, you don't need to light the inside of the box, just the larger area where the sulcata will be moving around during the day.

I appreciate that clarification!

 

[Megatron's Mom]

I would not use any lights inside for a sulcata. The night box simulates their burrows. Its dark in an underground burrow. If I want them to have more heat, I put in a radiant heat panel and set it on a timer.

I do use basking lamps during winter cold spells for smaller non-burrowing species, like my Burmese stars, so that they can warm up above ambient during a cold overcast day. This is not effective for a large sulcata, and can do harm, plus it should stay dark in there.

I should have made sure the thread I found was about a sulcata. I came across a post of yours when I was searching for winter heater temps ( heat set at 86 for the winter) and came across the ambient light recommendation. It's getting dark here now before 6pm, but I guess it doesn't matter since Optimus Prime goes and parks himself for the night by 4pm?


I'm glad I did bump this thread up even if I did find the wrong answer at first.

 

[Renee_H]

Here in southern CA, adult tortoises live outside full time all year. We don't house them in any kind of structure, so no need for any lighting. The night boxes are just for sleeping at night, or hanging out in it as if it were a burrow in the case of sulcatas, so no need for any lights inside.

In any sort of building, room, or shed, where the tortoise is going to be living for extended periods and not have access to the great outdoors, lighting is necessary. The sun is my light here. If you have a heated night box area inside your large indoor sulcata area, you don't need to light the inside of the box, just the larger area where the sulcata will be moving around during the day.

It’s not even super cold yet but I’ve noticed my Leopard is only coming out to eat drink water and go right back inside her house. I actually came to find out if I should be adding a light. So this post was perfect timing for me. I suppose I’ll carry on as we are and see how she does. I’ll be honest, I miss watching her stomp around.

 

[Tom]

I should have made sure the thread I found was about a sulcata. I came across a post of yours when I was searching for winter heater temps ( heat set at 86 for the winter) and came across the ambient light recommendation. It's getting dark here now before 6pm, but I guess it doesn't matter since Optimus Prime goes and parks himself for the night by 4pm?


I'm glad I did bump this thread up even if I did find the wrong answer at first.

80 is the minimum ambient temp for sulcatas, but they still need a way to warm up above ambient each day. In warmer climates in nice weather, they can simply go outside their box and bask in the warm sunshine to get their core body temp up. During colder weather here, or in colder climates, there isn't a way for them to warm up. 86 seems to do the trick. It worked for me for years.

A new technique that I've started using for larger tortoises is to set the box at the usual 80 and then run an RHP on a timer. This allows the tortoises to get under the RHP in their warm box and get warmer than ambient. When they are warm enough, they can move out from under it and still be warm enough. The RHP usually get the whole box about ambient during the day, and that is good in winter. I unplug the RHPs when the weather is warm and sunny. Essentially, this is the same technique as using the basking bulbs for smaller species.

 

[Tom]

It’s not even super cold yet but I’ve noticed my Leopard is only coming out to eat drink water and go right back inside her house. I actually came to find out if I should be adding a light. So this post was perfect timing for me. I suppose I’ll carry on as we are and see how she does. I’ll be honest, I miss watching her stomp around.

Read post number 17 right after your post. You might want to consider this.