# Can snakes see red spot lights??



## carl24bpool (Oct 26, 2006)

I have just got myself a JCP and am using a red light to heat the tank.

I was told that the snake won't see this light frequency and so can be left on at night.

Here is a pic:

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r148/carl24bpool/IMG_0126.jpg

Before anybody says. Yes yes unfortunately my snake is already addicted to smoking and has left his matches out!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 

Can somebody verify this please.

Thanks


----------



## mark67123 (Jun 11, 2006)

It's a bit debateable really - in my experience (having had CRB's, corns, cali kings and a royal under red lights) I reckon they can still see, even with really deep red coloured bulbs, but to a lesser extent than with other colours of light.

The bulb in your pic appears to have a clear glass neck/stem (whatever you call it!) which isn't ideal - it'll give out a fair bit of white light too. Especially in a pale coloured viv where the walls will reflect the light more.

A ceramic would be the best way to go - they give out no light at all.

One thing though - your thermometers or hygrometers should really be nearer the floor, where the snake spends most of it's time.


----------



## carl24bpool (Oct 26, 2006)

Right. Think I'll have to get myself a ceramic if I wanna leave it on all the time then.

My thermometer unit is now on the floor and the probe is near the basking spot.

I put the hygrometer high up because I thought thats where most humidity will be. I wanted to avoid humidity getting too high rather than low. Prehaps I'll get two. I've been told, and also read, JCP's don't need very high humidity apart from when in shed, and I know too high humidity can lead to respiratory problems so wanted to ensure it doesn't get too humid. Even at the top. The bottom can't be much less humid than the top in such a small viv surely. :?: :?: :?: 

Jungle Carpets are semi arboreal snakes so do spend quite a lot of time off the ground. Mine hasn't touched ground since I got him. Which admittadly was only 5 hours ago though. He's still coiled up on top of his perch.


----------



## markhill (Sep 22, 2006)

i recently changed my white bulbs to red ones so i could leave them on at night with winter well on the way, since i did this my Royal hasnt eaten, so i changed them back, she still hasnt eaten but its only been a few days.
Its completley red with no clear bits on the stem so it cant be the light from there either.


----------



## Guest (Nov 25, 2006)

snakes cannot see red bulbs.. but the reflectors you are using do leak light at the top .so as already said on the other thread try full colour bulbs 
or if you have money to burn try ceramics..make sure you use proper heat proof cable and a reflector for it .. 
also jcps do not need high humidity all you need is a water bowl no spraying as this will cause ri problems for sure
www.moreliapythons.com have a good read up there bud


----------



## mark67123 (Jun 11, 2006)

Apologies - didn't know that they were semi-arboreal - in that case you'd need to monitor the temps/humidity in the appropriate places.

Carpet-man - when you say "money to burn" for the ceramics, do you mean set-up or running costs?


----------



## carl24bpool (Oct 26, 2006)

Cheers carpet man.

Gonna get a red bulb tomorrow. 
a proper one!!!

Can you get all red bulbs from hardware stores like B&Q??? Or will I have to may mega bucks for rep one??

Wanted to try to avoid a ceramic as the viv seems to small to warrant one.

My other concern if red light is invisible is that the only other light is daylight. With days being so short this time of year should I be providing extra white light to give him 12 hour days???


----------



## Guest (Nov 25, 2006)

mark67123 said:


> Carpet-man - when you say "money to burn" for the ceramics, do you mean set-up or running costs?


Both to buy and to run is dearer than spot and matt..
but this debate could go on for ever .whats best for the snake has to 
be used imo


----------



## Guest (Nov 25, 2006)

carl24bpool said:


> Cheers carpet man.
> 
> Gonna get a red bulb tomorrow.
> a proper one!!!
> ...


the room light is more than enough for the snake bud 
trust me i have to put covers on my show vivs as i have breeding pairs in them at the minute ,so need to have a shorter day time light 
as i already said i am using them red reflectors soon as my stock of these all pop i will be buying glass red bulbs .. from a diy shop


----------



## manda (Mar 18, 2005)

for my snake when i had him i used a heatmatt and a old uv tube just to give off a bit of light he used to love sleeping on the tube light lol
manda xx


----------



## carl24bpool (Oct 26, 2006)

there were 2 adult carpets in my local rep shop and everytime I go in there one is asleep on the flouresent tube. 

They're big snakes though and look like they could easily constrict and smash the bulb, so not sure if its a good idea once adults.

I may be wrong.


----------



## Guest (Nov 26, 2006)

any light needs a safe cover to stop burns and bulbs smashing hurting the reptile :?


----------



## manda (Mar 18, 2005)

i only had a ratsnake he wasnt ever big either 
manda xx


----------



## mark67123 (Jun 11, 2006)

carpet-man said:


> mark67123 said:
> 
> 
> > Carpet-man - when you say "money to burn" for the ceramics, do you mean set-up or running costs?
> ...


Just wondered because I've heard this before from someone on here (that ceramics cost more to run) but been told elsewhere that 100w is 100w (or 60w is 60w) whether it's a ceramic or an incandescent bulb and they'll use the same power. Can't say I've noticed any difference in electric usage with up to 4 ceramics running, but just wondered what others experiences were.

I am just talking lamp vs.ceramic though - I can see that a lamp/mat combo could bring the cost down.


----------



## carl24bpool (Oct 26, 2006)

All the extra costs are indeed just one-off purchase costs. There is no increase in running costs unless you are accounting for having to run an extra light because a ceramic can not emit vivible light.

As you say 60 watts is 60 watts, whether it be a bulb, ceramic, heat mat etc etc. Anything which is 60 watts will cost the same to run for an hour as anything else that is 60 watts.

If you want more detail then here goes:

We pay for electricity in Kwh (Kilo WAtt Hours). It says on your bill somewhere how much one costs.

1 Kwh is enough to power something of 1000 watts (Kilowatt) for an hour. Stands to reason!!

So from this you should be able to calculate how much anything costs to run (on full power) providing you have the wattage of the item.

Obviously with dimmer stats and other variable / pulse stats you will never be able to calculate exact costs since you are never running the item at ist full power / wattage.

Hope this little science lesson helps.

Thanks


----------



## Deano (Oct 26, 2006)

So which is more efficient? If a 100 watt ceramic needed to run at 60% power to heat a viv, but a 100 watt bulb needed 75%, then the ceramic would be more efficient, so cost less.

Just an example, the bulbs may be more efficient for all I know.


----------



## mark67123 (Jun 11, 2006)

Some say ceramics use the power more efficiently as they put it all into producing just heat, rather than light and heat. 
But then could the ceramic use a bit more power as the element has to heat through a ceramic layer? Particularly if using an on/off type stat, rather than a pulse or dimmer.
Maybe the two balance each other out - I dunno!

Whatever, I've noticed no significant increase in electric usage since using ceramics.


----------



## carl24bpool (Oct 26, 2006)

In reply to Deano,

A 100w ceramic running at 60% is running at 60w. Same with the buld.

I would say 60 - 75% is about right ceramic to light bulb.

Like another guy said the bulb (lamp for those who are fussy since bulbs grow into flowers) will also have to produce light.

I would agree that a ceramic would be more efficient at purely heating, but you would have to use another light so ultimately it would be more expensive to run overall. Unless you already use a flourescent then it will turn out cheaper to run.

As mentioned a ceramic produces purely heat so has to be more efficient than a bulb which is producing heat and light.


----------



## Yorkshire_Beardie (Jun 19, 2010)

can you use a spot bulb for a baby boa?


----------



## rum&coke (Apr 19, 2009)

Yorkshire_Beardie said:


> can you use a spot bulb for a baby boa?


yeah so long as its on a stat and the bulb is guarded


----------

