Yeah, the on/off thing would prolly stress it out. They need a 12 hour photoperiod, so. Just get a wattage that's appropriate for that size tank (I use 30/40 for a 10g, 60/75 in a 20g long - depending on how cold your house is.)



A night lamp is more useful for lizards, since they get heat from above. Since snakes don't need that kind of heat (belly heat is what's important), all you really need a light for (if you even use one, which is kinda a debate) is raising their daytime temps around 5 degrees and giving them the photoperiod (which can usually be acomplished just by being in a room that brightens up during the day, hehe). If you're planning on breeding, you need a lamp so you can adjust photoperiods depending on the time of year so you'll eventually get them in the Mood.



But . . . yeah. I don't always use lights, and I've noticed no difference in the health/stress levels of the cages that have a light vs. the ones that don't.
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-Irish

My Snakes

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