Reptile & Amphibian Forums

is it ok to use a blacklight for heat at night...i have a heating pad under the tank but at night it is getting too cold with just that...is the blacklight ok? that is what i use for my ball and just want to make sure it's ok to use one for the ig just at night...i have the uva heat light and the uvb lights on during the day...thanks..

Well, some people have no problems using a blacklight, but it drove my iguana crazy. I tried all different colors of bulbs, but he was restless and cranky. Iguanas can sense light with a "third eye" on the tops of their heads, called a parietal eye. It looks like a very shiny little scale right in the middle of the top of the head. Just like humans, they need dark to sleep at night, although like humans, a little bit of light won't bother them.

So I would say go ahead and try it, and if it bothers him, or you notice he's cranky during the day, get a ceramic heating unit. They cost a little more than lights, but are really durable and emit only heat. I've had mine for over a year now. You can use them day and night if you need to compensate for temperature changes in your house as the seasons change.

Good luck!
-Erin

he didn't seem to mind it all that much...but i'll keep an eye on him to make sure....if it starts to look like it's bothering him i'll get one of those heat elements your talking about...they seem hard to find though....pet stores around here don't carry them at all..one never even heard of em...so gonna have to watch online i guess...thanks....

Good to see such a caring ig-parent As it gets colder here (I'm near Toronto) I've put a ceramic heating element (CHE) for extra heat at night and through the day in Tempest's enclosure. Originally I used an infrared light, he was ok with that, I tried a purplish light that was packaged as "moonlight" simulating, and he hated it, was very cranky through the day and if I even walked past his enclosure at night, his head would come up and he'd glare.

I picked up the CHE at a pet store nearby that has alot of good herp supplies, two of the guys there are seriously into reptiles, but it was expensive! It also has to have a ceramic fixture to go into, it gets very hot. So far, its worked out well.

ya, bein that this one is such a tiny baby i dont' want to mess up with it...it's just about as long as a stick on thermometer i have in the tank to measure the temp...right now i'm trying a black light bulb...he seems to be alright with it but going to keep an eye on him to make sure it doesn't bother him, those eliments are expensive but i am going to look for one...actually two since i want one for the snakes enclosure as well...thanks

CHE's are expensive, but they last for ages. I was having infrareds blowing every few months, I figure I'll get at least a year out of a CHE (I hope!), if not longer. It throws alot more heat than an infrared too, so hopefully it'll keep the cage temps nice and toasty through the winter without me having to blanket up his cage too much.