Red night light: how much is too much?

I'm putting together a 32"x18"x12" wood-and-glass enclosure for my BP. For daytime lighting, I have a 13-watt fluorescent light. I'm thinking of putting a red LED light for nighttime lighting and I'm wondering how much is acceptable and how much is too much?? I'm planning to use 1-watt bare LED bulbs (no reflector). One bulb should be enough to illuminate shapes but that's about it. Two, of course, would be better from a viewing standpoint but I'm wondering if it'll be too much for the BP's welfare.

Any opinions??

Call me dumb, but I don't even know what you mean by an LED light (not one the would be used in a snake cage at least).

If possible... I'd reccommend using a black night light. I've been using one in a small 10 gallon, but when I get a new 36x24x12 cage I'm going to stick with this lighting. It supplies plenty of "dull/dark" allowing for easy viewing without bothering the snake (it's similar to moon light).

You can buy them at most reptile supply sites, just make sure the actual bulb can't be touched by your snake b/c they can get pretty hot.

Just as a heads up when using any bulb for heat your going to take a hit humidity wise... Make sure all bulbs are ouside of the tank too... Crazy curious snakes will go anywhere including hot bulbs.... I suggested to another poster that if you need to provide some extra heat from above... Go with a CHE... they provide no light at all and do a decent job not killing the humidity... Ive worked with both and I think your better off going with a CHE... either way ALL heat sources need to be on a thermostat.

haha and led will not affect anything.

The red light should be fine. Mine is in his hide anyway and doesnt seem to care what light is in the tank.
If you plan to just use the leds for viewing and when there is no one there you turn it off?

Either way. The red wont bother your snake.. BUT I would take sand paper and ruffin up the end of the led heavely to disperse the light (no direct spot light effect)

That is.. If you are using a a actual led. If you mean those led lights you can buy. thats a different story :)

just a thought. i was told to use the bluelight insted of the red. blue night lights are much more natueral and give a kind of moon glow effect. red is not in nature unless you live on mars. i used to use red but i knoticed that my snakes would not come out of there hides all night. then i switched to a blue and they came right out and are still varry easy to see

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Originally Posted by MATT FISHER REPTILES

just a thought. i was told to use the bluelight insted of the red. blue night lights are much more natueral and give a kind of moon glow effect. red is not in nature unless you live on mars. i used to use red but i knoticed that my snakes would not come out of there hides all night. then i switched to a blue and they came right out and are still varry easy to see

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Agree 100%, the red lamps make it look like my snake is living in Hell. He loves the Black/Blue light, and comes out as soon as it's on. If you've even been in a club or fun house that used black lights you'd know how they illuminate anything that is white. This actually makes the snake look really cool and very visible.

As mentioned... I don't think the LED will suck up humidity, but I don't think it will provide much light either (although you will know the LED's capabilities better than me). If you used a low watt black night light it wouldn't give you humidty problems, but it would provide a nice romantic moonlight atmosphere;)

I use the moonglo bulbs to illuminate my two corn snakes tanks at night. It also simulates moonlight and they both cruise around their tanks at night. My ghost corn is bright with that light, but my bloodred glows flourescent under that light. He's kewl to watch at night. And they dont give off much heat, although they get hot to the touch (yes they are outside of the tank, no snakey burns here :D ).

Yea, I'm phasing out my red heat lamps. I don't think my snakes like them. The other night one of them burned out and the snake came out right away. I'm thinking of getting moonglo bulbs, too. I just have to get the heat aspect sorted out.

I also use the moon glo bulbs. They give off just enough heat to keep my cool side temps up where they need to be. I was using the red bulbs at night but the tank is in my room and the red bulbs made it kind of hard to sleep at night. The red really didnt seem to bother the snake any the moon glo is more of a personal preferance of myself. The moon glo is definitetly give a more natural look.

I went ahead and got blue LEDs as suggested.

The LEDs and the fluorescent light will both be out of the BP's reach . I tried the LED bulbs last night and they really don't radiate any appreciable heat. I guess I'll just have to experiment using one or two bulbs to see what'll work better.

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Originally Posted by Ringo

I also use the moon glo bulbs. They give off just enough heat to keep my cool side temps up where they need to be. I was using the red bulbs at night but the tank is in my room and the red bulbs made it kind of hard to sleep at night. The red really didnt seem to bother the snake any the moon glo is more of a personal preferance of myself. The moon glo is definitetly give a more natural look.

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Cool. I was worried about that because for my BP's cage I use the heat lamp to bolster up the cool side. What product and wattage do you use?

So I also use a infrared heat lamp all day and night to bolster the cool side temps. Without the lamp it would dip into the low 70's. But i remember before someone showed me an article on the BP's vision, and how the red from the infrared bulbs cannot be seen by them for light reasons (wavelengths, frequency, etc...) But so now you guys have been saying that your snakes have been much more active at night without the red lamps? I'm all for chucking it and getting a moonlight/blacklight, but how will I make sure the temps stay up though?

That's what I was told (can't see red).

I have one possible explanation for this: It is a large overhead heat source that instinctively registers as the sun to them and, therefore, prohibits night-time behaviors. But, this theory doesn't explain why a moonglo bulb that is providing heat would be better.

One thing I do know for sure is that they can "see" the red heat lamp somehow, perhaps with their heat pits. I know this because I've seen both my BP and JCP be startled when I turn them on. That's why I turn them on first when replacing them so its not so jarring to them.

So hmmmmm.... reading this thread I am a little confused. I have been hearing that the red lights are better than the moonglo ones. I have both so it's no problem to replace either one (just have to switch out bulbs). So to clarify a little on this thread, which are better for giving off heat? The red ones? Are the moonglo ones best for viewing but not for heat? I am hoping that my questions are making sense, just about time for me to go to sleep.:P I use a red light right now to help boost the ambient temps in my tank, but only use it on occasion. I also use it to view her at night when the house is really dark, but I don't leave it on all night. Should I switch to a moonglo bulb also, or since I don't use it all that much, does it matter a whole lot?? Thanks in advance!! :)

I guess I have the exact same question as Sunny1 except my purpose is purely for viewing.

I use a 75W Exo-Terra night glo bulb. It really doesnt give off a whole lot of light but its enough to see what the snake is doing. It really doesnt seem to bother him at all. I think the red bulb is much brighter than the moon glo bulbs. To answer Sunny1 question. I think the red bulbs give off more heat because when I was using the red bulb I had to turn down the dimmer cause it was getting too hot. I leave the moon glow full blast all night and keeps a nice steady temperature in the low 80's. I think it really has to do with more of a personal preferance and I just prefer the moonglo bulbs.