Light and Heat

[Noh]

So I have discussed enclosures before in a different thread but this is more specific.

I have an Albino Striped CA Kingsnake. I plan on getting a thermostat for her heat pad within the next few hours. I was thinking about getting a light for her tank. She is in 10 gallon currently(small baby), but I thought maybe she'd benefit from light or even a UV lamp.

Is it okay to use a low watt UV light AND a heat pad? Could/should I use a night and day UV light instead? Her terrarium is in a pretty dark part of the house so I thought it would be nice for her to have a light of some kind. Even if I don't get a UV lamp I could just get a normal light or hood to see her by.

It gets pretty cold in the house especially considering my housemate likes keeping the windows open in the winter and the house at a scorching 58*F.

Here is a pic of her current(unfinished) setup. She'll be getting cork bark walls and some other stuff later.
http://i63.tinypic.com/rlerlz.jpg

[DJC Reptiles]

Yes, you can use both if it gets cold enough in your house. UVB lights are not necessary because your snake should be getting all of the vitamins and nutrients it needs from mice. You can use UVB, it has been documented in some cases to benefit a snakes overall performance, but I cannot say how accurate those studies are. Something I think I should mention, is your albino a true albino, as in completely lacking the black pigment melanin, even in the eyes making them red. Some keepers don't like to use lighting in a cage with albino snakes, because of their sensitivity to light. Although many keepers have kept albino snakes under lighting, I am not sure about UVB lighting. So, I don't think you should use light either, just because I am not completely sure of the risks, and would hate to see anything happen to your animal (if anyone knows more about this, feel free to chime in). I recommend using a ceramic bulb which produces pure infrared light, and will not harm your animal. It will also provide the necessary heat your pet needs. One more thing, buy a temperature gun, and make sure temps don't get too hot, or too cold.

[Noh]

My snake is indeed a true albino, she has red eyes. That was why I mentioned it, I was concerned about too much light. So then would a hood with just "normal" light work?

I've also heard of the ceramic bulb, but I thought I couldn't keep it too close to the tank?

I'll buy a temp gun after I pick up my paycheck next week ;)

[DJC Reptiles]

A ceramic bulb would work just fine. If you want light in the enclosure, I believe just a normal reptile heating bulb should work without any damage. (Although I am not entirely sure on this). If you want light in the enclosure you can install a LED light and turn it on whenever you want to see your animal. Keeping your animal near a window will help it develop it's circadian rhythm.

[jjhill001]

You could use a little 5.0 UVB CFL bulb. Those seem to work well for me.

[CameraSkunk]

As far as snakes are concerned I'm fairly new but as far as keeping nocturnal animals or animals in general a light cycle is still a good thing to have. If they are kept in a dark room then it is still recommended to have a 12 on 12 off light cycle. Even an LED on a timer is good. I've read there are arguments about UVB for nocturnal are good or not needed so I have no opinion on that.

As DJC window light is good enough, but keeping the tank under direct window lighting can cause unwanted temperature fluctuations due to all the glass. That's just my 2 cents, but i think a general cycle is a good thing. Think of it this way, being locked in a room with the same lighting with the exception of random moments could become irritating.

[Noh]

Unfortunately it's not possible to put my snake near a window, my housemate's newts are already in the only available space near a window.

I'll look into LED lights.

[DJC Reptiles]

Unfortunately it's not possible to put my snake near a window, my housemate's newts are already in the only available space near a window.

I'll look into LED lights.

As long as your snake is in a room with natural light, that is fine. You could also keep LED lights on a timer, it's up to you.

[craigafrechette]

I've tried different combinations of lights with my Kings through the years. In my experience, they do best with the dark purple nighttime lights. Keeping white lights on seems to stress them, as they never leave their hides. They become more curious and active under just the dark purple lights.

[Noh]

So, I bought a CHE for the lovely lady because her thermostat is taking forever to ship and the 85% humidity in her viv was beginning to worry me(correct me if I'm wrong, but I keep reading that 50-60% is better for kingsnakes). It's raining a lot around here.

The humidity in her viv is now 60%, and the CHE is making the tank 85*F near the top and 79*F at the bottom. The cool side of the viv is 64*F.

If purple light would be nice I can buy a bulb for that too, my roommate owes me money so I could just make them buy me pet supplies, ha! I could switch the bulbs around and see what the little girl likes best.

I also got a low-w heat bulb marketed for "insects" :rolleyes:. The house is so cold that all of my insects, and the spiderling, stopped moving, and I can see my breath. The feeder crickets weren't even moving towards their food. I plan on testing it on the crickets, at a considerable distance, before I use it on the sling, as I've been told tarantulas are more sensitive to heat than cold. If I don't think it's safe, I'll return it. I was super hesitant about buying it.