Advice on lights

[gbskda]

Can someone please advise me on the correct usage on UV lights and how long they should be on and whether to have them one day or night.

I have an indoor enclosure containing 2 Coastal Carpets ( Yearlings ) at the moment I have the lights on from 8pm to 4am nightly

[Harty]

No guarantee that I am 100% correct. But your uv light should be on during the day to simulate daytime sun. I have a diamond python and have the fluro on from 7.30am till 7.30 pm. I have been told that most snakes are nocturnal so they enjoy their night time darkness..

Anyone feel free to correct me as I am far from an expert...

[CheeJ]

I've never used UV lights for my snakes. However, I am very interested in the effects of UV especially if it helps the development of colours of the snakes.....
I don't think it matters if day or night time is simulated according to the real day and night cycle as long as there is a constant day and night cycle....
Would exposure to too much UV have any bad effect on the snake as well?
I know that UV is not neccesary for snakes because many have successfully kept and bred their snakes without UV......

[Fangs]

If a snake is nocturnal I dont think it really matters as they dont get uv at night.If they are diurnal then there is no better way to give them some uv than by using the sun.
from what I have read even the best uv light doesnt even come close to the sun with regard to uv.
My advice is to use the sun if you want to give them some uv and save your $ to spend on something other than uv tubes.
my 2cents.

[Artie]

If you have a uv light and want to use it, it has to be at daytime, just like normal daylight, prob. 12 hours in summer and maybe about 8 in winter. Just bring it down with the seasons. But having said that, with coastals you can use just normal cheap fluro, for daylight.
Only with Diamond Pythons I would use the expensive uvb light. I know they are nocturnal too, but they can have a tendency of developing a problem (diamond python syndrome) in later years, and uvb might be partly helpful. Of course natural sunlight is the best.
Cheers Artie

[Artie]

Hi Chee J , as far as colours go, I don’t know! But I don’t think you can give too much uv! As Fangs pointed out, UV does not even come close to natural sunlight and I read that too, somewhere.
Cheers mate

[Artie]

Sorry to any of you guys that got my last post more than once in your in box, I deleted it a few times because I couldn't get it right. I suppose it works the same as editing it.