Hermit Crab Heat Lamp Off At Night
Provide daytime light and heat.
Hermit crab heat lamp off at night. Night lighting constant. If your crab is in a 10 gallon tank use a 25 watt bulb. Heat lamps evaporate humidity not to mention hermit crabs do not like to be under bright light. Additional heat can be supplied with a heat bulb not a heat lamp for reptiles which is dangerous for hermit crabs or a heat mat underneath one side of the tank.
Post by ginger 24 nov 2014 08 04 am hi i have a question about the day night cycle for hermit crabs i know there is alot of info out there about lighting however i am thoroughly confused about night time. For this you can use either an incandescent white light bulb a reptile daylight heating bulb incandescent or a uvb cfl with a heating element. Regular white light or full spectrum lighting can be used during the day for your hermit crab but red light is recommended for night so it won t affect your crab s activity. Use an overhead light to heat your tank but make sure the wattage is not so high that your crab overheats.
Install an under tank heater to provide warmth at the bottom of your hermit crab s home. If the temp drops to even 72 degrees they can. I have no problems maintaining temperatures. If you re worried that a heating pad isn t enough to keep your hermit crabs warm try a heat lamp.
If no visible light is desired then a ceramic heat emitter works well. Use a hygrometer to monitor the humidity and a thermometer for temperature. Your hermit crab tank should be kept at a daytime temperature between 70 f and 75 f so if you don t live in a very warm climate you may need a light that produces some heat. I use a 25 watt night glo at night and a 25 watt sun glo bulb during the day in my 10 gallon crabitat.
My lighting turns on and off at dawn and dusk. Misting the tank and substrate increases the humidity instantly while additional damp sponges help maintain it. My house is between 68 72 degrees. In this case we need a bulb that will do two things.
Leave the desk lamp on overnight to help keep the chill of dropping temperature at bay. As long as your house isn t too cold 25 watts would probably be enough for any 10 gallon tank. Both incandescent heat bulbs and ceramic heat emitters are suitable for 24 hour operation as they will not disturb the nocturnal behavior of the crabs. Heat lamps evaporate humidity not to mention hermit crabs do not like to be under bright light.
If you are using a hood directly on the tank top black heat bulbs will create gentler heat. Choose a bulb that is the appropriate size for your tank. You should not be using a heat lamp for a hermit crab tank.