Red light

[sheldon the crab]

Hello I have a red light and want to know if hermit crabs see red light as do tortoises. I read that lizards do not see red. Is a 50 watt infrared bulb to hot for them? I also have a blue heat bulb. I dont want to use flouresent bulbc, i prefer a hood lamp type. What is the proper type of light for heat and colour? Thanks

[Wai]

Hermit crabs have compound eyes like insects. I'm not sure what colours they can see, but compound eyes are designed to detect even the slightest of movements. Hermit crabs do not need a light source as they tend to prefer being in the dark most of the time. Good heat sources that don't emit light include UTHs and CHEs.

[sheldon the crab]

Thanks, what wattage of che should i buy? The tank is about 2 feet tall. What do the initials of the other one u mentioned? I have used a red heat bulb for years, i must have read that the could see red like some reptiles. I liked watching them at night from the red light but will scrap that and get a che as soon as i know the wattage. Would 50 be ok?

[Wai]

For a 40 gallon tank, 50 W is more than enough. You could get away with even a 40 W one. CHEs are very powerful; thus you MUST control them with a thermostat, period. CHEs should easily be able to keep your hermit crabs warm despite the crazy winter weather you guys have over in North America.

UTH = under tank heater. It is a mat that you stick to the outer surface of the tank bottom.

[ladybug15057]

To help with some of the Acronyms written, this link maybe of some help too:

http://crabbywiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Acronyms+

[appps]

I started off with the red light as well because Id been under the impression they were semi-nocturnal and If I didnt have that I wouldnt see them. It didnt give out enough heat in our larger tank so ended up just being for light.

However turns out that crabs are about as much of a day as at night so I just changed to a REPTI GLO 13W 2.0UVB COMPACT TERRARIUM LAMP non heat emitting bulb such as you buy at the petshop so they were gettign a bit of UV rays too. I am racking my brain here but somewhere there was a warning post about which one to buy and I think it said dont go over 2.0

You can buy them as both a screw in bulb which you didnt want but also as the long fluro tube ones such as you see in fish tank hood set ups.

I have mine on a timer so it comes on about an hour after we are up and about so it gets bright gradually and its light before it turns on and then it turns off around kids bedtime so again it gets darker gradually as we turn our house lights off.

Been using this set up for about 6-9 or so months now I guess.

They dont emit any heat though and I wasnt sure from your post if it was just for light and the blue one was just for heat.

For heating we have one CHE (ceramic heating element) on a thermostat in a ceramic light holder (A must it will melt a plastic one, you can buy at most light stores). Details of our tank heating and lighting set up with our hooded aquarium are here
http://crabbycreatures.wordpress.com/category/crabitat/

Oh and my CHE is a 100w

[ladybug15057]

I am racking my brain here but somewhere there was a warning post about which one to buy and I think it said dont go over 2.0

There was one on CSJ, but since has REALLY changed since its move.
Anyway, the post from bedhedcrab is still on CrabbyWiki in the archived CSJ posts:
http://crabbywiki.com/tiki-index.php?pa ... +-+warning

[aussieJJDude]

I have read somewhere on the HCA that hermies can see red light, so i dunno :-) If somebody on a hermie crab site friend and trustworthy site and they say they can, I agree with them.