Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

AS · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:37 pm Post subject: 24hr lights?

I've been doing a lot of reading on varanus.net lately and the idea of a 24 hour light cycle intrigues me. I've always stressed the importance of choice in my lizards environment, and this would add another dimension to that; after all the animal itself is most aware of what it needs from its' environment rather than having the keeper force their own ideas of what constitutes a natural environment on the animal. Alternatively, I would be concerned that a constant source of bright light would stress the more sensitive animals. So has anyone here tried 24 hour lighting? Have you compared constant lighting with proper day/night cycling? Has anyone seen any particular benefit when keeping an animal under one as opposed to the other?
Regards, AS

Scott W · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:48 pm Post subject:

I have 3 vivs set up with 24hrs of 100 watt powersuns. Not noticed any difference in behaviour or growth. The vivs contain Pilbara's, Ackies and Glauerti.

Certainly the bright night light hasn't seemed to affect them, I can't say I ever remember seeing them out basking during the night, even with the powersun on.
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varanus · Key Member Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 400

tried it didnt see any benifit to it and thus stopped doing it i believe it will simply lead to your animals burning themselves out at a younger age but thats just a theory
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Sean · CaptiveBred Addict! Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 602

I have to go along with Paul on this one, I personally don't see how the animal concerned can benefit from this. Think about it if you were put in a room with 24hrs lights on what effect would this do to you in a matter of days never mind the long term effects. This to me is a method that was started and applied by some U.S. keepers/breeders, one of the reasons behind this is if you have a large collection and you use lighting as a heat source as well it is easy to see when the heat source as failed because the light bulb will be out.

AlbigularisCrazy · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:33 pm Post subject:

Like said on the other forum you posted on, its NOT about the LIGHTS, its about the conditions, and heat, all u need is a 24/7 HOT SPOT. I've personally used 24/7 basking lights for years, with no burning on many species, and I've even seen benefits with it, like growth growth was so much faster with the 24/7 lights, i have two types of lights, tube lights(NOT UV) as (day light) and then basking lights (heat) i turn the day lights off at night, and keep the basking spots on 24/7. My female albig, layed 2 clutches before she hit one year old. When i keep varanus niloticus, i did a study (my study) i keep two on 24/7, two on a cycle no heat at night, besides one little heat pad. In the cycle cage they grew slow, and one grew slower than the other, but ate the same amount. In the 24/7 cage they out grew the other niles by 20 inches at the end of 8 months, not even a full year! I'm a late guy, i stay up late, i some times go in the monitor room, and look at them always catch some one basking at 2am 4 am 6am etc etc all the time, I'm talking, ackies, mangrove, albigs, argus, as of right now, I've keep boscs, niles, timors, waters, dumerils, rudis, ornates, storrs, and a few others, and have seen them all bask at night before. To be truthful, this is NO RIGHT nor WRONG but more wrong than right. There's SO MUCH we DO NOT KNOW about these incredible animals.

Chad

varanus · Key Member Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 400

for me the animals evolved to grow at a certain rate once you start speeding this up with either to rich a diet, to much available food, or to much heat without a shutdown period for the body then you are asking for problems long term

growth that is sped up more than nature intended it to be is never a story with a happy ending in my book but thats just my tupence and purely IMO Wink

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AlbigularisCrazy · Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 2:08 am Post subject:

This is not nature, this is captivity. Its not if you over feed them, you CANT over feed a young growing monitor. It's how you support them in there fast or slow growing, hmm, boscs, always grew slower than albigs, and keep the same, meaning, its not because I'm feeding a "rich" diet, its i give them choices to chose from. Either it be humidity, heat, hiding, etc etc... I cant be very helpful on longevity since i sold all my 3-6 y/o old monitors, oldest i have is a close to 1 1/2 y/o female albig, 3 clutches. Doing, fine, even got sick for awhile (not from 24/7 heat haha) it was from a bad food source. she put on weight fast, eating like mad now.

whats your longevity? in what conditions what diet? etc etc... Prove your point, if you want me to prove mine I'm more than willing to.

Chad-oh

AlbigularisCrazy · Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 2:09 am Post subject:

This is not nature, this is captivity. Its not if you over feed them, you CANT over feed a young growing monitor. It's how you support them in there fast or slow growing, hmm, boscs, always grew slower than albigs, and keep the same, meaning, its not because I'm feeding a "rich" diet, its i give them choices to chose from. Either it be humidity, heat, hiding, etc etc... I cant be very helpful on longevity since i sold all my 3-6 y/o old monitors, oldest i have is a close to 1 1/2 y/o female albig, 3 clutches. Doing, fine, even got sick for awhile (not from 24/7 heat haha) it was from a bad food source. she put on weight fast, eating like mad now.

whats your longevity? in what conditions what diet? etc etc... Prove your point, if you want me to prove mine I'm more than willing to.

Chad-oh

crocdoc · Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 5:03 am Post subject:

AlbigularisCrazy · Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 6:19 am Post subject:

Not very old. 1 year 3 months old. Did i say i had a old monitor? no, i said i can prove I've had results and benefits(to me that is). Did i day a cycle is bad? nope. All i said was 24/7 Heat. 35 y/o lace is older than i. Kinda hard to keep a monitor longer than how old i am. You are right it hasn't been around long enough. What do you use? cycle or 24/7 "light"? You've bred lacies, for how long? 5-6 year? Ive keep a bosc for 5 years, with a cycle, she is still alive, but not in my hands now, shes would be 8 now? maybe 7. shes now keep with a 24/7 basking spot and has grown more now as of late than she did with me with a cycle and i was younger, didn't give her options, and did not support her conditions. Also have another female bosc around 3 year old just under(also not in my hands anymore) shes all of 45 inch's. keep under 24/7 basking spot. Ill let you know in a few years i guess when i have a older albig:P Thanks

Chad-oh