Red lights

Cannibal23

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 10, 2009
Messages
34
Hi there. i have been reading that scorpions dont see red lighting. i would like to set up some way of observing my pet at night when he is active without disturbing his natural behaivour. uv is apparently bad and the moon glow bulb that i have is simply too dark. is red lighting ok for sure? information commonly found on the internet is alot of times nonsense so i figured i would ask people with experiance to make sure. i would like to use a cold cathode tube to do this.
 

Finntroll86

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 12, 2008
Messages
130
Yea, I use red basking bulbs to heat my scorps, and during night I have one big one to view them all. They aren't bothered by it, I think it being a larger wavelength and close to below visible range(infrared) it is not a big disturbance for them, compared to a brighter light.

I wouldn't say they can see red, but I don't know for sure, I know lots of insects and crustaceans alike can see colors better than us(which sometimes include UV).
 

rasputin

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 3, 2008
Messages
736
I don't know exactly where you received your information but UV is part of the electromagnetic spectrum that spans from cosmic rays to radio waves and is read in nanometers (symbol: nm), starting in the range of 10mn-400nm. There's obviously unhealthy ranges of UV light and with the exception of blacklight, they don't make those ranges available to the open market - ergo: the UV light you buy at petsmart is, well, um, safe. Safe is a relative statement because over exposure to UV is unsafe for any living being - hence why we have an ozone layer to block out over 90% of the UV from the sun. Again, blacklight is the one light you're going to find in the hobby that is unsafe as it does not support life. The "red light" you heard was safe is an IR red light not one you can just buy at the store - your invertebrate can and will see it and to prove it turn one on in the middle of the night and watch your scorps relocate themselves. All visible light in in the UV spectrum, even "red light." Now, red light for nocturnal viewing is properly made with actual red glass as opposed to the painted or coated light you find at the supermarket. Red light is considered safe for nocturnal animals because red blocks most visible ranges of light, hence why, if you were to look at it for an extended period of time you will find your eyes stressed even though you saw light - our ranges of vision are much different than that of invertebrates. Heat lamps, for instance, are in the IR range of the same electromagnetic spectrum as UV (not that there's another electromagnetic spectrum). IR starts at 400nm which crosses with the UVA range and much like UV, IR has 3 ranges; we aren't going to get into them because the ranges are not pertinent to your inquiry. I use IR red heat lamps but Exo Terra also make a nocturnal blue light that is safe for nocturnal viewing and is made of blue glass. I could write more but I'm a bit out of it with a cold right now and I can already tell I'm jumping all over the place so I hope that my rambling on with a cloudy mind doesn't have you confused. Exo Terra actually releases a booklet on their lighting and the ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum in which they fall that you can most likely find at one of those bigger corporate pet stores. I really do hope that you can make sense of all this info and can find it useful because I'm in no state of mind right now to make it legible.
 
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Cannibal23

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 10, 2009
Messages
34
ok so here is what i understand from what you guys have said. yes red light will not bother them as much, but it has to be a special bulb. one that is IR. a normal type bulb with red glass or red coated glass wont work? i have one of these blue glass bulbs that Rasputin is talking about but its way to dark to see much of anything excep shadows. its from exo terra i think its called night glow or something like that. the bulb looks like that of a black light but doesnt emit uv. i have the booklet from exo terra but im a beginner and havent a clue what im looking for.
 

BorisTheSpider

No this is Patrick
Old Timer
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
488
I use the IR bulbs that they speak of . I use two different light fixtures over my enclosures . One with white light for daylight ( and to make my plants grow ) and red for nighttime viewing . As soon as I make the switch from white to red light my scorpion come out and play . My Centruroides especially . :D
 

rasputin

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 3, 2008
Messages
736
a normal type bulb with red glass or red coated glass wont work?
Red glass is what is used for red nocturnal lamps as made by ESU, Exo Terra, and Zoo Med Labs. the red coated and painted glass is nothing more than a normal lightbulb that happens to have a coat of paint or a sticker over it.

I use the IR bulbs that they speak of . I use two different light fixtures over my enclosures . One with white light for daylight ( and to make my plants grow ) and red for nighttime viewing . As soon as I make the switch from white to red light my scorpion come out and play . My Centruroides especially . :D
You grow plants in with your scorps? How's that working out for ya? I really avoid those white lights, they serve no purpose when natural light is present and are too bright when there is no natural light to void them.
 

levr123

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
9
I don't know exactly where you received your information but UV is part of the electromagnetic spectrum that spans from cosmic rays to radio waves and is read in nanometers (symbol: nm), starting in the range of 10mn-400nm. There's obviously unhealthy ranges of UV light and with the exception of blacklight, they don't make those ranges available to the open market - ergo: the UV light you buy at petsmart is, well, um, safe. Safe is a relative statement because over exposure to UV is unsafe for any living being - hence why we have an ozone layer to block out over 90% of the UV from the sun. Again, blacklight is the one light you're going to find in the hobby that is unsafe as it does not support life. The "red light" you heard was safe is an IR red light not one you can just buy at the store - your invertebrate can and will see it and to prove it turn one on in the middle of the night and watch your scorps relocate themselves. All visible light in in the UV spectrum, even "red light." Now, red light for nocturnal viewing is properly made with actual red glass as opposed to the painted or coated light you find at the supermarket. Red light is considered safe for nocturnal animals because red blocks most visible ranges of light, hence why, if you were to look at it for an extended period of time you will find your eyes stressed even though you saw light - our ranges of vision are much different than that of invertebrates. Heat lamps, for instance, are in the IR range of the same electromagnetic spectrum as UV (not that there's another electromagnetic spectrum). IR starts at 400nm which crosses with the UVA range and much like UV, IR has 3 ranges; we aren't going to get into them because the ranges are not pertinent to your inquiry. I use IR red heat lamps but Exo Terra also make a nocturnal blue light that is safe for nocturnal viewing and is made of blue glass. I could write more but I'm a bit out of it with a cold right now and I can already tell I'm jumping all over the place so I hope that my rambling on with a cloudy mind doesn't have you confused. Exo Terra actually releases a booklet on their lighting and the ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum in which they fall that you can most likely find at one of those bigger corporate pet stores. I really do hope that you can make sense of all this info and can find it useful because I'm in no state of mind right now to make it legible.
so what is better for nocturnal viewing? red or blue?
 
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rasputin

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 3, 2008
Messages
736
so what is better for nocturnal viewing? red or blue?
It's up to you but there, again, are details - red glass & blue glass as opposed to regular bulbs painted or coated. If you are looking for a source that will produce heat it has to be infrared (IR). The companies I listed in my last post are the leaders in the hobby with Exo Terra being the best of the 3.
 

Sunset

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 1, 2009
Messages
183
use reptile red lights like zoo med. they don't give out any uv or anything just heat. if they gave out uv the bulbs would be twice has much
 

BorisTheSpider

No this is Patrick
Old Timer
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
488
You grow plants in with your scorps? How's that working out for ya? I really avoid those white lights, they serve no purpose when natural light is present and are too bright when there is no natural light to void them.
The plants are working great . It is a display tank at my job and I wanted to make it look as natural as possible . There also isn't enough natural light present . I use low wattage florescent bulbs so as not to make the tank too bright . It's really very nice looking and it's a cool way to get my boss to pay for part of my scorpion collection .
 
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