Having recently visited some other reptile enthusiasts and redecorated some of my cages I was thinking about ways of providing photoperiod. Now I know this is kind of non-applicable for those of you who keep lizards requiring UV but bear with me. How do you provide photoperiod: by ambient light in the room or lights on timers? I prefer to use the ambient light in the room since I keep mostly crepuscular snakes and nocturnal geckos. My bullsnake is the only diurnal one but don't try telling her that since she is up at ALL hours I do have a few lights on timers that come on to extend the photoperiod because it's kind of dark here in the Northeast at the moment but I also like being able to see my animals in the evening, which is when I'm usually home and they are usually awake. What do you do? What are your opinions?

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For my BP and Brazilian Rainbow Boa I use lights on a timer. The heating lamp and Under Tank Heater are hooked up separately to provide constant heating... although I have a dimmer on them to make it cooler at night.

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Andrea

As you stated the UVB light is the photo period for the ig and the Bearded Dragons. With snakes I have a basking light on the Ball pythons and the boa. All lights are on timers. The kings and corns just have the ambient light .

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

I use timers for all my herps. They're only about $4 at a hardware store and very convenient. You can always adjust their photoperiod to fit your schedule too, like have their lights come on after you leave the house for work so that they'll stay on till hours after you get home. Then they get their photoperiod and you get to see them in the evenings, without needing nightvision

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