Cloud B Twilight Turtle

Product Information

I was completely happy with this setup, and my turtles had no health problems. The only reason I changed this setup is that I was moving and I took that opportunity to change things up for my turtles as well. When you keep a turtle as a pet you usually want to do your best to replicate some of the conditions that they have in the wild. And in the wild, for a good part of the day, there is little to no light. Turtles need two types of light, one that will provide UVB rays, and one that will provide heat. You can’t have a proper turtle tank without those two types of light. But do they also need to be on during the night?

This interactive and educational toy includes eight actual constellations (such as The Big Dipper) embedded in the star pattern. Parents can sit with their children and identify these major constellations using the wonderfully illustrated Twilight Turtle Star Guide. Twilight Turtle helps make bedtime fun for children of all ages.So turtles don’t really need a night light, but if you really want to see your turtles during the night you can always move the tank to a naturally lit room, or buy a special night light for turtle tanks. Overall the best and simplest way to light up a turtle tank is to place it in a naturally lit room. UVB light is a light spectrum of the UV light that plays a very important role in the life of most reptiles, and that also includes turtles. UVB light plays a vital role in the production of Vitamin D3 which is essential for the calcium in the body. One final thing that you have to know about UVB light is that the bulbs and the tubes will start producing the UVB light even if they will still produce normal light. Most manufacturers will recommend you to replace them after 12 months, but from my experience, that is too long. After 12 months every bit of UVB light will be gone from that light so I would recommend you replace it somewhere between 7 and 8 months. Around that time the bulb/tube will have lost most of its capacity to produce UVB light but not all of it. Final Thoughts I tried using the room light, I tried using a couple of lamps that I had around the house, and they were OK, but they were definitely not great. So in the end I decided to try a light that was designed for this.

Removing Twilight from the box was easy--not frustrating as some toys are today with all their many plastic twist ties, and activating Twilight was even easier. :) He came with a clever story to tell, and he was prepared to shine his lights for eager eyes. He wasn't too heavy for a child to hold or too big to overwhelm; his size was just right. The guide booklet's information was fun to read, and it enhanced the creative and educational aspects of the toy. Easy-to-find and easy-to-use buttons make the turtle accessible to various ages and stages. All three light colors seemed pleasing to our eyes--with the amber one being the dimmest / most restful, the blue being in the middle of intensity, and the green / emerald being the brightest. Thus, the user can modify his / her starry night for various "moods" of slumber, which is a feature that we liked. It’s great to see you making improvements for your box turtle’s enclosure. Here are some considerations regarding lighting and temperature: Hydration: Ensure your turtle has access to clean water. A shallow dish should suffice, but it’s crucial to keep the water clean, as box turtles often defecate in their water. If your turtle were to be exposed to powerful lights 24/7 it won’t be able to maintain a proper sleep schedule, and this will affect its health. Now let’s get a little more in-depth at why it would be bad to have a light on during the night, and have a look at some types of lights that you can use during the night if you want to take a look at your turtle. Why Turtles Don’t Need a Light During the NightBut if you want to see your turtle during the night, there are a few types of light that you can leave on, that won’t bother your turtle and won’t affect it in any bad way. Night Light Types You Can Use

At the moment I am using the Zilla Slimline Tropical 25 UVB T8 Fluorescent Fixture with the Zilla UVB Fluorescent Bulb, and I am really liking this setup, and so do my turtles. The only thing that you have to be careful of when you get this setup is that you have to make sure that you have a good place where to put it because it won’t be as easy to place as a bulb setup. Other than that I can just say that this tube UVB light is working great. Without UVB light turtles (as well as humans and many other animals) wouldn’t be able to get the proper amount of Vitamin D which can lead to improper bone growth, metabolic bone disease, softshell, shell rot, and many other bad things. I choose to use the ClassicLED Aquarium Light for my turtle tank. There are some really great things about this light. One of the best things is that the light is powerful enough to help the plants grow really fast, a lot of lights are not powerful enough to help the plants grow and that can be kind of annoying sometimes, but with this lamp, I had no problems with this. Since we talked so much about turtles and light, I want to remind you not to forget about the UVB light.Heat Lamp and Distance: If the heat lamp you have is too close and too hot for your turtle, it can potentially cause issues. Consider raising the lamp or using a lower wattage bulb to maintain the right temperature without overheating the enclosure. You should aim for a basking spot temperature around 90-95°F. Unlike the Homestar Planetarium, Twilight's stars do NOT move, and he has just eight constellations; however, these features were fine for our purposes---a simple, comforting product to encourage a little one to go to his own room for wonder, rest, and sleep. When choosing a light bulb you have to be careful not to confuse UVB light with UVA light. UVA light helps regulate behaviors such as feeding, diurnal movement, mating, and similar activities. And while all those things are good, this is not the kind of light bulb that you want to get for your turtle.

Imagination: Storytelling about Twilight's family and pond adventures; Storytelling related to the constellations; creative storytelling individualized for child UVB Lighting: Box turtles require UVB lighting for proper calcium metabolism and overall health. The bulb you mentioned, labeled as UVA, isn’t providing the essential UVB rays. You should definitely invest in a UVB bulb. The wattage will depend on the size of the enclosure. For a 10-gallon tank, a 5-10% UVB bulb with 13-26 watts should suffice. Make sure it’s a tube-style UVB bulb. For a long time, I also kept my tank in a room that was naturally lit by the sun for most of the day. But unfortunately, I had to move the tank out of that room at some point, so I started looking for the best way to light the tank. Substrate: The substrate you’re using should be appropriate for a box turtle. Coconut coir and sterilized topsoil can work well. This mixture can help maintain humidity and provide a suitable environment for burrowing. I’ve used a lot of different types of bulbs and tubes over time to light my turtle’s basking area. Here are some of my favorite bulbs and tubes that I’ve used.Glow to sleep under a starry night sky! The award-winning Twilight Turtle makes bedtime fun for children of all ages. These constellation nightlights are the perfect bedtime companions. Twilight Turtle, the first plush constellation nightlight ever created, transforms any room into a starry night sky to help comfort children to sleep. From within his plastic shell, Twilight Turtle projects a magical constellation of stars onto bedroom ceiling and walls in three soothing color options. Twilight Turtles shell illuminates like a nightlight to help ease children's fear of the dark. While this would be a lot of money to pay for a night light ordinarily, it is a bargain for what amounts to a nighttime friend that helps reduce the scariness of the dark. My wife and I originally got this for our daughter, but find that we use it as much if not more. This is a great little companion to soothe children to sleep if they are a little afraid of the dark or if they need a companion (the turtle) to be near as they go to sleep. It works as a night light while it is on, but it won't serve that purpose after the light goes off. From my perspective, this little guy also works great for romantic or soothing lighting in the bedroom, out on the patio, or wherever... for the parents. Yes, my wife and I are constantly 'borrowing' our daughter's sleep light because.... well, because it's just so cool. Those kinds of bulbs also produce some heat, which makes them great for juveniles who need more heat than adults, but they can’t replace a heating lamp which is essential for all turtles, regardless of their age. Naturally Lighting the Tank During the Night