How much lighting is too much?

[privet01]

I've been under the impression that too intense lighting is bad for the eyes of FBT's. I though I'd read that somewhere, but searches for "Fire Belly Toad lighting" tend to only bring up information from retailers wanting to sell you UVB lighting.

I don't want to get into the UVB side of the discussion nor do I want to get in the the heat created side of the discussion, as those variables can be controlled and I feel like I have sufficient information on that.

I just want to know how much light is too much for their eyes. Is it pretty much the same as for humans, don't stare at the Sun or watch arc welders without a shield and such. Or can lighting that is intense enough for plants that need full Sun be too much? They do after all live under the Sun in nature, but is their habitat such that they only get a little shaded Sun?

What do y'all think or know?

[amylee4546]

I turn on the lights in the morning and then turn them off at night. I don't know if that's helpful or not but my FBT seems to be doing just fine. Also another thing I do is during feeding time, I turn the lights off. When I place the crickets up on a rock, the frogs have to look up, so I turn the lights off so it won't hurt their eyes. I hope this is helpful somewhat.

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[privet01]

I've got mine on a timer and it stays on 12 hours a day. But I'm only using a single t8 15 watt bulb that also provides uvb. Though the lighting seems bright in the house, it's really not enough light for many plants. I'm wanting to increase the lighting so I don't have to depend on "low light" plants in the viv. It's only a ten gallon viv and I'm going to go to two t8 15 watt bulbs.

But I'm still planning on a bigger viv at some point and am trying to find out what the intensity level is that actually is a concern for their eyes. They have shady areas where they don't get full light.

However as an exaggerated example..... If I have twenty t8 15watt bulbs over them, lighting this 18inch by 12inch viv, and they leave the shade, are they in immediate danger of blindness? And if so, then what about 10?

[ericbrookey]

I think it's a try and see kinda thing. I've experimented with different lights, uvb, led, T8 and combos and I haven't found that it affects them noticeably If they are constantly hiding in shade, then prob too much. Like anything, they will tell you based on their behavior.

When I used a current USA LED, set at 50%, they weren't out much, but then I switched to UVB spot on one side and low light LED on the other side, they have been out much more on the UVB side basking.

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[ericbrookey]

I would think that two T8 would not be too much as long as they have ample hiding spots.

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