Reacting to the 12-hour day light cycle?

[Poly]

For about 2 months now, my toads haven't had much of a daylight cycle, it's just been natural light form my patio door, and whenever the room's light was on.

And due to my rooms location in my home, it would get darker in the room around 4:00pm.

I now have "Sylvania Daylight 6500K CFL" bulbs shining on their vivarium 12hrs a day, and what I have noticed is that their not as active!

I have a theory, but I'm not sure if I am correct, I think that they are acting more normal now, the lights are simulating daytime, so they remain hidden, yet not 2 minutes after I shut them off at 8:00pm (I run the light form 8:00am-8:00pm) they will come out from hiding.

I am worried though, are the lights too bright? They are only 11 Watts, but they state on the package "Sylvania Daylight 6500K CFL use 11 watts and are 600 lumens bright", could they be hurting their eyes?

Here's a photo of their vivarium (it looks brighter in the photo than they really are)


Should I only put a bulb in one side of the hood to give them a lighter and darker side?

Thanks,

~Royce

[Squirp]

one light at a time red bulb for night, white for day. I'd suggest the red bulb wherever they hibernate. Or use both white lights high noon. and both red on cold nights.

[Poly]

I don't like using bulbs at night.

[Wormwood]

I'd cut it back to like 8 hours a day, the light doesn't serve them any purpose other to keep them in hiding. The hours near dusk and dawn would be milky light anyway, not direct like that is shinning down on them. They don't sun themselves like reptiles.

[Poly]

When would be a better time to have the lights on? Should I run them for 8 hours a day, or maybe just during noon (12:00pm) to say 4:00pm?

Thanks

EDIT: I know they do not "sun"/bask themselves in light, I added the light to simulate a more natural enviroment and implement a day/night cycle... but they actually seemed to be much more acxtive without the light!

[Squirp]

I try to simulate my light cycle by adjusting the light position and angle throughout the day.
I've noticed my red light, even though it's a 100 watt bulb, evaporates a lot of moisture, almost twice as much as my 150 watt day glow.