Habitat - Indoor :: Covering the Tank at night?

[CrossKnight]

Well I was wondering since the tank is in my room and I'm up late doing either homework or other things and I noticed that my turtles don't sleep either, one is really hyper and the other tries to sleep but keeps waking up due to the other one walking over it. If I turn off the light in my room (not the basking or UVB) they go to sleep real fast.

Is it ok if I cover the tank at like 10 pm and prevent light from entering so they would go to sleep, and of course I would remove the cover at around 6 or 7 am to turn on the basking and UVB lights.

[Tenodera]

You could if you want to. Probably its good for your turtles and would give them a good night's rest!

Serra prefers to start basking at night so I don't have this problem...lol

[DavidY]

Sure, I think there are others who do that too.

[megcornell]

I used to cover my tank to help offset some of the evaporation and the drafts from my open window at night, and it was fine for my turtle, so it should be fine for yours as well.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Every now & then I have to put a towel over Sheba's tank because she decides to "wake up" around 8pm.....right around the time I am winding down from a long day. She will scratch the glass, bang around, try to climb up her tree root and make all sorts of racket!!! It's really annoying when I am trying to watch my fav TV program & listen to her bang away!!! But I know she just wants attention, so I just cover the area of the tank so she can't see me & that usually calms her down.

You have to do what you have to do sometimes!

[MamaLou]

Before Lou moved to her outdoor pond, she would stay up and bloop and splash hafl the night away when we were up watching tv, so we made a velcro attatched curtain around the sides of the tank to keep her from "viewing" and she would sleep. Her lights were on a timer so at sunrise they would go on and off at sunset so as you can imagine the splashing at 11pm was tiresome.

[marisa]

I cover my RES's stock tank because he's in the living room with a TV and would be up and down his darkened basking area like a yo-yo if I didn't make it dark enough for him to sleep. I'll also cover tanks in colder months to keep the ambient air temp in the tanks warmer.

[CrossKnight]

Wow, thanks for the replies. Right now I am just using plane card board over the tank but I read that you guys used towels and such which sounds a lot easier to manage and would be better.

Thanks again!!