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Will a UVA/UVB light hurt my corn's eye?

NewCornGirl

NewCornGirl

New member
Hi guys,

After doing some reading I'm a little nervous about something. Being that my little A.J. is a candy cane corn and has red eyes--will a UVA/UVB light hurt her eyes? I know that corns are nocturnal and don't need lights in their cages, but since her cage is in a dark room that doesn't get much light, I have a Zilla strip light with a UVA/UVB fluorescent bulb on an eight-hour timer to try and mimic a natural lighting schedule. Now I'm worried this might hurt her eyes. I did rig some old aquarium moonlights to the strip light so that they come on when the fluorescent light goes off, so I can see her and she doesn't seem at all bothered by it. But as for a daytime bulb--I was thinking of maybe a bluer type of bulb like an actinic that's used in reef aquariums--which isn't glaringly bright? Any help would be much appreciated as always!
 
UV isn't necessary for a Corn. Even a little natural light in a room will give them the photoperiod they need.

I don't believe that there's any proof that UV can actually harm Corns. However, I did know a person (from another forum) who ran a reptile rescue. She said that she'd taken in a number of Corns with damaged corneas, and the only common factor that she could find, was that they were lighter morphs (lacking black pigment) which had previously been kept with UV light. It's only anecdotal so by no means watertight, but personally I wouldn't risk it.

At best, having UV in a tank with a lighter morph Corn that's naturally active at dawn/ dusk/ overnight, is a bit like putting a redhead out in the midday sun.

Try switching the lights off and see what happens. Some folks have found that they see their Corns out and about a lot more, as they're no longer hiding away from the light sources.

If you'd like a light for your own viewing, some folks here have had luck with LED lights. They don't get as hot as others (I managed to burn myself badly on a flourescent tube once) and so they don't mess up your carefully-managed heating setup.

My view is that switching the UV off will definitely not cause harm, but there's a small chance that leaving it on, might.

Ultimately, it's up to you. Hopefully others can offer a range of opinions.
 
Thanks, bitsy! I think that light will be going off! I definitely don't want to risk it. I'll do anything for the well-being of my little corn.
 
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