i think it is.. never really used red hear light bulb so im not 100% sure... but why don't you use a normal incandescent light bulb? (not saying it would be better.. i wouldn't know either way, just that incandescent light bulbs are more common and can be found around the house i guess)
I use blue lights for night time. Not for heat, but just so they're not in complete darkness. I assume turtles see in colour because the red bulb really freaks them out.
The things that come to those who wait may be the things that were left by those who got there first - Steven Tyler
I've used red heat bulbs when the weather was cold to keep the temp up in the tank at night. And my RES did very nicely with a UVB light and a red heat light when he was younger.
If you're talking about the red heat bulbs I think you are, the color is not supposed to interfere with their sleep cycle (they don't see the light) and the bulb can be used 24/7.
"You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed." -Antoine de Saint Exupery-