UV lights

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Im going to have to buy some new bulbs soon... so Im trying to get a good price. any sugestions on somewhere should i order online or just get them from are store?

K I have thses hoods they are 2' long and hold 2 tubs this covers 2 of my cages. so here is my question should both bulbs be uv or just one.. Am i wasting money buy using both? Is it an extra bennifit to have 2 bulbs or not?

I have used the mercury vapor bulbs b4 but they dont last are they better now. they were great just for the money but wernt worth it because they kept breaking... so i want to buy a bunch stock up any ideas?

[gfisher2002]

For chameleons I assume right? I found my turtle tanks and cham enclosure look more natural with 1 reptisun 5.0 and a normal 15 watt florecsent tube. The light looks very natural. My torts get PowerSun's. They are easier and cheaper in the long run for their enclosures. I buy my Powersun 100 watt for 90 bucks through my local pet dude. I think online theyre 80 to 150 bucks. I don't know if Powersuns would work for chams or not?

[Trace]

After the chastising I took at the show for forgetting him on another thread, Grant will absolutely give me a good spanking (he likes that kind of thing you know ;)) if I don't mention him again. Honestly I stock up on my UV lights from PCPC once a year. His prices are cheaper than what I pay at petstores here, even with the shipping charge.

Personally I think you are wasting your money by having two UV bulbs for one cage... in reality I suppose you are getting twice the UV, but the cham has to be ssssooo close to the bulb itself for it to be of any benefit. I use one UV tube per cage.

I LOVE the Powersuns! I have a few here on my bigger cages. Never had a problem with them, but they are fragile so you have to be careful. Don't get them wet! They explode!

Cheers!

Trace

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lol ok thats cool i like the Powersuns as well my only problem right now is that living in a basement apartment with my 6' cages its hard to fit a heat lamp on top. so a powersun wont fit there soo ill have to come up with a way to attach them to the celing in front of the cage pointing in? how far are those powersuns away frome the cages when i has them b4 they were on lower cages. I loved them but i broke 2. and got mad lol. I really dont like the tubes much anyway.I dont feel they do what they need to.

Trace could u mabey take a pic of one of your enclosures with powersun.

Oh and because of the distrabution could i use one for 2 cages? just a thought.

God iv been thinking too much lol.

[chamitch]

what about verilux bulbs? are those good for chams?

[Wuntu Menny]

I've used Verilux and Vitalite for years on chams with no issues whatsoever. They're way cheaper and last longer than herp tubes.

WM

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Ok I have just looked them up and I dont see andy info on any UV output? does anyone have a link so i can see some stats? Ill keep looking though in the mean time.

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here is some things i have found now im just more confused

http://www.uvheat.com/measure.html
http://www.reptilesdownunder.com/reptile/enclosure/uvlightingtestsa.php

[meow_mix450]

wow they really expolde??? is it a loud explotion?? just wondering, is it ok if you got little droplets on it, when your misting??

Meow

[chamitch]

youve never brook a bulb before. we used to smash them on purpose all teh time. the main concern is the carcenagous film inside. haha

[gfisher2002]

Leave a 60 Watt bulb on for an hour then mist it. POP!! no more bulb. Ohh cover your eyes.
Those are awsome studies on the reptisun. One question, what the hell is a Philips TL or a NEC Blacklight T10? They have an insane output of UVA and UVB, like 10 to 50 times that of a reptisun 5.0. Suntanning lights?

[Wuntu Menny]

Be very careful about the "reports and studies" that you read to help you make your decisions in this area. Most of them are either conducted or commisioned by the manufacturers and distributors of the various products. Needless to say, the content and results are extremely biased and in some cases, downright false. They all want our $$ and many of them will go to great lengths to obtain it.

WM

[eyespy]

That Reptiles Down Under study was done under the supervision of Aussie herpetologists and seems to be fairly accurate according to a couple of my acquaintances that have UV radiometers.

Those Phillips and NEC bulbs are made for industrial/medical use, not something you can just buy off the shelf. In the US you need a permit to use them as they emit enough radiation to cause skin cancer and cataracts in humans.

[gfisher2002]

Wow thanks for the response eyespy. Interesting. They must be used for equipment sterilization and such huh. I have always stuck with the retisun 5.0 and Zoomed's Powersuns. They're expensive but I have seen UVB tests done on them and they are very close to what they claim for UVA and UVB output.