UVA/UVB HID upgrade complete

[Pirarucu]

Originally Posted by Skits

Awesome. Yes it seems logical! Is it possible to give them too much UVB? I have a reptisun 10.0 (100) in my tank, I thought it was enough but noticed you aded the extra bulbs for more of them, and I see you use the 10.0 as well.

Yes, too much UVB can be very bad. Too much for humans results in sunburns and eventually skin cancer. However, you will find that providing too much for reptiles using artificial lighting is very hard to do unintentionally.

[infernalis]

Originally Posted by Pirarucu

Yes, too much UVB can be very bad. Too much for humans results in sunburns and eventually skin cancer. However, you will find that providing too much for reptiles using artificial lighting is very hard to do unintentionally.

Precisely. I am removing the 4 foot tube, in favor of the mercury vapour lamps, Reason being that the MV lamps throw the UV further so they can still be effective while being mounted high up.

The 4 foot bulb has outlived it's usefulness anyway, it's been running 2 years non stop.

[Rob_H]

Originally Posted by Pirarucu

Yes, too much UVB can be very bad. Too much for humans results in sunburns and eventually skin cancer. However, you will find that providing too much for reptiles using artificial lighting is very hard to do unintentionally.

Actually this isn't true with metal halide lamps (it is with fluorescent tubes). Different brands suggest different minimum distances between the lamps and the animals (usually 20-30cm) to avoid any harmful effects of too-high UV levels.

This can be exacerbated if your lamps need conventional external ballasts (such as the lucky reptile lamps). This can cause a flickering in the bulb (sometimes invisible to humans) which the lizards can see and can cause them to spend large amounts of time staring directly up into the bulbs. If you notice this happening, you should change the ballast to a higher current version, or move the bulb further up to avoid photokeratitis.

[Pirarucu]

Originally Posted by Rob_H

Actually this isn't true with metal halide lamps (it is with fluorescent tubes). Different brands suggest different minimum distances between the lamps and the animals (usually 20-30cm) to avoid any harmful effects of too-high UV levels.

This can be exacerbated if your lamps need conventional external ballasts (such as the lucky reptile lamps). This can cause a flickering in the bulb (sometimes invisible to humans) which the lizards can see and can cause them to spend large amounts of time staring directly up into the bulbs. If you notice this happening, you should change the ballast to a higher current version, or move the bulb further up to avoid photokeratitis.

Yes, but the wast majority of keepers do not use metal halides, and I would expect anyone putting the money in to use them to know that there is a minimum distance.

[Rob_H]

In the same way that anyone willing to put their money into keeping an expensive monitor would know how to keep it properly as well? Photokeratitis is not an uncommon problem at reptile veterinary clinics exactly because many people don't seem able to read their equipment manuals.....

[murrindindi]

Originally Posted by Rob_H

In the same way that anyone willing to put their money into keeping an expensive monitor would know how to keep it properly as well? Photokeratitis is not an uncommon problem at reptile veterinary clinics exactly because many people don't seem able to read their equipment manuals.....

Hi, I regularly come into contact with people on these websites that have no idea about using the various MVB`s safely, and place them within a few cm of their lizards (different species), even though the instructions are perfectly clear about minimum distances.
I`ve used a number of brands over the years, the amount of UVB varies quite a lot, the best in my experience are the Arcadia and Mega-Ray bulbs.
The only way to know how effective they are in terms of UVB is by using a solar meter.

[Alexa]

Originally Posted by Rob_H

In the same way that anyone willing to put their money into keeping an expensive monitor would know how to keep it properly as well? Photokeratitis is not an uncommon problem at reptile veterinary clinics exactly because many people don't seem able to read their equipment manuals.....

It was my understanding that photokeratoconjuctivitis in reptiles was caused more by the short-wavelength UVC than too much UVB? That was why people were so concerned about the compact fluorescent lights, and some of the more powerful kinds of lights.

[jarich]

Originally Posted by Alexa

It was my understanding that photokeratoconjuctivitis in reptiles was caused more by the short-wavelength UVC than too much UVB? That was why people were so concerned about the compact fluorescent lights, and some of the more powerful kinds of lights.

It is definitely caused by UVC very quickly, as that wavelength destroys living tissue outright. However, UVB and even UVA in high enough doses can also damage sensitive eye tissue. Its why most reptiles have adaptations to keep direct light out of their eyes (bony ridges, additional membranes, etc)