Best brand of UVB light

[xAshx]

Hi guys,

Im in the process of setting up a new enclosure for my pending arrival of a beardie baby. Im just wondering what would be the best brand of UV light to purchase as I have heard some brands can cause lethargy, eye problems and stop them eating.. Please correct me if Im wrong. But any advice would be wonderful.

Thanks all

Ash

 

[reptalica]

Some will argue cheap ones that do the job are the best. I have always ran Mercury Vapour Bulbs i.e. Mega Ray. Best form of UVB out there bar none. Brands like Zoo Med, Exo Terra, and the ones from the Herp Shop are reasonable too.

There is a lot of cheap nasty crap on ebay. In all honesty that would be doing my animals a gross injustice.

 

[Senator358]

Mercury Vapour is the way to go. Heat and UVB in one.

 

[Alaska]

If you're ever in Sydney Enfield Pet and Produce stock GetYourPetRightReptile and they are hands down the best UV lights. Fairly sure they're also available online. They're custom designed to prevent all of those problems. Hope it helped

 

[pinefamily]

If I was setting up from scratch, MVB's are the way to go. They weren't around when I set up our original tank for a beardie (13 years ago), so we have uv tubes. Ours are still healthy and strong.

 

[imported_Varanus]

Hi guys,

Im in the process of setting up a new enclosure for my pending arrival of a beardie baby. Im just wondering what would be the best brand of UV light to purchase as I have heard some brands can cause lethargy, eye problems and stop them eating.. Please correct me if Im wrong. But any advice would be wonderful.

Thanks all

Ash

The Sun! It's free also, and you get to spend some time with your new purchase. You could also set up an escape/ predator proof "sunning" enclosure as an alternative.

Just something to think about.

 

[Bushfire]

As imported said the Sun is best but for bulbs in order goes Metal Halide bulbs and then Mercury Vapour bulbs and then the fluros.

 

[PetPac]

Hey, if you do choose to use linear fluorescent tubes ZooMed would be my recommendation. You need to determine the distance from the UVB source to the beardy to really make a sensible choice. ZooMed UVB, either T8 or T5, depending on distance will give correct UVB level over an extended period without the common failure (UVB levels dropping below required level) of Chinese tubes after a few months.

 

[reptalica]

I'm not sure Metal Halide's are the way to go as I don't think they provide UVB, plus I think they are massively powerful. However if I am wrong I stand corrected.

 

[xAshx]

Hi Guys, Thanks for all your help, think i will go the Mercury vapour, can only seem to find them online.. My local herp shops dont have them from what I have seen.

 

[Newhere]

Hydroponics stores should have them.

 

[reptalica]

Hydroponics stores should have them.

I'd be very sceptical about buying through a hydroponics store. There are Mercury Vapour Bulbs and there are Mercury Vapour Bulbs and................then some.

The ones that hydro shops sell are a different make up and I'm near 100% sure cannot be used for reptile/herpetological requirements.

Try either Aussie Sun through the Herp Shop or the Mega Ray through Amazing Amazon.

 

[pinefamily]

From what I've read not all MVBs provide UVB, so you would have to make sure you get the right one.

 

[MesseNoire]

What about metal halide?

 

[ddubtoille]

Do not use hydroponic lights, you don't know the percentage of uvb it creats if any, and too much uvb can harm them too so only use reptile specific ones you know how much it's putting out.
As for metal halides, there are two kinds of Metal Halide bulbs,a double envelope single ended, and a double ended HQI type. The double envelope doesn't pass much UV, but it does produce it (the outer envelope absorbs it). The double ended HQI produces SIGNIFICANT amounts of UVA,UVB, & UVC.This bulb will out perform any flourescent bulb made, simply by the nature of the lamp.
But again. Buy reptile specific ones NOT hydro lights

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Last time I checked mega ray made a MH bulb, but I personally just recommend the zoomed powersun MVB. It's made in Holland and is extremely well made and doesn't blow like some of your others (exo terra is made in china)

 

[PetPac]

Tried to post a vid but it didn't work. Facebook 'Exo Terra Australia' has a vid of UVB levels under an Exo Terra Metal Halide "Sunray" (not in OZ yet).