Mercury Vapour Bulbs

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alex.snaith

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Lets talk mercury vapour bulbs.
I'm considering getting them but I am wondering a few questions.

1) Thoughts?
2) Pro's?
3) Con's?
4) How much UVA/B do they give out?
5) Do they get hot enough?
6) What brand to get?
7) Can they be used with on/off thermostats?
8) What wattage to hold a 40 degree hot spot (50cm away from where the hotspot is)

Cheers, Alex :)
 
I don't know what they are buy if they contain mercury that is a cumulative poison. Keep as close to natural as possible and you will minimise risk.
 
I have used them for years, no idea what brand sorry! I have had a pair of bearded dragons and ridge tail monitors under them for about 4 years now with no I'll effects! They are on a timer but doubt they would work on an on/off thermostat as they need time to cool down before they will turn back on again! So mine stay on all day and they do great with heating the enclosure! !

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http://arcadia-reptile.com/d3-uv-basking-lamp/ , these are probably the best MVBs around ....

and a very useful guide by them http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/lighting-guide/ should answer your questions.

But good luck sourcing their MVBs here in Australia, pretty hard to find.

My advice - steer clear of shop brand elcheapo Chinese knockoffs sold by a lot of places as they are not well made or durable.

The mercury vapour inside them is only a problem if the globe is tampered with or broken.
 
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Arcadia bulbs are easy to source here. There's a guy in Melbourne importing them, and another shop retailing them also. I bought two from him last year.

I will say though, What i was promised and what the bulbs actually delivered were distinctly different things.
 
My mistake, I read bulbs instead of balls. The same problem arises - What do you do with "dead' bulbs as they contain mercury which is a cumulative poison.
 
the disposal of old MVB and UV bulbs is a problem,they are not supposed to go to landfill but I can't find anywhere to recycle them as they have in the US.
I tried taking them to the local tradie outlet but they just chuck them in the bin.
 
Why not just get a normal uvb bulb and a heat globe (I get the philips helogens from bunnings, cheap as chips and work great!). Actully if you have the dosh, you shell out for exo-terra "sunray" globes..... The problem is the globes cost about $100 each!
 
Lets talk mercury vapour bulbs.
I'm considering getting them but I am wondering a few questions.

1) Thoughts?

Depends on the situation really. They can be quite useful but can also be crappy.

2) Pro's?

Most of the reptile brands provide good UV light and heat in one bulb. They tend to last longer than tubes. They generally speaking cover larger basking sites then other bulbs.

3) Con's?

They are expensive. Difficult to disposal of responsibly. Depending on your needs may not produce enough heat at the safe UV distance.

4) How much UVA/B do they give out?

Generally the reptile brands are fairly similar in this regard and produce enough. But the non reptile brands are likely to provide nothing.

5) Do they get hot enough?

Good question, that depends on the species you keep. Most brand new MVBs have a safe UV distance of at least 30cm from bulb face to basking site. At this distance you could get enough heat for some species but most monitors are probably going to need more. Most would compensate this with a reduced distance, but as mentioned they will be getting into the higher than normal UV range. Aged bulbs might be more suited it that situation.

6) What brand to get?

As expensive as they are, if you are going to get a MVB get a reptile brand one.

7) Can they be used with on/off thermostats?

No but you can use timers

8) What wattage to hold a 40 degree hot spot (50cm away from where the hotspot is)

At that distance I would guess that you couldn't but as a cheat you could always move the basking site closer to the bulb. You could look into other solutions like a halogen and UV light or go down the metal halide path.

Cheers, Alex :)
 
In that case, I think I may just stick to the general UVA/B Tubes, replaced every 1 year I guess :) What does everyone use for heat then, because I know that the reptile brands get very expensive to buy/run.
 
For snakes, CHE's are probably the best value to run with a thermostat; globes can have their viability reduced with a thermostat.
For lizards, the Philips brand spot globes from Bunnings are one of the cheapest, unless you are fitting out a new tank, then I would suggest halogens. We use timers with our lizards.
 
I have several different lighting setups,depending on size of enclosure ; some are mvb ,some have reflector lights with UV tubes/compacts,some downlights. With 34 reptiles over 14 species we need a variety of options
 
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