U.V Lights On dragons who uses it.

[Southside Morelia]

Glass and plastic block up to 98% of UVB, and I believe 14% of UVA (heat)

Most cheapo UV's such as outback max and reptistar don’t do much at all.. The only good UVB tube on the market is reptisun and reptiglo's 8.0 and 10.0

I don’t think the black lights are even tested... And even if they say (better than most uv's on the market) this would be because most are utter crap.

Compacts, are DANGEROUS in there first few days of use, as they emit UVC which causes the retina to expand when it should contract, as they see it as a dull light.. This causes sever damage to their eyes... the compact also deteriorate within their first few months of use...

the BEST UVB you can get on the market, is mega ray from reptileuv.com or a T-rex active UV heat, seeing they need to be imported, the reptisun and reptiglo 8.0 and 10.0's will do fine (replaced every 6 months)

its sickening that people think its too expensive, so don’t bother, and that they 'rotate' if you can afford it, you shouldn’t have so many animals IMO

(…And who ever created this thread needs to learn how to spell)

Your on the right track but not quite there, as junglepyhton pointed out....
To all who want to learn, as most of us do... read the following http://www.uvguide.co.uk/lightingsurveyintro.htm

Sorry, but IMO, what a stupid thread!

 

[jordo]

I've gotten sunburnt from spending a few hours in the car, full sun. I'd be interested how much UV glass actually does filter out, most if not all UV lights you buy are enclosed in glass are they not?

 

[W.T.BUY]

me to

 

[Spinipes]

nec tubes have been tested and are better by far . Its on a site from aus(sorry can't remember the site but if you google it you would porbably find it)

 

[junglepython2]

I'm not sure what windows are made out of, but crown glass lets the vast majority of UVB through, but cuts out UVC.

 

[Kirby]

jungle python and cm1.. yes iris.. actually pupil.. (studying english and retina is a very common word in my short story) :lol:

the pupil opens furhur (as th eUV is dull to them) to let in more light and 'see' because it is dull.. the UVC and UVB 'burns'... th econsequences involve squinting. and could get more serious if left untreated. its also common in cheapo american bulbs, which after being proven to not emit enough UVB.. reproduced and made them dangerousely high.. (idiots..)



ive read MANY pages on UV guide.. its fantastic.. and even yet, many people here after seeing the facts still use cheapos which are proven to not even be beneficial. is it ignorance or are the UVB prices turning you all off?


as others have stated, if you can afford lights, food, housing and vet care.. you shouldnt have the animal..

'on track, but not quite there'.... ??? i got one word wrong!? eh? although i apreceate the correctiong..

 

[Kirby]

nec tubes have been tested and are better by far . Its on a site from aus(sorry can't remember the site but if you google it you would porbably find it)

better than most, being better than the vast majority of crappers out there.. (and the few there not as good as being reptisun-reptiglo's???)

or better by far, being dangerousely high.. i wont beleieve you till you've got a link, and even then if it wasnt tested on a large amount of tube i will be left to beleive that the few bulbs tested may have been alright, but this does not suffice for ALL .. even then, did they test UVC? and how long they emmit? just how much UVB? (and dont give me a percentage.. it doesnt really mean much) (a reptisun 5.0 can be much better than a outback max 10.0)

and considering the company doesnt manufacture the product for human grade, let alone reptile, i wouldnt judge the quality..

 

[Gecko_ProCs]

when people vote that they dont use UV lights it doesnt mean the dragons dont get UV
they could use sun instead of a light...

 

[michael-1924]

To see the test done on the NEC T10 Black Light UV Tube, go to google Australia and log onto RDU UV Lighting Information.

Then you can see the test results on these and a few other UV Fluorescents Tubes, and why its important to provide UV to your captive Reptile's.

 

[MrBredli]

nec tubes have been tested and are better by far . Its on a site from aus(sorry can't remember the site but if you google it you would porbably find it)

http://www.reptilesdownunder.com/reptile/enclosure/uvlightingtestsa.php

 

[Spinipes]

http://www.reptilesdownunder.com/reptile/enclosure/uvlighting.php

beet me to it mrbredli

 

[dragons75]

To expensive is no longer an option

http://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/reptile_products.php

 

[junglepython2]

Have you got the link for the about the compacts and eye damage Kirby? Would be interested in reading it. UVC doesn't make the iris dilate, low light levels would and I doubt that the compacts would be putting out any less light in the first few days but I might be wrong, but even with a small pupil the UVC if high enough could cause damage but it would need to be fairly high.

 

[krusty]

you would have to be nuts not to.....jmo.

 

[davehughes]

Compacts, are DANGEROUS in there first few days of use, as they emit UVC which causes the retina to expand when it should contract, as they see it as a dull light.. This causes sever damage to their eyes... the compact also deteriorate within their first few months of use...

2 things from this:

1 why not just burn the bulb in for a couple of days before introducing to the reptile.
2 (more importantly) how can we tell from any bulb - compact or otherwise - what deterioration there is in their uv (a or b) output? is there a testing thingo out there?

just my 2c.

 

[sockbat]

you would have to be nuts not to.....jmo.

Well said I was going to say the same thing. Who wants to see thier dragon go through brittle bone disease and end up dying a painful death:cry:

 

[Kirby]

2 things from this:

1 why not just burn the bulb in for a couple of days before introducing to the reptile.
2 (more importantly) how can we tell from any bulb - compact or otherwise - what deterioration there is in their uv (a or b) output? is there a testing thingo out there?

just my 2c.

multiple tests have been done with high quality UVB meters.. you can look up stuff at the UVguide site mentioned previousely.. this is also were they mention the UVC and eye problems..

 

[davehughes]

so then it just becomes a linear programing problem about how often you throw out your (potentially still viable) lights vs buying a $200 uvb meter ...

and on a sideline - are UV leds any use at all (or even detremental) to a beardie?.. I mean for night time.

 

[Kirby]

Have you got the link for the about the compacts and eye damage Kirby? Would be interested in reading it. UVC doesn't make the iris dilate, low light levels would and I doubt that the compacts would be putting out any less light in the first few days but I might be wrong, but even with a small pupil the UVC if high enough could cause damage but it would need to be fairly high.

the low light dilates (because they see the UVB as dull) and the UVC deos the damage..


also those tests didnt measure up to the 8.0 or the 10.0 reptisuns, so it basically says its better than the 2.0 and 5.0 (but you need more than this for a bearded dragon)

from those results i can see its 'ok' for turtles and such reptiels who demand LESS UVB than a sun loving beardie, but i dont beleive it would suffice properly..


it also says on a sunny day the output is around 250. the only way you can get this, is if your beardie is smushed up agaisnt the tube face.. at 3 inches its down to 50, and even less the futhur it goes..

its not safe to smush your dragon up agaisnt the tube..


and the TRUTH of the matter is that in the bearded dragons actual territory it gets up to 475 u/Wcm2 (not simply 250) http://www.uvguide.co.uk/uvinnature.htm

 

[JKretzs613]

Hello

Hello,

Yeah, this has been an interesting thread. Just wanted to comment on a few things.
I agree, the expense issue should just not be an issue. If you cannot afford UVB lighting, it is best not to have high UVB required animals.
The supplementation issue is a big problem. As we all know, with reptiles, they tend to show sickness very slowly. They will not show any symptoms of illness until they are just about dead, or very ill. The effects of oversupplementation which is also known as hypervitaminosis A or D, can be very dangerous. It is a fat soluble vitamin which can & will build up in the system. So, substituting D3 for UVB exposure is really not the best way to go & especially for beginners. It is a very fine line of dosing here.
As the picture was shown with the dragon with UVB & the dragon without, that was very helpful. Just because someone successfully raises hatchlings on no UVB, doesn't mean that somewhere down the line, when they are no longer under the breeders' care, that they will not begin to have any metabolic problems. The first few weeks to few months of life are very important when it comes to the proper care & supplementation of your baby. It sets them up for having good strong bones in the future, or having problems later on. The growth in them, just like it does in humans, demands calcium absorption. They cannot properly absorb & assimilate calcium to the fullest extent without UVB exposure to aid them in D3 synthesis. So just dumping the supplements down their throats is not the best scenario.
Now to the UVB. If there is anyone who has not read the UK report, it is very interesting, if you took the time to fully read it. I am also a member of the UVB meter club as well.
The reason that the compacts are so dangerous is for several reasons. The compact lights are emitting very low wavelength frequency of UVB which is borderline UVB, roughly around 280, & that is dangerous no matter what other basking light you have in.
The type of phototherapy phosphor that is or was being used was the improper blend of phosphor as well as them using the wrong type of glass which allowed the UVC that was being emitted to penetrate the glass.
As far as the pupil constricting & dilating that is a huge issue when lighting is concerned. The eye damage can occur with either compact or the flourescent tube bulbs. The brightness of the tank is a big factor. It is recommended that the UVB needs to be used in conjunction with a basking bulb of at least 5000K on the color rendering index for eye safety as well as peak behaviour & stimulation. Most daytime bulbs or halogens will fit the profile for bright lights.
This only refers to the flourescent bulbs, not the Mercury vapor bulbs.
Until the companies being improving their compact or coil UVB lights, I highly recommend that you steer clear of them.

Whew, I apologize for such a long summary.


Tracie