the water comparison is good, but not great. All lite bulbs produce UVA and UVB, UV bulbs, merely do nothing but use a different label or use a material that reflects the same UVA and B produced by non UV bulbs, down, with bell shaped bulbs. All bulbs us coatings to modify the visual aspect of lite. You may not buy them if they make things look funny. So they try to keep them in a normal acceptable range. Of course, some yellowish, somebluish, some reddish, etc.

So like water, You pay for water service at home, you then are told it sucks and tastes bad(in many areas it does) You then have the option of buying one of a zillion types of filters, or you can buy bottled water that costs more the gasoline.

With litebulbs, you can buy a normal lite bulb, that does indeed produce the UV mentioned, Or you can pay more to have a label put on it. Or you can go outside, which has a zillion times more, and its free.

I guess the big difference is, we have to drink the water(taste) we do not need the lite from the bulbs, it should be about the monitors, or other reptiles. Its not, its all about you.

The question of UV is not really about if its needed at all, or not, as most want to make it. But much more accurately, how much if at all is needed, and how much causes harm.

I have tested keeping monitors with no lites what so ever in the cage, and they can LIVE(as in exsist) fine. But they surely don't appear to thrive or like it.

With normal bulbs of many types, we have monitors, thrive to a superior degree. I hope I can say that. And that is compared to any lite bulb and apparently the sun. As they say monitors are not suppose to grow so fast, lay so many eggs, and continue to grow while doing so, and lastly live as long or longer then others kept in any kind of conditions. And this has occurred here without the use of any sort of UV bulb.

So to clarify, I do not care if it(uva uvb) is needed or not, under normal conditions of a cage a litebulb of any old brand and type(and I have used many) and normal other captive conditions(ranges of temps and such) Monitors commonly prosper. Cheers

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