Reptile & Amphibian Forums

are these woth it i see they say the cna put out evan more uv rays then floresents and hounestly the floresnt fixtures/bulbs get anoying replaceing, any input???

I heard murcury vapor bulbs are dangerous. It gives off to strong UV radiation which can suppress the immune system in animals and people. It can also damage your animals' and your eyes if look directly into it for long period of time. I believe it's the same type of lighting they use in tanning salon, which isn't that good for you. Here's the link from a reliable source. There's more if your click on "captive issue" on that website.
Hidden Danger

i personally dont like them for the amount of UV they give out. they do show nice colors but its almost fake, too much uvb. alot of people think so. i personally use reptisun 10.0 florescents
-----
Beach Beardies

3.4.11 bearded dragons
1.0.0 Turquoise x Sunburst Veiled Chameleon
1.1.0 Sugar Gliders
0.1.0 Miss Queen Athena (Cat)

Mercury vapour bulbs do put out much more UVB rays than any florescent tube commonly available in the pet market. However there are certain things to account for with these bulbs. They must be mounted in a completely vertical manner else they tend to burn out unnaturally fast, and must be mounted no closer than 18" from the basking spot. Too close and the strong UVB rays can cause problems for your dragon.
-----
PHLdyPayne

I use the mercury vapor bulbs and have gotten good results. I researched them for about threee weeks before I purchased one. I found they are used in many wildlife institutions. One thing to keep in mind is the distance to keep from your animal. And no they are not used for sun tanning, these bulb are dangerous for people to look at directly, but are safe through the glass or acrylic of an enclosure when they lose the uv