Reptile & Amphibian Forums

With all the money I have invested in Zoomed products and fluorescent 10.0 bulbs, I have been coaxed into an ESU MVB 160w bulb.

I have heard mixed reviews on the following topic. If this was a planned out operation I would have purchased the new PowerSun bulb from Zoomed, but my friend received a shipment of these and gave me one to record the results and differences in the chams myself.

I personally still have an interest in fluorescent fixtures and separate basking bulb set ups. Call me crazy but I do. So how about it, any knowledge or info on a comparison of PowerSun to ESU bulbs? I'm a skeptic when it comes to these. Too much good and bad. Thanks for any responses in advance

I'm also a fan of separate flourescent and basking bulbs. I just feel better with having the two. The Reptisun 10.0 and 5.0's have worked great for me, I know they work. With the combo bulbs I worry...I break enough regular basking bulbs as it is, I'd have a heartattack if I broke one of those ESU suckers. At around 50 bucks a bulb, I'll stick to my 20 dollar tubes and buck a back basking bulbs. Just my opinion.

If you havent already seen the site...
http://www.uvguide.co.uk

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CANADIAN SILKWORMS

Thanks for the responses. You reassured me that my fluorescent method with separate basking bulbs is in fact a more safe and controlled method.

I actually have seen this site before Will and have checked out a bunch of others as well (others not so in depth it seems). Thank you for the link though, much appreciated. It just seems so "risky" to convert over to MV's completely. With the price alone to make you think twice, I find that these bulbs can be an extremely dangerous endeavor to get into if one does not truly know what they are doing. From mercury leaks, to blinding animals from a glare if not positioned right, and most importantly thermal burns, these bulbs are indeed a "risky" buy I believe.

The sufficient levels of UV emitted from these bulbs for our reptile counterparts are in or could be in an extreme range of heat if not properly monitored and ventilated.

Not trying to bash anyone’s set ups if they are using them, just would like to express my concern to truly monitor these lights and your animals so no one here has an experience they wish they had not had. Good luck to all and thanks again, Steve

My last chameleon breeder appeared to advocate MV bulbs so I set one up for the Tamatave I bought from him. I use them for my Water Dragons in conjunction with Reptisun fluorescent tubes. They are prone to sudden failure (especially from vibration while hot) so I keep a replacement on hand. I also own a UVB meter so that I can check the UVB output of all bulbs monthly, but I think the Tamatave is doing very well and I like the fact that I only have to have 1 fixture and bulb for the cage. I prefer the longevity and output of Mega Ray MV bulbs over the Power Sun. I believe Westron Lighting makes the Mega Ray as well as the newer T-Rex MV bulbs. Diane
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dianedfisher@yahoo.com

My 3 CWD-Avanyu, Tripod and Drago
Valentino, Veiled Chameleon
Chyam, Nosy Be Panther Chameleon