Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm back raising chams after a long break. Way back when, they started coming out with light bulbs that could screw in like a regular incandescent, but provided both light and heat. These were "legitimate" bulbs...not cheezy fake stuff. But back then, the filament in these bulbs always broke. Have those been perfected? Are there any brands/types of bulbs that screw in and provide both heat and UVB with a reasonable service life? How long do they last?

Thanks for any and all information,

Steve

Yup, the mercury vapor bulbs are still out there and I use a 100w one from Zoomed on my veileds cage but wouldn’t consider them as an option for panthers or montanes … at least not on all day long. There are several companies making these (T-Rex, SunForce, etc.). You also need a good size cage for them too since they are somewhat intense. I THINK a 2x2x4 cage may be ok for 100w but wouldnt consider using them on a cage any smaller.

Their output is good, I check mine with a UV meter when it comes out of the box and every other week and usually replace it after 5 months. They are still “touchy” and I’ve had to send them back about a 1/3 of the time – the ones from Zoomed have a one year warranty so save the box/receipt if you buy one of those. They also cannot be side mounted (zoomed) and I would suspect that would go the same for the other manufacturers too.

Lastly, there are now screw in compact fluorescents that produce UVB with little to no heat that are relatively new to the herp scene. I have no experience with them though.

-roo

Good info! So you have a UVB meter? How do they compare to something like a reptisun? 3.0? 5.0?

My cages are as big as you recommend, but I'm curious about why you wouldn't use them all day with the montane species or panthers...are they that strong?

Makes me wonder if I should get one, and just kind of move it around from cage to cage to supplement my reptisuns. But then again...its almost warm enough to get them outside...

Thanks for some great info,

Steve

I haven't "bothered" to try the newer UVB bulbs with montanes because ReptiSuns are understood, independently analyzed, less expensive, cool, last as long, and don't break or explode at the slightest touch.

I dont have the readings with me but its something like over double the output of a reptisun 5.0 bulb. UV meters are a great piece of mind and every keeper should have one. There is no gurantee that a bulb if void of defects so I check the output right when I take them out of the box. Really eliminates any guessing games and for the cost of it (170 ??) its worth it IMO.

I have read that a mercury vapors can be somewhat harsh on panther eyes and everyone gets it done just fine with a 5.0/panthers so why take any chances I guess. Montanes need cool temps as you may already know but I know of one keeper who uses them with montanes in the morning for a short period ... to offer a "hot flash" ... what that means I am not sure but I a reckon its to give them some good warmth in the morning and up their body temps to last throughout the day ... just my guess. Also with my veiled, if its a really warm day I have the MV bulb go off during mid day to help keep the heat down.

-roo

I suspect that the mercury vapor bulb has caused vision problems with my panther. His aim when trying to catch feeders has gotten pretty lousy, he actually gets one about 1 in 3 attempts.The bulb blinds me as well, so I can only imagine what it's like for a cham. The intensity of the light makes it hard to view him too, which is a bummer.I think I'm going to stop using it. That's my opinion on MV's.
-----
1.0 ambilobe panther chameleon
1.0 jacksons chameleon
1.0 pastel ball python
2 yellow belly sliders

I stand corrected. I checked the outout again this weekend with the meter and it isnt OVER double the output of a 5.0 but just about double ... maybe a pinch less. Ideally I need to test this with new bulbs.

-roo