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My second "ultra-lux" UV flood light in three months just blew, it was a long painful death in which they would click on and off all day by themselves. Can anyone direct me to a GOOD UV floodlight, or at least the best yet. Please and thank you.
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http://briefcase.yahoo.com/alanvines2002
2.5 Jacksonii Xantholophus (two red phase fem}
35 Jacksonii Xantholophus neonates
0.0.2 Phelsuma M. Grandis
2.3 Anolis C. with 3 neonates
1 neonate texas blue spiny

I killed 2 T-Rex flood lamps in 2 months due to water... one drop of water on these suckers and it can blow. Since i got that covered they dont die on me anymore.
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Gabriel - Montreal - Ding.
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I have a T-Rex, and I've had no problems.
I THOUGHT it blew once, but I unplugged it for a day, then pluggd it in the next day and it was fine. If they are going on and off and on and off just unplug them for the day. There might be something making them do that, and the on and off thing is maybe why they blow?
I get a bit of mist on my trex bulb... havent had a problem. WHen they blow, do you try them the next day to be sure they are "dead"?

yeah ive tried to plug them back in. The reason they dont go back on is taht you have to let them chill for 5-10 minutes before turning it back on.
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Gabriel - Montreal - Ding.
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yeah, i know. The time i thought it was burnt out i plugged it in ten minutes later and nothing. I was all ready to go get a new one, but it was sunday so the store was closed. I tried it monday morning to check and it went on. Strange.

Been through all that, the ten minute cooling off etc. It is a very difficult subject to research. Don't halogen (the small tube bulbs you put in a halogen lamp) produce uv??? I have a light meter, but not for uv. I guess I will go with t-rex this time. Anyone know of a web site which compares uv output for various bulbs, not ran by a company which sells them? I NEED one that floods the whole greenhouse with uv, I don't think the technology is good enough yet, very frustrating. I don't think there are any which send uv beyond four feet, except the "spotlithts", but this is a tight circle of only inches.

>>yeah, i know. The time i thought it was burnt out i plugged it in ten minutes later and nothing. I was all ready to go get a new one, but it was sunday so the store was closed. I tried it monday morning to check and it went on. Strange.
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http://briefcase.yahoo.com/alanvines2002
2.5 Jacksonii Xantholophus (two red phase fem}
35 Jacksonii Xantholophus neonates
0.0.2 Phelsuma M. Grandis
2.3 Anolis C. with 3 neonates
1 neonate texas blue spiny

I have a ? about greenhouses... does the light in the top let uvb through? I know that certain types of glass can, and since it's a greenhouse I was thinking that maybe the glass would let it through. Or, does it just have fixtures set up for the plants?
The tubes can make uv, but it's only strong enough for about a foot, where the mv bulbs are good for six feet. You could figure out the places that your chams bask, and set the tubes up there. That would probably be the best bet if that's the way you want to go.
Also, if your greenhouse does have a glass ceiling, but not the type that doesn't filter uv, it might be worth looking into having it changed to that type of glass. It would probably cost a lot, but you would need a ton of florescent bulbs and they need to be changed every six months, so the cost of that plus the electricity might outweigh the glass in the long run. Just a thought. What is the greenhouse like?

>>I have a ? about greenhouses... does the light in the top let uvb through? I know that certain types of glass can, and since it's a greenhouse I was thinking that maybe the glass would let it through. Or, does it just have fixtures set up for the plants?
No appreciable amount of uv gets through the tempered glass roof. I am using two regular halogen (150w little tubes) and a uv floodlight in the middle right now, it seems I read these little halogen give out some uv, but can't find this now...
>>The tubes can make uv, but it's only strong enough for about a foot, where the mv bulbs are good for six feet. You could figure out the places that your chams bask, and set the tubes up there. That would probably be the best bet if that's the way you want to go.
By tubes do you mean the little replaceable tubes like in halogen torchier lamps or flourescent? I need the uv to penetrate as many feet down as possible, there are other lizards in the greenhouse too.
>>Also, if your greenhouse does have a glass ceiling, but not the type that doesn't filter uv, it might be worth looking into having it changed to that type of glass. It would probably cost a lot, but you would need a ton of florescent bulbs and they need to be changed every six months, so the cost of that plus the electricity might outweigh the glass in the long run. Just a thought. What is the greenhouse like?
I will get a greenhouse where the glass allows uv when I get rich and famous, lol. The greenhouse has a soil floor, lots and lots of plants planted in the ground and many orchids and bromiliads and vines growing. The glass roof is made of skyscraper glass windows, tempered and thick. It aint much to look at from the outside but it works extremely well, It gets down to 10 degrees here in the winter once in a while and the coldest it got in my greenhouse last winter was 40 at night, all with just one little space heater. It keeps me sane during the desolate, lifeless winter, thats when it gets the most sun too when the leaves on the big oak over it drops its leaves. Sealing cracks seems to be more important than insulation. The peak has screen and an exhaust fan in the summer, plus I let the glass get covered with vines, so it stayed about 10 to 15 sometimes twenty degrees cooler than outside, very important for Jacksonii. Am I rambling again? lol.
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http://briefcase.yahoo.com/alanvines2002
2.5 Jacksonii Xantholophus (two red phase fem}
35 Jacksonii Xantholophus neonates
0.0.2 Phelsuma M. Grandis
2.3 Anolis C. with 3 neonates
1 neonate texas blue spiny

Alan-

I have used all the MV bulbs made by the major manufactures, when it comes to lights I only buy name brand (with the exception of heat bulbs). The bulbs I have and use are the T-rex, PowerSun (Zoomed), and Capture The Sun (Big Apple). The only brand I have not had ANY problems with is the PowerSun by zoomed. The T-rex and Capture The Sun bulbs I have had burn outs in 2 days - 3 months of usage of 3 bulbs. Now after I got them replaced I have not had any other problems as of yet and they have been in use for 5-6 months and the PowerSun for 8-10 months now. Now all this said, if you are trying to light a large area, the brightest bulbs of the three is the Capture The Sun, and it has the most UVB of the three (if you compare what the manufactures have listed on their products). If you are looking for very intense lighting then you may want to look into Halide lighting. I used these light on my stony reef tanks, they are VERY expensive, you are looking at $500 for one system (ballast, reflector,bulb) now the bulbs are used for growing stony corals (acropora) and they come in different Kelvin ratings and watts, I don't know if they list the UVB output, but I am sure a 10,000k bulb gives of allot of UVB, you can contact the manufacture and ask.

What are you using to put the MV bulbs in to light them? Also note that any vibrations will cause the bulbs to turn off and on, if this continues the bulb will burn out. Hope this helps!
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John W. Lucas

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