Reptile & Amphibian Forums

See I figure if I've got to buy one repti-crap bulb every 6 months that means I'm paying 200-250 dollars canadian every two year replacing these damn things when I can just go buy a powersun and it'll last 2 year and it'll only cost 80 bucks...

Are these things worth it or are they not so good...I've heard mixed reviews....any comments???
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Chris

1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.2.0 Green Basilisks
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
1.1.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
0.0.1 California Kingsnakes
2.5.1 Leopard Geckos

What's a Repti-Crap bulb? Assuming you're talking about a 5.0 bulb, you don't necessarily need to replace them every 6 months. I would go to 9 or even 12 months, and at only $18-20 each, they're not that big a deal. I don't know of anyone who has had a mercury bulb last for 2 years, and it seems like I read alot about them burning out prematurely. Plus, if you do it right, you can make a pair of 5.0 bulbs light and provide UVB to several cages in a line, whereas a MV bulb only targets one cage. I don't use the MV bulbs so maybe I'm wrong, but I'm doing fine with my 5.0's and from reading on here and other places, I'm still not convinced to try the MV bulbs. Are you actually doing this or just asking another question?
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Tyler Stewart
Las Vegas NV
www.BLUEBEASTREPTILE.com

I hear from some people that the MV powersun bulbs are the best for many animals and that the 8.0 reptisun-or-reptiglo bulbs don't work half as well...if you go to beautifuldragons.com they have done experiments with the 8.0 bulbs and the 5.0 bulbs compared with Mv's as far as test results go the MV's are apparently a lot better...I just wanted to know what others thought of them before I rush out and spend 80 dollars canadian=55 american on a light bulb...

ALSO: the long 48" 5.0 bulbs are 40-50 canadian here (30 american) where do you buy yours cheap from???
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Chris

1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.2.0 Green Basilisks
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
1.1.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
0.0.1 California Kingsnakes
2.5.1 Leopard Geckos

I don't know if they ship to Canada but reptiledirect and reptiledepot both have them inexpensively:
www.reptiledirect.com/product.asp?3=39
www.reptiledepot.com/
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

Those bulbs are normally I think $19 from LLLreptile, which is where I get them from mostly because they have them at the shows and I can pick them up. I had 4 show up in the mail broken a while back and have been picking them up since. But at certain times they sell them for less if you buy a few, like buy 3 get 1 free. You just gotta hold out for those times and then stock up. Another reason is that a 100W bulb is too hot for most of my cages, and the MV bulbs don't come lower than that that I know of. In my situation, with lotsa cages in lines, the tubes work great and aren't as expensive than it would be for me to go get 25 MV bulbs, one for each cage. And apparently the 5.0's work fine since people have been using them for years and obviously they've worked. Weren't you the guy making a fuss out of people not using UVB at all? And now you're looking for the best source?
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Tyler Stewart
Las Vegas NV
www.BLUEBEASTREPTILE.com

never had a problem with the 48" 5.0 i use. and i get a cage and a half to one fixture and have the basking bulb in the back right corner. i'm not sure where you are buying your bulbs from, even in canada, but i'm sure you can get them for alot cheaper then $30 US, i get mine for $17 ea. the picture below is how i had it set up until this weekend, they got their own room now, at least until spring anyway.

dennis

I have been using the reptiglo 8.0 bulbs for about a year and i love them. They put out more ambient light than the zoomed 5.0 bulbs so thats a plus too. I too use the 48" setup and it gets me 3 cages side by side with no problems.
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Raf

1.2 Jacksons Adults (Frank, Patty, Lucille)
0.0.1 Jackson's baby (George, R.I.P. 11/17/2003)
1.1 Nosy Be's (Mars and Roja)
1.1 Veiled - No Names Yet
0.1 Adult Sulcatta (POOPIE,I bought it from Victor at Kobey's in SD)
0.0.2 Baby Sulcattas (frick and frack)
1.0 Home's Hingeback Tortoise (SPEEDY, From Victor as well)
1.2 Red ear slider babies (Hingis, Dingis and Dorkus)
0.0.1 3 toed box turtle - No Name Yet
0.0.1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle - No Name Yet
1.0 Red Siberian Husky (Harley)
0.1 Black Lab (Krissy)
0.1 English Bulldog (Alice)
0.1 Blue Merle Great Dane (Wednesday)
Saltwater Fish and Inverts too

...fluorescent bulbs loose their intensity at each end first. When I set up my plant lights I put plants that require less light at the ends for this reason. I assume (know) this is true for ALL fluorescents including repti-sun/repti-glo, etc. I have a 48" over my 30 gal tank (anoles) and have it centered so that as much of the middle light is concentrated over tank with the ends off each side. I have Luna's set up with this in mind as well. Just something to consider when spanning several cages.

lele
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

>>See I figure if I've got to buy one repti-crap bulb every 6 months that means I'm paying 200-250 dollars canadian every two year replacing these damn things when I can just go buy a powersun and it'll last 2 year and it'll only cost 80 bucks...
>>
>>Are these things worth it or are they not so good...I've heard mixed reviews....any comments???
>>-----
>>Chris
>>
>>1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
>>1.2.0 Green Basilisks
>>1.1.0 Crested Geckos
>>1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
>>1.1.0 Corn Snakes
>>1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
>>0.0.1 California Kingsnakes
>>2.5.1 Leopard Geckos

Track down and read the following article:
Ferguson, G.W., Gehrmann, W.H., Chen, T.C., Dierenfeld, E.S. and Holick, M.F. 2002. Effects of Artificial Ultraviolet Light Exposure on Reproductive Success of the Female Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) in Captivity. Zoo Biology 21:525-537.
I do not recommend MV bulbs for chameleons except those in the largest of cages. I only use these bulbs in my enclosures that are almost 7' tall and 6' long. In these cases, the closest the animal can get to them is a foot and a half and the bulb is in a back corner of the cage where they can get far away from it. I do not use them for basking as well as UV and for the rest of the cage I use old reptisun 5.0 (over 6 months old) for ambient lighting and then a basking bulb away from the powersun. Too high intensity UVB for extended periods in chameleons in Ferguson's study showed decreased reproductive success. Chameleons are not bearded dragons, their physiology, habitat and sun exposure are very different. For anything but the largest of enclosures, reptisun 5.0 are the best even if they need to be replaced every 6 months. I'd recommend changing the powersuns annually.

Chris
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Chris Anderson
parsonii_hoehnelii@hotmail.com
Chameleon Care and Information Center (CCIC) - http://www.geocities.com/ccicenter/
Chameleons Online E-zine - http://www.chameleonnews.com/