Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Almost every caresheet i have read about a herp that needs UVB lighting has recomended the reptisun 5.0 . I was wondering how good the UVB output was when compared to other flourescent bulbs. Not the cheap flourescent "UV" bulbs that cost $5 but actual bulbs like the Exo Terra (i really like their products). I have seen UV testing on the Zoo med Reptisuns and have never seen testing for any other UV bulb except for the mercury vapor or for ones that cost $5. Everywhere i see they recomend the Zoo Med reptisun, but i have never heard of someone using ANY other kind of UV flourescent bulb then switching over to the reptisun. Does anyone know of a website that has the testings for different UV bulbs (besides beautifuldragons.com)?

here are the UV readings for the reptisun 5.0 and the powersun Mercury Vapor (160 wattts)

all readings measured in uW/cm2

Zoomed-
3"-59
6"-29
9"-18
12"-12

powersun-
3"-265
6"-115
9"-71
12"-47

i got that information from beautifuldragons.com
are mercury vapors just that much better? if so how come not that many people recomend them as a first choice for UVB? Does anyone know why mercury vapors produce more UVB than the flourescent lights?
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0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 normal ball python (felix)
1.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, and Bear)

"There are six genes which determine the amount of melanism present in a person's skink"-meretseger

I use exo-terra's reptiglo 8.0 bulbs on my veileds, and they seem to work fine. I have raised one male on one bulb (soon to be replaced) and have a 48" one running along my two new female cages.
I have also looked for good UV light comparison sites but have never found any good ones.

To my understand, UVB tube works in a way that by charging up the photon to a higher quantum level and while these photon discharge and drop back to lower quantum level, it gives out light(UVB UVA visible light) - Indirect method but power saving.

With mercury vapour, it directly heat up special gas that radiate light which contain UVB wavelength.

Now it brings up my other question to this topics.... I recently purchase a light bulb from a euro company that claims to have UVB & UVA (attached links). However, there is no indication whatsoever in the box of UVB intensities as well as live time of the unit. So, perhaps someone in the list can give me some idea of the bulb. (I believe it works in a way like mercury vapour).
Link

thanks for sharing how they work.
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0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 normal ball python (felix)
1.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, and Bear)

"There are six genes which determine the amount of melanism present in a person's skink"-meretseger

I would NOT trust that bulb to provide adequate UVB. Even their own web site does not claim that iot's good for anything except light & heat.

Ed

Agree. Thus, I'm now using it in conjunction with an UVB tube.

Anyway, just post the link to see if someone in the forum had experience (research) of this bulb.