Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi...I have a UVB light bulb and fixture and its making some kind noise...Does anyone know why the noise is being made by the UVB light when it is on or what is causing it? I am sorry of this message is very vague but I don't know how to explain the noise. Anyway I hope you can help me out. Thanks.

If it's a fluorescent tube-type bulb then it's almost certainly the ballast. If it's a cheaper shop light go ahead and either replace the ballast or the entire fixture. Note that most fluorescent fixtures we use with reptile bulbs don't have the proper ballast to maximize UV output of reptile bulbs. In fact you can rewire shop lights with better ballasts and have dramatic increases in UV output.

If it's a mercury vapor bulb then I don't know. Probably time to replace it (they burn out quick).

>>Hi...I have a UVB light bulb and fixture and its making some kind noise...Does anyone know why the noise is being made by the UVB light when it is on or what is causing it? I am sorry of this message is very vague but I don't know how to explain the noise. Anyway I hope you can help me out. Thanks.
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Current snakes:

0.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.3 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

3.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

is it a buzzing/humming type noise? If so i agree - ballast. Usually it's cheaper to replace a light fixture than to buy a ballast. I got a fixture for my viv at home depot that is a "plant and animal uv light" - now please note this produces MINIMAL uv with the bulb in it, not as much as you need. However it cost about $18 or so. A new ballast will run you about $14-$20, depending on the type and where you get it.

if its a mercury vapor making that same noise, it's also the ballast. however i've never seen a replacable ballast for a merc. vapor light.
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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
N. American Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Monty)

>>If so i agree - ballast. Usually it's cheaper to replace a light fixture than to buy a ballast.

Right, but if it's a species with high UVB requirements then you're better off forking over the cash for a nicer ballast. Something you can't get in any old fixture.

The hard core UVB meter types do this all the time. I gather they often take $5 shop lights and wire in $200 ballasts. They claim the increase in UV is worth every penny.

To be clear, reptile fluorescent bulbs are designed for a certain type of ballast, T-12 I believe. Most fixtures you buy at HIC's are T-8 so you really don't get any significant UV from your bulb.

You don't need to spend $200 to get a nice T-12 ballast. I gather you can get them for less than $50.

I guess most of this should have been posted to the orginal poster, but you get my point.
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Current snakes:

0.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.3 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

3.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

i've never looked around at special types of ballasts, however check out www.bulbs.com - i just found them on a quick google search. They seem to have every ballast you could ever ask for.

Later on in the post I reccomended to get a lamp designed for a low output UV bulb, commonly used for plants and such.

The T-rating on a flourescent bulb is basically the size of the bulbs radius. A t8 is a lot thinner of a bulb than a t12 is. T12 is probably one of the more common bulbs. The amount of gas in the bulb is a much higher intensity in a T8, therefore you can't interchange a T8 and T12, and have it work correctly.

but yeah, I have a softshell turtle, and I just have (2) 2-foot 5.0 UVB lights over his tank. Never invested in a specific UVB ballast. She's been under these for a year now, and doesnt seem to have any problem.
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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
N. American Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Monty)

>> ...therefore you can't interchange a T8 and T12, and have it work correctly.

I'm not sure what you're saying. If you're saying the bulbs won't work at all that is incorrect. If you're saying the bulbs will produce light but not as much UVR then that is correct.

>>but yeah, I have a softshell turtle, and I just have (2) 2-foot 5.0 UVB lights over his tank. Never invested in a specific UVB ballast. She's been under these for a year now, and doesnt seem to have any problem.

There's no such thing as a UVB specific ballast. There are ballasts that will maximize the UVR potential of any bulb. And the lack of problem does not really suggest anything. I know of softshell turtles that have been kept without UV light for over ten years.
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Current snakes:

0.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.3 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

3.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

I know of softshell turtles that have been kept without UV light for over ten years.
well crap... there goes a lot of wasted money lol....
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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
N. American Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Monty)

>>well crap... there goes a lot of wasted money lol....

Hard to put a price on your peace of mind.

Just like your chondro cage. You probably could have gotten away with A LOT less than primer, paint, FRP, and silicone between all the joints. But you wanted to feel confident with the moisture resistance of your cage.

Nothing wrong with that at all... Peace of mind...
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Current snakes:

0.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.3 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

3.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)