Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i was just wondering what brand/ type of full spectrum lighting you all use for your basilisks and water dragons? i have been using Lumichrome 1xx for about a year now and was wondering what anyone thinks of this brand? also, i have read that you need to replace those lights once every 6 months because they lose effect, is this some kind of salesmen tactict? any help would be great!!

I have never heard of that brand. Are you in the USA?

Flourescent tube bulbs lose their effectiveness after 4-6 months, so it is good to replace them. Mercury vapor UVB lights last up to a year or longer, without a reduction in the UVB output.
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A mans got to do what a mans got to do. A woman has to do what he can't.

Mom to:

1 little boy born 7/19/04
2 male RES, born 1999
1 ribbon snake, age unknown
3 FBT, ages unknown
1 female bearded dragon, born 5/2002
1 male lab mix, born 5/24/03
1 female calico cat, born 6/7/04

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sig file edited 1/29/05 [phw]

Yeah i live in the states. the shop i get them from says that they are from Germany. Thanks for confirming the life span of the UV light! i wonder why no ones heard of this brand before? i couldnt even find much about them online.

Tamlin: Yahoo Groups has a forum on UVB lighting and people who have UVB meters. The "files" section has a listing of many different brands of UVB tubes and their UVB output. Most varieties should be replaced at 6-9 months if you do not have a meter. The UVB output of a new bulb degrades significantly within days of turning it on (burn-in). You then take a reading and when the bulb UVB output reaches 70% of that figure, it is time to change it. Reptisun 5.0 and Exoterra 8.0 bulbs appear to be the best choice. I personally prefer the Reptisun. If you have a large enclosure, a mercury vapor light will output significantly more UVB than either of those fluorescent tubes.
Yahoo Groups UVB Meter Owners

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dianedfisher@yahoo.com

My 3 CWD-Avanyu, Tripod and Drago

thanks so much for the reply. i was thinking of getting a reptisun bulb but im not sure whether the 10.0 or the 5.0 would be acceptible? i was told by someone that for tropical lizards i would want the 5.o, but when i read up on their descriptions, the 10.0 sounded like it was better! im not sure what makes a light tropical or for desert use, i just figured as long as proper uvb/ uva was being emitted there was no problem.

The 10.0 is very new and the results are not in on the UVB meters forum, although everyone there agrees that ZooMed manufactures their bulbs to the tightest specs of all the commercially available bulbs. The amount of UVB required pretty much depends on the species. Even desert reptiles rarely spend the entire day bsasking in the sun. If you position your UVB and basking source close together, so that your reptile is basking within 9-12 inches of your UVB source he will get the UVB necessary. A 10.0 bulb is a little more costly than the 5.0 but according to ZooMed specs the output is better. There are 2 different types of 10.0, tube and compact (which fits in a dome light).
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dianedfisher@yahoo.com

My 3 CWD-Avanyu, Tripod and Drago

Tamlin:

Thought you might find this interesting. I believe your bulb is listed on this chart.
UVB output of 15 fluorescent tube brands

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dianedfisher@yahoo.com

My 3 CWD-Avanyu, Tripod and Drago