Reptile & Amphibian Forums

whats a brand of uvb bulb that dont emit heat? i know theyve been posted around here before.

The Mega-Ray external ballast bulb does not emit heat. You buy an external ballast unit and bulb which are relatively pricey, but when the bulb begins to emit less than desirable amounts of UVB you replace the bulb only. the ballast unit can be used for several bulb replacements. They are available at www.reptileuv.com
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dianedfisher@yahoo.com

My 3 CWD-Avanyu, Tripod and Drago

All fluorescent UVB bulbs produce very little heat. Why would you need an expensive one that produces no heat?

The mercury vapor UVB lights (available in internally ballasted-which produce heat and externally ballasted-which do not) produce much more UVB than fluorescent tubes and are a definite plus for larger enclosures. I use both fluorescent and internal-ballasted MV in my viv and at 6 X 4 X 2 it isn't really larger compared to most set-ups. The externally ballasted MV bulbs supposedly emit more UVB with a longer bulb life than the internally ballasted bulbs. MV UVB also penetrates much further into the enclosure than fluorescent tubes. To get benefical UVB from a fluorescent tube, your reptile has to bask in a 12 inch range, with 6-9 inches being best. With a MV bulb you can use 1 light source which will cover a wider area. I would have to use at least 3 fluorescent bulbs and fixtures to cover the basking area for my 3-CWD. I think it really depends upon the type of reptile you have, the size of the enclosure and the number of them you are trying to keep.
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dianedfisher@yahoo.com

My 3 CWD-Avanyu, Tripod and Drago

This is the website that I was looknig for, thanks for th reply!

My dragon spends most of his time more than 12 inches from the top of the enclosure. I need something that can be effective at 1.5 - 3 feet. I also like to reserve my florescent fixtures for UVA lights to help the plants out.