Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i was wondering how many of you use them... maybe i'm having a blonde moment or something but do you just use that bulb and be done with it... i'm used to the old method of a uvb tube and a household bulb for heat and light etc...isn't the rest of the cage dark if you have the mercury bulb at the basking site... sorry for my stupidity but this whole "new" concept confuses me.. for instance for my various water dragon cages i use up to 3 uvb florescents and 2 basking spots...to keep temp around 86-90 degrees. and my beardies 3x2x2 cages have a 36" uvb tube and a basking spot... so the whole cage is lit..cage is around 80 and basking spot is 102.4... is it more simple than i'm thinking..?

sorry for my rambling stupidity

alissa

using the merk bulb will be like using a a heat bulb with out a uvb tube only that the merk bulb has uvb with it. i don;t use them as i have nothing big enough to put one over yetbut as soon as i build my 6x2x2 berrdie cage than i am gonna put one on each ( housing two lizzards split in the middle) and most likely get a 4 foot shop light to put over the middle with just cheap full spectrm bulbs for viewing. i will most likely use the 100 watt flood on this cage

i have cages big enough for it.... i have 1 6x2x6 cage, 4x2x5 cage and one 3x2x2 cage..i could just replace the household bulbs with mercury vapor and replace the uvb tubes with plant growth florecents... and be done with it.. my real question was is anyone used florescents with the uvb for viewing and the like.. and you answered it..thanks

do you think a 3x2x2 would be too small for a merc. vapor???
alissa

naw thats what i am gonna put the 100 watt over. my tank total is 6x2x2 but it is split in the middle making it 3x2x2 shoudl be fine

i must be sleep deprived... i read you were going to split your tank and put one on each making it 3x2x2.. geez were is my brain today (must still be at work).. hehe!!!

thanks again

Chose to quite using them when I discover two facts:

1.) Myth: it improves the color of your dragons - Truth: It puts yellow in the color of your beardies; completely distorting the color. It is an artificial yellow - I do not think there is permanent change (if there is - it would be a yellowing), but it takes some time for a dragon to go completely back to his original color. I am trying to get the yellow out of my dragons and when I viewed them under MV lights I nearly choked when I saw my red dragons turn yellow-orange.

2.) a few necropsies have shown raised levels of mercury in dragons exposed to the lights. Mercury is a poison. Did they get it to some other means? hard to say, but the dragons were raised under the MV bulbs, that much is known for sure.

To me, the risk is not worth it. It's a game of Russian Roulette - will it raise their murcury level or won't it. Will this cigarette give me lung cancer or won't it? There are too many other problems to contend with; why deal with unnecessary risk, if you don't have to?

Now, I may get blasted by those of you who love the color your dragons get under the lights - I expect this. But, I just feel that people should know that there may be a down side to this wonder light, and not to jump in w/o researching thoroughly.

Peace.

Yellow dragon w/o mv:

Same yellow dragon under mv:

Red dragon w/o mv:

Same red dragon under mv:

.
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Bill DiFabio
Azteclizard.com
Email Me

I don't own either of these dragons anymore - though I wished I did.
Unfortunately, no one will listen (rehash in newer post). Very few others seem to yellow under lights, so I have to wonder if it's the type of MV bulb. the pics prove I'm not imagining the yellowing . For goodness sakes, no dragon is that yellow unless under lights or a photo shop adjustment.
They cannot see the light, despite how bright! Oh well, I did expect this happen.
Have a good one!
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Starlight Specialties
Photos

i love them!!! my dragons do too!! the bulbs give a nice NATURAL light over the cage, kinda looks like sunlight...I still have my UVB flourescent bulb in there too, but thats just because im lazy and i dont feel like switching it to a reg bulb or a plant gro bulb!!! lol wedll i recommend them!
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~David - KDRKreatures
My Main Herps-
1.2 Bearded dragons (Ralph, Artemis, Cheech)
1.0 Veiled Chameleon (Chiquito)
1.0 Black Racer Snake (Chong)
2.2 Eastern Box Turtles (Athena, Mercury, Gizmo, Galapago)
0.0.2 Leopard Geckos (Nee, Unnamed)
1.0 Ball Python (Carson)

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i use a 100 watt powersun for my baby i bought it cuase it was easy i needed a lights for her cage fast and this was the easiest way but im going to get a regular fixture when i burns out cuase i can buy a normal tube a a fixture for it for the price i paying for the single bulb,and i like the extra light from the strips