Personally, I used a tube UVB for a VERY short period of time. I found that they are a bit unreliable, and after some research found that they degrade quickly and need replacement approx. every 6 months. For that cost, I went with a MVB (such as a Mega-Ray or T-Rex or Powersun). If you have not heard of these, they produce both UVB and heat. I use the 160w self-ballasted bulbs, directly over the basking spot. Be sure to follow the mfg. guidelines with these bulbs, as they can produce too much UVB at close distances. I have the face of the bulb approx 16" from the basking surface. This single bulb gets the basking rocks up to 110F by itself, and allows the Uro to absorb the necessary UVB and heat simultaneously. They also are supposed to last MUCH MUCH longer then tube UVB bulbs do. Although I do not personally have a UVB meter (yet) several other people I have spoken to say they get enough UVB out of their bulbs even after 15 months of use.

Hope that helps a bit

and btw I have used the Mega-Ray and T-Rex bulbs and I recommend both brands.

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