snake kid Posted August 16, 2009 Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 Hi I was talking to a guy at Bubble and squeak on stanmore Rd about sorting out my BT tank. He told me that the compact UVB bulbs are just as good as the long tube ones are they ok do they provide enough UVB? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoon Posted August 16, 2009 Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 they sem to come in decent uv %s and ok wattages also the price could be somewhat of an indicator as they are expensive one would also think that they worked well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted August 16, 2009 Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 Since they are more of a point source than a four foot flouro you would need to be careful with placement. They need to be close to the basking location to be effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snake kid Posted August 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 so they are ok but the position is essential? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 I believe so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herperjosh Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 well they are good but the 4 foot bulb will be better i use them with my to native skinks but thats becuase their cage is small get a long one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soloman5 Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 I read not long ago on an Aussie website that some of the Beardie owners are having problems with the Compact Flourescent UVB bulbs. They are causing some major eye problems, and there was a specific brand (which I can't remember what) of CF which looked like it was the culprit. One of their vets were trying to figure out what was going on and apparently was in contact with a NZ vet who was also having clients coming in with their Beardies with the same type of problem? I can't find the website I was on but I'll keep looking if you want more info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snake kid Posted August 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 the guy at bubble and squeak has had his blue tongue happy and healthy on the brand he uses I think If I go with the same brand as him I will be fine thanks for your help though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repto Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 lights are all well and good but can be somewhat of an unknowen quantity?Price is no indicator of quality one way or the other in my opinion.Without comprehensive testing who knows what is putting out what good bad or indifferent?The effective life of the tubes has always been knowen to be short but what gaurantees that the light is doing anything good or bad for that matter?I am thinking along the lines of using the sun as much as possible and let them take their chances through the winter with as much natural sun as I can find? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hothouse Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 I totally agree with the concerns over UVB lighting What's great, acceptable, and what's lethal? How do we know, and what brands can we trust? As we all know UVB is one of the three main lifelines of reptiles well being. The other two being heating and diet. If any one of these three vital lifelines is incorrect or missing all together then our pet is going to suffer and most probably die. As a distributor of reputable Reptile diets, heating and UVB lighting it's my job to make sure I get it right. UVB lighting is one we can't take lightly as there are so many cheap bulbs out there (I should know, I imported some in the past that were bad, was oblivious to it, but rest assured these have well and truly been removed from the market and knowing what I know now I won't be so naive in the future). As new batches of bulbs are imported I randomly test UVB output, and any new brands of UVB bulbs we import for the possibility of marketing are trialed with my own Reptiles for 12 months, as well as being independently tested in the UK. Having believed suppliers in the past I no longer take anyone's word for it when it comes to the well being of everyone's pet Reptiles, not to mention my own Reptiles. Of the three compact UVB bulbs on the market in New Zealand at the moment I can tell you that these three have been independently tested in the UK and are safe if the manufacturers recommendations are adhered to. These brands are: Lucky Reptile, Arcadia, and ReptaPet. I have also used these three brands and have never experienced any problems what so ever. I have found Lucky Reptile have an added advantage of an effective range of up to 50cm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 Thanks for that info. Very useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soloman5 Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 When using the Compact bulbs do you need to use an incandescent bulb or white light with them as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hothouse Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 When using the Compact bulbs do you need to use an incandescent bulb or white light with them as well? It all depends on the size of your enclosure, and what amount of light you are after. If you have a large enclosure then you might go with two UVB compacts or one UVB compact and one white light too keep the lighting levels high. It is now known that Reptiles don't just thermo-regulate (move to and fro from hot to cool areas to regulate their body temperature at optimum levels), they also photo-regulate. What this means is that they can see, or sense UVB. Reptiles will move away from UVB light when they have absorbed a sufficient amount, and will then bask under non UVB lights. When they require more UVB they will then move back to the UVB source. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 http://www.uvguide.co.uk/skintests.htm getting them into the sun as much as possible is probably the best you can do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hothouse Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 getting them into the sun as much as possible is probably the best you can do I totally agree, and house all my adult Reptiles outside year round with the exception of my Bearded Dragons. These I house outdoors from October to early April, as I feel it's just too cold and damp for them to survive and thrive in the winters we have here. The unfortunate thing is that it's just not possible for every Reptile owner to house their pet outdoors, even for the warmer months. As a distributor of Reptile accessories it's my job to ensure that the products we sell are safe for all Reptiles we keep in NZ to thrive indoors as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soloman5 Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 For those of you that house their reptiles outside what sort of temperatures are they in on the lower scale? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hothouse Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 For those of you that house their reptiles outside what sort of temperatures are they in on the lower scale? I have never taken temps outside. At the end of the day they are Reptiles and require the warmth of the sun to function at full speed, so common sense has a lot to do with where you position your enclosure. By having your enclosure trap as much sun, with shelter from cold southerlies then you will see them thrive. On cloudy, cool and wet days you won't see them out much, if at all. It's exactly what they would experience in their natural habitat. No need to run out with a hot water bottle for them or rush them inside to keep them warm. Once we're not using any heating in our house on a regular basis, and getting nice hot days, then it's time to move my Beardies out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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