Alternative to a 10.0 UV tube?

[Tom]

I completely agree with @jaizei I also feel this is one thing that keeps many very serious, scientific-based keepers from using this forum.

The research has certainly been done. Read through the forum Reptile Lighting. Several of the contributors there do have the extremely expensive spectrometers and equipment to thoroughly test bulbs and do so regularly. They were actually the first to really call manufacturers on the problems with CFL and other faulty bulbs (it was not limited to CFLs) and push to get changes. Extensive testing has been done and is done constantly and no one has produced a faulty CFL bulb from a brand manufacturer in over 10 years. Not one.

I have watched this forum for over 7 years now for a post on eye damage from a CFL and have not found one that turned out to be shown to be the CFL. I see many that immediately assume that as soon as CFL is mentioned. Far more eye damage posts were due to MVBs and even tubes that were placed wrong. With UVB use, it is too easy to mount any bulb too close, especially CFLs that appear dimmer and cooler, and then jump to the conclusion that there is a problem with the bulb if it is a CFL, yet not come to the same conclusion if it is a tube!

How many issues have been missed because as soon as anyone mentions a CFL immediatley there is an outpouring of how bad they are and no further looking into what the real problem may be is done! Yet this forum continues to simply parrot the CFLs are simply bad mantra.

Of all the things we agree on, we will not agree on this because I've seen it with my own eyes. You haven't. Yet. I get it. I can't un-see what I've seen because you or Jaizei haven't come across one of the bad bulbs yet.

 

[speedyTortoise]

No, don't need to stay away from "pay or rehome". If one can't afford, then rehoming should be done. It's a living thing, not a piece of furniture!!

Of course I won't rehome my tort! If I have to pay, of course I will pay! But I just didn't see the reason behind buying more expensive equipment if something cheaper works just as well.

They can be used in some situations for full grown small tortoises, like Russians where pyramiding isn't really a concern since they are done growing for the most part, that are housed in open topped tortoise tables, but they need to be monitored weekly with a Solarmeter 6.5 to see what the UV is doing.

My Russian tort is around 6-10 years old (the pet store never told us his age when we got him) so pyramiding shouldn't be a problem (correct me if I'm wrong). As I don't have a Solarmeter, I will buy a tube for his UVB light just to be safe.