Spiral bulb questions

[TurtleTortoise]

I am semi-new to tortoises but am defi atly new to bulbs/uv/heating.
I have been reading that the spiral bulbs are bad. Are all spiral bulbs bad, even the special reptile brand uv ones? Are they bad for eyes, our eyes, the tortoises eyes, or what?
I do not know anything about them so any info Is helpful
Thanks!

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Oh yeah and I am currently using one for my box turts uv.

 

[byerssusan]

I was using this bulb for my sulcata and it was hurting her eyes.:

 

[TurtleTortoise]

Ok that might be the one I'm using. How do you tell if it's hurting their eyes?

 

[HollyH8]

Ok that might be the one I'm using. How do you tell if it's hurting their eyes?

Yeah! How do you know? I have been using one of those bulbs for about 3 weeks and I haven't noticed anything wrong. My two Sulcata's actually seem to become more active when it's on. Is everyone sure these bulbs are linked to blindness?

 

[byerssusan]

My sulcatas eyes after about a month of using this bulb starting looking milky looking when she would close them. She wasn't active at all. Or not alot. Until I took it out and them bam..she was all over the place.I posted pics of her eyes on a thread here..a before I took the bulb out and then after.. I can tell a big difference.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I had one Sulcata yearling who was blinded by a spiral bulb. No doubt. If you want to take a chance on your tortoises eyes keep using it.

 

[dmarcus]

I think your playing the chance game when using those spiral bulbs. I just not worth your tortoise's health to use them when there are so many other bulbs to choose from...

 

[Tom]

There have been several cases both here on the forum and things I've seen in person with those bulbs causing eye irritation and or damage. There are better alternatives, like tube florescents or mercury vapor bulbs. And everyone should remember that if your torts get regular sun most of the year, you don't "need" ANY UV bulbs.

I would never use one of these bulbs.

 

[austinl01]

I stopped using my bulbs too. My box turtles are fine so far without much UV.

 

[Tony the tank]

I myself have used CFB..without issue and some researchers have tested these lamps to see if there is something inheritly wrong with the design... And nothing was found.. They basically hung there hat on user error and manufactures failing to give good instruction on there use....That being said..It doesn't negate the fact that some well educated herpetologist here have had some serious issue with these bulbs... So I would dismiss the user error on there part..

My thoughts are if you have and are using these bulbs now without issue for a while...(These CFB put out a huge amount of UV for the first few weeks after that they deteriorate quickly..putting out really low levels of UV)..So if they have been on for a few weeks witout issue ..It should be OK..But I would keep an eye on them...photokeratitis shows quickly and is quickly corrected by removing the light...

But when it's time to change out..I would move to either a MVB or a FTB... Either can fill any necessary lighting issues you may come across..and they both produce more usable uv for a longer period of time....[/b]

 

[128woo]

I got too many friends using spiral uvb bulbs here, in china.
And, yes, I'm worried too. Solarmeter shows these bulbs has very high UVB output, so I guess a high UVC part is inevitable as well, since they are really cheap. Everything fine so far, will keep an eye on it.