Wondering how you guys felt about these, just picked up a few 
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UVB coil
- Thread starter Snapper925
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What kind of info is out there on these with how they harm? Just curious it'd be for my adult red foot and red eared sliders
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They've changed the way they're manufactured so that many of the issues once associated with them (mainly eye problems) no longer occur. However, to be truly effective, you need to run them across the entire cage like the tube fluorescents. I primarily use and recommend the coil style bulbs for vivariums and similar, narrow terrariums rather than for larger turtle tanks and similar size enclosures. They can be used (I've seen tortoises raised under them that were smooth shelled, healthy, and fine), but you do need to have them running horizontally across the entire cage. ExoTerra makes hoods that works well for housing several bulbs. Simply using one in a traditional dome style light fixture is unlikely to provide your animals with the same benefits as running them horizontally across the entire cage.
-Jen
-Jen
I still,would not use them. Why risk it. You don't even know if you have one of the supposedly new and improved ones. I have seen to many threads with eye problems both here and on a reptile forum. Even put side ways, they aren't going to give you much UVB and as stated, you would need more the one, which to me raises the risk. The best and always been safer mercury vapor bulb and the tube fluorescent bulbs are the way to go, besides the good old sunshine.
Don't save money over your torts health. To much bad about them then good!
Don't save money over your torts health. To much bad about them then good!
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wellington said:
Agreed. Even though reports claim they have gone through the necessary changes to make them safe, there are still tortoises being reported to having eye problems with these exact same style coil UVB bulbs. Don't cheap out, buy the sure thing.
Great info everyone I will be returning these and getting the tube type
Snapper925 said:
Good for you. That is the safest and best way to go
I have personally seen tortoises and other reptiles get eye damage from these long after the manufacturing problems were supposedly addressed and fixed. They are not safe and should not be sold for reptiles in my opinion.
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When I first got Terence he came with one of these bulbs, however whenever it was on he seemed to dislike it and would spend most of the time in his house, after advice from people here on the forum I changed to a tube light, he is now much happier and as it runs along the whole of his table I expect it to be far more efficient. And the cost per bulb is actually cheaper than the coil types, it's just the initial set up that costs a bit more, saving money in the long run 😃
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Beyond the hype on either side of this issue and the arm waving emoted points of view, the value is the lumens per watt, and the higher efficiency than most straight tubes, that it seems like you can only get with coils.
You can get both, use T5 HO tubes. LLL carries the new ZooMed brand, and then there is LightYourReptiles selling Arcadia T5 HO. They give the higher efficiency of the coil 'tubes' and the more expansive coverage of traditional tubes.
There had been, may still be three issues with the coils.
1) Poor phosphor mix, quality control, or application
2) When the tube is 'twisted' that coating becomes compromised,
3) The ballast is a throw away item with the tube, not a multi-tube ballast as is in most straight tube fixtures.
Number one can be an issue with any tube anytime.
Number two is unique to coil or twisted, or any bent tube. The coating on the inside of the tube is applied before the tube is shaped, and in the shaping proces the coating can become compromised. The light inside the tube and behind the phosphor coating is absolutely blinding, like a scaled down arc welders arc. If there is a small crack in that coating, that scaled down arc light will cause fatigue and damage to any eyes.
Three, that ballast emits an electromagnetic field that has been strongly correlated to many kinds of health issues in humans. Cause and effect are not tightly established, but there is a high correlation, so some countries have begun to not allow the sale of coil tube lighting. The same was true with straight tube ballast many years ago, that annoying whine sound that came from them among other issues. Straight tube ballast are for the most part made better, they are not throw away per tube.
I prefer to have illuminating light and heat light NOT in the same bulb such as the MVB (mercury vapor bulb), but have been using 80 watt - 220 volt type from LightYourReptiles, and for me the lower wattage does not throw so much heat, and they are working out well for me. I like them.
So coil, twisted, bent tubes have some issue that are still not fully resolved in how they are manufactured and/or quality control tested. Straight tubes seem to be OK as long as you are not seeking heat and illumination in the same bulb (use MVB then). If you want that large area coverage with a tube fixture the T5 HO are a good choice.
See post number 8 on this thread http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-68448.html for more detail.
Will
You can get both, use T5 HO tubes. LLL carries the new ZooMed brand, and then there is LightYourReptiles selling Arcadia T5 HO. They give the higher efficiency of the coil 'tubes' and the more expansive coverage of traditional tubes.
There had been, may still be three issues with the coils.
1) Poor phosphor mix, quality control, or application
2) When the tube is 'twisted' that coating becomes compromised,
3) The ballast is a throw away item with the tube, not a multi-tube ballast as is in most straight tube fixtures.
Number one can be an issue with any tube anytime.
Number two is unique to coil or twisted, or any bent tube. The coating on the inside of the tube is applied before the tube is shaped, and in the shaping proces the coating can become compromised. The light inside the tube and behind the phosphor coating is absolutely blinding, like a scaled down arc welders arc. If there is a small crack in that coating, that scaled down arc light will cause fatigue and damage to any eyes.
Three, that ballast emits an electromagnetic field that has been strongly correlated to many kinds of health issues in humans. Cause and effect are not tightly established, but there is a high correlation, so some countries have begun to not allow the sale of coil tube lighting. The same was true with straight tube ballast many years ago, that annoying whine sound that came from them among other issues. Straight tube ballast are for the most part made better, they are not throw away per tube.
I prefer to have illuminating light and heat light NOT in the same bulb such as the MVB (mercury vapor bulb), but have been using 80 watt - 220 volt type from LightYourReptiles, and for me the lower wattage does not throw so much heat, and they are working out well for me. I like them.
So coil, twisted, bent tubes have some issue that are still not fully resolved in how they are manufactured and/or quality control tested. Straight tubes seem to be OK as long as you are not seeking heat and illumination in the same bulb (use MVB then). If you want that large area coverage with a tube fixture the T5 HO are a good choice.
See post number 8 on this thread http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-68448.html for more detail.
Will
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