- Joined
- Jul 16, 2014
- Messages
- 28,108
- Location (City and/or State)
- South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
Most pet stores sell either CFL (or Coiled or Compact Florescent bulb Lights.) Or MVB (or Mercury Vapor Bulbs.)
All of these are threaded "screw in" bulbs.
While most of us agree that the MVB type are a waste of money, there are a few of us attempting to use the CFL type tubes that went out of favor years ago because of a design defect. This defect has been resolved.
While the newly made type can be used mounted horizontally and not straight down as most sockets do and seem to perform just fine,
there is still just too much debate about the matter for me to personally endorse them. Especially since there is no easy way of knowing if you're buying one of the old defective bulbs or not. (My opinion only)
I've never used them.
Unfortunately, most pet stores sell these two types of UVB products and nothing else.
Occasionally you'll find a T8 tube and fixture. They were our preferred light in the hobby for a very long time. But not any more. Not now that the newer T5 HO are available. The T5 HO UVB put out much higher and much longer lasting levels of UVB. So much so that as the tubes slowly diminish their output, the fixture can simply be lowered. Most times doubling or even tripling the useful lifespan of the tube over a T8.
T5 are easily obtainable ONLINE.
REPTISUN, ARCADIA and others are available in T5 HO. Some come complete with UVB tubes. Some do not. There are different lengths available to suit the size of your enclosure and two basic output levels to suit the needs of your species of tortoise. The lower output tubes are the "5.0" or 6%. The higher output tubes are the "10.0" or 12%.
I hope that this helps to clarify a question that I'm asked almost daily. And that is: "What type of UVB do you recommend".
BTW Outside sunshine is still the best!
All of these are threaded "screw in" bulbs.
While most of us agree that the MVB type are a waste of money, there are a few of us attempting to use the CFL type tubes that went out of favor years ago because of a design defect. This defect has been resolved.
While the newly made type can be used mounted horizontally and not straight down as most sockets do and seem to perform just fine,
there is still just too much debate about the matter for me to personally endorse them. Especially since there is no easy way of knowing if you're buying one of the old defective bulbs or not. (My opinion only)
I've never used them.
Unfortunately, most pet stores sell these two types of UVB products and nothing else.
Occasionally you'll find a T8 tube and fixture. They were our preferred light in the hobby for a very long time. But not any more. Not now that the newer T5 HO are available. The T5 HO UVB put out much higher and much longer lasting levels of UVB. So much so that as the tubes slowly diminish their output, the fixture can simply be lowered. Most times doubling or even tripling the useful lifespan of the tube over a T8.
T5 are easily obtainable ONLINE.
REPTISUN, ARCADIA and others are available in T5 HO. Some come complete with UVB tubes. Some do not. There are different lengths available to suit the size of your enclosure and two basic output levels to suit the needs of your species of tortoise. The lower output tubes are the "5.0" or 6%. The higher output tubes are the "10.0" or 12%.
I hope that this helps to clarify a question that I'm asked almost daily. And that is: "What type of UVB do you recommend".
BTW Outside sunshine is still the best!
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