Mecury Vapor Bulbs vs Fluorescent tube bulbs?

Hi everyone I am new to the site and by what I hear this is the best site for bearded dragons.
I was wondering as of late if there is a preference i which two of these bulbs are better to use. I understand that for the mercury vapor bulb the best brands are Mega-Ray UV SB, T-Rex and Zoo Med Powersun, as for the tube I only hear that the Retpi-Sun 10.0 tube bulb is the best and there hasn't been any issue with bulb involving any recall that mercury vapor bulbs have gone thru.
So I guess as of right now what are you guys using for uvb light and what are your experiences with it?

Right now I have a repti-sun 10.0 24" inside of the tank attached with velcro on the back top side of the tank.
But I soon have to replace my bulb and was wondering if I should keep things the same or should I upgrade to either a mercury vapor bulb or add another 24" reptisun 10.0 instead. for ultimate uvb and light intensity.

Oh and have any of you guys used Repashy Calcium Plus? Is it any good?

Thank You Very Much
I just want whats best for my girl anyone willing to help out would be greatly appreciated!

Have always and will always use repti sun 10.0 linear tubes. I hear bad stories about MVB's breaking to soon.

Reptisun all the way i would love to take out the long tube in my viv and replace it with a simple dome instead, for cosmetic reasons, and so im not blinded when i look in the cage like im in a tanning bed, lol but why cance it, ya know? Id stick with the reptisun.

Ok cool thank you guys for the replies I really appreciate it!

So you guys think if I add another 24" reptisun in the tank on the other side opposite the tank wouldn't be a good idea, I was just wondering if maybe two 24" reptisun 10.0 in the tank might be better one in the front side and one in the back side of the tank because Im pretty sure that one 24" reptisun does not give out the same uvb they would get out in the real sun so by adding two reptisun tubes would that make it better or worse?

Anyone has a viv with two reptisun 10.0 tubes or you guys basically just use one only? Also just making sure I plan to replace them every six months.
Also when I take my beardie outside to get some fresh sun she usually freaks out when I take her outdoors and puffs her black beard and when I bring her back inside she cools down, anyone have any same experience with their berardies?
Sorry for all the question but I am new to this and I learning different new things day by day and just wanted to make sure I get it right!

Thanks

There is a difference between putting 2x reptisuns on opposite ends of the enclosure, and putting 2x reptisuns in direct proximity to one another. The latter will result in a significantly increased UV Index under the bulbs, as you are effectively doubling the output. The same effect can be achieved by adding a reflector behind a bulb. Unless you know what you're doing, avoid placing them directly next to each other in parallel. I could go on in great detail, but the bottom line is this...as soon as you start increasing the UV Index above and beyond that of a single bulb in open air, you need a UV meter to fine tune your overall basking setup, or at the very least previous experience with similar UV setups, as the standard "6-8 inch" rules get thrown out the window with "custom" lighting setups.

If I place two reptisun together, not parallel it would be 14 inches apart from each other.
I was thinking on adding one to the front side of the 40 gallon breeder that I have since I already have one in the backside of it.
My tank is 36x18x17.
The reason I am thinking of doing it this way is because that would mean that my beardie would get uvb from anywhere in the tank.
But if you guys just recommend the one then I will stick with just one. Just wondering if anyone else used two reptisuns instead of one.
Thanks

Also has anyone of you guys tried taking your beardie outside for a little bit of fresh sun?
I tried the other day and she started flipping out on me I had her carried in my arms and as soon as I went outside she puffed up and black bearded me. So I took her back inside of the house and she immediately went back to her good old self.
Anyone has had the same thing ever happen to them, my guess is that when she seen the outside world she wasn't ready for it yet.
She is about 8 to 9 months old and has never been outside before so any tips on this would help.

Thanks

BadCon":3t32llg6 said:

There is a difference between putting 2x reptisuns on opposite ends of the enclosure, and putting 2x reptisuns in direct proximity to one another. The latter will result in a significantly increased UV Index under the bulbs, as you are effectively doubling the output. The same effect can be achieved by adding a reflector behind a bulb. Unless you know what you're doing, avoid placing them directly next to each other in parallel. I could go on in great detail, but the bottom line is this...as soon as you start increasing the UV Index above and beyond that of a single bulb in open air, you need a UV meter to fine tune your overall basking setup, or at the very least previous experience with similar UV setups, as the standard "6-8 inch" rules get thrown out the window with "custom" lighting setups.

Click to expand...

So the 6"-8" rule gets thrown out if I have a hood w/a reflector in it? I've never heard that before. I have a 48" hood that has reflective material behind it. What would you recommend? Try to remove or cover up the reflective material or switch to an open air light connector? Also what is the range of UV should my bearded dragon have - 200 - 300 uW/cm2 6 inches away from the light?

Thanks

If its not a true parabolic reflector, then I wouldn't worry too much about it. The UV output is most likely being amplified by the pseudo-reflector behind the bulb, but not to the point of it being dangerous. There is a margin for error built into the 6-8" rule, so I wouldn't be too concerned. My female dragons enclosure also uses a 48" aquarium hood with some reflective material behind the bulb, and everything is still perfectly safe at 6" according to my UV-I meter.
So, don't be alarmed.

It's a good idea to have an area in the tank where your beardie can escape the UVB if he wants to.

Badcon,

What UV meter do you use? Can you just use a $50 UV Index meter or do you have to get one of the more expensive meters for $150? If you can use the UV Index meter what are the ranges you look for?

I use a Solar Meter 6.5. You'll want a high quality meter using an SiC sensor (Silicon Carbide), as its more sensitive to the low power UV lighting setups found in our hobby. As for readings, well that depends on your setup and the type of bulbs you use. The UV index of a low power fluorescent (t8 bulb) is not directly comparable to an MVB, or even a high power (t5 bulb) fluorescent, as they are intended for different uses. If you are using a Reptisun 10.0 without a reflector, then expect a UV-I of around 1.5-2.0 at 6-8". If you add a reflector, then that UV-I will increase roughly 75-100%.
Your typical MVB will have a UV-I of roughly double your average fluorescent, and these are conducive to basking type UV setups, where the UV emissions are confined to small area, allowing the animal to enter and exit this area regulating the overall UV exposure.
My own setups are tailored to provide a maximum UV-I of 2.0 at the highest possible basking zone, with a nice UV gradient in the basking area allowing the animal to choose what level of exposure they'll receive. Since I use fluorescent UV-B tubes that cover the majority of the tank, I want to make sure the overall UV exposure is relatively low, as they'll be exposed to it for much of the day. If I were using a more focused source of UV, then I would tailor the setup to offer a higher UV-I in a smaller area.

As for what is safe or not, I couldn't say as it depends on the setup and the number of hours an reptile is exposed to the lights. What can say is that once you start playing with UV indexes higher then 4.0, you better know what you're doing, as there are health consequences to excessive UV exposure.