Which lights are currently safe to use?

[lizardgrrl]

I am looking to replace bulbs, (MVB and tubes) and am dismayed by all the threads relating the extent of problems with formerly excellent bulbs. I am wondering if there is anyway a safe list could be created and updated each month to try and keep all our dragons under a better light. Just a simple shopping list of what seems to be safe as of each months posting. I have used Mega-Rays and Solar-Glo in the MVB types, and Exoterra Reptiglo 8.0 (had a little stockpile as they were being discontinued) and Reptisun 10.0 bulbs. These are what I will be replacing. I have never used any of the compact coil lights, as all the companies were so long in admitting there was a problem with any of them. So what can I safely buy within the next month here? :dontknow:

p.s. Thank you to Frances and Tracie and all who do so much to keep us informed on these critical issues! :notworthy:

 

[cashrokxsz]

like u sed reptisun 10.0 is the best flourescent strip light and powersun is now megaray but itll do the job.

 

[Frito]

everyone on here recommends reptisun 10.0's i personally have a 48" reptisun 10.0 and both of my beardies love it, I also have a new powersun 100w and neither one of my BD's have shown ill effects to it.

 

[lizardgrrl]

I guess I will go to the ReptiSuns for all my tube lights, (currentlly half my tubes are Reptisuns) but I have not seen an all clear after the Powersun problems, so I will wait for something more conclusive there. I still wish there was a simple monthly safe list, covering the three categories, tube, MVB and coil.

 

[cashrokxsz]

coils arent good at all so i feel like they shuddint evin b sold. personally, ill stick to da traditional stip & spot light setup. only changing that for a megaray.

 

[ajkry2]

coils arent good at all so i feel like they shuddint evin b sold. personally, ill stick to da traditional stip & spot light setup. only changing that for a megaray.

coils are okay for some herps... just not beardies. don't ask me which ones, but when i was doing research i found them reccomended for some lizards/snakes.

 

[lizardgrrl]

coils arent good at all so i feel like they shuddint evin b sold. personally, ill stick to da traditional stip & spot light setup. only changing that for a megaray.

coils are okay for some herps... just not beardies. don't ask me which ones, but when i was doing research i found them reccomended for some lizards/snakes.

I thought I saw something which implied the 10.0 ZooMed coils may be o.k. to use now, but this is why it would be nice to see a simple monthly list of what are currently effective UVB light bulbs.

ajkry2, Thank you for your response, I did read through your lighting post and found most of it to be very good. The problem I am having, though, is that none of the bulbs manufacturers are maintaining the standards we expect, with various glass and phosphor issues, and what light is good or having problems constantly changes. Yes, it seems the Reptisun is still the best of the tubes, but is it safe to buy either a Mega-Ray, T-Rex Active Heat, Powersun or Solar Glo at this time? And has anyone ever measured the Sun Glows (10.0 compact) or Sun Spots (160w MVB), Fluker's foray into reptile UVB? I have seen a lot of these in local stores in the last year, but won't touch them unless I hear that they do the job without causing problems.

I am still hoping to inspire the creation of a monthly "What's good" list.

in peace,
MaryAnn

 

[Frito]

i have a relatively new zoo med compact florescent 5.0 bulb for my baby iguana, it doesn't bother him one bit and its even only 6-8" away from is basking spot so the zoo med CF's are probably fixed, the main problem with using them from what i have gathered is that they have a very narrow range of good UVB compared to tube and MVB's because of this i plan on changing it out as soon as i need to probably to a 24" tube bulb for him

 

[lizardgrrl]

Hi Frito,

I've been following all of this for several years, and the initial problem with the coil lights was that the UVB spectrum was too low and some dropped to the UVC spectrum, which can be lethal to our little guys. UVC is use for sterilization in hospitals, and causes mutations in the germ microbes, quickly and efficiently killing them. Not good for beardies! There were accounts of various eye problems, lethargy and death caused by the lights, and the companies producing them initially refused to admit there was a problem. i don't know that some of them have ever been fixed, and until someone proves there is a safe one, i have no reason to believe anything a company says about their lights. When the Powersuns first went bad, a friend of mine lost one of her babies soooo fast, it was frightening. You can see why I am cautious about select new lights for all my sweeties. I don't have the equipment (or the money) to test the bulbs myself, so I must rely on the conscientious work of our wise friends here. I think it is the Zoo Med coils that were improved, but they seem to be one of the more responsive companies in all of this.

I still want to talk someone into putting together a simple list, updated once a month.

In peace,
MaryAnn

 

[Frito]

yeah, i totally understand. i've read into the same information on the net, zoomed said they were changing their CF's and i've had a baby iguana under one for close to 2 months with zero ill effects so either i got lucky or they changed something, same thing goes for the powersun i bought, one of my beardies was under it for over a month and she never hid from it or showed ill effects to it and now its over my 2nd beardie that i adopted that has some signs of early stage MBD. i actually had to put the powersun over her basking spot to get her to stay on her basking spot, she would prefer to get as close to the reptisun 10.0 as she could rather than staying under the basking light most of the day yet another sign of MBD.

both of these dragons were under exoterra 10.0 compacts when i got them from their owners, they did not seem to mind them but it certainly was not giving them the UVB they needed esp the 2nd girl. my first one i think was under a diff brand bulb before because they kid i got her from said the one in the tank was only a few months old so its probably why she does not have any signs of MBD but i'm just speculating.