Is a mercury vapor bulb or fluorescent bulb+fixture cheaper?

I need the cheapest, best light. I already almost have enough money for the beardie, and the ReptiSun + hood are $40. I was thinking a mercury? If I can, I'll buy another type of fixture for the ReptiSun. In Miss Buddy's cage ,I have it in a hood. Any ideas?

I use a MVB on Nero's enclosure and a halogen/reptisun 10.0 tube on Soleil's tank. For me the biggest difference is the brightness. I have a lower wattage halogen flood lamp right next to the MVB because it wasn't getting quite warm enough for Nero and it wasn't nearly as bright as I would like. From what I've been told by Bob Mac (Mega Ray), it is best if you don't move the MVB too much or bump into it, etc. As that can damage the filament inside and lessen the life expectancy of the bulb itself. So if you needed to move the lamp fixture to get into the cage everyday, twice a day it may be better to stick with the tube/halogen.

I think in the long run the cost is about the same really, around $25 for the Reptisun 10.0 tube + $8 halogen flood bulb + fixtures $35 or so = around $70. Replacing the tube 2x year = $50/year.
MVB - $47 bulb (lasts about a year) and $10 fixture. So again, about $50/year.

Not sure if that helps... :lol:

Would this be an OK bulb? It comes with the fixture. It also got great reviews.http://m.petco.com/product/14564/Zilla-Slimline-Desert-50-UVB-T8-Fluorescent-Fixture.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch
EDIT: on Amazon, I found this fixture with 5 stars. This guy said he used it for a UVB fixture and it worked fine.http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000HJ75PW?vs=1
Also, is a ReptiGlo 10.0 OK? http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0006346G0/ref=pd_aw_sim_199_15?ie=UTF8&refRID=08QM13VQ5NVVW9X8P41J

The Zilla Slimline is OK. It has a decent output but it can sometimes be tricky to lock the bulb into place. I use it as a travel fixture. I would go with it over the GE fixture because it has a nice reflector behind the bulb to direct the light down and increase effective output. I'd avoid the ReptiGlo based on what I've heard about it. I haven't done any testing on it though so I can't say for sure if it's good or not. I'd play it safe and stick with a tried and true model like the ReptiSun 10.0 http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-Fluorescent-18-Inch/dp/B0009YJ3BE This bulb and fixture have an optimal output at 6-8'' over the basking site. Don't forget to remove the clear plastic cover from in front of the bulb.