Hey guys, I'm about to invest in replacing Bandit's solar/mercury vapor bulb. I've had it for about a year and I think it would be safe to get a new one. I was just wondering how long can they actually last, so that in the future I can tell whether or not its working properly. Thanks
Replacing bulb
- Thread starter Jroid33
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Most of the good ones can last about a year or so. The only way to tell for sure is to use a solarmeter to read the output. If you don't have one then it's best to just replace annually. Are you looking to keep using a MVB or switch to separate UVB and heat sources?
you should change the bulb at least once a year just like the uvb fluorescent bulbs or if you notice a significant reduction in heat or light. i actually change my uvbs every 6 - 8 months just to be on the safe side. the heat bulbs i change when they either go out or i feel a change in the heat they are putting off. good idea to invest in a infared heat gun as they are pretty cheap now and are a good thing to have on hand.
Thanks. I'm going to get another MVB. Also, how many watts should the bulb have for a 50 gallon tank? My current one is 125 and his basking spot is around 94 degrees. I just want to make sure the bulb is the right amount of watts and creates the best basking/light source. ThanksCooperDragon":37tjbix5 said:
It depends mainly on how far you want to have the bulb mounted from the basking area. I prefer higher wattage bulbs at a greater distance so they create a larger basking area. The downside of the MVBs is that setting it at an appropriate height for UVB output may not achieve proper temperature gradients in the tank so it's good to have a secondary heat source available to supplement as needed. The UVB Meter Owner's group on Yahoo has a bunch of the test results from uvguide.co.uk stashed in the files section and that's what I usually reference when trying to find appropriate outputs for different lights. Using a solarmeter to read the output of each individual bulb is the best option but the meters cost about $200 so in most cases an educated guess using the test results is fine.
How far from the main basking area will the bulb be? Which brands are you considering?
At 12'' I would go with the 160w ZooMed PowerSun or the 160w MegaRay. I've seen good results with both bulbs. I use a MegaRay and it works really well. The ZooMed has a slightly wider beam so I would probably go with that as the main light in an enclosure (I use my MegaRay as a portable basking spot int he living room so it's not as critical). I would definitely trust the quality more than the Nat Geo. I tested one of those in person and found that the build quality, UVB output, and heat it produced was very lacking.
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