Arcadia MVB's

[diamc]

Hello all. I wanted to share my wonderful experiences of the new Arcadia MVB's that are now available in the U.S. They are amazing bulbs and we can't believe the difference in Loki and Angie's colors as well as their extreme happiness under them. I never thought I would be purchasing MVB's again after all the problems I had with the Megarays and T-Rex Active UV bulbs, it was very scary to say the least. I know a lot of reptile owners that were very disappointed that a good MVB wasn't on the market anymore or at least one that we could trust to not cause any damage to our precious bearded dragons that we all are obsessed with. When I heard that there were Acadia MVB's available, I did some research that brought me to http://www.lightyourreptiles.com I had some questions so I sent an email to Todd Goode and he answered it immediately and encouraged me to give him a phone call and we spent a lot of time talking on the phone, he put my mind at ease so we decided to give them a try. He is awesome to deal with and very easy to talk to. We couldn't believe how nice and bright these bulbs are and they also throw out a lot of heat. They come in different wattages but we purchased the 80 watt bulbs and have them on lamp stands. The UV readings are great at even 15" away and through a screen. I have a Solar Meter 6.5 that gives me readings of between 4.0 and 5.0 at the 15" distance which is awesome. I would encourage anyone to give them a try. They are also very reasonably priced. Thought I would post a couple of comparison pictures.

Here's a picture of Loki before using the Arcadia MVB.

And, a picture taken after having it for about 2 wks, his colors are just popping!

 

[brittani299]

Wow! Thanks for this! I think I will switch to this bulb

 

[diamc]

 

[MrWhite]

do you know how often you need to replace these bulbs due to reduced UV output?

Larry

 

[diamc]

I plan on getting at least 2 yrs out of them since I'm getting such a good reading at 15". I have a Solar Meter 6.5 so when the UV output starts to decline in about a yr, I will be able to lower the bulb and still get a good UV reading for a while.

Perhaps Todd will pop in and post more helpful info.

 

[drakedragon]

glad i found this post. im upgrading my beardies viv next week and i was thinking of buying an arcadia mvb for her

 

[diamc]

They are both still loving their Arcadia MVB's. I am very happy with the way they are made, can't say enough good things about them.

drakeddragon, if you have any questions, you could always send Todd an email. He's always willing to help in any way he can.

 

[drakedragon]

just curious do you use any other lights along side the arcadia mvb, or is it just that bulb you use

 

[diamc]

On both tanks, I use the 80 watt MVB's. One tank is a 40 gallon breeder and the 80 watt bulb is on a lamp stand without any other bulb alongside it. On the cool side, I use a 40 watt household bulb. The basking temp is about 103 and the cool side about 80.

The other tank is 48" long so I use a 40 watt household bulb alongside the MVB with it about 2" off the screen on a lamp stand. There is also an AC running in that same room though. I probably could have used a 100 watt MVB instead on this tank so thinking about getting one when it's time to replace the bulb.

What size is your tank?

 

[drakedragon]

shes in a 3ft viv atm, i was planning on getting her a 4ft one this month but if i do that i wont have any money left, so im getting it next month. her uvb light needs changing and she hasnt been eating so i ordered her the 100watt bulb, but im not sure if that will be too much for a 3ft viv

 

[diamc]

If you use a lamp stand rather than placing it right on the screen, it should be fine. Or, if it hasn't shipped yet, you could contact Todd to get his opinion.

Since beardies under a yr old prefer hotter temps, could you fill me in on how old she is? Angie is a yr old so she prefers her temps in the 102 to 103 degree range so if your beardie is younger, the temp might be ok with it just sitting on the screen.

Make sure you are using either an infrared temperature gun or digital with long wire & probe end to ck the temps otherwise you won't get accurate readings. You will also want to make sure that the MVB is about 12" from the basking spot unless you are using a Solar Meter to ck the UV output.

 

[Claudiusx]

Glad to hear you have had success with these Diane.

I just might have to make the switch too.

-Brandon

 

[diamc]

Good to hear Brandon. Over the yrs, I had tried Megaray and T-Rex Active UV, I have to say that the Arcadia's are a much safer bulb and even sturdier. I've seen no decline in the UVI yet either.

 

[drakedragon]

just curious I have just installed one of these bulbs and fro what ive read people who use them say their bearded dragon becomes more active and if they hadn't been eating they start eating again. but how long would it be before I saw any improvement

 

[diamc]

That's good that you bought one. How quickly you see a change, depends on the beardie. What had been going on before, had he not been eating and been very inactive?