Beardie Hiding and not Basking

[kbro]

 

[diamc]

That's good that he's not hiding anymore. Let us know how he does tomorrow. Sure sounds like he didn't like the MVB.

 

[jarich]

Honestly, the price of the ZooMed High Output T5 fluorescents have come down so much now that its well worth the few extra bucks to go ahead and buy those instead. You can often find them on sale now too. The T5 HO bulbs are good for a year too, instead of the 6 months you get with the T8 Normal Output (N.O.) lights, and they have a much better output. If you buy the HO T5s you can also just put it right on top of the screen for now. The screen you have there will block about 25% of the light, but the T5 output is enough that if the dragon can get within about 10-12", it will still be getting a decent exposure. If you move up to a higher/larger enclosure then you want to make sure that you move the light inside the enclosure. For dragons, with a T5 light that has a reflector, you want the animal to be able to get within about 15-18" of the light.

 

[kbro]

I'm not sure about what jarich said. Where is it said those bulbs last longer? Also about the distance? The distance makes sense, I just worry because they are newer as well.
They are nice though and have a thinner profile.
BTW the same owner that told me about the mvb bulbs also said he found the regular reptisuns to last a year, like the box says they do. I didn't feel like getting chewed out but oh well. And he is a store owner, I would think if this wasn't true he would have said 6 months so he could get more money and his price competes with online so that people will buy them there. This store is not a chain store but a bearded dragon breeder and exotics store and he owns a light meter. The only way to know for sure though is a meter, that's why I said 6 months because they can go sooner. I feel somebody started the 6 month thing to get more money out of people, but like I said you don't know unless you can test it, it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

[jarich]

The T8s can last a year, but the problem is that without a UV meter to test them, you wont know. The bulb itself will continue to emit light even after it stops producing UVB wavelengths, so without the UV meter you will not be able to tell if its still good or not. They generally produce UVB for around 4-9 months depending on brand, so a safe estimate for T8s is 6 months. The HO T5s usually produce good UVB levels for at least a year, though I have found that mine lasted even longer than this. I do have meters and do test all my lights regularly, so am not just guessing in that regard. If you are curious and would like to learn more, then a good place to start is with this site:

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

There is also a very good group on yahoo you can join called UVmeterowners where Fran has the results of the lab testing she has done on these and other lights. She gives in depth information about spectrum and longevity there, as well as you having access to quite literally the greatest minds in the field of reptile lighting. Many of the designers of these lights as well as those who test them can be found posting there regularly. The group is an invaluable resource if you are interested in really getting in depth learning.

 

[diamc]

A solar meter is a very good investment, seems like a lot of money when you first get it but it will pay for itself in the long run as you know exactly how much UV rays the bulbs are producing.

I have had Arcadia MVB's for a couple of years and they are still producing as well as they were in the beginning, otherwise I would have thought they needed replacement in a year.

 

[kbro]

Yeah, that's what I said, you won't know without a meter. I have read all of that but it's been awhile, it's got good info. I wasn't sure about the high output bulbs, I had one a long time ago when they first came out but could never find a replacement bulb and didn't order stuff online at the time. I am just wary of the newer things (although they are not that new, I know).
Also, not trying to be rude but I don't care what the designers think of their bulbs, of course they are going to say the bulbs are good, they designed them.

 

[diamc]

Also, not trying to be rude but I don't care what the designers think of their bulbs, of course they are going to say the bulbs are good, they designed them.

I certainly have to agree with that statement.

 

[Quelaag]

So far so good. He did go under his rock after I fed him-- though I think that was his way of telling me to stop trying to get him to eat more crickets, haha. Overall though he's acting much better and is already getting back to his old routine. I just hope he doesn't react the same way to the Reptisun. D:

Also been researching the Reptisun and the multiple ways I can mount it. Definitely going to get a lamp fixture from Walmart as they are drastically more affordable than the ones online and as for how I'm going to personally hold it up in the enclosure I'm still not 100% sure yet but I have some ideas.

And I eventually want to get a UVB reader thing, but alas, that will have to wait a while longer.

Either way, I'm just happy that he's not hiding under his rock. Thank you guys so much!

 

[jarich]

Not rude at all, but its more that there is information there to be gleaned if you know how to look for it. Of course some do often think theirs are the best, but the process behind how they achieve the bulbs is important to understand. It's another resource, amongst others, to draw from.

 

[kbro]

I'm glad I'm not the only one diamc. Although the site does have some good info, you just have to be careful on who wrote it and if they have anything to do with the bulb. I find it hard to know what to trust and what not to anymore.

I'm happy he seems to be a little more like himself that's great. I hope we solved the mystery lol. You just had everything else set up good and played with the temps so that why I suggested trying to remove the light.

 

[diamc]

Frances Baines is the woman that has the http://www.uvguide.co.uk/ site. She has done all the testing herself using various meters so that she can report on all of them. She is a brilliant woman and has done lots of research as well as testing. I have actually communicated with her a lot over the years and shared some bad experience I had with certain MVB's before the Arcadia bulbs were available in the U.S. I even sent her a couple of bulbs before I invested in a Solar Meter and she helped me prove that the bulbs I had were defective and putting out a large amount of UV rays which was actually why my female was having so many problems which prevented her from being able to live a longer life. Hopefully Frances will be able to have her uv guide updated very soon, I know she is a very busy woman. So, she hasn't designed any herself but shares her thorough testing results with all of us.

It's the manufacturers/designers of the bulbs that I have a problem with because they will always recommend them regardless of all the negative responses they have received about them and our reptiles are the ones that suffer just because they are trying to push their products.

 

[kbro]

Ok, it confused me when jarich stated that designers of bulbs wrote on the site too. I would believe what she says as an independent that used multiple meters and bulbs. Now I'm going to have to read the site again, it's been at least 8 months or more since I've looked at that site.

Diamc, do you mind me asking what meter you have and how much it was?

 

[diamc]

I have the Solar Meter 6.5 and am very happy with it. I got it from here: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/solarmeter65.html

 

[kbro]

Ok thank you! So one thing I havnt found out and am curious about is when using the meter, what is the ideal reading you want the beardie to get?

I guess she is updating all the readings now so they are not available
So no comparing bulbs right now.