MVB's

[smaug85]

I've been hearing a lot about the mercury vapor bulbs,and I was wondering what the minimum tank size was in order to have one of these. At present Smaug lives in a 40 breeder with an Arcadia UV-B fluorescent tube and 100W Zoo Med heat lamp.
What makes the MVB better?

 

[NegativeCreep]

I upgraded Blazey to a MegaRay MVB and her attitude, color and appetite have all improved 10-fold.. at least.
The minimum size would be a 40 breeder, since they are more powerful than any regular heat lamp.
IMO, the benefits are the increased UVB output, the fact that I don't need a separate heat lamp, and the benefits to my dragon. You also only need to replace the MegaRay yearly (I don't know about the other brands), rather than every 6 months like a strip.

 

[xJaZx]

Everyone says atleast a 40 gal, but when my boy was little I had him in a 20 gal (tall) and the 100w MVB set the perfect temp gradient (with him about 12" from the bulb).

Right now in both my 40 gal & 55 gal, for both my kids, I have a 100w MVB & a 60 w household bulb.

 

[smaug85]

oh my god-wow.. so how far does it need to be from the bottom of the tank to be of benefit and safe for the dragon?
also what wattage do you guys usually go for? I'm in England so its winter here by the way.

 

[FJM]

Thanks for starting this thread...i was just going to ask this question myself. So does the MVB replace a basking light? Should there still be another UVB source? What are the dangers of using this bulb in an enclosure smaller than a 40G?

There should be a "Beardie Lighting for Dummies" manual on here :? I do have the necessary lighting but understanding what they get from it, how much of it they need etc is not one of my strong points.

 

[smaug85]

Thanks for starting this thread...i was just going to ask this question myself. So does the MVB replace a basking light? Should there still be another UVB source? What are the dangers of using this bulb in an enclosure smaller than a 40G?

There should be a "Beardie Lighting for Dummies" manual on here :? I do have the necessary lighting but understanding what they get from it, how much of it they need etc is not one of my strong points.

Well if your enclosure is smaller than 40G I think you're going to have problems keeping your temperature gradient in check. A 40G(or above) makes it easier for your dragon to "get out of the sun" and cool down when he/she needs to.
I usually keep my viv lit for about 14hrs n leave it switched off for 10hrs at night.
As far as I know you only need the MVB in as it gives off heat and UV-B.
Although, you may want to check with a member of the mod squad (moderator) about that. They are well trained in the ways of the Force lol.

 

[FJM]

No, he's in a larger enclosure. It's approx. 70G (48"x18wx20h), but it was too tall and had to build up the floor a bit to make sure he's close enough to his heat source. At this point I'm not sure how much of the 70G's he actually has use of and thought i better ask the question. I leave his lights on for 11 hours a day. Should it be closer to 14? I couldn't keep him up past 8pm but he may not object to getting up earlier (although he did beard at me once when i woke him up by accident one morning)

Mod Squad...is this the case...if he's in a 4 foot enclosure and has an MVB as his basking bulb, does he also need the UVB tube (Reptisun 10.0)?

I ask because when i take him out i have to re-arrange his lights to get at his "doors" and can be annoying. Or with both lights, could i attach the UVB strip light to the inside of the lid?? Is this dangerous?

 

[NegativeCreep]

No, you don't need a separate UVB source when you use a good MVB. That's the beauty of them. The MegaRay 100w says to keep it at a minimum distance of 12 inches to a max of 20. The 160w is a little farther. You can check out ReptileUV.com for more specifics.
A 100w is plenty of heat for a 40l, but there is a chance you may need a bit of additional heating if your house is cold... A 160w should work well on a 4x2x2/75l, but as well, you may need a little more heating. You can add more household bulbs, just to bump it a bit.

 

[RioReptiles]

When most people switch to MVB's, they report their dragons eat more, become more active and seem to grow better. And remember to use Calcium with NO D3 added. MVBs naturally stimulate D3 production in the dragons skin as if they were in natural sunlight. The different MVBs vary quite a bit with the Mega Ray being much higher in strength than the others and degrade a lot slower than fluorecents. A Mega Ray could last 18 months with acceptable output from my understanding.

 

[kaimarion]

And to you I bring these links:
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/equipment-supplies/213185-megaray-70watt-metal-halide-setup.html (forum)
http://www.megaray.co.uk/
http://www.kimbosreptileworld.co.uk/

These link are to sites/threads that contain information on MVBs and the new Metal Halide bulbs .

 

[FJM]

THANK YOU!!! This is great info and very specific...which is what i needed. I'm definitely ordering one today.