repti-sun, UVB, MVB & D3?

[ozric]

hi, not sure if this is the right forum for this, but here goes.

if i have a repti-sun 10.0 do i need to use a calcium supplement with D3? i'm confused about the difference between UVB and MVB. Any help?

Thanks!

 

[zimbabwepegasus]

First- yes you need Calcium with D3.

UVB is what the sun produces that helps beardies process calcium.
Mercury Vapor Bulbs (MVBs) and Flourescent Tubes both produce UVB. uW/cm2 is the measurement unit for UVB.
The Reptisun 10.0 puts out about 80 uW/cm2 at 6 inches away.
The Megaray (brand of MVB) puts out 350-400 uW/cm2 at 12 inches.
And the T-rex UV Active Heat (brand of MVB) puts out about 200 uW/cm2 at 12 inches.
The powersun (brand of MVB) puts out around 75 uW/cm2 at 12 inches.

Because of the higher UVB output of quality Mercury Vapor Bulbs, beardie bodies will start producing D3 on their own. With the lower UVB output, we still need to provide it for them!
Hope this helps!

 

[ozric]

yes - that definitely helps. thank you so much for taking a couple of minutes to explain that. i have been scouring the forums looking for clarification, but kept finding fragments of info spread across numerous posts. i was having trouble seeing the big picture! you just perfectly summed up everything i wanted to know.

looks like i should try and find myself a megaray bulb - as i imagine natural D3 is superior to the supplemental kind.

again, thank you very much!

 

[zimbabwepegasus]

The megaray is online at http://www.reptileuv.com.

Not sure how old your beardie is- but MVBs need a minimum of a 40g tank. You can't have the light any closer than 12 inches to your beardie- it's just too intense. Additionally they produce quite a bit of heat, you may not need an additional heat source.
The Megaray is $40 and lasts for a year.

 

[ozric]

thanks again! the megaray site is having "technical difficulties" so i can't browse or buy right now, but i will check back with them later.

i do have a 40 gallon viv right now, and i plan to buy or build a bigger one once ozric reaches full size. right now he's about 6" long.

thanks again for the excellent (and fast) replies and advice!