Too much UV and eye problems

[winfieldblue]

hi i was wondering if having th uv tube too close can cause eye problems? heres a pic of how close i got it....

 

[Buggsy]

6-8" is recommended, any closer and i suppose it could cause eye damage, it would to us. What brand are you using?

 

[winfieldblue]

hi, its about 6 - 8 inches from everywhere as in anything he climbs, its a reptisun 10.0. thanx.

 

[Pravius]

That's fine then. The only bulbs really reported to cause eye issues are the compact bulbs. You can see eye issues develop if they tend to keep their eyes closed often. But as long as it is 6-8'' away and it is a reptisun 10 you should be ok.

 

[winfieldblue]

sweet thanx ill watch out for that eye thing lol

 

[Lilbear]

According to several threads, corp. articles and production warnings the uvb eye issues are related to the 'overdose' of uvb rays. This can be easily remedied with the use of very bright lights mixed in with the saturation of uvb rays. For instance, the use of a ReptiSun 10.0 or ReptiGlo 10.0 ‘linear uvb tube light’ should be used with halogen lighting to prevent the dragon from looking directly into the uvb source. The following is my letter and a response I received from the Hagen Corp. in regards to numerous threads on this site claiming their Exo-Terra ReptiGlo 10.0 is dangerous and should not be used. First my letter:
“I'm new to bearded dragon ownership. I have found a website that claims the ReptiGlo 10.0 is very hazardous to the eyes and general health of bearded dragons. Could you please give me information regarding your ReptiGlo 10.0 florescent tube lights 24"long. Thank you for any help offered.”

Hagen’s response:
“We thank you for taking the time to contact us.

There have been some negative reports around the use of UVB 10.0 bulbs and the fact that these can cause photo- kerato - conjunctivitis, an eye problem in reptiles.

The posphors (the light producing part)used in Exo Terra bulbs have been sourced in Japan and are superior to the phosphors found in other brands. There is no risk to the animal when these are employed and you should rest assured that the Repti Glo 10.0 is perfectly safe for use with desert dwelling animals needing this level of UVB.

In addition, it is always advisable to place the source of natural light, or the basking/heat lamp near to the UVB bulb as this will discourage the animal from staring directly into the UVB source. Remember, the higher the UV output of a bulb, the lower the level of natural light, so it is quite easy for the animal to look into a 10% UVB bulb if it is a stand alone light.

Likewise, there should always be somewhere for the animal to go and hide, not only from the light and heat if this becomes too excessive, but also from any perceived predators.

Hope this information is helpful.”

Thank you,

Lisa Emery
Customer Service Dept.
Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp.

Hope this helps!

 

[Pravius]

The above is true, I was assuming you were using it with other lighting. Actually read over this article it is a great source of information:

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

 

[slacker13]

I am building my new viv and before I purchase the lighting can someone please clarify exactly what to purchase (USA). I've read so much I am getting confused.
I can use the Repti Sun 10.0 (36 inch) ? and what is the recommended basking light?

This is going in a 4x2x2 Crossfire viv.

Thx Jon

 

[Pravius]

Basking light can be just a regular halogen bulb wattage will vary depending on your setup and may need a few different bulbs to test. I would start with a 75 and go up from there.

 

[Lilbear]

Either the ReptiSun or ReptiGlo florescent "tube" lights will do the job. The issue with uvb florescent lights is they've got to be mixed with bright light to keep the lizard from looking directly into them. This is how alot of eye problems begin. So halogen basking lights (uva) (par20/par30/par40) along with uvb lights will do ya fine, but you will have to experiment with the wattage to reach your desired basking teperatures. The alternative to this combination, is the one light source that produces both uva and uvb from one bulb. Mercury vapor bulbs produce a ship load of heat (uva) and uvb rays. The problem with these, they are fairly expensive and require a large viv (headroom for bulb). The smallest wattage is a 100w and the distance from bulb tip to dragon has got to be at LEAST 12"or your buddy will fry like a strip of bacon. So build your viv around your lighting system and contents of viv as well. Floor to ceiling measurement might by ok at first, then ya figure in your height of basking surface, thickness of lizard then placement of bulb and your idea for lighting might all of a sudden change. So plan accordingly!

 

[winfieldblue]

i have a halogen type basking light to the right of the enclosure does ths mean hes eyes are only protected on the right side of the enclosure?

 

[Fal]

According to several threads, corp. articles and production warnings the uvb eye issues are related to the 'overdose' of uvb rays. This can be easily remedied with the use of very bright lights mixed in with the saturation of uvb rays. For instance, the use of a ReptiSun 10.0 or ReptiGlo 10.0 ‘linear uvb tube light’ should be used with halogen lighting to prevent the dragon from looking directly into the uvb source. The following is my letter and a response I received from the Hagen Corp. in regards to numerous threads on this site claiming their Exo-Terra ReptiGlo 10.0 is dangerous and should not be used. First my letter:
“I'm new to bearded dragon ownership. I have found a website that claims the ReptiGlo 10.0 is very hazardous to the eyes and general health of bearded dragons. Could you please give me information regarding your ReptiGlo 10.0 florescent tube lights 24"long. Thank you for any help offered.”

Hagen’s response:
“We thank you for taking the time to contact us.

There have been some negative reports around the use of UVB 10.0 bulbs and the fact that these can cause photo- kerato - conjunctivitis, an eye problem in reptiles.

The posphors (the light producing part)used in Exo Terra bulbs have been sourced in Japan and are superior to the phosphors found in other brands. There is no risk to the animal when these are employed and you should rest assured that the Repti Glo 10.0 is perfectly safe for use with desert dwelling animals needing this level of UVB.

In addition, it is always advisable to place the source of natural light, or the basking/heat lamp near to the UVB bulb as this will discourage the animal from staring directly into the UVB source. Remember, the higher the UV output of a bulb, the lower the level of natural light, so it is quite easy for the animal to look into a 10% UVB bulb if it is a stand alone light.

Likewise, there should always be somewhere for the animal to go and hide, not only from the light and heat if this becomes too excessive, but also from any perceived predators.

Hope this information is helpful.”

Thank you,

Lisa Emery
Customer Service Dept.
Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp.

Hope this helps!

Thanks so much for posting this!!! We have used Repti Glo 10.0 from day one, because no other strip UVB (Reptisun 10.0 or Arcadia 12%, the two recommended ones) fits our setup

However, we have never had any problems and I know it is widely used in the UK, as one of the main UVB strip lights. We have ours, however, no closer than 10" because it's a large strip and we also have a bright white strip light of the same size running parallel alongside it to defuse the UVB when Draco looks up.
IF we ever see any problems though, we'll be sure to rethink, but up to now (he's coming up to 6mnths old and we've had him since he was a babba) he's been A-OK, you do right to ask though, to make sure and as everyone says, make sure there's enough white light!

Let us know how it goes