Zoo Med Deep Dome ok for 160 MVB?

[Embee]

Hey All,

Well, Cloudy has moved into her new pad (a 75g), and she is enjoying all the extra space! However, I'm now [of course] struggling to get a good gradient, temps are running low across the board, and in general, taking a long time to heat up in the am. The old 100w T-Rex just isn't doing the job anymore, even with a supplemental 65w spot. I was hoping to get by with the 100w MVB along with a higher watt supplemental bulb (used to use a 45w in the 40 breeder) and I'm going to try a 75w in the supplemental side and see if that helps, but it seems that the smart thing to do would be to upgrade my MVB to a 160w (it's nearly time to replace soon anyway). Soooo.....

My question is: can I continue to use my Zoo Med Deep Dome with the 160w MVB? The top wattage on the fixture is 160, but I've read a few times that given the power of the MVBs, it's best to use a fixture that can handle MORE than the actual lamp? Is this true? Is it a "err on the side of safety" issue? Being that the fixture says it's supposed to handle up to 160w, can I go ahead and trust that? I'd really hate to have to buy a new fixture but I'm also a safety nut so...

Anyone using a ZooMed "deep dome" fixture with a 160w MVB? And if not, what are your general thoughts about the matter?

Thanks!

Em

 

[bambichik39]

I have the deep dome's, but I don't use that powerful of a bulb, but since they are made to use with powersun's I would think it would be ok, maybe someone else with experience could give you the a-okay, but I'd think it would be okay. good luck!

 

[Embee]

I have the deep dome's, but I don't use that powerful of a bulb, but since they are made to use with powersun's I would think it would be ok, maybe someone else with experience could give you the a-okay, but I'd think it would be okay. good luck!

Thank for the response. As it turns out, it looks like I can go ahead and continue using the 100w MVB in the 75g. I inquired at reptileuv.com and they said if I had enough juice in the supplemental bulb (a 65w spot), a 100w should work ok. Whew! I was really hesitant to use a higher watt bulb in general, much less push the envelope on what the deep dome can handle. We ended up moving the beardie (and the python for that matter) up to our attic where we can get the room temps a bit warmer and therefore help along viv temps.

Thanks again,

Em