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It's getting about time for me to replace my MVBs. I need at least 3. I bought the ExoTerra Solarglo the last time and was not impressed. I think I want either the T-rex or the Mega ray, maybe the Power sun. But I had heard some were having problems, but now I'm having trouble remembering which one had to issue or finding info on whether or not the issue has been solved. I would really appreciate some advice on which ones to get & which strengths to buy. I need one for my RES housed in a 75 gallon, one for my dragon housed in a 40 breeder and at least one for my box turtle & Russian tort. I do NOT house these two together but their enclosures are right next to each other (rubbermaid conainers... the Russian has one of the ExoTerra Sunglos on him and I have had no problems with the plastic melting) and I am strongly considering mounting a MVB over both rubbermaids so that one casts light into both. THANKS.

Note (7-30-11):
I'm going to sticky this. There are several new developments regarding these types of bulbs.

MegaRay by ReptileUV (Manufacturing/payment/shipping issues)
Active UV Heat by T-Rex (discontinued)

-steve

Mega-Ray had the big recall. Some people had reported issues with the early replacements but I have not read anything about it lately. You'd want a flood-type for maximum coverage as a spot bulb will be narrow and intense. T-Rex is a very good brand for MVBs.

OK! Thanks Steve, I am definitely leaning toward the T-rex at this point, I'm still a little confused about wattage though.. the T rex seems to come in 100's & 160's, and I'm not sure what to get? THANK YOU!

I've only had the 160 and it was pretty strong. The 100 should be fine for turtles. I did some searching, it seems that T Rex also had issues last year. It's not surprising since T Rex and Mega Ray are believed to be manufactured in the same factory, but no one had posted problems about it on this forum before.

I tried to do as much reading on this subject as I could but it is all very confusing, there were sources saying the either T-rex or the mega ray were the best bulbs, but then BOTH had major problems, some sources said they supposedly fixed them, but everywhere I looked they have all been on "back order" for quite a while with the reviews/comments leading me to believe that it's because they are STILL working the kinks out of the production...

So, since all my critters are LONG over due for new bulbs, I decided I couldn't put it off any more and bought a few 100watt ZooMed Powersuns. Powersun was the first MVB I had and I liked it. The $80 price tag at Petsmart is what put me off...but I found them online at Petmoutain for $48. Anyway, it has to be better than the OLD Exoterra Solarglos I have right now.

It makes sense both would have problems. I think getting the Powersuns was the right move.

I'm unfortunately in a pickle. I'll be in the market for MVBs as well in the coming months. My externally ballasted bulb is reaching 20-months-old, and will need to be replaced soon. My internally ballasted Mega-ray is almost a year-old, so it will go at any time.

If it comes down to it, I may have to order 160 watt Mega-Rays in lieu of my preferred bulbs being on back-order. I hope that ReptileUV will be back in full working order soon.

I have been searching endlessly for the T-Rex but they are out of stock everywhere. Don't buy the Flucker's Sun Spot, mine went out in less than a month.

LLL Reptile

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/rep ... heat-bulb/

Wow sorry for the late reply to this topic! I have some news about the ReptileUV stuff the company and owner has been having issues apparently. The company is stuck between a rock and a hard place with reliable manufacturing due to unforseen issues. I will say that the Mega-Ray is behind in production and is still having issues that need to be solved. I don't know anything about T-rex but I will say I use the Powersun and have been for four years. It has worked very well for me. I will post a new topic from a email I received today

slider_keeper wrote:Wow sorry for the late reply to this topic! I have some news about the ReptileUV stuff the company and owner has been having issues apparently. The company is stuck between a rock and a hard place with reliable manufacturing due to unforseen issues. I will say that the Mega-Ray is behind in production and is still having issues that need to be solved. I don't know anything about T-rex but I will say I use the Powersun and have been for four years. It has worked very well for me. I will post a new topic from a email I received today

Hey all! It's been about two years since I last posted here, but I'm back with some news.

I would say to stay away from Mega Ray. I have been using T Rex MVBs for years, but the last two I bought blew out 4-6 months in. They are also waaaaay behind in production. These bulbs are nowhere to be found. I thought to try Mega Ray... big mistake. First of all, they sent me the wrong wattage. Since there's not much to choose from, I decided to manipulate the height of the lamp and deal with it. I screwed it in, put my hand under it to feel how hot it was, turned to leave, and it blew out. It lasted five seconds. No joke. I called customer service to complain, she said she'd send one out to me, but it's been over a week. I don't expect to ever receive it. I'm going to order a Power Sun, I guess. If this company turns out to be s**t too, I'm going back to the double bulb set-up. My RES is 18. She lived the first 14 yrs of her live without a MVB, I'm sure she'll do fine without it.

And by nowhere to be found, I meant the 100 watt bulbs.

Thanks for the update, it seems like a lot of people were thrown off. Generally, I think it's a good idea to stock up on a few products. You never know when something like this will happen again.

steve wrote:Thanks for the update, it seems like a lot of people were thrown off. Generally, I think it's a good idea to stock up on a few products. You never know when something like this will happen again.

You're welcome. And you're right. But, I won't be stocking up on any MVBs. That's for sure. I bought two T-Rex bulbs last time and both blew out in less than a year. I just wasted $56 on a Mega Ray that lasted five seconds and the replacement was just a lie. I don't think that woman sent anything out to me. That's fine because I don't trust Mega Ray bulbs. Thank God they're just burning out and not burning the house down. Still, I've decided to go back to the double light setup. At least then, if something blows out, I can go to the pet store and get another one pronto for less than $40. I hope my turtle likes the switch.

I forgot which strength of UVB bulb to use, though. It's been four years and her setup has changed. She used to have a tube light that sat on top of the basking area, but she doesn't have that fixture or the wire top anymore. I bought the double dome and a 5.0 Repti glo UVB bulb. I hope I can rig this new dome up to the fixer I have up there now because I'm in no mood to make anything

A Reptiglo 5.0 should be OK, depending on distance from the basking area.