General Care Discussion :: UVA/UVB Bulb

[TurtleObsession28]

i have a bulb and a lamp that a friend gave me and they said it was the special one that imitates the suns and is for reptiles so im assuming its the uva/uvb but idk if it is for sure, the lamp it like black metal on the outside, in the inside where the bulb is its white, and the bulb it the swirly kind like swirls to the bottom, its hard to explain

[octpusgirl8]

I'm pretty sure it's not providing any UVB, but i can't tell what kind it is by your description. The only bulbs that provide both heat and UVA/B are mercury vapor bulbs, they are really big and get really hot. You would probably know if you had one of these. A regular compact flourescent UVB bulb doesn't preovide any heat so you need another bulb for heat. They sell a lot of bulbs they describe as "full spectrum" like the sun, but don't preovide any UVB. I'm guessing this is what you have. Can you show us a picture of it, or find a bulb in an online store that looks like it?

[Blue Flamingo]

Look at the base of the bulb it should say what kind it is. For example mine says zoomed (the brand) and then it also says 5.0 (UVB) and my other one (which is also a coil type bulb) says, Desert 7%. If it is a UVB bulb it should say something like this. Also if it does turn out to be a UVB bulb then you need to ask your friend how old is it because they need to be replaced about every year, or for however many hours it say on the box.

[SpotsMama]

I think the standard replacement time for a compact fluorescent UVB bulb is every 6 months.

[Bumby's Mom]

On the Zoomed 5.0 bulb it specifies that it lasts 12 months. I don't know if thats true or not but thats what the box says.

[marisa]

I found the compact flourescents to be pretty fragile, and when I used them I considered myself lucky if they made it to six or eight months. They may light up at 12 months, but if the maximum UVB output is 5% to begin with, it's doubtful the UVB output would be anything near that after 12 months. (You'd need a UVB meter to know exactly how much your turtle was getting.)

[Blue Flamingo]

Marisa what do you mean when you say made it. Do you mean that they broke or just stoped producing light? Just curious about your experiance.

[marisa]

Most stopped producing any light. With one, though, I came home one day to find the bulb hanging from the light's base by a few wires (strangely, it was still lit); it had been in the socket for a month and had not been touched since being screwed in. The mfgr (Zoo-Med) replaced the ones that were defective when I returned them with proof of when they'd been purchased.

[TurtleObsession28]

Look at the base of the bulb it should say what kind it is. For example mine says zoomed (the brand) and then it also says 5.0 (UVB) and my other one (which is also a coil type bulb) says, Desert 7%. If it is a UVB bulb it should say something like this. Also if it does turn out to be a UVB bulb then you need to ask your friend how old is it because they need to be replaced about every year, or for however many hours it say on the box.

well the bulb is the kind that is swirling downward and its a tube so u cant find the base of it :/

[Blue Flamingo]

Most stopped producing any light. With one, though, I came home one day to find the bulb hanging from the light's base by a few wires (strangely, it was still lit); it had been in the socket for a month and had not been touched since being screwed in. The mfgr (Zoo-Med) replaced the ones that were defective when I returned them with proof of when they'd been purchased.

Both the bulbs that I have bought have worked very well, I think you may have just had some bad luck with your purchase, or the company just doesn’t like you JK

TurtleO
I believe that we have the same bulb does it look like this one
http://forum.grasscity.com/photopost/sh ... hoto=21719

Did you take the bulb out of the clamp lamp; you have to take it out to see the base, as you can see in the pic it does have one.

[TurtleObsession28]

OMG OMG YES BLUEFAMLIGO!! that is the EXACT same one i have!!! its from the same company and everything!! so uvb and uva are 2 lights? cuz i only hve 1 bulb in my whole tank and its that one

[octpusgirl8]

That light is a UVB light. I think it does provide UVA too but you need another bulb for heat.

[SpotsMama]

Octopusgirl is correct. The same bulb that provides UVB will also provide UVA. The second bulb you need is for heat. UVA and heat aren't the same thing.