Habitat - Indoor :: Attn RES Newbies: Buy Mercury Vapor Bulbs!

[queenjane]

After *WASTING* money every 3 months on a new $35 uva and a new $35 uvb bulb for over a year, I finally caved and bought a Mercury Vapor Bulb at PetCo.

Oh. My. Stars. SOOOO HAPPY! My turtle basks more often than ever before and NEVER gets photokeratoconjuntivitis. EVER. The MVB supplies EVERYTHING an RES needs: light, heat, UVA, and UVB. Before I got this, I had like three of those stupid clamp lamps on top of the tank, and it was an absolute electrical circus. Now everything looks streamlined and pretty... and the MVB bulb, in my opinion, has improved his health significantly. He is much more energetic and has a bigger appetite.

You can order them online for $30-40 cheaper than PetCo/Petsmart at Drs. Foster and Smith:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=21330

Seriously, don't even waste your time and money on the other bulbs. It's absolutely stupid and you're not saving yourself any money because you have to spend $30 on a heat lamp, $30 on a UVA, and $30 on a UVB. STUPID! Plus, the regular UVA/UVB lamps will give your turtle photokeratoconjuntivitis if they aren't positioned 12'' away, and when they are that far away, they don't help with increasing the heat levels on the basking area.

Also check out their AMAYYYYZZZINNNGGG basking ramp for $30:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=8809

I absolutely love this product. The large fits perfectly inside a rectangular 30 gallon tank and will, of course, work with all larger tanks. My turtle loves it because it's really easy for him to climb up and he has lots of space to move around on.

[papoopeepoo]

Thanks queenjane!

I just want to let everyone that's considering upgrading to a Mercury Vapor Bulbs (MVB) that they are, indeed, very useful reptile bulbs, but they include some prerequisites that may hold some beginner turtle caretakers back from purchasing a bulb right away:

1. Mercury Vapor bulbs get very hot. Be careful not to install them over tanks that are less than 50 gallons large (or 4 feet long), because the bulb will drastically change the temp of the water quickly whenever it's turned on, and this is stressful and unhealthy for your inhabitants.

2. Mercury Vapor bulbs emit high amounts of UltraViolet Electromagnetic Radiation. Make sure to not only have a deep dome fixture for the bulb (to protect your eyes), but also follow the directions on your particular bulb very closely. This includes hanging the bulb completely vertically, and having it at the right distance from your turtle's shell while basking.

Depending upon what bulb you decide on, useful UV light (A and B) may only be emitted from the bulb for as long as an everyday fluorescent UVB bulb. This is why it is important to purchase your bulb from a reputable manufacturer so that that useful time is extended for as long as possible. Personally, I use the Mega-Ray Externally ballasted MVB for a few reasons pertaining to my setup and their extended life-span. I believe most decide on an internally ballasted bulb (the type that is most common).

Regardless of your opinion and reasoning, Mega-Ray most likely has what your looking for. I've heard very few negative reviews on the company and very many positive reviews (including many people on this site). The same company that makes Mega-Ray also makes the T-Rex bulbs, so I can recommend those just as strongly.

Mega-Ray website: http://www.reptileuv.com/
T-Rex MVB on Drs. Foster and Smith: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=7327

Thanks for reading. I wish you best of luck with your turtle care.

[queenjane]

Great post! Thanks. I wished they would make posts on MVB sticky... that would have saved me sooo much money in the past.

[Daniel3507]

megaray is actually one of the better ones out there i think. ive had 2 bulbs of theirs with no problems at all and have been extremely happy with them