Habitat - Indoor :: Is this a good merc vapor bulb?

[Rubicon]

http://www.reptileuv.com/megaray-sb-100 ... b-lamp.php

[grem89]

looks legit to me, i havent ever used a mercury vapor bulb though so Im not an expert on the topic. But if you look at costs. Having a flourecent tube thats uvb plus the fixture can come out to be about $60. Plus you need a heat lamp which will cost another $25. Sounds like this bulb (which produces heat and uvb) could be be more cost effective since you will only need one fixture for it. Just make sure you get one that can handle the watts.

[zoologist]

Yes. that is the MVB i use and i am very, very pleased with it.

[papoopeepoo]

yes, reptileuv.com is one of the most reputable names in reptile lighting in the US.

[iggymax]

Hi there, I'm curious to know what might the cost differentiation be between:

1) running a MVB vs a fluorescent + heat lamp setup

2) lamp longevity between the two setups.

Any ideas?

[papoopeepoo]

Hi there, I'm curious to know what might the cost differentiation be between:

1) running a MVB vs a fluorescent + heat lamp setup

2) lamp longevity between the two setups.

Any ideas?

Consider a typical house incandescent lightbulb for heat (70-100 watts) then a coil florescent (15-25 watts) for UVB used together. Those two bulbs will equal a minimum of 85-90 watts power consumption while running. Naturally two bulbs (with lamp fixtures) take up more space than just one dome lamp and MVB. I'm getting perfect temps on my basking platform with the lamp about 20 inches from the top of the shell, so heat is noticably higher than most other bulbs. This works out fine with the distance at which I have my light set .

An incandecent, in the past, has generally lasted me about 6 months' time. I don't have a UVB meter, so I always replaced my florescent bulbs every 6 months minimum. Self-Ballasted Mega-Ray bulbs, from http://www.reptileuv.com, have a warranty covering 6 months of use, and have been often been found to last over 12 months. Also, after serious testing of UVB rays, the Mega-Ray is able to very accurately tell you how far away your bulb should be for what intensity of light compared to our real sun.

Depending on your circumstances and set up, you may want to consider ordering the Mega-Ray over other brands. I used a 100w Powersun MVB as my first MVB, but my turtle seemed to avoid basking, so I went with my gut feeling and ordered the Mega-Ray. My turtle loves it.