Such thing as to much UVB?
- Thread starter Denverbug
- Start date
Denverbug
New Member
Unfortunately I can't put the sun on top of his cage. Besides I was hoping for something a little smaller.
Jamire
New Member
Haha, I understand. I use arcadia 6.0 tubes (24"). I have heard they last longer than most UVB bulbs.
Free ranging in the sun is a really good practice, as I believe the suns uvb output is about 6X greater than any uvb bulb on the market.
Which may answer the original question. Wild chams bask all day in the sun, which is way stronger than our bulbs. They don't "OD" so I don't see one of our captive chams getting too much UVB.
If you use a coil type bulb I have heard it can cause blindness or other risks. So stay will the long tube type.
Hope that helps
Free ranging in the sun is a really good practice, as I believe the suns uvb output is about 6X greater than any uvb bulb on the market.
Which may answer the original question. Wild chams bask all day in the sun, which is way stronger than our bulbs. They don't "OD" so I don't see one of our captive chams getting too much UVB.
If you use a coil type bulb I have heard it can cause blindness or other risks. So stay will the long tube type.
Hope that helps
pigglett79
Avid Member
Yes, too much UV can be harmful. If you have a heavily planted cage where the chameleon can get out of the UV when they want to, then you can use a higher stregth. The danger tends to be higher with lights such as metal halide that can put out very large amounts of UV.
Also the coil bulbs are fine, they are not harmful anymore. They just don't tend to be preferred because the tube type lights cover more area.
And chameleons don't tend to bask in full sun all day. They go in and out of tree cover as they need to for UV and heat.
Also the coil bulbs are fine, they are not harmful anymore. They just don't tend to be preferred because the tube type lights cover more area.
And chameleons don't tend to bask in full sun all day. They go in and out of tree cover as they need to for UV and heat.
pigglett79
Avid Member
This would depend on how tall yuour cage is and what your definition of heavily planted is, can you post a picture of your set up?
pigglett79
Avid Member
I would go with either the reptisun 10.0 or the Arcadia T5 HO 6%. I prefer the Arcadia T5 myself.
Also check out our site sponsor light your reptiles. Todd is very helpful and has awesome products for a great price.
Also check out our site sponsor light your reptiles. Todd is very helpful and has awesome products for a great price.
fleetwoodchams
New Member
I recently got Mega-Ray 100W bulbs for both of my 24x24 habitats, I did have Powersun 160w in both before but they burned out. I like them so far. Bob the owner was quite helpful as well. He recm 100w in his brand instead of his higher watt bulbs unless I had an entire room just for the chams. Does anyone else use these bulbs? I have lots of live jasmine, pothos and faux vines for my chams to move around on and under. He recm that a min of 14" from any basking area from his bulbs. Bob also mentioned that the screen in the cage cuts UVB considerably (outside basking is a must when you can) Also said other competitor bulbs lose UVB strength pretty quickly/ and burn out prematurely compared to his brand. Any thought? Thanks
too much UV = bad sun burn and hurt / suffering animals
Hi Denverbug.
Yes, there is such a thing as too much UV.
It is called a sunburn.
But seriously...
In a properly set up environment the animal should be offered the freedom to choose between UV ZONES.
And there also should be at least 2 basking areas.
One with lower UV levels so they can choose to get warm (to digest their food) without being *forced* to soak up tons of UV just to be warm.....(and possibly be forced to compromise and take on too much UV*)
And then one basking area that is nice and warm and provides the higher level of UV rays.
Here is the latest on the "Light and Shade" method from Europe. It is great to understand and apply in planted Cham enclosures because it best simulates what the animals experience in the wild when they can choose what suits them best at any given time.
http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/files/2013/01/004_PRK_Mar13.pdf
1. need for UV
2. need for heat AND UV
3. need for heat only
4. need for cool or shade
*
"without being *forced* to soak up tons of UV just to be warm.....(and possibly be forced to compromise and take on too much UV*)"
This pretty much hits the nail on the head with WHAT IS WRONG WITH A SET UP THAT JUST USES ONLY ONE A MERCURY VAPOR BULB for heat, UV and light. It is hit or miss in creating an environment that offers the correct choices for the animals. And since most folks do not have Solarmeter 6.5's.. (solarmeter 6.5's are the better meter to use with MV bulbs for a reading than the 6.2's.)....
it could easily turn out to be a "miss" unfortunately for the animal.
Hope this helps!
Cheers.
Todd
Hi Denverbug.
Yes, there is such a thing as too much UV.
It is called a sunburn.
But seriously...
In a properly set up environment the animal should be offered the freedom to choose between UV ZONES.
And there also should be at least 2 basking areas.
One with lower UV levels so they can choose to get warm (to digest their food) without being *forced* to soak up tons of UV just to be warm.....(and possibly be forced to compromise and take on too much UV*)
And then one basking area that is nice and warm and provides the higher level of UV rays.
Here is the latest on the "Light and Shade" method from Europe. It is great to understand and apply in planted Cham enclosures because it best simulates what the animals experience in the wild when they can choose what suits them best at any given time.
http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/files/2013/01/004_PRK_Mar13.pdf
1. need for UV
2. need for heat AND UV
3. need for heat only
4. need for cool or shade
*
"without being *forced* to soak up tons of UV just to be warm.....(and possibly be forced to compromise and take on too much UV*)"
This pretty much hits the nail on the head with WHAT IS WRONG WITH A SET UP THAT JUST USES ONLY ONE A MERCURY VAPOR BULB for heat, UV and light.
It is hit or miss in creating an environment that offers the correct choices for the animals. And since most folks do not have Solarmeter 6.5's.. (solarmeter 6.5's are the better meter to use with MV bulbs for a reading than the 6.2's.)....it could easily turn out to be a "miss" unfortunately for the animal.
Hope this helps!
Cheers.
Todd
pigglett79
Avid Member
I haven't used those bulbs. The best way to know for sure what you are getting is to get a solarmeter. It came in handy when I first got my exo terra sun ray bulbs. I found they were putting out way more UV than I wanted so I added squares of screen to the top of the cage until the bulbs burnt in and the UV was more acceptable.
Yes the screen does block a certain amount depending on how thick your screen is, there are a variety used for cages.
They say to replace most UVb bulbs every 6 months, however the arcadias are said to last a year. Again you will know for sure when it is time to replace them if you have a solarmeter to take readings.
You also have to keep in mind that most bulb have very low penetration, meaning that you are really only getting the desired level of UVb when you are within probably 12 inches or less of the bulb (of course this distance varies widely depending on a multitude of factors) but you will only know your penetration if you have a way to measure like a solarmeter. The T5s are said to have a much higher penetration distance from the bulb which is another reason many people prefer them.
I have found the exo terra sun ray has the deepest penetration of all lights I have used to date. But again the lighting you use will depend on your rpeferences and needs. I still use the T5 fixtures for plant lights, to have a gradient of lights turning on and off to simulate sunrise and sunset, and I put older UVb bulbs for some added UV in that are of the cage.
There are so many possibilities.
Another fun set up would be a quad fixture with 6500k plant lights, UVb and moonlights. With this you cloud set the bulbs to go on and off in different intervals to simulate sunrise, sunny, then sunset with a short moonlight cycle followed by darkness.
You know I am in your fan club pigglett.
Something else to consider--
A *DECENT* Mercury Vapor bulb would be great to use on a large set up IN CONJUNCTION with say an Arcadia 6% or something and another heat source. And also full spectrum lighting. It could be on a timer to go on for a few hours in the afternoon for "Mid Day Sun". I love your suggestion of increasing and decreasing the light levels throughout the day. It is the way to go if one can set their animals up that way.
note: All MERCURY VAPOR bulbs have a terrible CRI. Color rendering index. They are horrid at duplicating the visible spectrum of natural sunlight and showing animals and plants in their natural color. Like they would look in nice natural sunlight. I always use 6.5k Flo. super daylights in conjunction with them (mvs) to try and balance the light out spectrally.
Sincerely,
Todd
fleetwoodchams
New Member
Love Love Love the 4 way lighting idea on timer. I have saltwater aquariums and my fish and corals req. this varied lighting why not our favorite reptiles. I saw you recm quad fixture with 6500k plant lights, UVb and moonlights. I do like the Mega-ray bulbs but Venutis1 is right about the color definition. I have a small watt halogen that I use in the back for plants /color and heat but I want to get rid of this. It will be way too much heat in the summer. I currently turn on a room light at sunrise then later add in the UVB then the Halogen, then reverse this process at sundown. I want to set everything up on a timer soon, since all these switches are making me twichy : ) Oh and all the habitats get natural daylight/sunshine from windows too which I can adjust with louvered curtains. The Arcadia? bulb is this the T5? ,the plant bulb?, the one Venutis1 calls 6.5k Flo. super daylights? Also what would you use for the moonlights. My fish tanks use a very small LED to mimic the moonlight on the ocean. Thanks!
