Mercury Vaport bulb or tube type florescent bulb??

jaizei

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Oh really?? I have read all of these comments that the coil UVB bulbs can cause problems with their eyes and possible blindness?? So that is why I was looking to get rid of it.

Well, it's also unlikely that the bulb is actually doing anything at that height, so you probably need to do something different.
 

Tom

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Nicole210

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Do I need natural lighting in my enclosure along with a UVB bulb and a basking bulb? Also just reminder usually he goes outside once a day for a bit when it's not too cold. Which is most of the time here in florida. And I figure in another year s/he will be old enough to stay in an outdoor enclosure?
For now, though, I have the indoor enclosure.
 

W Shaw

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Oh really?? I have read all of these comments that the coil UVB bulbs can cause problems with their eyes and possible blindness?? So that is why I was looking to get rid of it.

One herpetologist I talked with said that the reason they cause issues is because the UVB is more concentrated & if they're installed at the same height as a normal bulb, the animals will get sunburned eyes, which can lead to blindness. He said that while most bulbs should be set at at a maximum of 12 inches or so, a CFB needs to be set at a minimum of 18". But there are a lot of experienced keepers here, who believe the bulbs themselves are the issue, so I'm inclined to err on the side of caution. That said, mine came home with a CFB and has had no issues, and the MBD issues he came to me with have been resolving nicely -- but the bulb is set at 18". I'm still planning to replace it when I find something I trust.

I use the clamp lamp cages for my CHE and high wattage bulbs. The cage keeps them from overheating.They have disadvantages too, but I like them.
 

Markw84

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Go back to your original questions. If you opt to go Mercury Vapor Bulb, it will provide the UV and the light and the heat all in one bulb. That is the simplest way to go. Then you don't have to worry about the coil bulb issues, getting a tube fixture and tube, etc. That would be my choice.
 

jaizei

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One herpetologist I talked with said that the reason they cause issues is because the UVB is more concentrated & if they're installed at the same height as a normal bulb, the animals will get sunburned eyes, which can lead to blindness. He said that while most bulbs should be set at at a maximum of 12 inches or so, a CFB needs to be set at a minimum of 18". But there are a lot of experienced keepers here, who believe the bulbs themselves are the issue, so I'm inclined to err on the side of caution. That said, mine came home with a CFB and has had no issues, and the MBD issues he came to me with have been resolving nicely -- but the bulb is set at 18". I'm still planning to replace it when I find something I trust.

I use the clamp lamp cages for my CHE and high wattage bulbs. The cage keeps them from overheating.They have disadvantages too, but I like them.

Was the maximum of 12" just for tubes or mvbs also?
 

W Shaw

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Was the maximum of 12" just for tubes or mvbs also?
See if @Tom will or @Yvonne G weigh in on it. I'm not sure about the MVBs. the one I ordered was malfunctioning when I got it and I returned it. I've only had my first little tortoise for a couple of months, so I'm still a noob, learning as I go.
 

Nicole210

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Ok I am just going to go with the MVB bulb. Thank you all for the advice! Does it matter the brand? I was thinking to either get the Power Sun or the Solar Glo. Also, I have the Zoo Med combo dome fixture. I have heard mixed reviews about using the MVBs in those fixtures? Thanks again!
 

dannylozano10

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Ok I am just going to go with the MVB bulb. Thank you all for the advice! Does it matter the brand? I was thinking to either get the Power Sun or the Solar Glo. Also, I have the Zoo Med combo dome fixture. I have heard mixed reviews about using the MVBs in those fixtures? Thanks again!
Hey Nicole what size is the dome? The reason I ask is because the watt of the bulb may be too high.and the best brand is natural geographic mvb bulb
 

dannylozano10

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You will be fine with a single dome because the mvb bulbs have uvb uva and heat/light so might wanna take that double dome fixture back and get a 8.5 in dome
 

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Thanks. I have never seen that brand. Do you order online? I am not sure the size of dome but I know max watt is 100.
 

dannylozano10

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Yes ok so that won't work take the dome you have back and get a bigger single dome maybe from a hardware store around you($10) make sure you just get a mvb bulb.it doesn't matter the brand but wattage maybe a 125 watt and a 8.5in dome
 

Sulcatabynby

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Oh really?? I have read all of these comments that the coil UVB bulbs can cause problems with their eyes and possible blindness?? So that is why I was looking to get rid of it.
I recently stopped using the coil bulb I had for my almost 1 year old Sulcata because he was scratching at his eyes! Then I started researching it and yes they do cause problems! Unless it's far enough away and only used for a few hours. I'm a new tortoise Mom and rather be safe than sorry!
 

Payton MacDonald

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I'm also trying to figure out this issue. I've been using the coil type light + CHE and for the last year I've had my Russian tortoise he's been doing very well. He eats a lot and is quite active and alert and his eyes are fine. I do leave him outside for several months in the summer when it's warm (I live in New Jersey) and in the spring and fall I take him out for a few hours a week if it's warm enough, so I'm sure that natural light helps keep him healthy.

The MVBs seem like a nice one-stop solution, but I've read so many reports of them exploding or failing after a few weeks, etc, that I'm not excited about them, plus they're expensive for only lasting an average of six months. I guess the tube and the CHE set up is the most affordable and reliable? But why is the tube better than the coil? Has anyone found some peer-reviewed research that explains that?
 

Markw84

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I'm also trying to figure out this issue. I've been using the coil type light + CHE and for the last year I've had my Russian tortoise he's been doing very well. He eats a lot and is quite active and alert and his eyes are fine. I do leave him outside for several months in the summer when it's warm (I live in New Jersey) and in the spring and fall I take him out for a few hours a week if it's warm enough, so I'm sure that natural light helps keep him healthy.

The MVBs seem like a nice one-stop solution, but I've read so many reports of them exploding or failing after a few weeks, etc, that I'm not excited about them, plus they're expensive for only lasting an average of six months. I guess the tube and the CHE set up is the most affordable and reliable? But why is the tube better than the coil? Has anyone found some peer-reviewed research that explains that?
Payton, we really don't know for sure, but best to not use the coil type to be safe. There appears to be a possibility with those that they could get damaged - maybe in shipping, maybe dropped - and if you end up with a damaged one, it could cause those issues. You have a good bulb and most are, but since they loose effectiveness after 12 months you will need to replace it, and why risk it?

If you really want to torture yourself by reading through a lot of diferent opinions and some long boring geeky posts (by me!) you coud red through the thread ongoing now read the thread titled "Please ad anything you know about coil compact fluorescent bulbs".

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/posts/1280363/
 

W Shaw

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Ok I am just going to go with the MVB bulb. Thank you all for the advice! Does it matter the brand? I was thinking to either get the Power Sun or the Solar Glo. Also, I have the Zoo Med combo dome fixture. I have heard mixed reviews about using the MVBs in those fixtures? Thanks again!

I tried Reptisun and it was too unreliable. Sent it back after a couple of days. I think the combo dome is too small for and MVB & is likely to cause repeated overheating. @Tom, on another thread recommended using an 11 inch ceramic fixture available at hardware stores.
 

Markw84

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Here you go.

This is a fixture you can get a home depot for about $11. It's what @Tom refers to using. You will need that for a MVB bulb.
Below that is the PowerSun MVB bulb.
 

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