I'm noticing a lot of concern amongst hobbyists about which brand is better on light bulbs, heat pads, commercial diets, etc...
I've been a pet supply sales rep for 23 yrs now and have represented all of the major brands. When choosing a UV light or a heat bulb it is important to remember that all of the major brands(Exo-Terra, ZooMed, Flukers, T-Rex, R-Zilla) all follow strict regulations on their products and are very similar in their specs. I think too much importance is being put on a specific brand and not on an understanding of all the factors that contribute to a tortoises longevity and health. The differences in the UVB output on any of these brands is too minimal to see any specific developmental changes in your tortoise. They are all of high quality. The differences in cost are mainly the result of what discount program a particular store is on. The life span of a particular bulb is not determined by the brand as much as how the bulb is handled during shipping and it's disturbance while lit. The less a bulb is moved while lit, the longer the filament will last.
As far as the foods, I do not believe in any commercial food as being adequate for all species. It wouldn't be logical for rainforest, temperate, grassland and desert species to all thrive on a single diet. Commercial diets should only be used as supplements alongside appropriate fresh foods.
The reptile hobby is still in it's infancy and knowledge is changing every year. It was once thought that pyramiding was a result of too much protien, but now it is understood that humidity plays an important role in proper development.
I guess my long-winded point is that it is more important to cover all of the requirements of lighting, humidity, heat, substrate, diet, etc...than to worry about which particular brand is more popular. I have covered several states in my work and have found particular brands are more popular depending on what the stores in that area push, which is a result of whose giving them a better discount or more store-use freebees.
For what it's worth
I've been a pet supply sales rep for 23 yrs now and have represented all of the major brands. When choosing a UV light or a heat bulb it is important to remember that all of the major brands(Exo-Terra, ZooMed, Flukers, T-Rex, R-Zilla) all follow strict regulations on their products and are very similar in their specs. I think too much importance is being put on a specific brand and not on an understanding of all the factors that contribute to a tortoises longevity and health. The differences in the UVB output on any of these brands is too minimal to see any specific developmental changes in your tortoise. They are all of high quality. The differences in cost are mainly the result of what discount program a particular store is on. The life span of a particular bulb is not determined by the brand as much as how the bulb is handled during shipping and it's disturbance while lit. The less a bulb is moved while lit, the longer the filament will last.
As far as the foods, I do not believe in any commercial food as being adequate for all species. It wouldn't be logical for rainforest, temperate, grassland and desert species to all thrive on a single diet. Commercial diets should only be used as supplements alongside appropriate fresh foods.
The reptile hobby is still in it's infancy and knowledge is changing every year. It was once thought that pyramiding was a result of too much protien, but now it is understood that humidity plays an important role in proper development.
I guess my long-winded point is that it is more important to cover all of the requirements of lighting, humidity, heat, substrate, diet, etc...than to worry about which particular brand is more popular. I have covered several states in my work and have found particular brands are more popular depending on what the stores in that area push, which is a result of whose giving them a better discount or more store-use freebees.
For what it's worth