ESU UVB coiled bulbs

[Edward Kim]

Hi all,

Has anyone measured the UVB output emitted by ESU coiled flourescent bulbs. I had an experienced keeper tell me that their not worth the money cause the don't emitt sufficient UVB. If they do emitt the the correct amount stated on the box the price reptile depot sells them for is a steal!

Ed

 

[Ren]

I too wanted to know the answer to this question... I have a exoterra 26w 5.0 coiled bulb, will this be efficient?

 

[Dave Weldon]

Hi all,

Has anyone measured the UVB output emitted by ESU coiled fluorescent bulbs. I had an experienced keeper tell me that their not worth the money cause the don't emit sufficient UVB. If they do emit the correct amount stated on the box the price reptile depot sells them for is a steal!

Ed

Howdy Ed,

I didn't see the ESU coiled fluorescents on the Reptile Depot site. Post me a link to them . A loooong story short, I don't recommend ESU UVB products in any form. I'm not a huge fan of coiled UVB sources for various reasons. 1) cost, 2) UVB density can be high (Hot sport of UVB) 3) the electronic ballasts have been know to fail prematurely more often than an external electronic ballast. You can't go wrong with a linear Reptisun 5.0 tube. They can be found for as low as $14 from places like LLLReptile and Big Apple Herp. Reptile Depot may meet their price. Coiled lamps tend to have higher UVB output that works well for desert critters like Bearded Dragons...

Interesting study of D3 Index:
http://personal.inet.fi/private/testudo/Pages/Table 4.html

Memorize :
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

 

[Maganda]

Hi, I actually bought 2 of those types of bulbs a few months ago but I never ended up using them. When I get home I'll plug them in for a while and get a reading off it for you with my UV meter and post it.

 

[Edward Kim]

Dave,

My apologies, the brand was not ESU it is Exo terra. They equally got bad reviews from local keepers. Here is the link http://www.reptiledepot.com/exobulbs.html

Maganda,

Thanks I hope there is sufficient UVB emission. Let me know what it reads...

Ed

 

[Maganda]

Sorry for the wait, I'm finally home
I took some reading at different distances using just one Bulb. I couldn't find the second bulb. It's kinda late so I will try and find the second one in the morning and get a reading from both of them on at the same time.

This is an aluminum screened enclosure 15 x 15 x 20 ... the bulb is Exo-terra 5.0 uvb

 

[Maganda]

The type of light I did decide to use was the Mega Ray Low UVB light kit for my cham.

 

[DkRhodes]

would it be necessary to get the 10.0 linear Reptisun tube if you have a
larger cage??

 

[Brad Ramsey]

No.
5.0 or 10.0 both work great.
The size of the enclosure does not matter as much as creating
areas close enough for the cham to bask in UVB seperately from when it
is basking under the heat lamp.

-Brad

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy,

Here's the Warning about the coiled Zoomed 5.0 and 10.0 UVB sources. There have been reports of eye problems during the "burn-in" hours when the output can be several times higher than it will be when the output levels have stabilized. http://www.uvguide.co.uk/reptisuncompacts.htm

I really like my UVB meter too . The most effective way to use the readings is as a relative measurement. By relative, I mean watching the tube age and not as a comparison of one manufacturer to another. Depending on how and what the manufacturer used to make the tube, there can be very significant shifts of the location of the peaks in the UVB1/UVB2 spectrum. What this can mean is that a reading can look low yet it may actually have a high output but outside of the preferred wavelength. There have been reports of some of the UVB sources from China having spectral content that is shifted away from optimum for our meters to truly represent the uW levels present that are capable of UVB damage to tissue.

Yet another forum: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/UVB_Meter_Owners/

Search through old posts and file archives for your reading pleasure. Some of the core members are the ones that created the famous UVB site in the UK that I reference so often.

The topic of UVB seems simple enough at first but the more you dig the more you'll realize the complexity of the subject. At some point most keepers are just looking for a tried-and-true solution. When it comes time for a replacement or a first time purchase, I like to go with the Zoomed Reptisun 5.0 18" tube for the typical single enclosure setup. For larger or multiple setups it can be very economical to go with the 48" Zoomed tubes.

 

[PardalisGirl]

Coiled bulbs

I tried using the coiled bulbs of various types too last year. I had nothing but trouble with them. One brand fell apart. The other brands were very inconsistent in their output. None lasted very long. One actually failed in a really bad way and gave one of my chams a "sun burn". After that, I ripped all the coil bulbs out and went back to my tried and true ZooMed 5.0 or 10.0 flourescents. I've used those for all my big lizards since they were first introduced. So much for that little experiment in lighting