UV light

[DulcyDoll]

Im new here, so bear with me! lol
I have a "Super UV Coil-Lamp" 20 watts from ESU Reptile from previous critters, and i am unsure if it is ok to use for a Cham. If not, do I need a UVB bulb if i plan to give him daily outside time(I have a huge cage for him to forage in outside)? I know I will need one for the winter, but if i dont need one now, I will hold off.
Thanks in advance,
DulcyDoll

 

[mczoo]

i am relatively new at this but coils are bad they put out UVC which is dangerous and does not spread out UVB as needed. daily exposure sounds like enough for me as long as you live far enough south to get good sunshine.

maybe other with more experience can chime in.

when winter comes get Reptisun 5.0 (best type proven over time) linear tube lllreptile sells them cheap usable life is 6 months. if you buy in bulk shipping changes little

Good luck

Sean

 

[DulcyDoll]

Oh...wow...I didn't know that. OK, no coils!
I live in Maryland, we get TONS of sunshine!
Thanks for the info. and reccomendation on bulbs! It is appreciated!

I dont have him yet, so im glad im finding this out before hand! I'll be doing tons of research before he arrives!

 

[Billyjack187]

Outside light is best, winter time light isnt too hard to acheive with what is on the market, it depends on your supplements and diet.

 

[Dave Weldon]

..."Super UV Coil-Lamp" 20 watts from ESU Reptile...

Howdy,

While ESU Reptile is pretty far down on the list of premium UVB sources, it isn't one of the "killer tubes" out there. The spectral issue mentioned in the other post is that there are some UVB sources that have a shifted spectral output heading towards but not all the way into UVC. UVC is commonly used to sterilize items and can lead to cancer. While being shifted towards UVC is not a good thing, I don't think your ESU CF is one that produces much in that part of the spectrum. That end of the spectrum is more biologically active and could potentially have health consequences. Bottom line; sun is great and when winter comes, use a linear Reptisun 5.0 tube.

 

[DulcyDoll]

Thanks for clarifying. I still dont think i will use that bulb.... I will put out the money and get a good light. I want the little guy to thrive, not be on the side of caution. Thanks again!