Habitat - Indoor :: Combo heat uv bulbs?????

[imderanged]

I was look at turtle products online when I came across this....
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=15466
What do you all think? Should I replace my spot light and UVB compact florecent? I have a 20 long tank, and have been having trouble regulating temps. Someone mentioned before that maybe i should have a flood instead of a spot so.....

[StevenAkaProek]

I believe this is the best option. Worth it and it's the next thing Im moving 2. It's a bit of a hastle to work with 2 lights and light fixtures. Ends up costing about the same price at the end

[SpotsMama]

That's a very good bulb. A similar and even better one is a T Rex Active UV Heat 100 watt flood MVB (mercury vapor bulb). These bulbs are all-in-one and will replace both your heat bulb and your UVB compact fluorescent.

However, you need a tank at least 50 gallons or bigger to use an MVB. These bulbs generate quite a bit of heat (especially he T Rex) and will overheat a small tank.

If your tank is big enough, then you should go for it. Note that you also need a good fixture for it since it does generate a good deal of heat. The fixture must have a ceramic base and be rated for 100 watts or greater.

[Starchick]

That's interesting, I read the product information and they recommend placing it over a screen top. Do you suppose that takes into account the amount of uvb that gets filtered out?

[TheComputerGremlin]

Doubtfully. Most bulb manufacturer's don't seem to be aware of the studies done concerning screens. Also, I don't believe increasing the amount of UVB emitted will help penetrate the screen any better, since it's based on scattering.

[steve]

If the screen spacing is wide enough, I wouldn't worry about it. MVBs just produce so much more UVB than fluorescents that I would still prefer them in that kind of environment over fluorescents.