Equipment Review and Discussion :: UVB problems

[powerofvoodoo]

I'm at my wit's end here guys. My UVB bulb that I've had since the beginning of November broke the other day. Now, this is the 3rd UVB bulb I've had since AUGUST. (I bought my first one, it burnt out after a month, I bought a new one, it was defective, so I sent it back, it took a month to get the new one and now this one is broken).
Is anyone else having the same problems? I currently have a 26 watt Exo-Terra Repti-Glo 5.0 compact bulb. I'm not interested in getting the long strip bulb because I don't have the money to invest in a new fixture (I was told my lightbulbs were burning out because I was using a regular desk lamp so I spent $20 on the ExoTerra lamp).
We all know how expensive these bulbs are and I frankly just can't afford to spend $20 every couple of months on a bulb when they should be lasting up to a year (and changed every 6 months).
I know that I need to get a new bulb ASAP but how should I go about getting a new one?

[SpotsMama]

Someone else on here was having difficulty with those bulbs too. I wonder if it's a quality control problem with repti glo or if they're being damaged in shipping or what.

How big is your tank? If it's big enough, maybe you could go ahead and upgrade to an MVB. They are more expensive, but they don't have to be replaced until they're a year old and I haven't heard of quality problems with the major brands. Also, you don't have to have a heat bulb in addition to the UVB bulb if you're using MVBs. But if your tank is too small then an MVB won't do.

[emma]

I was also having some trouble with this. Every time I would get a bulb only half of it woud light up. Luckily, we have a reptile store in our town so I could just go back there and get a new bulb right away. There must be something going on with them.

[notoch351]

This had also happened to me twice, the bulbs burned out in a matter of days. But the one I have no has been fine.

[octpusgirl8]

Try another brand maybe? It shouldn't matter if you're using it in a desk lamp as long as it's the right wattage.

[Bumby's Mom]

Never happened to me. I have had 1 bulb since June and the other since August, neither have been replaced. I use the special hood designed for the bulbs.

[steve]

Where have you been buying your bulbs? I'd consider checking with a place the has a real good warranty policy.

Could you return the Exo Terra fixture? Or exchange it for on that can hold a tube... but I also think a MVB would be a good idea and cheaper/more beneficial in the long run.

[Xait]

I got one of the repti glo UVB lights. the new ones. It ended up not fitting in the hood so I took it back and got a florescent one and bought a florescent hood too. Its working fine so far

[powerofvoodoo]

I can't switch to MVB because I only have a 20 gallon, but I will when I'm able to upgrade to a bigger tank. I've purchased everything online from lllreptile.com because none of the petstores by me sell UVB bulbs. I don't know if I can return my UVB bulb now because I no longer have the receipt or anything.
What other brands would be good to use? (Preferably a compact bulb...I'm tight on money right now)

[octpusgirl8]

A lot of people use reptisuns, but if you go with them be sure to get the 5.0 and not the 10.0, as they have had some problems with them.

[mikee]

PVdoo -- If the end is still shinney they shoud take it back. Most stores want to keep up good customer relations. I had that problem and the store replaced about 5 or 6 until I finally got a good one.

[powerofvoodoo]

I'll definitely call the website tomorrow and they'll get an earful about the service that I've received from them (none of it good) and hopefully they'll replace the bulb for me. If not, I will definitely be switching to reptisun (and a new website to order them from)
Thanks for the advice!

[PetriTheTurtle]

I have had really good luck ordering from www.lllreptile.com

They have much better prices then my local pet stores! I think a MVB is ok even for a small tank as long as you keep it 12 inches away from your turtle's basking spot (they have lamp stands for pretty cheap).

Or if you like the tube UVB lights better they have 18 inch ReptiSun 10.0 and 5.0 for only $19.99 (they are $40 to $50 at my local pet store).

I use a cheap fixture from the hardware store for my tube light with out any problems at all.

I would stay away from the ReptiSun compact UVB lights if you can though, they really bothered my turtle and my bearded dragon's eyes.

If you have to use the compact coil lights one thing you can do to help protect your pet's eyes is to add extra lights (just regular household lights, like a desk lamp) for brightness. This lets their pupils constrict to protect their eyes from the UV rays (just like when you go out in the bright sun light!).

I hope this helps... I just spent a lot of time researching UVB options for my two reptiles, so I know how annoying it is to try figure out what the best options are!

[TAHNEE]

Did you get the Exo terra compact top? Thats what I have and it works fine.

[marisa]

MVBs aren't good for small tanks---they create a lot of heat which tends to get trapped in a smaller tank, which in itself doesn't allow for much, if any, temperature gradient (the turtle can't get away from the heat if it wants to). Use an MVB with a larger tank (around 50 gallons).