Equipment Review and Discussion :: powersun bulbs, what wattage?

[imderanged]

I'm getting a 75 gallon tank in a few days. If I want to use one light bulb, do I want a zoo med powersun 100 watt or 160 watt?

[octpusgirl8]

100 watt should be plenty strong enough. It's what i'm using on my 75 gallon.

[imderanged]

Great! how bright is it and how far does the light reach? I didn't want to have to buy a hood...does it illuminate the whole tank pretty well?

[octpusgirl8]

It's bright pretty bright. You can't have it any closer than 12" from where your turtle will be, and you have to keep it positioned vertically. Its also important to make sure that you have a good sturdy fixture to put it in, that's raterd for a 100 watt bulb and has a ceramic socket. I have mine in a hanging lamp over the basking area, and i feel like it lights up the rest of the tank well enough. If you want more light you could always get a smaller strip light to lay across the other side of the tank.

[imderanged]

thanks! I got one on ebay today!

[steve]

Errrrr, I'm not a fan of buying bulbs on ebay. You can't readily tell a UVB bulb has been used and I don't know if the receipt you get covers the warranty. The T-Rex and Mega-Ray have better reputations but the PowerSun is a big improvement over fluorescents.

[imderanged]

heh, now you tell me! it came in the mail today. I inspected it and it doesn't look used, even the box was in ggod shape and all the papers were with it. Well you have to replace these things every 6 months anyways, right, so I'll know for next time!!!

[marisa]

Powersuns have had issues with longevity compared to other well-known MVBs (most notably T-Rex and Mega-Rays), so there's a chance that the bulb will need replacement sooner than 6 months. Regular flourescent UVBs need to be replaced every 6-8 months; a good MVB will last a year.

[imderanged]

oh wow, I didn't know that. I thought Zoo Med was supposed to be a good company! First I had problems with their compact florecents...and now this. hmmm guess I have to rethink which companies to trust. Ughh it was a $35 dollar bulb, and since I bought it on ebay instead of a store I can't return it. Do you see a problem using it?

[SpotsMama]

My Spot loves his T Rex. He basks a lot more under it than he did under a Powersun, I think because the T Rex burns hotter. I'm very pleased with it.

The Powersun is fine - it's a good bulb - it's just that the T Rex and Mega-Rays are better.

[marisa]

You're just going to have to give the Powersun a try and see. Some people do have luck with them and like them.