# who uses the self ballasted powersun bulbs?



## turtlepunk (Mar 9, 2011)

hello.
so Ive been using the 100 watt powersun bulb for my beardie and so far its lasted me 14 months and still going! (i know! long over due for a new one!)
i just ordered another one last night.

my beardie is big fat and healthy. 

i was thinking about using the powersun bulb for my tegu (which will be here sometime in june or july) 

questions:

Is anyone using this bulb? 
have you come across any research suggesting just how long the UVA/UVB rays last in them?


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## james.w (Mar 9, 2011)

i use a solar glo (exoterra i believe) MVB for my tegus and I have a powersun for my rhino. I'm pretty sure they recommend every 6 months they need to be replaced, but it could be a year


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## Strange_Evil (Mar 9, 2011)

Well i use the bulb on the lizards i keep now,and i am please with it and plan to use power suns with my tegu when i get him.

You should really get a new bulb,the uva/uvb last about 6months,the bulb it self will not burn out so after around 6months it will put out heat but no uva/uvb. It says that on the bulb instruction manual and FAQ.

So i have been changing mines out every 7months to avoid any risk.


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## turtlepunk (Mar 9, 2011)

ok. thanks guys! 
a new bulb should be arriving soon.

such a bummer they don't last longer considering how expensive they are =/


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## chelvis (Mar 9, 2011)

Best way to tell if the UVA and UVB is still working is to get a UV meter (there is proper name for it but thats what i call it). I got one becuase i was worried that the bulb wasn't really putting out UV rays. Well the Powersun i was using was still putting out a good amount even at 6 months, at 8 months i noticed it was fading. I am currently switching over to the Fluker version, its cheeper and has gotten good reviews and with three different cages set up cost would be a good thing to off set.


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## Guest (Mar 9, 2011)

I use Powersun bulbs; but mine start to fade as well after about 8 months. But that is why you make use of the one year warranty they come with!


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## turtlepunk (Mar 9, 2011)

chelvis said:


> Best way to tell if the UVA and UVB is still working is to get a UV meter (there is proper name for it but thats what i call it). I got one becuase i was worried that the bulb wasn't really putting out UV rays. Well the Powersun i was using was still putting out a good amount even at 6 months, at 8 months i noticed it was fading. I am currently switching over to the Fluker version, its cheeper and has gotten good reviews and with three different cages set up cost would be a good thing to off set.



thanks for the advice! im definately going to have to invest in one of those meters!


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## Guest (Mar 9, 2011)

Albeit they are expensive, they are a good investment.


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## Strange_Evil (Mar 9, 2011)

Yeah they are great investments, They are called solar meters.Cheapest i ever saw one was $125

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.amazon.com/Solarmeter-Model-6-2-UV-Meter/dp/B0043XD3AY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.amazon.com/Solarmeter-Model- ... B0043XD3AY</a><!-- m -->


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## turtlepunk (Mar 10, 2011)

o wow! yeeeaaaaaah.... they are pretty pricey! =(


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2011)

That would be a good thing for the tegu talk management to buy in bulk and sell to members [if a good deal was to be had ] ...

There is no reason that a UV meter should cost over fifty bucks ..


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## chelvis (Mar 10, 2011)

Ya i got mine second hand from someone who bought it to check the UV for a lizard they were treating with MBD. They were really upset when the animals died that they sold everything they had boughten for thier iggy. I was not about to pass up a bargin. I am surprised how expensive they are.


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## slideaboot (Mar 10, 2011)

I use the Powersuns...best bulb I've ever used, hands down. I rotate mine every 6 months or so and have never had a problem with them. I've got big, fat, healthy tegus--so I'm happy with them.


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## Draco D Tegu (Mar 10, 2011)

If I could afford that much at once, I certainly would buy them for all my reptiles. Sadly I use 48 inch reptisun bulbs and basking bulbs. Which kinda sucks lately because I will have to upgrade ALL my fixtures because they don't sell the T-12 bulbs anymore.


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## turtlepunk (Mar 10, 2011)

montana said:


> That would be a good thing for the tegu talk management to buy in bulk and sell to members [if a good deal was to be had ] ...
> 
> There is no reason that a UV meter should cost over fifty bucks ..


 

THATS A GREAT IDEA! and I completely agree!






Draco D Tegu said:


> If I could afford that much at once, I certainly would buy them for all my reptiles. Sadly I use 48 inch reptisun bulbs and basking bulbs. Which kinda sucks lately because I will have to upgrade ALL my fixtures because they don't sell the T-12 bulbs anymore.





awwwwwwww!! man that suuuuucks!


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## turtlepunk (Mar 10, 2011)

slideaboot said:


> I use the Powersuns...best bulb I've ever used, hands down. I rotate mine every 6 months or so and have never had a problem with them. I've got big, fat, healthy tegus--so I'm happy with them.




GLAD TO HEAR! I use one with my beardie and im happy with it as well

safe to say that I'll be using one with my tegu as well!

will now be making sure to replace em every 6 months

reptmart has em on sale for $40! awesome! i paid $60 for my first one! :roll:


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## chelvis (Mar 10, 2011)

I looked into getting Solar Meters in bulk and the lostest price is $110 for 15 or more. Not really a good bulk price but i am gussing its not a cheap thing to produce. 

Draco D - rather than replace the fixtures how about as those go out you can upgrade to the MVB system? It would be little extra money up front but at lest it will be over time.


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## slideaboot (Mar 11, 2011)

turtlepunk said:


> slideaboot said:
> 
> 
> > I use the Powersuns...best bulb I've ever used, hands down. I rotate mine every 6 months or so and have never had a problem with them. I've got big, fat, healthy tegus--so I'm happy with them.
> ...



Yeah, you got a nice deal! You can usually find them for that price if you look around online long enough. I try to keep an extra or two lying around just in case one happens to blow (hasn't happened for years, but better safe than sorry).


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## chelvis (Mar 11, 2011)

Last time i was in petsmart they had them on sale for $39.99


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## boy860 (Mar 12, 2011)

yea powersun bulbs are the best in my opinion =) i have the 160watt bulb i also use a regular heat bulb though due to my large cage being to ventilated. but it keeps my backing spot at aroun 100 degrees. pricey but worth every penny


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## Bwindi (Mar 13, 2011)

I use them. The heat/UVB duo is priceless. I have had the worst luck with the long florescent UVB bulbd and the fixtures.


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## hangtown530 (Mar 14, 2011)

Megaray is the only way to go!!!


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## Draco D Tegu (Mar 15, 2011)

chelvis said:


> I looked into getting Solar Meters in bulk and the lostest price is $110 for 15 or more. Not really a good bulk price but i am gussing its not a cheap thing to produce.
> 
> Draco D - rather than replace the fixtures how about as those go out you can upgrade to the MVB system? It would be little extra money up front but at lest it will be over time.



Well actually I flipped over for my savvy. Gonna switch them one by one, but that costs more and in the interim, my bulbs are crapping out LOL.


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## chelvis (Mar 15, 2011)

lol i know that feeling. You spread out when you replace them so it won't be all at once and they still go out within the same week it seems. 

Hey just another heads up for those debating. I had/have a power sun on my caiman lizard right now, the first few days he was very active and eating like a champ, just devouring everything. Colors looked amazing. Well the bulb went out (it was only two weeks old) so i returned it to the store, but it took three days to get down there and they were out of the 100w when i got there. They called me two days later and i went and picked up the new bulb. Durning those five days he did not bask (i had a UV floresent bulb and and basking light) his colors went drap and he would not eat which is scary for a new arrival. 

New bulb was back in and the next day he was basking and very active! His colors look great, i can tell now that his about to shed, and best of all he is eating like crazy again. No joke he downed 5 snails in one night! 

So i'm just gonna stick with the more expensive bulbs. For those wondering the florecent i was using was a repti-sun 10.0 48". I had used it for a short time for my tegu and kept it for just in case. I will be ordering a back up MVP for future cases.


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## herpgirl2510 (Apr 24, 2011)

Hi
I was wondering is there anything wrong with using the reptisun 10.0 linear bulbs?


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