MVB testing update. We have allowed the 160w Exo Terra Solar Glo to burn in for a few days before testing. At the industry standard test distance of 30cm for the back of your reptile it is giving UVB readings of 90 to 100uW/cm2 and a basking temp of 105f. The box claims at this distance you will get 285uW/cm2 and a basking temp of 88f. Hhmm, slight difference by independent testing we think. At 24cm distance it is giving 140 to 150uW/cm2 with a basking temp of 120f. The box says that at 20cm distance you will get UVB of 480uW/cm2 and a basking temp of 95f. Hmmm. Frown! Can we believe any of these guys? This latter distance (120f) is one of the preferred basking temps for our Tegus but ours do have a lot of choice of basking spots and ambient areas free of UVB and with low level UVB (the essential light/shade stuff) that they move between. At least Exo Terra give UVB ratings in uW/cm2. Arcadia for their efforts give a UV index reading as the main body of information (er, doh, this relates really to human exposure to UV not reptiles) and a very pretty but pretty useless graph showing an outline of a bearded dragon with a big tick mark that between 30cm and 45cm all is top notch. How basic can you get? Hidden at the bottom of that side of their box for their 160w MVB is a reading of 175uW/cm2 at 30cm from your reps back. After allowing their lamp to burn in for a couple of weeks it is maxing at 50uW/cm2 at 30cm and giving basking temps of 115f. As previously discovered the Real Sun 100w was giving erratic readings at 30cm mostly settling at 340uW/cm2 with a half decent basking temp for a Tegu, the 160w Real Sun was giving 155uW/cm2 with good basking temps. As for tubes and compact bulbs I dont even want to waste my time, but for instance the Exo Terra 25w (for desert reptiles so be sooo carefull!! Ooooh) gives a massive 13uW/cm2, (wow, we only need 10 of them then to prevent MBD) the Exo Terra 26w 10% compact was packing an appalling worst overcast day possible of 3uW/cm2. So what do we learn from this humble independent testing? Well UVB readings are hard to come by from various latitudes but they are out their. At noon on a clear midsummers day in the UK at latitude N51.54 which is pretty much middle England the best we can have is a reading of 370uW/cm2. Please bear in mind this pretty much the equivalent latitude as the Falkland Islands at S51.46. That reading is tops for clear hot summers day in middle England. The general latitude readings at late morning / late afternoon would be for our Tegus in the range of 380uW/cm2. For our beloved armoured darling Russian tortoises they are thriving under the high UVB levels of the Real Sun 100w that gives them just the right basking temp too at their basking temp. This is just a simple overview of some bulbs and no we have not produced a chart as it all just home testing written in a notebook so far. We will endeavour to do better:)
Posted on: Mon, 24 Feb 2014 02:33:11 +0000
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