Do all mercury vapour bulbs produce uva/uvb?

[Fat Cat]

Just wondering if they all do ..or do u need to buy a special bulb .


thanks

[Scales Zoo]

I am no expert, but I am under the firm understanding that all true mercury vapour bulbs will produce uva and uvb.

I have yet to find a cheaper source of these bulbs - if you have found one, please let me know - I would love to use these for the tortoises.

Ryan

[chamitch]

remember they must be made out of quartz as glass will filter out the uvbs

[Wuntu Menny]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't metal halide bulbs produce a more balanced spectrum than MV's ? I've talked to several chameleon breeders that use these on their animals.

WM

[liltattyprinces]

just a ? Are grow lights like you would use for "plants" useful for herps as well? Just wondering as i have a friend that has 2 extras and i can have them if i want them. Just want to know if it's worth the time getting a ride there and back to get them.

[MistyDaze]

If you were to grow plants indoors you would use Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium lamps. MH lights are used to vegetate plants because the color spectrum represents that of summer (full long sunny days). HPS on the other hand are used for flowering because the color spectrum represents that of fall (days begin to shorten and become a little gloomy). YOU CAN NOT grow plants efficiently under flouro tubes or any other form of HID lamp ie: mercury vapor, Halogen etc. They just don't have the intensity or color spectrum to perform. MH and HPS lamps do not burn as hot as other HID's either so they can be placed closer to the subject for more intensity. These lamps would be ideal for reptiles being that they are the closest thing that man has to replicating the suns color spectrum and intensity for plant growth. Even a bank of 10, 6ft flouros would not come close to the intensity of one 400w MH lamp. It might look brighter but you literally need to be within cm of the tubes to get any benifit. The globes however are generally made from glass so you would still need a lamp that throws off UVA/B.

[Fat Cat]

I feel that MistyDaze is partially right ... however I have cultured numerous plants, including rarer sages and such under flouros and compact flourescents .... to say that " YOU CAN NOT grow plants efficiently under flouro tubes or any other form of HID lamp ie: mercury vapor, Halogen etc. " is simply ludacris .... I have done it for 13 years and not one problem ... I am personally fond of 30 watt compact flourescents .... PLANTS NEED A BALANCED SPECTRUM .... IF YOU HAVE A COOL WHITE FLOURO, AND A WARM WHITE FLOURO SIDE BY SIDE ...THE SPECTRUM WILL BE BALANCED .... or use full spectrum bulbs ... Most tropical plants dont need anything more that flouros cause they grow in rainforests and thus have low light intensitys....ex. would be salvia divornum, I planted numerous species and divided them up into one group of flouros and the other under metal halide...the flouro produced healthy and thick green leaves, while the metal halide produced pale, short and de formed leaves ...(however stalk growth was higher)... My whole point is that each plant is different ...I personally find compact flourescents the best way to grow plants economically...thanks for hearing my ramblings ..lol..

[Scales Zoo]

Wuntu - I think Metal Halides would be the best, but I can't afford balasts and lights for every animal.

Fat Cat
I think HPS lights have too much of the red spectrum. Plants will flower from the red spectrum, but if you want really really hot red peppers, tasty veggies, or potent medicine, you would flower with Metal Halide - the plant knows when to flower on it's own, the Metal Halide provides more of what it needs when it is flowering.

Ryan

[Wuntu Menny]

Ryan, what if you used one of the motorized shuttle systems and used a single fixture to illuminate several cages?

WM

[chamitch]

i just watched a show and all floresant lights have mercury in them. its all about the other components inside teh bulb. look up a spectroscopy chart adn it shows which elements put out what photons.

[MistyDaze]

Yes Fat Cat your right, it was a broad statment but I was trying to get the point across that any plant requiring proper sunlight (as do basking reptiles which is what this is all about) will not grow efficiently under Flouro's (in particular Compact's). A cool white and a warm white flouro side by side DO NOT make a balanced spectrum.

If you are growing under lights the plant does not know when to flower. Plants use a photoperiod to flower. The red spectrum of HPS lamps and the blue spectrum of MH lamps has nothing to do with making the plant flower or vegetate it just creates light of a similar spectrum to suit the photoperiod.

[MistyDaze]

MH promotes strong stem and vegetive growth to support the plant when it flowers. HPS is used to flower.

[eyespy]

Chamithc raises a good point. Many bulbs made for use by and near humans contain glass and chemical coatings that prevent the UV from leaving the bulb to protect us from cataracts, skin changes, burns, etc.