Product Endorsements

[greentriple]

So, we've discussed substrate, housing size, alimentation, vitamins and many other needs topics. Let's talk about accessories.

What lighting do you use? Recommend? What makers products do you like?

Decorations, home made or purchased?

Let's find out what products are used in keeping our little ones happy.

 

[Mike]

Nice topic. For lighting, I use 40-90 watt halogen sylvania floodlights. They last a while (if you don't mess with them) and are very economical. For fixtures, I just go to home depot.

I usually get parts of palm trees for decorations. I use logs and branches from outside too, along with store-bought cork bark.

I'll post more if I think of more. :wink:

 

[greentriple]

No UV? That seems so controversial.

 

[Guest]

I like ZooMed. Even my Cypress mulch is zoomed.

 

[DaveDragon]

Basking: 90W GE halogen flood (Red Tegu) & 75W Sylvania halogen flood (all others).

UVB - 48" ReptiSun 10.0.

 

[PuffDragon]

Right now I have some T-Rex 100W Mercury Vapors I got on sale for $20 dollers each. Been rocking them and I also have a ZooMed 150W ceramic heat emitter I use to keep the ambient air temp up. I like it so far.

 

[olympus]

Zoo med power sun 160w and zoo med basking. I also have a zoo med fog machine and large waterfall strictly for humidity purposes. At night when the black light is on and the fog machine is up it looks hot.

 

[Mike]

No UV? That seems so controversial.

I use natural sunlight mostly. I can't really put that down as a product. :wink: :lol:

Sure, I use UV. I have my doubts about it though. I just don't think it is NEEDED by all day-dwelling herps. I have plenty of reptisun 10.0s lying around.

Frank Retes has bred many reptiles (even beardies) that "needed UVB" without it. Pro exotics has done the same.

So sure, I use it. I just can't help but wonder if it is money well spent. I'm not encouraging people to NOT use it. Frank says that with high enough basking temps, they can metabolize calcium without UVB. It's certainly not needed for monitors. If Bobby or Tupinambis could add something here it would be appreciated.

Maybe we could get a thread started on this? I don't want to ruin the friendlyness of this forum with a hot debate 2 weeks after it's opening. :wink:

 

[erk]

I'm using a 160W SB Mega-Ray for my Tegu and a 100W PowerSun for my Uromastyx. I like the Mega-Ray much more and it was $25 cheaper. I had my Tegu under a PowerSun at first and saw a HUGE change in his activity level when I put in the Mega-Ray.

 

[COWHER]

No UV? That seems so controversial.

I use natural sunlight mostly. I can't really put that down as a product. :wink: :lol:

Sure, I use UV. I have my doubts about it though. I just don't think it is NEEDED by all day-dwelling herps. I have plenty of reptisun 10.0s lying around.

Frank Retes has bred many reptiles (even beardies) that "needed UVB" without it. Pro exotics has done the same.

So sure, I use it. I just can't help but wonder if it is money well spent. I'm not encouraging people to NOT use it. Frank says that with high enough basking temps, they can metabolize calcium without UVB. It's certainly not needed for monitors. If Bobby or Tupinambis could add something here it would be appreciated.

Maybe we could get a thread started on this? I don't want to ruin the friendlyness of this forum with a hot debate 2 weeks after it's opening. :wink:

You may want to talk to bobby he has scene side by side examples UV vs. no UV and i dont think the outcome was good :cry:

 

[Mike]

Sounds good, I don't think this site is ready for a heated debate.

I would tend to think that tegus NEED UVB....always. Even if you offer them higher temps, they won't take it. I have personally seen an increase in my tegus behavior when exposed to more UVB. I have never seen examples of tegus raised without UVB though. I agree that the outcomes probably weren't good.

 

[greentriple]

Mike, I give "El Che" as much 100% natural UVB. Here in SD it's much easier than almost anywhere else in the county. I use a ReptiSun 10.0 just because it can't hurt and better safe than sorry, but if you'd like to float me a bulb you've got lying around, I won't stop you. Aren't you in SD? Where?

Today was a good example of how natural sunlight is the best. After more than an hour exposed to it "El Che" was more active and curious than ever and he seemed less nervous, even for a 20"er.

 

[RehabRalphy]

MEGARAY'S! 8)

 

[mdmtmm]

Ive been using a Powersun 160 for the basking spot and a CHE at night to keep the temps up. I am going to try the MegaRay next though. How long do you all usually keep the bulb before replacing it? I have heard 6 months is the time to switch them out. Also, do any of you use it as just a heat source after the UVB is weakened or just dump it?

 

[Mike]

Mike, I give "El Che" as much 100% natural UVB. Here in SD it's much easier than almost anywhere else in the county. I use a ReptiSun 10.0 just because it can't hurt and better safe than sorry, but if you'd like to float me a bulb you've got lying around, I won't stop you. Aren't you in SD? Where?

Today was a good example of how natural sunlight is the best. After more than an hour exposed to it "El Che" was more active and curious than ever and he seemed less nervous, even for a 20"er.

I'm in Del Mar.

I agree, natural is the best. I have a juvenile tegu that once had some major eating problems. Wouldn't touch anything but strawberries (very little) and an occasional cricket. I was about to give up on him until I started letting him go outside on sunny days. Now he eats whatever touches the floor.

I noticed such an improvement that I modified (well, he did :lol his cage so he could get in and out of it as he pleased. It's in a closed area in the back so he gets all the sun he needs on a daily basis. I would wake up each morning to find him basking on his cage. He stayed outside from 7-6 every day. He would never stay out that long when he was inside.

I think the only bulbs good enough for a substitute, even, are the powersuns or other MVBs.

Even now, when he's hibernating, he still comes out on warm days to have some fun in the sun.