New here have a LIGHTING question..

[NOP]

hello im new here "obviously" and i am getting a (or at least hoping to pick one up) Baby blue tongue at a reptile expo on May 5 and i have been putting together a cage or rather i converted by Vieled Chameleons old cage into a BTS cage over the past months is a 36hx24Lx24w screen cage. Before i get spammed for the screen cage i cut out a thin strip of Melamine and covered the sides of the cage so it isnt a screen cage on the bottom portion of the cage. And im only planning on this being his Yearly cage ill build him a big ol adult cage when he gets around 10 months or is getting too big for this one. My Veiled passed over the winter he was a around 8 years old so i like to think he was happy and lived a good long life. But i am wanting a new companion reptile who i can have for many years and down the road when i have kids i would like them to develop an interest in reptiles as well, and after a tough choice (my favorite color is blue) i decided on a Blue tongue and have the cage setup all right i just need some better opinions on a Mercury Vapor Bulbs and which ones are the best i had settled on a Sunforce MVB, but well after some research it appears they are not as trustworthy as i would prefer. So i am looking for some help from people who have experience in this area of bulbs and what kind of bulbs they would recommend. I have the light fixture in the cage hanging from a stand over some rocks for basking so it wont be on top of a screen or a lid. Im really just looking for some insight on good MVBs.

[Jeff]

Welcome to the forum! I get the impression that you have been on some other forrums where a lot of "spamming" goes on. We try to keep that to a minimum here, and if anyone comes here and asks honest questions about what is best for their skinks, there should be NO spamming at all.

I have used a few different Mercury vapor bulbs, and my personal opinion is that the best one to use currently here in the U.S. is the Powersun by ZooMed. The specs. on the Megaray MVB are actually better than the Powersun, but unfortunately, Megaray has been experiencing some major internal problems for the last year or two, and they have been very unreliable for customer service, and even to deliver a bulb when you order it. For this reason, I am currently using Powersun bulbs for my animals that require UVB.

After saying that, I will add that I do not use UVB bulbs for my skinks, and haven't for years. It is simply not necessary for BTS. As long as they get enough vitamin D3, they have no trouble processing calcium at all. It is easy to accomplish this by supplementing their food with calcium and D3. UVB bulbs won't hurt your skink as long as you follow the directions, and many people like to use them just too "be safe". It is just a decision you need to make for yourself.

One last thing. If you are looking for a baby BTS, you won't find any captive born on May 5th. The CBB babies will start to be born around the end on May. That doesn't mean you won't find a baby, just that if you do it will almost certainly be either wild caught, or born to a WC mother that was gravid when she was caught. If that is important to you, you might want to consider waiting an extra month so that you can get a true captive bred skink.

[NOP]

Thank you for your reply and some of the info about the end of May Ill have to look into it a bit more. And also i was actually deciding on either the MegaRay or a PowerSun and i just wasnt sure which was better. Also where would i look for a baby bts around the end of May or early June? i found a few sights that sell em lllreptile, bigappleherps, undergroundReptiles, and a few others but i was just hoping to find one where i wouldnt have to have it shipped to me. So where would be the Best place to Find a Baby Bts if i waited a lil longer? i dont mind the wait but i am an impatient person...

[Fatal_S]

The best place is from a breeder. A real breeder, not an importer. In the states there are several fantastic breeders who should have lots of babies this year. Yes, it involves shipping usually, but you get a healthy, well-adjusted skink.

[Katrina]

Welcome!! Like Mel said, the best place to purchase from would be a breeder. The places you mentioned have BTS but typically they are imports and there is little known about them.

I have a list of breeders started and I'll be adding to it as people have babies that are available for purchase: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19635 That might help you pick someone to buy from. Everyone on the list will have bred the babies themselves, no imports and no unknown history etc.

[SFBlueTongue81]

Hey welcome!!

I just did a lot of research, and tried many combos for my BTS, for me this is what I found worked best;

I did research of different UVB output lights, bulbs, fixtures, and correct distance.
I decided to go with 1 spot light for heat, and a 4x compact Florescent fixture that goes the length of my cage since the optimal range on my bulbs is 18". That way I have more control over Temp without messing with UVB output. It's actually kinda crazy how any deviation from the 18" or so inches from the bulbs can either give too high or too low UVB, I was surprised by that.
I know a lot of people say it's not needed to go through all that for a BTS that they live just fine without all that lighting, but I've noticed my little guy eating better, hanging outside his hide more, and generally seems more happy since I put the lights in.

[donkeybuff]

I use a powersun 100 watt for my skink right now. From about 14 inches away, I can get about 95-100 degrees in a 67 degree house. The bulb has a 1 year warranty, and some people say that it burns out within a week, but mine has lasted for at least 2 months now. Make sure you get a deep dome fixture so that the bulb doesn't stick out of the bottom. Although it is more expensive than normal heat lamps, I prefer the UV, because blue tongues are a basking lizard in the wild. Also, getting heat and uv from the same bulb makes it more like the sun.