UVB Lighting And Your
Reptile's Health

Providing UVB lighting to your pet reptile will help keep it healthy and happy. It will also reduce the hidden cost of vet visits due to illnesses caused by lack of this light. Not only will reptiles without UVB probably develop metabolic bone disease, they will also have poorer immune systems. UVB lighting allows reptiles to produce Vitamin D3 which is important in both calcium absorption and bacterial resistance. There is also a link between Vitamin D3 and reducing the likelihood of cancer in your reptile.

Light And Heat

You'll need to consider all the options carefully and weigh up the benefits of different bulb types. There are both fluorescent and mercury vapour bulbs. The fluorescents produce the light only and almost no heat at all. The mercury vapour lamps produce light and heat. If you already have your heating problems sorted out you only need the fluorescent variety. If you're using the light to either create or add to your thermal gradient, then go for the mercury vapour type.

UVB bulbs usually do not last much longer than 12 months, then need to be replaced. The lamps will continue to produce light and to us the light looks the same whether there is UVB being emitted or not.

Buying A Good Product

Wide spectrum lamps may provide some UVB light but they are inferior to lamps where the production of UVB is exact and specified. UVB lamps produce UVB, UVA and visible light and only a portion of the light given off is in the UVB range. Glass and plastic completely block UVB light, converting it to heat, but let visible light through. This means that to properly supply your reptile with the necessary UVB either the enclosure must be without a glass or plastic lid (mesh or chicken wire is fine) or placed inside the tank if you want to use a solid lid.

Amount Of UVB Needed

Reptiles generally require at least 13 microWatts (mW) per square centimetre to remain healthy. The upward range of intensity is about 30 mW, and levels above this can cause damage. How far the light is from your pet will affect the intensity they receive. The more uniform you can make their exposure during the light hours the better, as there is less risk of your pet becoming hurt by receiving too much UVB. The place you buy the UVB lamp from should provide information either with the product or separately on how to get the correct intensity. Also, the amount of UVB required varies with different species so you'll need to check out the exact requirements for your pet.

Short Term Cost, Long Term Savings

The price of a good quality UVB bulb is almost nothing compared to repeated trips to the vet for MBD treatment or the heartache of losing your pet to some other infection that could have easily been prevented. When considering which bulb to buy, think long term: a slightly higher initial cost will pay off many times over in the long run.