Halogen vs Mercury Vapor | This or That?

[@RealPangeaReptile]

Halogen or Mercury Vapor? Which do you use for your enclosures, and what comparisons would you like to see in the future?

[@Boonified]

Thank you so much, this was just terrific, exactly what I needed :)))

[@RealPangeaReptile]

Awesome! We're glad it helped!

[@frankdughtank8327]

Excellent Video!

[@RealPangeaReptile]

Thanks Frank! Are there any product comparisons you'd like to see in the future?

[@frankdughtank8327]

@@RealPangeaReptile I’d love to see you do a comparison with Exo Terra and Zoomed terrariums

[@frankdughtank8327]

@@RealPangeaReptile As well as Best Pangea Diet combinations for your crested geckos

[@matthewkahrs8164]

What about T3 halogen bulbs? Their Fixtures such as a "work site light" has a lower profile then the standard dome lights.

[@RealPangeaReptile]

Zilla actually makes a Mini Halogen Reptile Bulb that uses the T3 standard! As long as the bulb supplies an appropriate amount of light and heat for your reptile, it should be fine!

[@matthewkahrs8164]

Wow! thanks for the help!@@RealPangeaReptile

[@caseykennedy5479]

I do have a question regarding the availability of Halogens moving forward. All the retailers I've talked to said that the US will be (is currently in the process of) banning the use of Halogens will this follow suit for the reptile industry and their Halogens as well?

[@RealPangeaReptile]

Since the focus of the ban is for lightbulbs for home use, bulbs made for the reptile hobby are actually currently exempt! Unless anything changes, heating bulbs will be safe. In the off-chance though that heat bulbs are banned in the future, alternative solutions such as Deep Heat Projectors and Ceramic Heat Emitters should be able to fill their void alongside other energy-efficient light sources such as LEDs.

[@leo2o915]

So for Schneider Skinks which I already use the Arcadia LumenIze T5 12% should I use the powersun 100w or better off using a halogen one ?

[@RealPangeaReptile]

Since you already have a fantastic UVB bulb for them, we would recommend going with a halogen for heating. This will give you more flexibility, since you can use a thermostat to dial into the exact temperatures your skinks will need!

[@leo2o915]

@@RealPangeaReptile which halogen you recommend ? Are the Arcadia ones good ?

[@aliciadishman]

Most people recommend them. Bio-dude and Joshs Frogs are two I subscribe to that recommend Arcadia. I dunno Pangea as well.

[@LoveGuruGreg]

Curous what you recommend for night time heat for cyclura? Thanks! projector, ceramic or ?

[@RealPangeaReptile]

Since their enclosures are really large, ceramic heat emitters won't be effective, as they can't radiate enough heat to properly heat the area. Their enclosure can actually drop to as low as 70°F at night, so if your house remains at or above this temperature, there's no need to supply any additional heat at night! If you do need to supply additional heat, we would actually recommend Radiant Heat Panels, or using other means to heat the whole room to an appropriate temperature.

[@LoveGuruGreg]

Appreciate you and same thoughts as I had too. I know ceramic don't radiate the proper heat other like your heat projector lamps do. Thanks again!

[@Rotty97]

If you go name brand for mercury than yeah you’re gonna spend a lot. But if you don’t and buy from Amazon or Walmart you can easily get them for $10-$20 bucks… and then you won’t waste money paying more for the same product. Same goes for LEDs.

[@RealPangeaReptile]

You are welcome to take that approach, however with bulbs from less reputable brands, we would highly recommend testing the UV output yourself with a solarimeter to ensure it outputs an appropriate amount of UVB.

[@aliciadishman]

I'd like LEDs vs 5-7 t5's for low light but planted habitats. I've a Leo and while I'm building a bio I am concerned for live plants getting light they need. Of course he'd have hides and I'm looking at ponytail palm etc to hang over substrate for shade day time. Godzilla started without light except from room but now that I have him he has UVB 5.0. I will be placing a shade dweller t5 in new bio-habitat.

[@RealPangeaReptile]

As long as he has shade and hides, bright light during the day should be completely fine for him (assuming he's not an albino)! Keep in mind that in the wild, they live in semi-arid to arid environments which have strong sunlight in the middle of the day. That being said, if you are concerned about light output, consider an LED light for your plants that can be set on a schedule to brighten and dim throughout the day. Most consumer smart bulbs can do this, and Arcadia's LumenIZE lights can as well!

[@Kennephone]

I'm not in to reptiles, but I wonder if a xenon arc lamp would work even better, as they produce all the wavelengths that the sun does, with a perfect color rendering index and color temp. You can buy a 35w xenon headlight for about $30, plus the ballast.

[@RealPangeaReptile]

That's a great idea, but upon looking into it further, we wouldn't recommend it without testing the UV index output. These lamps put out an intense amount of UV light, and even though UV-B is beneficial to reptiles, too much can still be harmful. It would be interesting if this UV output could be dialed in for reptile keeping though!

[@karenmcisaac22]

I use mercury vapor and i always have a couple of spares on hand

[@RealPangeaReptile]

Having spare bulbs -always- pays off.

[@precise3291]

Just bought a Zoo Med 100w halogen basking light, brand new!! Lasted one day, done this morning. They suck!!!

[@RealPangeaReptile]

Sounds like your light may have been defective, as halogens are typically pretty sturdy and lon-lasting. If you ordered it through us, you can contact our customer support team through the "contact us" link on our site, and we can help you get a replacement!

[@precise3291]

@@RealPangeaReptile thanks! I got it on ebay actually.

[@aliciadishman]

Never ebay unless replacement is available. I'd rather pay more to get that ability.

[@pampoovey6722]

Is UVB essential? Yes it is. So this comparison is stupid. Get a mercury bulb and a spare. Done.

[@RealPangeaReptile]

On the flipside, a combination of a halogen bulb and a T5 UVB bulb allows for more fine control of heat and UVB levels independently of each other. While mercury vapor bulbs are perfect for some setups, independent heat and UVB are better for others, which is why we outline the pros and cons of each so people can make a better informed decision.