All information about UV lamps

UV radiation

UV light, and UVB radiation in particular, has been re-imagined as a very important factor for successful animal-tailored reptile keeping.

The fact is that most reptiles benefit from UV radiation. Suitable UV lighting is definitely recommended for keeping most turtle and lizard species. On the other hand, UV lighting can be dispensed with in snakes, amphibians and invertebrate animals.

However, it is important to emphasize that UV lighting is not everything and certainly not a panacea that automatically ensures healthy bone and shield growth and prevents diseases caused by calcium deficiency. In this it is mainly diet is also important , because without the necessary nutrients and sufficient calcium supply can UVB radiation also does not work miracles † In addition, care must be taken to ensure that the animals receive a balanced diet that is appropriate to their species. This lays the foundation for successful reptile keeping and prevents problems.

Not only UV radiation is important!

Given the attention that UV light has received lately, it should not be forgotten that natural light does not consist only of UV radiation. The needs of the animals must be taken into account and other light sources must also be selected appropriately. It should also be emphasized that, depending on the type, the quality of the visible light (in particular a spectrum that is as natural as possible and also a high intensity) as well as the availability of a sun spot (a spotlight) is at least as important if not more important than UV lighting.

Particularly in popular species such as bearded dragons, spiny-tailed dragons and green iguanas, where the need for sufficient UV light is repeatedly prescribed, it should be pointed out that a high light intensity is necessary for the welfare of the animals † It is therefore advisable to use, in addition to UV lighting, generous daylight lighting with several fluorescent tubes, or even better, with HQI spots or T5 tubes. Only when a sufficient light intensity is guaranteed will the animals show their natural behaviour.

Of course, this also applies if there is no sun spot where the animals can reach their preferred temperature. If such a place is missing, UV lighting is therefore also useless because the animals cannot behave naturally in this case.

It is therefore important when lighting the terrarium that the concept is correct in its entirety. With regard to spots and daylight fluorescent tubes, the choice on the market is still fairly clear. However, there is now a wide range of different solutions for UV lighting, which makes it more difficult to maintain an overview.

The product range to UV lamps

Here we would like to give you a brief overview of the currently common UV lamps with their advantages and disadvantages. It is important to know that glass does not allow UV radiation to pass through † This means that the lamps must be placed in the terrarium or above the ventilation surfaces in such a way that the light is sufficiently transmitted (eg by means of gauze) so that the animals can benefit from the UV radiation at all.

Only two types of lamps can produce sufficient radiation: fluorescent tubes and so-called mixed light spots with a built-in UV burner.

HQI, HQL and halogen lamps are nowadays made with UV stop glass so that not enough UV light is transmitted for reptiles. These types of lamps certainly have their qualities, for example for creating heat spots (halogen spots) or because of their excellent light (HQI and HQL). For UV radiation, however, it is better to use specific lamps.

Also all kinds of filament lamps such as the common spots and light bulbs for reptiles are not suitable because they do not produce UV radiation † It is true that sellers advertise with UVA and some even with UVB radiation, but this can only be measured directly on the glass and only in small quantities. The UV radiation from these types of lamps is in any case unusable for the animals.

Price indication

The price can be an indication of whether a lamp actually produces usable UV radiation. The rule of thumb is that what is cheap is often not good. The UV technique is complicated and therefore expensive. Usable lamps are currently available from 30 euros. A lamp of 10 euros is guaranteed not to produce the desired result, which all serious experts would confirm.

With real UV lamps there are currently fluorescent tubes, compact lamps for E27 fittings (energy saving lamps on a fluorescent basis) and mixed light UV spots for E27 fittings.

Fluorescent tubes for plug fittings are also occasionally offered. However, these hardly produce UVB radiation, but mainly UVA radiation.

The three types of UV lamps mentioned above generally provide sufficient UVA and UVB radiation. However, there are some clear differences between the various manufacturers. It is therefore advisable to give preference to branded products from reputable providers.

Which bulb?

This question is not easy to answer. All three types are suitable and each type has its advantages and disadvantages. You should therefore make a decision based on your terrarium and your animal(s) about which lamp is best suited for your purposes.

fluorescent tubes

Fluorescent tubes have been available on the market for a long time and offer the most reliable technology. They produce sufficient UVB radiation at a distance of up to 30 cm between your animals and the lamp † In addition, the well-known brand products are unrestrictedly recommended. The pipes must be replaced after one year or better after six months at the latest because after that the power is greatly reduced. After one year, the lamp no longer produces UV radiation.

The emissivity is evenly distributed over the entire length of the tube. A reflector is recommended because it significantly increases the light output and light efficiency and also brings the radiation where it needs to be, namely to the animal itself.

Fluorescent tubes are especially recommended in lower basins, but also when UV radiation is required over a large area. In the case of higher terrariums, it is also possible to work with a stone structure and branches. The animals see and feel the UV radiation and seek it purposefully if they have the opportunity to do so.

Fluorescent tubes give off little heat, which makes a spotlight necessary in most cases. UV tubes are also quite dark (higher UV content means little visible light) so that the use of daylight fluorescent tubes is also absolutely recommended.

UV compact lamp

Compact lamps are currently the latest development in reptile lamps † The principle is the same as that of conventional fluorescent tubes. The lamps have integrated ballasts and can therefore be used in E27 sockets.

Like the fluorescent tubes, the compact lamps also give off little heat. Because these lamps are smaller, the power per surface area is higher than with fluorescent tubes (e.g. an 18W tube distributes the UV radiation on 60 cm, a 23W compact lamp is approx. 20 cm long), so that the UV power and the range are better . It UVB power of these lamps is effective up to about 50 cm † however, the operating range in total is also more limited in view of the compactness of the lamp.

In general, a compact lamp is very flexible due to the good range and power as well as the possibility to provide specific areas for the animals with UV radiation. As far as the power of these lamps up to 50 cm is concerned, they are certainly comparable to the mixed light UV spots.

As with fluorescent tubes, a reflector also significantly increases the power of compact lamps. The lifespan is approximately 1 year † The development of heat is minimal and many lamps have a very blue-colored spectrum. Spots and daylight lamps are therefore also necessary.

Mixed light UV spots

These UV spots have an integrated ballast installation and can be used in E27 fittings. The spots offer good UV radiation and heat radiation as well as good light † Nevertheless, it is not recommended to use these lamps as the sole light source.

The technology is also extremely complex and the heat development, especially towards the rear, is enormous. A porcelain fitting is therefore absolutely necessary. There should also be no combustible materials above the spotlight because more heat is emitted towards the back. The air temperature of the terrarium also rises, making good ventilation necessary.

That is why these spots are not suitable for small terrariums and it is better to only use these spots in terrariums that are larger than 12 cm.

These lamps are also characterized by a certain degree of sensitivity. This is how the spots serve only to be installed vertically otherwise there may be a dangerously high temperature on the inside of the lamp. This can lead to a shorter lifespan and incorrect functioning.

Moreover, these lamps are only suitable from 160W. The 100W variants that are sometimes available cause more problems and are more prone to errors than the 160W variant. However, there are also manufacturer-dependent differences here. The lamps have integrated reflectors and are available in 2 versions: as SPOT and as FLOOD.

Species

Reflectors are not necessarily necessary for these types of lamps because they are already integrated. Most manufacturers recommend replacing the lamp after 1 year. However, this also depends on the daily usage time and varies between providers. Read the relevant manual for this.

The SPOT variant strongly bundles the light and the UV radiation, so that a scope from to2 m is reached † However, only a small area (at 2m approx. 10-20 cm) is subject to UV radiation and light.

The FLOOD variant spreads the light and UV radiation over a larger area thanks to special reflectors. The UV radiation is uniform within the operating range of the reflector and the lighting is significantly better. One distance from the FLOOD spots to the animals of approx. 60-100 cm makes sense † This variant is recommended for most applications.

Brief summary

No-name or branded product?

In general, European lamp manufacturers have a clear advantage over Asian manufacturers. The quality of the finish and therefore the lifespan are certainly better. In addition, European producers deliver a more even performance. Asian products vary quite a bit in quality and performance.

Especially in the field of UV, the European manufacturers have an advantage in know-how (thanks to the solarium technology) compared to the Asian producers, which means that there are major differences.

As already noted, the technique to create UV radiation is luxurious and expensive. Special glass, phosphor mixtures etc. are necessary for optimum performance. Here too there are clear differences between the various lamps that influence the performance and lifespan. In this case, 'Made in Europe' is an absolute quality mark. The price also says something because good raw materials such as glass are expensive.

5%, 7%, 10% – The percent fairy tale

Most manufacturers currently advertise percentage indications of the UV performance of their products. 30% UVA and 7% UVB are particularly popular right now.

What does that mean?

Not much actually. It gives an indication of what percentage of the total light performance lies within the UV range. So if 30% of the total light production lies within the UVA region and 7% within the UVB region of the spectrum, then theoretically 63% of visible light remains (a part of this is still lost to infrared radiation = heat). There is thus not much visible light left and the lamp is therefore quite dark.

Does this mean that the lamp has good UV performance?

No, because this depends on what the lamp actually performs. Among other things, the Watt power is of influence. A 100W lamp with 2% UVB therefore gives off 2W UVB radiation and a 20W lamp with 7% provides only 1,4W UVB radiation. It appears that a higher percentage indication for UVB radiation does not necessarily mean that the lamp emits more UVB radiation .

In addition, there are differences between lamps with the same watt power and construction (23W compact lamp A versus 23W compact lamp B) in terms of performance. The differences can be up to 30% and more .

In addition, reference was also made to the surface on which the light is produced (fluorescent tubes have a larger surface area than UV spots). This also affects the UV performance of the lamp.

How can one determine whether a lamp is of good quality in terms of its UV power?

To determine this, a special measuring device is necessary. These devices measure the intensity of light per surface area (the usual unit of measurement is mW/cm 2 ). In addition, special measuring equipment is required for the various areas of the spectrum, such as UVA and UVB light.

The problem that arises here is that several factors influence the determined measured values, for example the distance to the lamp and whether a reflector is used.

It is therefore not possible for manufacturers to advertise with these values ​​because there will never be comparable values. Unfortunately, this led to the aforementioned, but worthless 'percent advertising'.

The dilemma for the consumer

A comparison of the UV performance is actually not possible for the consumer.

the positive

Most UV lamps available on the market provide sufficient UV performance.

Hard values ​​to compare

Below you will find a table with measurement results of various UV lamps. Measurements were made with a hand-held measuring device at predefined distances in the center of the light cone (exception Eurozoo, see text below). The same socket and reflector were used for all lamps with E27 sockets, and for fluorescent tubes also a lamp with reflector to ensure comparability.

In the case of fluorescent tubes, the measurement of the different tube lengths/watt strengths was not measured because with the usual models the ratio Watt/length is in fact the same and therefore a comparable UV performance per surface can be expected for all tube lengths of one brand. .

Measuring equipment and method certainly do not provide laboratory values. However, the goal of being able to make a comparison of the lamps and to obtain indications on the actual UV performance is certainly achieved.

Please note that the reflector can have a significant influence on the measurement results so that the readings in other equipment will not necessarily be the same

 measurement results

Values ​​in mW/cm 2

Notes on the measurement results

Unfortunately, there is no precise information about the amount of UV radiation used for reptiles necessary. It is generally assumed that fluorescent tubes provide sufficient UVB radiation for the animals at a distance of 30-40 cm from the animal. If you compare these values ​​with other lamps, the compact lamps at a distance of 50-60 cm are also useful. With the UV spots, it is striking that it is precisely the SPOT variant that delivers sufficient UV performance at a distance of 150 cm and in some cases even at a distance of more than 2 m.

It should be noted that SPOT spots only have a relatively small operating area, which means that the animals must have good opportunities to withdraw.

In the case of the Osram Vitalux and the Radium Sanolux spots of 300W, there are FLOOD models with a relatively uniform UV performance over a large operating range. Many terrarium holders recommend a limited duration of radiation to prevent damage to the animals caused by the UV radiation. In view of the strong UV radiation of these lamps, this makes sense. To the best of the author's knowledge, there are no problems in this regard, but an irradiation time of less than one hour is recommended for safety reasons. In addition, sufficient possibilities for withdrawal must be available.

Which bulb is the best?

In general, it is difficult to answer this question because many factors, especially the animal species and the terrarium, have an influence.

In any case, the other aspects of the terrarium lighting, such as natural spectrum, light intensity and the presence of heat spots, should not be left out of consideration when making the choice.

For most users, compact lamps are a good option because they are the most flexible and ensure good UV performance. The readings and other properties are very similar. Only the Lucky Reptile Compact UV Sun stands out above this, given its slightly more natural spectrum (less blue light).

Author: Jurgen Hoch