They're here!

Our megaray's arrived last week, and today we got the USA-UK plug convertors, so we finally got to put our new UV lights in for our Bearded Dragons!

Rocky is having hers tomorrow, as we are giving her a new house as well but we put one of the bulbs in for Osiris, Yemaya and Eostara - here's some shots of the megaray on its first day

At time of Bob Mac packing it measured 225uW/cm2 at 12".,. In November Frances Baines is coming to visit and we will spend a day measuring and testing the bulbs, as well as other bulbs and tubes that are on the commercial market now, to compare and hopefully write an article. We are really looking forward to the results of these tests, and I'm hoping to see some visual differences in the dragons, espcecially in Rocky who was deprived of UV for so long before we had her. I am very excited about these bulbs,. give me a little while to see some results and I will be recommending them to everyone no doubt!

Enjoy the pics.. Megaray's First Day 13th Oct '04.

Looks good rach, Im gonn have to say they like it by looking at that first pic.

Glad to hear that rockys doing good as well, its amazing what a little TLC and UV can do.

When you start researching lights are you focusing on UVB, or the full spectrum of the bulb? I would love to know what those fluro grow bulbs are putting off.

Sorry, I just edited my first post, forgot to put in the measurements of UVB at the time of packing! Doh!

Frances and I will be looking at the UVB output of the bulbs at various distances and from various angles, and we will also be testing the UVB output of various other bulbs and tubes of various ages, such as the reptileglo 8.0 tube that the Bearded Dragons had previously had, that is now over 6months old. It will be fascinating to read the measurements of these tubes and bulbs, we will also be measuring the natural sunlight, weather permitting, although November is perhaps not the best time for outdoor testing lol. Frances, and others, including our very own admin??, have already started tests of their own.

WOW! Why do they look so green??

LOL Well Osiris is very citrus coloured anyway (even though they are hypo-red tiger-stripes ) .. but the bulbs do have a strange glow to them that makes everything appear slightly yellow/green. I guess it goes to show how much UV they are giving off eh!

The bulbs do give off a light that you are not used to viewing. A much "cooler" light meaning that it is more toward the blue side of the spectrum than the red (as we see it). Red colors are really effected by it and the first time I saw Bob's mouth open under it I was freaked, it looked so sickly almost gray. With my theater lighting and engineering (electrical with a tough of optics) background I knew what it was after the initial shock though. Just look at the bright pink sand in the last pic above.

I love the looks of the guy just crashed on the shelf up in the corner. Just looks co relaxed and content.

Red colors are really effected by it and the first time I saw Bob's mouth open under it I was freaked, it looked so sickly almost gray.

Might have to try that tomorrow!

I am really looking forward to seeing the visual effects of these bulbs in a few weeks - Osiris is a beautiful dragon, and I can see his colours becoming more and more prominant under the light of the bulbs.

Cool Rachel, cant wait to see results myself, dont know where to put mine now lol.

Here are some more shots of the Bearded Dragons enjoying their new bulb - the UV tube in the background is their old UV light and will be removed tonight, as it no longer serves a purpose,.

I am observing some unusual behaviour - all of the dragons are spending all of their time underneath the new light, i have never seen them do this with any other light, but it's almost like they actually like it, or they have some kind of D3 deficiancy having never had bulbs as good as this before. It's amazing how clever animals are sometimes - they clearly "know" that this bulb is emitting high levels of UVB which they have never been subjected to before.

Only problem is.. I think the male has mistaken the new "sunshine" for summer.. he is trying his old "i'm going to run around the tank all day, head-bobbing and trying to impress the ladies" routine, which he hasn't done for the past few weeks, since the seasons are changing and we about to put them into brumation! Lights may have to be turned off during winter,. Frances and I are debating the prospect of this.

And here's some of Rocky enjoying her first day with the megaray

She immediately spread out her body and angled her head towards the light when we put it in, the way she does when she is getting some natural UV.. i am sooo impressed with these bulbs!! Can you tell??