Can you use a rheostat to dim a MVB without affecting its UVB output? I like the idea if a 2-in-1 bulb, but I believe it would get too hot without a rheostat. This is for a bearded dragon.

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-Adam

"Help Protect our Planet from Overcollection, Purchase Aquacultured Livestock and Captive Bred Herps"

I would gather a guess and say if you have a bulb that runs off a starter you answer would be no as the starter would put out the same amount of wattage regardless of a dimmer. The only ones I know of thus far that you can dimm are the bright sun line of bulbs and thats only with their starter. I reallly can't say with the self-started bulbs it may be possible to place a dimmer on them but I've never used them, so maybe someone else will have the anwser on this one. Thier are a few MVB that don't get too hot around 80-90f at the bulb it-self. That places a 3'x1.5'x1.5' at about 75-80f if used as the only heat element.

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I read an article that somewhat relates to this question. They were testing the uv output on a double T bulb fixture. They found that the uv coming off the first bulb that was getting the power first was higher than the subsequent one. I'm not an electrical expert but according to this finding I would say it's a good chance that if not the amount of uv then probably the range to exposure would be diminished.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

If you are concerned about the heat output the best bet is to go with a Megaray that doesn't put out any heat, only light.
Then you can have the heat from another source so that you can control tempertures without sacrificing UVB.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!