Mercury Vapor

Question
QUESTION: Hi diane I just purchased a mercury vapor from my pet store,My vet recommended the zoo med 100 watt bulb,I also bought a stand for it to keep it at the distance recommend,Now my question is since is does put of a lot of UVB,Do I still need to dust the crickets with the calcium with D3 or should I find calcium that doesnt have the D3 in there? I dont know,Also how long should I keep the light on for the burn in period before I put it over my beardie. Thank you =)

ANSWER: Hi Taylor,
There is only one MV bulb that I trust due to the testing that has been done on it.  That is the Raptor/Mega Ray bulb.  www.reptileuv.com   Some of the other companies were having problems with the MV bulbs not putting out the proper light spectrum's that are needed, not the proper amt. of uvb stated and also a short time frame that they actually put out a good supply of uvb.
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/UVB_Meter_Owners is a good place to find info on the light you purchased and also http://www.uvguide.co.uk/index.htm will give testing results on many MV bulbs.
The sad part is that with some brands, unless you have the meter for testing the uvb output, you don't know what distance to go with.
You can put the light over your beardie now even waiting for burn in time.  
You can go to a plain calcium or switch between the two is even a good idea.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much for your quick reply,So far the bulb has been doing good. I am going to purchase a UV meter just for the heck of it. I have noticed my beardies legs and around her mouth have turned a greenish tint almost like her colors have gotten brighter. Is this because of the mercury vapor putting off more UVB? Thank you for your help.

Answer
Hi Taylor,
You will notice that your beardie does look different colored under the MV lamp due to the light spectrum.
The MV bulbs, since they do put out better uvb will help lizards meet their uvb needs which in turn will make a healthier lizard...which will show up in colors, activity, appetite, etc.