question about MVB

i was just curious, if you keep this on for 12 - 14 hrs a day (for UVB), then do you just swap it out with a regular heat bulb to keep the basking spot, but provide night time cycle?

OR do you just leave it on 24/7?

AND does it need the basking spot 24/7?

AND
"Q: Can I use the rheostat/thermostat with a Reptisun, Avian Sun or Power Sun UV?
A: These lamps need specific line voltages; they cannot be used with dimmers/rheostats."
so how do you get the PERFECT basking temp? wut wattage gives what?

sry for the mouthful, i was just really confused lol. hit a brain roadblock when readn about UVB.

It depends on the species, on both your temperature and light cycle question.

Most people do a 12/12 cycle on the MVBs with most species (Savannahs, Tegus, etc.). Under no circumstances are you to leave a MVB on 24hours a day.

If your ambient temperatures are not adequate, then you'll need to switch the MVB with a nighttime bulb. As long as your temperatures don't go below 70-75 at night, you are fine sticking with the 12/12 cycle.

You can not use a thermostat of rheostat with a MVB. They have to attain a certain amount of power to start up in the first place. Also, if you have them set to turn on and off several times a day, the bulbs lifespan will be cut dramatically.

Seeing as most Monitors require basking temperatures in the 100's, you probably won't have a problem with bulb reaching a higher than desire temperature.

If I remember correctly, most MVBs need to be placed 12-16" away from the basking place. If you take them too far away, the UV isn't as effective.

The good news is; MVBs have a much longer effective lifespan than tube lighting.

Hope this helped. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Michelle.C

If your ambient temperatures are not adequate, then you'll need to switch the MVB with a nighttime bulb. As long as your temperatures don't go below 70-75 at night, you are fine sticking with the 12/12 cycle.

---

so having a secondary (lower wattage) bulb would be beneficial because it will keep the ambient over 75 :weirdface interesting

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Michelle.C

Seeing as most Monitors require basking temperatures in the 100's, you probably won't have a problem with bulb reaching a higher than desire temperature.

---

thats good to know

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Michelle.C

The good news is; MVBs have a much longer effective lifespan than tube lighting.

---

heck ya, ive read that they can last a year, but the TUBES need to be changed every 6 months, give or take a few lol.


So my underanding is that at night, when the MVB is off, you can just switch it out with a red / black bulb to maintain a warm ambient temp, but NOT a during-the-day hot basking spot

(Thanks for the info already given, VERY interesting)

You just need to maintain a ambient temperature that is around 70-75 at night. It doesn't matter how you accomplish this, just that you do. You can use a space heater, nighttime bulb, etc. You just don't want them to get too cool (your monitor/tegu). Some can tolerate low nighttime drops, but I see no reason to let them go below 70 unless you are going to brumate them.

What species of monitor are you looking at?

i like the B&W tegus. i dont have 1 but im hooked on finding as much info on husbandry, care, health, and beahavior on some of my favorite animals.

While not for monitors, my day and night cycles for various critters is often managed by 12hrs (or so) of my MVB. This is run on a timer. When it goes off, my CHE turns on (provides heat, but no light). If I want light for display purposes at night, I may use a red bulb...

For the the times you want basking spot hotter than the MVB can provide, or a boost in ambient temps, the CHE can be left on 24X7. Then the day is MVB + CHE and the night is just CHE (you get a night drop, but still stays warmer than room temp).