Mega Ray... how much heat?

[xautomaticflowersx]

Heya,

I'm soon going to be putting my desert iguana in a new 4ft viv which will be 25" high and 15" wide. With the extra size in this viv I was considering the suitability of using a self-ballast Mega Ray for heat and UV rather than a spot and UV tube.
He needs a very hot basking spot similar to beardies of around 110F (43C) and as you can't put an MVB on a stat I'm just wondering what people's experiences are of the heat produced by these bulbs?
I was thinking that a 120W self-ballast bulb would probably be about right, since he currently has a 100W spot bulb on a dimming stat in a 3ft viv that's 16" high and 15" wide and it gets up to temperature with no problems. In fact the dimming stat barely even has to dim it.
What do others think about this arrangement? Do you think it would be likely that I'd need an additional spot for heat?
I've read a lot about mercury vapour bulbs online (on uvguide, here and other sites) and I'm confident that the Mega Ray is probably one of the better bulbs to get. But having never used a mercury bulb before I'm unfamiliar with how hot they get?

Thanks in advance for any answers!

[cordylidae]

not personaly used one yet but im looking into them also and should be ordering 1 this month

afaik they give off less heat than a normal incandescent bulb does of the same wattage

maybe you colud do the same as me and get a EB bulb(like a 60w) which last longer and are cheaper in the long run and the use a secondary heat source such as a ceramic which could then be statted so you could get accurate temp even with ambient temperature fluctuations

[xautomaticflowersx]

Yeah that's certainly an idea to consider... something I'd not thought of before to be honest. I could use a ceramic or spot bulb for heat and just use the EB mercury bulb for the high UV. The Lucky Reptile EB ones seem to be favoured by lots of people from I've seen using forum searches.
So far as them being 'cheaper in the long run'... is it because EB bulbs last longer? Or is it just that they are cheaper to buy and replace once you've spent the inital amount on a ballast?

[Pendragon]

Hi,

As already stated, you will need a second ceramic/bulb to regulate the heat, Idealy you don't want the M.V.B or M.H to get above 90f, you then want a spot light or ceramic on a stat to make up the difference.

E.Bs are cooler and last longer because the balast is controling the power delivery to the bulb. I would stear clear of Exo terra/Lucky reptile stuff, as it's cheap crap. If you are going down the M.V.B/M.H road, then you might as well do it right and get the best. I would recomend Megaray as the make to go for, as these are probably the best lamps avalible over the counter. And I would go for the 70watt E.B. metal halide, as this is a TRUE full spectrum light, that gives off around 120,000 lux of light, compared to the 16,000 lux given off by the uva/uvb mecury vapour.

Hope this helps.

Jay

[mahender]

there are some mega ray clips on you tube. with explanations from Bob the mftr. they may have some info on them.
other wise email the mega ray guys.

Mega-Ray Ultraviolet | UVB | UVA | Reptile | lighting | Bulbs | Lamps | Sole UK Distributor

i am thinking this might be seraphines xmas present.lol

[xautomaticflowersx]

Thanks guys, that's great. EB Mega Ray it is! Combined with either a spot bulb or ceramic.
Same here mahender... my desert iggie is going to be getting a rather nice new setup for Christmas! Going to go all-out and have some fun with polystyrene and grout. Bless him, his viv is rather crap and unimaginitive at the moment, so I'm sure he'll notice the difference.

[Pendragon]

You can check these guys out too.

Mega Ray

Darren is the guy to talk to.

Jay

[xautomaticflowersx]

Yep, that's where I had been looking at Mega Rays. So this is the one you suggest, jabba: http://www.kimbosreptileworld.co.uk/...ide-p-158.html
From what I can understand, my heat/light will all need to be timed. Do you think that this will be an adequate system?...

Heat Lamp ---> 7:00am - 7:00pm (12hrs on)
High CRI fluorescent tube ---> 7:am - 7:00pm (12hrs on)
Mega Ray 70w MH ---> 8:30am - 4:30pm (8hrs on)

[Pendragon]

Originally Posted by xautomaticflowersx

Yep, that's where I had been looking at Mega Rays. So this is the one you suggest, jabba: Mega-Ray 70w Metal Halide by: Kimbos
From what I can understand, my heat/light will all need to be timed. Do you think that this will be an adequate system?...

Heat Lamp ---> 7:00am - 7:00pm (12hrs on)
High CRI fluorescent tube ---> 7:am - 7:00pm (12hrs on)
Mega Ray 70w MH ---> 8:30am - 4:30pm (8hrs on)

Yup, that's the one, and the times are spot on

Jay

[xautomaticflowersx]

Shweet. Thanks for the help... now to save up/raid the piggy bank!

Also, one other question. The lamp on the page I linked previously has quite a small picture and I don't really know what I'm looking at. Is it £88 for the bulb *and* the means to power it? Or is it just the bulb? If it's just the bulb then can you power a MH bulb from just a normal fixture that you'd plug just any old bulb into?

Sorry for all the questions, just want to make sure I understand the basic mechanics of setting it up. Also the cost of it, to see if it's something I can actually do in the long term.