Mercury Vapor Bulb (160, Watts)

Easily the best bulb available and their customer support is unsurpassed. These are well worth the cost over the other cheaper inferior bulbs I have owned. I have used over a dozen of these Mega-Rays and never experienced any of the issues that the 1-2 star reviewers mention. These bulbs are just like any other mercury vapor or metal halide bulb (or even the typical household incandescent type lightbulb); the filaments are very fragile and need to be treated with care. If you need to perform any habitat maintenance where you will need to move the bulb or otherwise may bump it, be sure to turn it off and unplug it, beforehand to allow it to cool for about 15 minutes or so before continuing.In the event that you do jar or bump the bulb while it is on (which is obviously not good for the filament and should be avoided), it may shut off internally however it will come back on within about 15 minutes. I have had this happen twice where I had bumped the light/dome and it turned off. I just simply turned the switch off and waited about 15 minutes before I turned it back on. Reasoning is that the bulb needs a cool down period before it will turn on again. Likewise, this may occur by turning the light off and not allowing it to properly cool before trying to turn it back on. You should wait at least 15 minutes to allow it to cool and then power it on.These are truly great bulbs that when used as directed and handled with care will last you the 12-months before you should replace it (UV output degrades over time).

I've used Powersun bulbs for years and then switched to Mega-Rays in the last two years after I adopted a new beardie. This light works perfectly and after a recent check up at the vet, my dragon got perfect scores on her blood results - especially in calcium. These lights work! They also seem brighter than Powersuns to me. I've ordered three thus far and they have shipped them quickly. Mine have arrived intact and work fine. You are going to run into a light not working at some point as that is the nature of the mercury bulbs (happened several times when I used Powersun, too. So, it has nothing to do with brand and more to do with the bulbs themselves). I haven't had any of my Mega-Rays not work and I hope it never happens as it's a pain to have to return an item, but that's the risk you take ordering a bulb like this online (or even at the pet shop for that matter). With that being said, I'd still argue this is the best bulb on the market for beardies. Just be sure to replace them within 6 months, max, for optimum efficacy.

The UVB output is the highest on the market. It’s the best bulb for UVB and it puts off heat as a added bonus. These bulbs are powerful so always follow the instructions on minimum distance from your animals. I use these bulbs for my water monitor, mangrove monitor and Rio Grande Red Ear Sliders. The proof is in the health of the animals. I never experienced MBD with these lamps. And the animals are healthy active and brilliantly colored. They are welling to eat more too. I can say enough. Best lamp I own. But I do run day light lamps with them for added light. I suggest a multi light system like that. (MVB with day light LED or fluorescent bulbs). They can last up to a year, but always check with a UVB meter. And are flood lamps which work great with larger reptiles.

Good

It fit perfect.

My first bulb lasted for about 45 days and then UVB side of it blew out, causing a brilliant white light to fill the room and blind everyone that was in it for a couple minutes. Was past my 30 day exchange so Amazon gave me a number to contact the manufacture. The number led me to someone on a cell phone while he was driving. I was a tad bit skeptical but he said he was with the company. He said he could not talk but asked me a few questions and agreed that my bulb was bad, asked me to text him my info including the bulb I purchased and he would send me a new bulb. Received a text confirmation that he sent me out a new bulb but not tracking info, about the time I was going to report it to Amazon the new bulb arrive. The new one is working, produces less heat than the original and has a loud humming noise but seems to be working. Giving it 3 stars because my Bearded Dragon likes it more than the bulbs I got with the 40 gallon starter kit but in the future I may not purchase a new one, all depending how long this one lasts and how loud the humming gets.I have added the UVA bulb that came with the starter kit to make up for the loss of heat, 10 degrees.Edit: Second bulb blew out in 10 days. I changed the lamp fixture, changed from a 160 watt to a 200 watt, to make sure it could handle the bulb and I added a surge protector. My Bearded Dragon loved the light but that is meaningless if the bulb doesn't last longer than 10 days. Changed my rating to 1 star for lack of quality. Only way I will use this bulb again is if the manufacture replaces it again, I can't see myself wasting money on another.