ActiveUV FAQ At The Iguana Spot

Mercury Vapor Bulb FAQ

It seems as though every time we turn around someone is asking questions about ActiveUV bulbs. On this page we will try to answer as many of the questions we get that we can. Please remember WE CAN ONLY ANSWER QUESTIONS BASED ON OUR OWN KNOWLEDGE FROM USING THE BULBS. If you have questions pertaining to the manufacturing or lableing of the lights you need to contact the company that manufactures the brand you are using.

1.) How many bulbs are you running? Is it true that you are using them in your house? Aren't you worried that the UV will hurt you?

     Yes, we use the bulbs in the enclosures that are in our home. Because we operate a rescue from our home, we have run anywhere from 7 to 22 bulbs at one time. No, we're not concerned about the UV hurting us because we DO NOT look directly into the bulbs. While each enclosure is set up somewhat differently, none of the lights are aimed outside of the enclosure. Furthermore, David Krughoff, whom we have spoken of elsewhere on this site, has tested the output of UVB and found that there is little to no side escape of UV, we have confirmed this with readings of our own.

2.) You seem to promote the lights a lot! Do you work for the company? Are you getting a cash incentive?

    No, we do not work for Zoo Med, Westronics or T-Rex, we do not get any cash from them. We promote the bulbs because we have seen the positive results in the iguanas who live here and we have seen the negetave results of what no UV can do as well. These bulbs are such a breakthrough in technology that we believe they will become the industry standard in reptile lighting as they prodice more UVA and UVB than any other light currently available and they do not need to be replaced every six months.

3.) What size bulb should I buy?

     That really depends on your enclosure and setup. In most cases that 100 watt flood will be the bulb you end up purchasing. If you have a fairly large enclosure, go ahead and use the 160.

4.) I've read on Melissa Kaplan's site that the bulbs are dangerous, I've read on other message forums that they break easily, I'm not sure I want to risk it. Why should I spend $54.99 on one bulb that might break or cause injury to me or my iguana?

    Ok, let's dissect this issue into 2 parts -

First of all, to the best of my knowledge, Melissa Kaplan hasn't even seen one of these bulbs in person, let alone used one or done any independent testing. Everything on her website that pertains to mercury vapor bulbs is her OPINION and not based on any fact or scientific testing. Since she, by her own admission (I have seen her website too) refuses to try the bulbs, she has no business saying horrible things about them. I have seen the bulbs, I have used the bulbs and I have seen first hand how great they are. Additionally, if they are so dangerous, why would both ZooMed and T-Rex be marketing them to the public? These companies might sell some questionable products but I can pretty much assure you that if they knew a product was dangerous to humans they would not be selling it -do you really thing they are stupid enough to open themselves up for a lawsuit?

Do the lights break easily? No more so than any other bulb and they come with a one year warranty. If the bulb burns out or comes apart, you can contact the company and they will replace it.

You think $54.99 is too much money to spend? When you consider that most folks pay between $20.00 to $35.00 for one Zoo Med 5.0 and that bulb needs to be replaced every six motnhs, $54.99 for 12-18 months worth of bulb doesn't sound that bad any more.

5.) Won't the UV cause eye problems? If the bulbs are so safe, why are they packaged with a warning on the lable? What about children, will my kids be safe?

     Let me ask you this, do you look directly into the sun? No! Well then why would you look directly into a bulb that produces the same type of waves that the sun does? The bulbs are packaged with a warning because inevitably some less than intellegent person might try to use the light as a reading lamp or tanning light. All kinds of products come with warning lables to protect people from themselves, let's not single out just one product!
     As far as the bulb being safe to use around children, you need to use common sense and teach your children about safety around any reptile. You wouldn't let your three year old open the iguana enclosure and pick up your 4 foot green buddy, why would you let them open the enclosure and play with the light or look directly up at it for an extended period of time?

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