UV Lamp Choices

[Elvenking]

Hi guys. Since I ahve a bigger cage for my boy now, I want to upgrade his UV lighting. I am looking at this one..

 

http://www.arcadia-bird.com/parrot-pro-uv-flood/

 

..anyone have one of these and can speak to how good it is? Or.....do you have some other choices for good UV lighting....want to make sure he gets good light with low flicker.

 

 

Stephen

[Elvenking]

Okay...after doing some more searching....I found the ExoTerra ReptiGlo 5.0 Linear Tube. I got that and a hood that I am going to mount above his cage. Read lots of good stuff about people using this lamp for avian applications.

[SRSeedBurners]

Oh man...is that thing safe for parrots? I've heard with reptile lighting you can burn birdy. Someone here did just that (Talon?) I can't seem to find the UVA/B requirement-differences between avian and reptiles or I'd check it.

[Elvenking]

Oh man...is that thing safe for parrots? I've heard with reptile lighting you can burn birdy. Someone here did just that (Talon?) I can't seem to find the UVA/B requirement-differences between avian and reptiles or I'd check it.

 

That is what I had heard too....you have to pay attention to the amount of UV Index, UVA and UVB Output.....5.0 and below is pretty safe for tropical....above that and it is replicating dry desert conditions so that probably would not be good. Other than that...mounting at proper distance is important. I read the following study someone was doing on avian lighting and this was one of the recommended bulbs from the 33 or so they tested.

 

http://buffalobirdnerd.com/clients/8963/documents/UVlightingBirds.pdf

 

Seemed pretty good. Let me know of any hard evidence that I have missed though.

[Talon]

Yes, Talon had got her eye burned by perching on her boing in her cage with the light on top. It was almost 3 weeks and 2 vet visits and a week of antibiotic drops in her eye....as the vet thought she had an infection, not a burn, turned out to be a burn. I throw the lite in the trash and bought a feather brite that sits on her cage

[Elvenking]

Yes, Talon had got her eye burned by perching on her boing in her cage with the light on top. It was almost 3 weeks and 2 vet visits and a week of antibiotic drops in her eye....as the vet thought she had an infection, not a burn, turned out to be a burn. I throw the lite in the trash and bought a feather brite that sits on her cage

 

Good to hear from you. How close was the light to the cage for Talon? I was planning to hang this from the ceiling about 12" above his cage. perches are really 2.5 feet below the ceiling of the cage....but there are toys at the top so I don't want it right on top of the cage. I was just worried my current one wouldn't be doing much that far away from the perches. However, do let me know if you think what I am doing might be dangerous as I can always return my stuff. the stuff I read in the article I linked above seemed pretty legit.

[Dave007]

Good to hear from you. How close was the light to the cage for Talon? I was planning to hang this from the ceiling about 12" above his cage. perches are really 2.5 feet below the ceiling of the cage....but there are toys at the top so I don't want it right on top of the cage. I was just worried my current one wouldn't be doing much that far away from the perches. However, do let me know if you think what I am doing might be dangerous as I can always return my stuff. the stuff I read in the article I linked above seemed pretty legit.

 

All horonztal avian lights should be positioned 3 ft or more above the roof of the cage. Avian lights have the ability to give out long distance rays even though lights are at least 3 ft away. Incandesent bulbs should be approx. 4 ft above the roof of the cage. They give off more heat. Toys ( any type of toys or ropes or swings_) shouldn't be positioned at the same height as the light. If a person does that, the bird can't avoid seeing the light when looking across the cage. Birds don't like looking straight up into light (any type of light including the sun). If a person or a bird were to look up at the sun for a while, the eyes would get injured.

 

Of course, if your bird area has a decent amount of indoor regular lighting around the cage and room, no avian lighting is necessary. Thousands of people have birds with no avian lights near or on the cageand no problems occur.

Edited October 3, 2015 by Dave007

[Elvenking]

All horizontal avian lights should be positioned 3 ft or more above the roof of the cage. Avian lights have the ability to give out long distance rays even though lights are at least 3 ft away. Incandescent bulbs should be approx. 4 ft above the roof of the cage. They give off more heat. Toys ( any type of toys or ropes or swings_) shouldn't be positioned at the same height as the light. If a person does that, the bird can't avoid seeing the light when looking across the cage. Birds don't like looking straight up into light (any type of light including the sun). If a person or a bird were to look up at the sun for a while, the eyes would get injured.

 

Of course, if your bird area has a decent amount of indoor regular lighting around the cage and room, no avian lighting is necessary. Thousands of people have birds with no avian lights near or on the cage and no problems occur.

 

Thanks for chiming in. Well then maybe I'll just keep the light I have. It's not really super bright in my apartment....so I think he does need something but maybe that light is overkill. Just trying to do my best to give him everything he should have.

[danmcq]

In addition to what others have said, look up the Specifications to the Light. I use the Avian Sun 5.0 and the initial distance is 18" until the 30 day burn in time is over as it outputs a little too much power. Once the burn in stage is done the distance is 12" to the top of head they are standing on the perch and position they normally perch on most the time. Of course as others have said, it should be pointing down from above.