Regular CFL= UV bulb?

All fluorescent bulbs emit UV, and many people do use regular bulbs as a UV source quite successfully. Incandescent basking bulbs are strictly for heat and maybe visible lighting, but generate little in the way of UV.

It would really depend on the UV requirements of the animal. Snakes require no UV, some turtles and lizards require large doses. As long as it isn't generating excessive heat, and the animal has places to escape the light for comfort/security, as big as you can run won't hurt.

I use 13-26 watt CPF on some of my smaller Exo Terra tanks.

There are so many different types of UV it makes my head spin
UV-A, UV-B, UV- ???. I never remember which is for what. Even blacklights emit a UV and that supposedly isn't good for lifeforms. Someone please expalin....................ty.

Regular household lighting fluorescent lamps produce 99% visible light and a very small amount of UVA in the near visible wavelengths. This is NOT the same as the UVB required for vitamin D synthesis used in a reptile lamp. Reptile UVB lamps produce about 10-30% of their light output in the nonvisible upper range UVB and UVA wavelengths. This requires special phosphors not used in a household lamp.

Household CFL's are fine to use for general illumination of a reptile habitat but they are not a UVB source.

Andy

Blacklights emit UVA and UVB which causes fluorescence in certain chemicals. UV light is high energy and hard on the eyes. It also causes the skin to darken and is responsible for causing sunburn. However UVB does cause the body to produce Vitamin D which is not found in plants and is necessary for life.

Reptiles that are carnivores do not need UVB light as they get the vitamin D from the foods they eat. Herbivorous and omnivorous reptiles do not get vitamin D from their diet and need UVB light to synthesize it.

Andy

Yes. Reptile lamps, like all lamps, follow ANSI and IEC dimensional and electrical standards and will fit in regular fixtures designed for that kind of lamp.