I wondered if some other lights out there might be efficient enough for D3 production in reptiles.
I've heard many people complaining about the lifespan of some bulbs sold for use with reptiles... Would any of the following bulbs be useful, as they have a fairly decent lifespan, say a good 10 - 14 months, before the spectrum gets drastically altered.
these bulbs are easily obtainable in 70w - 400w from places like builders and electrical stores, and the price is not to bad, initial setup is expensive though, but maintenance cheap.
Mercury vapour - Cr@p for plant growth, but apparently emits a decent amount of uvb.
High pressure sodium - Good/great for plant growth, fair amount UV, but most is absorbed by the outer bulb.
Metal Halide - Good/great for plant growth, more uv than high pressure sodium.
All these lights emit a decent amount of heat, and with a 70w you can feel a good amount of heat on the top of your hand held +- 15 - 20 cm beneath the light.
But i have no idea if it would be sufficient for reptiles. Whats your educated guesses on this? I've searched the net in vain with little to no answers. I recon it would work great with well-planted vivariums (the reason I'm interested in this), as the HPS and MH lights have deep-light-penetration, unlike fluorescent tubes, and most plants even flower under them, but how would it affect the reptiles in such a setup?