Sun Lamp?

[Mindy]

It's so dreary here in Michigan right now I'm thinking about getting "sun" lamps. Do you use them? If so have you noticed any benefit?

Thanks!!

 

[MooshieBird]

I use these Reptiglow 10.0 and this Zoo Med Avian Sun 5.0 for Mushka on the recommendation of my vet. I have no idea if they make a difference because I have used them ever since I got her. I do know she really misses the outside. I live on the gulf coast so we do get some warm snaps I can take her out for unlike all you poor northerners. Also my vet suggested that since African Grey's have calcium issues I give her 1/4 of a TUMS every other day. Not sure about your amazon though.

 

[Mindy]

What type of fixtures do you use? How far from the cage? I love the tums idea! I'm always trying to get calcium in his little beak : )

 

[SailBoat]

Save your money and spend it on something fun for your Parrot!

Go to your Big Box Store and by LED 'day light' series bulbs. Place them in any light fixture that you currently have a standard light bulb. NOTE: All standard rules apply; do not use a bulb rated higher than the light fixture is designed.

- 'Day Light' Series provides a light that is near to that of natural sunlight 'at noon.'
- Do not place the bulb near your Parrot or yourself without a shade or cover over the bulb.
- Reduce the amount of lights-on as evening begins.
- Over exposure to 'Day Light' Series bulbs will mess with both Parrot and Human Awake /Sleep cycles.
- There is no difference between the overly expense 'special' lights and fixtures and the simple LED's available at near any store that sells Light Bulbs. Well there is one difference - They Are Stealing Your Money!!!

Save your money! That way you can buy things that allows you to enjoy Winter in Michigan!

 

[MooshieBird]

What type of fixtures do you use? How far from the cage? I love the tums idea! I'm always trying to get calcium in his little beak : )

I attach this:

About a foot and a half from her cage, for a couple of hours a day. You can find those at pet stores, but get it from an auto shop, they are cheaper and of better quality there. I have the tube bulb about 2 feet above her cage but really don't use it anymore because she only sleeps in the cage.

Edit:
Pay attention to Sailboat. He knows way more than me.

 

[SailBoat]

What type of fixtures do you use? How far from the cage? I love the tums idea! I'm always trying to get calcium in his little beak : )

I attach this:

About a foot and a half from her cage, for a couple of hours a day. You can find those at pet stores, but get it from an auto shop, they are cheaper and of better quality there. I have the tube bulb about 2 feet above her cage but really don't use it anymore because she only sleeps in the cage.

Take that fixture, turn it off! Place it the same distance from your Parrot in from of you face. With your eyes open, turn it on and than turn it off. If you see spots, it is way to close to your Parrot.

 

[MonicaMc]

The Zoo Med Avian bulbs are, quite literally, rebranded reptile bulbs.

People have accidentally hurt their own birds using that product because these bulbs have a "burn in" period. If you don't keep the bulb a long distance away from the bird, you can cause "sunburn" to your birds eyes or even skin.


One person purchased one of those reptile bulbs with heat emitter for their plucking galah. The poor bird got 3rd degree burns...



You are better off going with the Featherbrite bulbs or just using "full spectrum" lighting, honestly.

 

[Mindy]

Save your money and spend it on something fun for your Parrot!

Go to your Big Box Store and by LED 'day light' series bulbs. Place them in any light fixture that you currently have a standard light bulb. NOTE: All standard rules apply; do not use a bulb rated higher than the light fixture is designed.

- 'Day Light' Series provides a light that is near to that of natural sunlight 'at noon.'
- Do not place the bulb near your Parrot or yourself without a shade or cover over the bulb.
- Reduce the amount of lights-on as evening begins.
- Over exposure to 'Day Light' Series bulbs will mess with both Parrot and Human Awake /Sleep cycles.
- There is no difference between the overly expense 'special' lights and fixtures and the simple LED's available at near any store that sells Light Bulbs. Well there is one difference - They Are Stealing Your Money!!!

Save your money! That way you can buy things that allows you to enjoy Winter in Michigan!

Will do, thanks! Buy something to enjoy winter......plane ticket south??

 

[Tami2]

Save your money and spend it on something fun for your Parrot!

Go to your Big Box Store and by LED 'day light' series bulbs. Place them in any light fixture that you currently have a standard light bulb. NOTE: All standard rules apply; do not use a bulb rated higher than the light fixture is designed.

- 'Day Light' Series provides a light that is near to that of natural sunlight 'at noon.'
- Do not place the bulb near your Parrot or yourself without a shade or cover over the bulb.
- Reduce the amount of lights-on as evening begins.
- Over exposure to 'Day Light' Series bulbs will mess with both Parrot and Human Awake /Sleep cycles.
- There is no difference between the overly expense 'special' lights and fixtures and the simple LED's available at near any store that sells Light Bulbs. Well there is one difference - They Are Stealing Your Money!!!

Save your money! That way you can buy things that allows you to enjoy Winter in Michigan!

Hi SailBoat,

Thank you for this thorough explanation. However, you didn’t mention the wattage? So, does this mean watts do not matter? 50, 100, 150?

Thank you.

 

[Kiwibird]

Please do NOT use reptile sunlamps for parrots. Use ones made for birds. We use a featherbrite bulb for our parrot. Not sure if it lives up to it's claims of exactly mimicking sunlight, but I do know our bird perks up when it's on and seems to enjoy it. We only leave his on a couple hours a day and don't use it much in the summer when it's warm outside and the real sun is available for him to enjoy.

 

[Teddscau]

This is what Teddscau uses: Arcadia Parrot Pro UV Flood - ReptilesRuS

The Arcadia bulbs are supposed to be the best UV lights. Their UVA and UVB output (or whatever the term is) is far more appropriate for birds than what other brands' bulbs...radiate? I don't know, I'm up early, so my brain isn't working properly quite yet.

 

[SailBoat]

Save your money and spend it on something fun for your Parrot!

Go to your Big Box Store and by LED 'day light' series bulbs. Place them in any light fixture that you currently have a standard light bulb. NOTE: All standard rules apply; do not use a bulb rated higher than the light fixture is designed.

- 'Day Light' Series provides a light that is near to that of natural sunlight 'at noon.'
- Do not place the bulb near your Parrot or yourself without a shade or cover over the bulb.
- Reduce the amount of lights-on as evening begins.
- Over exposure to 'Day Light' Series bulbs will mess with both Parrot and Human Awake /Sleep cycles.
- There is no difference between the overly expense 'special' lights and fixtures and the simple LED's available at near any store that sells Light Bulbs. Well there is one difference - They Are Stealing Your Money!!!

Save your money! That way you can buy things that allows you to enjoy Winter in Michigan!

Hi SailBoat,

Thank you for this thorough explanation. However, you didn’t mention the wattage? So, does this mean watts do not matter? 50, 100, 150?

Thank you.

Wattage is a measurement of energy used /required. At one point, there was a connection between the Wattage to provide a specific amount of light and the electricity need to produce it! With reduced energy bulbs this has changed greatly. Today, on these reduced energy bulbs, Wattage is used to compare a new technology light bulb to the amount of light that the old technology provided.

Light fixtures are rated as to the maximum 'wattage bulb' that can safely be used in that fixture. Using a light bulb with a high wattage can result in a Fire! Never use any technology bulb greater than specified on the Fixture.

So, a 60 Watt rated bulb provides approximately the same amount of light as any other 60 Watt bulb in that 'color range.' Comparing a 60 Watt 'Soft Light' with a 60 Watt 'Day-Light' bulb is not a proper comparison as the Day-Light bulb is brighter.

FYI: If you have 'Spot Light' style standard light bulbs, it is very cost-effective to switch to LED series spot light bulbs as they are far more cost effective.

Pay very close attention to estimated life on LED Light Bulbs when comparing them. I have seen much lower costs on LED bulbs and with a closer look, they are cheaper because they had 'greatly' reduced the life of the bulb! LED's pay for themselves with reduced energy over much longer time (usage). So, always compare the stated life between different priced LED light bulbs.

 

[SailBoat]

This is what Teddscau uses: Arcadia Parrot Pro UV Flood - ReptilesRuS

The Arcadia bulbs are supposed to be the best UV lights. Their UVA and UVB output (or whatever the term is) is far more appropriate for birds than what other brands' bulbs...radiate? I don't know, I'm up early, so my brain isn't working properly quite yet.

Not being mean here, but can you explain just how a common light bulb produces UV Light Wave. At present, I am only aware of a tinting process that provides a color 'like' one would see outside, at noon, on a bright sunny day.

Understand that tanning beds are very different and without great care can Blind and seriously Burn!

 

[Tami2]

Save your money and spend it on something fun for your Parrot!

Go to your Big Box Store and by LED 'day light' series bulbs. Place them in any light fixture that you currently have a standard light bulb. NOTE: All standard rules apply; do not use a bulb rated higher than the light fixture is designed.

- 'Day Light' Series provides a light that is near to that of natural sunlight 'at noon.'
- Do not place the bulb near your Parrot or yourself without a shade or cover over the bulb.
- Reduce the amount of lights-on as evening begins.
- Over exposure to 'Day Light' Series bulbs will mess with both Parrot and Human Awake /Sleep cycles.
- There is no difference between the overly expense 'special' lights and fixtures and the simple LED's available at near any store that sells Light Bulbs. Well there is one difference - They Are Stealing Your Money!!!

Save your money! That way you can buy things that allows you to enjoy Winter in Michigan!

Hi SailBoat,

Thank you for this thorough explanation. However, you didn’t mention the wattage? So, does this mean watts do not matter? 50, 100, 150?

Thank you.

Wattage is a measurement of energy used /required. At one point, there was a connection between the Wattage to provide a specific amount of light and the electricity need to produce it! With reduced energy bulbs this has changed greatly. Today, on these reduced energy bulbs, Wattage is used to compare a new technology light bulb to the amount of light that the old technology provided.

Light fixtures are rated as to the maximum 'wattage bulb' that can safely be used in that fixture. Using a light bulb with a high wattage can result in a Fire! Never use any technology bulb greater than specified on the Fixture.

So, a 60 Watt rated bulb provides approximately the same amount of light as any other 60 Watt bulb in that 'color range.' Comparing a 60 Watt 'Soft Light' with a 60 Watt 'Day-Light' bulb is not a proper comparison as the Day-Light bulb is brighter.

FYI: If you have 'Spot Light' style standard light bulbs, it is very cost-effective to switch to LED series spot light bulbs as they are far more cost effective.

Pay very close attention to estimated life on LED Light Bulbs when comparing them. I have seen much lower costs on LED bulbs and with a closer look, they are cheaper because they had 'greatly' reduced the life of the bulb! LED's pay for themselves with reduced energy over much longer time (usage). So, always compare the stated life between different priced LED light bulbs.

Thank you so much SailBoat. :heart:

 

[Teddscau]

This is what Teddscau uses: Arcadia Parrot Pro UV Flood - ReptilesRuS

The Arcadia bulbs are supposed to be the best UV lights. Their UVA and UVB output (or whatever the term is) is far more appropriate for birds than what other brands' bulbs...radiate? I don't know, I'm up early, so my brain isn't working properly quite yet.

Not being mean here, but can you explain just how a common light bulb produces UV Light Wave. At present, I am only aware of a tinting process that provides a color 'like' one would see outside, at noon, on a bright sunny day.

Understand that tanning beds are very different and without great care can Blind and seriously Burn!

You don't know about UV bulbs? I don't know exactly how they work, but they do emit ultraviolet waves. For example, you've got UV filters for water (pools, drinking water, fish tanks, etc.) that house an ultraviolet bulb inside them, killing germs and other pathogens as they pass through the filter. We've got one for our well so we don't end up with E. coli or whatever. Not to mention there's plenty of sterilization systems which use UV technology to sterilize stuff.

Okay, just did a quick search, and apparently the bulbs emit UV rays by...well, here: How does a UV Lamp work? - Southern Lamps, Inc.

X-rays, visible light, microwaves, radio waves, ultraviolet, gamma, infrared...they're all just different wavelengths and frequencies on the electromagnetic spectrum. In the same way we can use technology to create infrared lamps, microwaves, and X-rays, to name a few, we can also use technology to create ultraviolet light.

UV lights aren't your average lightbulbs. The run of the mill lightbulb can't create UV. UV bulbs are specially designed to produce ultraviolet light by emitting energy at the appropriate wavelength and frequency.

UV bulbs and fixtures are a staple in reptile, amphibian, fish, and coral husbandry, and it's now gaining popularity in the avicultural world. I'm unable to bring my birds outside since it would involve trapping them in a cage, hauling said cage up the stairs, and then placing it outside on a calm warm day. So, to make the best out of a less than ideal situation, I provide my birds with both regular lighting and ultraviolet light. The UV bulbs (assuming you get the proper bulbs since there's a lot of complicated technical jargon concerning...confusing stuff) allow my birds to see in the UV range and have a richer colour experience thanks to the UVA emitted from the lights, and the UVB emitted converts the oils on their feathers into vitamin D (or maybe it's a precursor to vitamin D?) for them to ingest. Obviously, you don't want to be using reptile UV bulbs for birds since the UV emitted can lead to injury (a lot of reptile bulbs have a really high UVB output since many reptiles live in the desert where the sun is constantly beating down and reflecting back up off the ground).

The whole UV thing is confusing. However, many avian vets recommend UV bulbs with an appropriate output to be used in captive birds who don't have the opportunity to go outside very often. It should be noted that UV bulbs often can't be put into any old fixture. You have to make sure the fixture is compatible with UV bulbs, or else you're wasting your money. That's why I can only get the puny Arcadia Flood-Pro instead of their 4' T-8s. I'd love to have huge bulbs like that, but the wattage required...they don't make fixtures for that wattage. If you were to put those bulbs in a typical 4' T-8 fixture, they'd explode. Freaking stupid that they make bulbs with a wattage requirement that DOESN'T EXIST.

On a side note, you have to keep an eye on your birds when using an ultraviolet light (or taking them outside to soak up UV direct from the sun). Exposure to UV can make them hormonal, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't use it. Many animals have markings that are only visible when exposed to ultraviolet light. The same goes for plants. Plants use ultraviolet displays to attract pollinators and encourage animals to eat their fruit to disperse their seeds. There's a whole world out there that humans were never meant to experience.

 

[Mindy]

http://www.parrotforums.com/members/mindy-albums-new-light-picture19004-img-0343.jpg

If this link works is what I got, a simple hanging cord, a daylight 65 bulb, and a clear bulb cover so Chicky can't fly onto the bulb and it doesn't spotlight. It's pretty high up near the ceiling, about 3 feet from the highest point on the cages. I plugged it into a timer to run from 10 to 3 for a start.

Any changes I should make?

 

[Mindy]

This is what Teddscau uses: Arcadia Parrot Pro UV Flood - ReptilesRuS

The Arcadia bulbs are supposed to be the best UV lights. Their UVA and UVB output (or whatever the term is) is far more appropriate for birds than what other brands' bulbs...radiate? I don't know, I'm up early, so my brain isn't working properly quite yet.

Not being mean here, but can you explain just how a common light bulb produces UV Light Wave. At present, I am only aware of a tinting process that provides a color 'like' one would see outside, at noon, on a bright sunny day.

Understand that tanning beds are very different and without great care can Blind and seriously Burn!

You don't know about UV bulbs? I don't know exactly how they work, but they do emit ultraviolet waves. For example, you've got UV filters for water (pools, drinking water, fish tanks, etc.) that house an ultraviolet bulb inside them, killing germs and other pathogens as they pass through the filter. We've got one for our well so we don't end up with E. coli or whatever. Not to mention there's plenty of sterilization systems which use UV technology to sterilize stuff.

Okay, just did a quick search, and apparently the bulbs emit UV rays by...well, here: How does a UV Lamp work? - Southern Lamps, Inc.

X-rays, visible light, microwaves, radio waves, ultraviolet, gamma, infrared...they're all just different wavelengths and frequencies on the electromagnetic spectrum. In the same way we can use technology to create infrared lamps, microwaves, and X-rays, to name a few, we can also use technology to create ultraviolet light.

UV lights aren't your average lightbulbs. The run of the mill lightbulb can't create UV. UV bulbs are specially designed to produce ultraviolet light by emitting energy at the appropriate wavelength and frequency.

UV bulbs and fixtures are a staple in reptile, amphibian, fish, and coral husbandry, and it's now gaining popularity in the avicultural world. I'm unable to bring my birds outside since it would involve trapping them in a cage, hauling said cage up the stairs, and then placing it outside on a calm warm day. So, to make the best out of a less than ideal situation, I provide my birds with both regular lighting and ultraviolet light. The UV bulbs (assuming you get the proper bulbs since there's a lot of complicated technical jargon concerning...confusing stuff) allow my birds to see in the UV range and have a richer colour experience thanks to the UVA emitted from the lights, and the UVB emitted converts the oils on their feathers into vitamin D (or maybe it's a precursor to vitamin D?) for them to ingest. Obviously, you don't want to be using reptile UV bulbs for birds since the UV emitted can lead to injury (a lot of reptile bulbs have a really high UVB output since many reptiles live in the desert where the sun is constantly beating down and reflecting back up off the ground).

The whole UV thing is confusing. However, many avian vets recommend UV bulbs with an appropriate output to be used in captive birds who don't have the opportunity to go outside very often. It should be noted that UV bulbs often can't be put into any old fixture. You have to make sure the fixture is compatible with UV bulbs, or else you're wasting your money. That's why I can only get the puny Arcadia Flood-Pro instead of their 4' T-8s. I'd love to have huge bulbs like that, but the wattage required...they don't make fixtures for that wattage. If you were to put those bulbs in a typical 4' T-8 fixture, they'd explode. Freaking stupid that they make bulbs with a wattage requirement that DOESN'T EXIST.

On a side note, you have to keep an eye on your birds when using an ultraviolet light (or taking them outside to soak up UV direct from the sun). Exposure to UV can make them hormonal, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't use it. Many animals have markings that are only visible when exposed to ultraviolet light. The same goes for plants. Plants use ultraviolet displays to attract pollinators and encourage animals to eat their fruit to disperse their seeds. There's a whole world out there that humans were never meant to experience.

I do have the red/blue led for plants, I've wondered if they would be helpful/harmful/indifferent. Have you come across anything on them?

 

[Teddscau]

Hmm, it really depends on the colour, wavelength, etc. I know that such lights (or similar lights) are used with insects and arachnids, but I question their usefulness with birds. I think blue LED is used for Seasonal Affective Disorder, right?

 

[Mindy]

Hmm, it really depends on the colour, wavelength, etc. I know that such lights (or similar lights) are used with insects and arachnids, but I question their usefulness with birds. I think blue LED is used for Seasonal Affective Disorder, right?

I'm not sure, they have to option to have red or blue or both on. I originally got this type of light for my venus fly and bought more for my house plants, which died...

 

[itzjbean]

I finally pulled the trigger and got my birds some lighting last year. It wasn't necessarily that they needed 'sunlight' or whatever but my house is SO dark and they literally needed some legit light. They are by a window but there are by no other lamps or lighting so I had to get them something.

I bought them this:

- 8.5 inch clamp light

- Zoo Med Avian Sun 5.0 UVB Fluorescent Lamp, 26w

I hung it over their cage as per the bulb instructions. It goes on when I get ready for work (around 6:45am) and I turn it off when I return from work around 5pm, so they get roughly 11-12 hours of (day)light a day, year-round. They've had it now about a year and they are well-adjusted to it. I have had no issues with it as of yet and will continue to use it for my birds.