all you knowledgable of full spectrum light

[Jackie C]

Interesting. I recently put reptisun (sp?) lights on all my cages except 1 and I have noticed markedly improved health in one of my birds that had trouble metabolizing calcium no matter what kind of supplements I use. This bird has actually fainted and had seizures because of low calcium, even though I was giving her supplements perscribed by the vet and she occasionally got shots. These may not be the best lights, but I do see improvement, and she hasn't needed a vet visit since the light was installed.

My one cage that doesn't have a light sits by a window. I've read that light filtered through glass isn't good enough, but from what I'm reading here, full spectrum light isn't good enough either. Would it be worthwhile to put a light on this cage?

[jimpierce7]

hey.......I'm not taking down my lights, birds love 'em!

[MaryG1959]

We have a grocery store here called Wegman's....they have a holistic area and carry full spectrum bulbs. I buy the $6 light set ups (that clamp on from Home depot) and I'm all set.

I even feel better with more sunshine, why wouldn't they?

[BrookR1]

A ton of research on lighting is available if you check out some of the reefkeeping web sites like reefcentral.com. Lots of articles and analyses of different kinds of lighting (PAR values, Kelvin values, bulb types, comparisons with natural sunlight, etc.). There are lots of lighting options available for aquarium keepers...compact flourescent lights, VHO (very high output) lights, T-5s, and metal halides. These lamps are all used to grow coral under several inches/feet of water and they do a terrific job.

Joel and I brushed over this briefly and I didn't have the time or energy to engage him. I know that there isn't much available as far as lighting and bird health. That would require a lot of experimenting. However, through unscientific observations and reading articles for my reef tanks, I've watched the growth rates of several different kinds of corals using several different kinds of illumination methods. Joel argued that corals and birds were not the same. However, they do grow and benefit from the same lighting source...the sun.

Coral health is drastically dependent on the sun, while with birds, it's almost impossible to detect from day to day because they grow to a certain size and then stop. Unlike coral, where they grow huge and it's possible to track their growth rates over shorter periods of time (months). Without writing an entire article, my observations are this: nothing beats natural sunlight. Even when filtered through glass (like an aquarium), it's still very effective when growing corals.

The next best lighting type is metal halide. While I think it's cost prohibitive to hang and run a 400 watt metal halide over your cage, I think a small 70 watt metal halide (5500-10,000K) could be very benificial for a bird...placed in an area of the cage where the bird is allowed to hop in and out of the light at will. A good setup, however, will cost $200+.

The next best type is T-5. These are a new technology, so there isn't a ton of information available on them. They are much better than flourescent lighting and it's debatable as to whether they are as good as metal halides. You can buy single disposable strip light with an included ballast for $20-$40.

Compact flourescent lights/VHO lights are the next best. They are capable of growing low to medium light corals only. These types of lights are the most commonly available in the aquarium industry and prices on these types of lights vary widely depending on how many watts you want to put over your tank.

Flourescents...regular old lights are used for fish only systems (without any photosynthetic animals). They are used to just illuminate the tank and are very cheap.

I think this info has lots of potential. Maybe I'll experiment with a stick on T-5 and see how my bird reacts to it. For articles on spectral analysis, check out www.reefcentral.com and do a search in ReefKeeping online magazine.

[Joel]

Brook.........Again I am no expert by any means on lighting but it stands to reason that we would not want to use aquarium lights that were researched & designed for the needs of coral & fish........If I am going to use anything for my birds and I would advise others to do same - go with the research at least that says specific lights for birds should be used for maximum effect & benefit.

Some more stuff from my notes: The true full spectrum tube offers a balanced spectrum for our birds with gaps between the triphosor peaks being filled in with light emitted from a halo phosphate mixture. In addition, UV emitting phosphors have been added to these lights which account for some 15% of the tube's output. This is split into 12% UVA & 2.4% UVB.....

The overall color of the tube's light output should be close to that of natural sunlight which is 5,500K. For birds, a color temp. higher than 5,800 is not suitable. For one reason, over loading the blue spectrum produces primarily female offspring. Full spectrum light should also produce accurate color rendition which changes after it passes thru water to certain areas of the ocean floor & onto rocks etc....where the corals are growing etc.....

Without a BALANCED source of light, the oculoendocrine cycle (light to the pituitary & pineal gland) is affected. This affects every aspect of a bird's life. Skewed lighting can result in agitation, picking behaviors, weakness, breeding problems & metabolic disorders....

That is just some of what the studies have shown. I for the life of me do not not understand why bird keepers seem to want to ignore these studies and go with cheap or even sometimes expensive, YET ineffective (according to the research) bulbs and tubes and even burn them in fixtures with magnetic ballasts or etc..... I have no stock in the companies that make these lights for our birds and I am not associated with the scientists or whomever has done all these studies but I choose to go with the results or said results of same. IMO, it is safer & makes more sense (to whatever degree) than using lights designed for aquariums, plants, reptiles and humans?

Originally Posted by BrookR1

".......Joel and I brushed over this briefly and I didn't have the time or energy to engage him. I know that there isn't much available as far as lighting and bird health. That would require a lot of experimenting. However, through unscientific observations and reading articles for my reef tanks, I've watched the growth rates of several different kinds of corals using several different kinds of illumination methods. Joel argued that corals and birds were not the same. However, they do grow and benefit from the same lighting source...the sun.............."

[BrookR1]

If you read a few of the articles, you'll find that whole purpose of aquarium lighting is to duplicate (as closely as possible) the intensity and spectral properties of the sun...the same sun used by birds. I've read articles in bird magazines about how full spectrum lighting is only effective on birds that are within 12" of the birds for 8 hours per day. Using a stronger light, like MH, could increase this distance and possibly reduce the lighting duration.

Ballasts are only a portion of the entire system which also includes the bulb(s) and reflectors. An improper ballast matched to a system will still run the bulb, but may reduce the bulb life by a few months if it's overdriven. I have not seen any discernable difference between using a magnetic vs. an electronic ballast other than faster startups.

BTW...coral reefs are exposed to several hours of direct sunlight at a time because of high/low tides.

This is an interesting possibility for bird owners that should definitely be explored more because as it stands, there is definitely a lack of information and the equipment available to bird owners seems to be questionable at best.

[FeathersNFur8]

Without a BALANCED source of light, the oculoendocrine cycle (light to the pituitary & pineal gland) is affected. This affects every aspect of a bird's life. Skewed lighting can result in agitation, picking behaviors, weakness, breeding problems & metabolic disorders....

Joel, would you please elaborate... what are you referring to when you say BALANCED AND SKEWED LIGHTING? Thanks
(I use 98 CRI, Phillips, electronic ballast)

[Joel]

Brook....I don't know for a fact if some company is currently producing "true F.S. Lighting" (the exact type needed by indoor birds) for Aquariums and coral. If that is true and all the "ingredients" to produce same (whatever they put in F.S. tubes for birds) are in those aquarium lights, then I have no argument with you on that. :) ...I had read in the past somewhere, actually in a couple different places that aquatic lights were engineered to produce a different arrangement of the spectrum because after natural sunlight passes thru the water, before it reaches the corals & fish, it is changed somewhat? (OR sumpin lik dat)....... Do you know the CRI # and the K value by chance - of those Aquarium lights that you feel are adequate to use for birds.

One of the main benefits in using an electronic ballast instead of a magnetic one is the reduction in the amount of flicker caused by the magnetic ballast (that the human eye cannot pick up) but the bird's eye can (again so I have read that the studies show). Correct me if I have that wrong.

Karen......... I use the same tubes as you I believe - Phillips F32T8TL950's ? Run by an electronic ballast also, in fixtures with downward reflectors and I have them on timers.......

"Skewed & Balanced" aren't my own original words but the ones I had copied here in my notes - taken from what I have read in articles on the subject.......my understanding in using them is this: skewed I understand to mean "distorted" (distorted from the full spectrum that the birds need). By balanced, I understand that term to mean the proper ratio of the colors produced - however they engineer what goes into the tubes to produce what the birds see........... I basically buy what I believe the research shows & now will continue to buy the same tubes from the way I see my birds reacting - the proof is in the puddin. ;) ...Heck I "ain't" no scientist. LOL

Here is an article (2 page) on an interesting study done by researches at Ohio State University - I hope they weren't "paid off" to fudge the results. :)

Originally Posted by BrookR1

If you read a few of the articles, you'll find that whole purpose of aquarium lighting is to duplicate (as closely as possible) the intensity and spectral properties of the sun...the same sun used by birds. I've read articles in bird magazines about how full spectrum lighting is only effective on birds that are within 12" of the birds for 8 hours per day. Using a stronger light, like MH, could increase this distance and possibly reduce the lighting duration.

Ballasts are only a portion of the entire system which also includes the bulb(s) and reflectors. An improper ballast matched to a system will still run the bulb, but may reduce the bulb life by a few months if it's overdriven. I have not seen any discernable difference between using a magnetic vs. an electronic ballast other than faster startups.

BTW...coral reefs are exposed to several hours of direct sunlight at a time because of high/low tides.

This is an interesting possibility for bird owners that should definitely be explored more because as it stands, there is definitely a lack of information and the equipment available to bird owners seems to be questionable at best.

[Joel]

Oops, forgot to include these 2 pages in last post. :)

[FeathersNFur8]

Joel, thanks for posting that. It was very helpful. Interesting to know about using acrylic. I would think that would be helpful for aviaries.