Quote Originally Posted by Julia View Post
With all that said and explained about UV lighting...none of the UV rays will go through the plexi glass! Lol!
Of course. Its why its recommended for all reptile to use lids with wires rather than glass. Also make sure its not mesh. Because very fine mesh(small small small holes) will block out the rays by half(or so this site stated which I believe because this place is rated top notch)

I found my source of uv lighting statement at "tortoisetrust.org". Because yes its a site dedicated for tortoises. But the same article can apply to different reptiles and amphibians.

As for mercury vapor I think they should be alright as long as their placed say.... 11-12inches away from the receipient animal. It also produces heat. Though for amphibians I prefer full spectrum lighting. As for reptiles that require maximum uvb/uva lighting Id say thats what the mercury vapor lighting is for. Though this is entirely out of speculations based on what I had read. So its an opinion I guess.