Compact florescent uvb light

Is this okay to use aside from the normal linear fluorescent uvb? I noticed reptisun 5.0 has a linear and CFL. I was wondering aside from the manufacturing, and obviously the shape, what difference would it make to my chameleon. or would this both act equally?

Linear gives you more area coverage, while compact is more focused. The linear are usually higher in wattage also. The compact would okay on something like a 16"x16"x20" cage or similar. The linear would used for 16"x16"x30" and larger. You need a lot of wattage to reach a cage bottom above 30". I have used the compact succesfully on the 20" cages with no issues. But you can stretch a linear across several cages, getting more light with less electricity. I use them for emergencies and when I bring cages inside for a storm. Depends on your purpose and preferences, i suppose.

Thank you for the excellent reply! Ill only be using it on one cage, so i guess 1 compact is good enough for a 24x24x48cage?

dman said:

Is this okay to use aside from the normal linear fluorescent uvb? I noticed reptisun 5.0 has a linear and CFL. I was wondering aside from the manufacturing, and obviously the shape, what difference would it make to my chameleon. or would this both act equally?

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Ive used them, even on larger cages.
some brands are better than others (especially older ones - some had issues), and there is some concern that the internal coating can crack on the twists which over time might be a concern.
I prefer the tubes for the coverage but I wouldn't hesitate to use a CFL if that's what I had on hand.

i was planning on getting the tubes, but them, the shipper told me, theres a big risk of it breaking rather than the CFL. So i suppose i will just end up using CFLs thanks for the info guys!

Keep watching amazon, especially if you are a prime member. Every so often, you can get free shipping and the bulbs for like $13.?? each. I order like as many as they have in stock at the time. It beats paying $23-28 for each. Plus if one arrives broken, just send it back.