For indoor chameleons, how often do you replace your uvb lighting?

i change evrey 5 months. tho i have only needed to do this once i figure that if i subtract a month of of the companies recomondaiton i would make up for marketing scemes.

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Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.
-- Yoda

My experience has been that Zoomed flourescent tube UVB lights always exceed the 6 month recommendation. I regularly check my lights with a UVB meter and it confirms that this manufacturers lights often last up to 9 months.

If your light is failing to produce UVB , you should notice your cham spending a lot more time under the fixture as it tries to absorb as much of the diminished UVB radiation as possible.

thanks for the info. i just wanted to make shure i was on the safe side i will uses them for 6 months or until i get a meterfrom now on.

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Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.
-- Yoda

I use a UVB meter to monitor the intensity of my bulbs and i always have at least 2 spare bulbs just in case. The older the bulbs get the more frequently I check the UVB meter.

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To Junn and others who have already purchased a UVB Meter,

What brand did you purchase and price that you paid.

Thanks,
Christine

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Me and my Veil writing to you from South OC, CA

http://www.solarmeter.com/model62.html

Thanks Cham Man for a recommended UV Meter.
I have to admit that I was shocked at the cost but if that is the going price....I think I will pass siimply on the cost and just make sure to change his UV florescent tube light at least within a year's time.(I have the Zoo Med 10.0).
Since I live in Southern CA, we're fortunate to pretty much have sun light and warm temps year round so I make it a point to transfer my C. into a smaller screen cage so that he can be outdoors and benefit from real sunlight for at least several hours a day.

Christine

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Me and my Veil writing to you from South OC, CA

Yup thats the one I use also. I got mine here the same time I purchased the mega ray low UVB kit. http://www.reptileuv.com/solartech-s...-model-6.2.php

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it is my experience that the longer flouro tubes do not last as long as the shorter 24 inch in uvb comparison although both surpass the 6 month mark by a long shot, but I don't use mine all day every day either my lights get turned off when my chams go outside....but its my experience that the tubes have good shelf life

also just a piece of wisdom to any newer owners....I use to set my tubes directly on top of my cages with no barrier and this decreases the lifetime....in normal applications you could use the tube protectors but because those diminish a lot of the positive qualities of your spectrum and thats not what we seek for our chameleons, the best choice is to suspend them at least an inch and a half off the top of your cage using which ever wire you'd like to from home depot....thicket wire has a more attractive look in my opinion and I also use diamond plated shoplights because I like the "bling" of it Its very attractive because I display my cage like art work