Reptibreeze LED - Good or just a gimmick?

[Rayzilla]

I only learned about this deluxe model today. I haven't seen it in any of the local shops yet.

ZooMed has a deluxe model of their Reptibreeze cages. It only comes in the medium and XL size. You could turn on LED lights so that only the white lights up, only the red lights up, or both the red and white lights light up. It also includes the substrate tray. I think that is the only difference to the original model but I'm not 100% sure about that.

Is the red light fine for the chams? I think it is only for aesthetic purposes but I'm not sure if it is appropriate for chams. What are your thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[SocialNumb]

I don't know anything about it other than I think the clear acrylic door panel is cool.

 

[Rayzilla]

I don't know anything about it other than I think the clear acrylic door panel is cool.

Oh yes, I totally forgot about the clear acrylic front.

I will have to check on the pricing of this at the local shops.

 

[Lathis]

You don't want the red lights for a cham. The white LEDs will provide more ambient light but do not replace the need to have a basking spot (LEDs produce almost no heat) and UVB.

 

[Rayzilla]

Ok. Thanks for that about the red light and chams. What is the reason for this?

I agree with you on the LED's not producing much heat. They are great for light fixtures here in the summer because of the hot and humid weather.

 

[Lathis]

Ok. Thanks for that about the red light and chams. What is the reason for this?

I agree with you on the LED's not producing much heat. They are great for light fixtures here in the summer because of the hot and humid weather.

Red light during the day isn't recommended because it's an unnatural light spectrum. I doubt there are many (if any) studies on light spectrum effects on reptiles, but light does have a known significant impact on the mood and health of mammals and humans. For that reason, I would want to mimic broad spectrum daylight as nearly as possibly for my day lighting.

At night, some keepers use red lights as a heat source because some reptiles don't see red light well. Chameleons and many other reptiles do have a special light sensing scale called a "parietal eye". In a cham, the parietal eye can see red light, and it will disrupt their sleeping patterns.

Chams are very temperature-tolerant for a significant drop at night (their health may even benefit from a nightly drop in temperature), so unless your house is getting into the 50s at night and lower, there is no need for night heat.

 

[Rayzilla]

...Chams are very temperature-tolerant for a significant drop at night (their health may even benefit from a nightly drop in temperature), so unless your house is getting into the 50s at night and lower, there is no need for night heat.

Thanks for the explanation on red light spectrum and chams.

I will have to monitor the night time temperatures in the winter months because one website I checked has the average low in January at 55. So there will be some nights where it will be in the low 50's. That being the case, I should have some kind of night heat available on standby.

Thanks!

 

[Lathis]

Thanks for the explanation on red light spectrum and chams. I will have to monitor the night time temperatures in the winter months because one website I checked has the average low in January at 55. So there will be some nights where it will be in the low 50's. That being the case, I should have some kind of night heat available on standby. Thanks!

Low of 55 inside your house? I would be very surprised if it got that cold inside, even if you don't heat during the winter due to a mild climate. Even if it got into the 60s inside, so long as your cham has a basking spot in the morning to warm up, he won't need night heat. In lieu of night heat for a place with a mild climate where it might occasionally dip too low, you could invest in a insulated thermal blanket (the kind with a foil lining that traps heat) and fashion it into a cage cover for the coldest nights.

https://www.amazon.com/Double-Therm...1469381015&sr=8-1&keywords=insulating+blanket

 

[Rayzilla]

Low of 55 inside your house? I would be very surprised if it got that cold inside, even if you don't heat during the winter due to a mild climate. Even if it got into the 60s inside, so long as your cham has a basking spot in the morning to warm up, he won't need night heat. In lieu of night heat for a place with a mild climate where it might occasionally dip too low, you could invest in a insulated thermal blanket (the kind with a foil lining that traps heat) and fashion it into a cage cover for the coldest nights.

https://www.amazon.com/Double-Therm...1469381015&sr=8-1&keywords=insulating+blanket

I love the winter months in Hong Kong outside of the home, but the problem is in the home. Unlike homes in North America, even though it is way colder in Toronto than Hong Kong, homes in Toronto are well insulated, double pained windows and sliding doors, central heating on automated thermostats, etc. but the homes (over 90% are apartment flats with market values equivalent to and many times greater than decent size family houses in North America) are all cement and plastered walls with no insulation whatsoever, single glass windows and sliding doors, no central heating or A/C, etc. So the cement walls actually act like a styrofoam box but only in the sense of keeping things cold in the winter. So there are many days where we will bundle up to go outside because it will feel cold in the home and then when we get outside, it is warmer than when we were in the home. lol.

Thanks for the suggestion on the insulated thermal blanket. I initially thought it had an electrical component to it for heating but it doesn't look like it does. Since chams are not warm blooded, would I need to add a little bit of heat into the cage area in order for the blanket to have its insulation effect? Or would I be putting it on shortly after the lights go out so that it traps and insulates the heat that was left from the lights?

 

[Lathis]

Thanks for the suggestion on the insulated thermal blanket. I initially thought it had an electrical component to it for heating but it doesn't look like it does. Since chams are not warm blooded, would I need to add a little bit of heat into the cage area in order for the blanket to have its insulation effect? Or would I be putting it on shortly after the lights go out so that it traps and insulates the heat that was left from the lights?

Ah, Hong Kong - I understand better now. You're correct - I was not thinking a heated blanket with power - just an insulating thermal blanket to hold some heat in over night. I would sew the blanket into a "box" to fit the cage and slide it over the cage right after lights out on the nights where it will be in the 50s. That should do fine for keeping cage temps in the safe zone. You could always get a ceramic heater with no light to provide night heat as well and only turn it on as needed - the blanket certainly isn't your only option, just an idea.

 

[Rayzilla]

Ah, Hong Kong - I understand better now. You're correct - I was not thinking a heated blanket with power - just an insulating thermal blanket to hold some heat in over night. I would sew the blanket into a "box" to fit the cage and slide it over the cage right after lights out on the nights where it will be in the 50s. That should do fine for keeping cage temps in the safe zone. You could always get a ceramic heater with no light to provide night heat as well and only turn it on as needed - the blanket certainly isn't your only option, just an idea.

Yes, I tend to mention that I live in Hong Kong if it is relevant to the question or topic but I slipped this time. A lot of the time, being in Hong Kong has an impact on the answers so I repeat that fact often (so I hope you guys don't get tired of me mentioning that I live in Hong Kong over and over).

Yes, your blanket suggestion is just one of different possible solutions but it is a good one and I like it. It will also give him the more darkness that will improve his sleep. It will also minimize interruptions/distractions to his sleep in the event of things like television being on beyond his bed time, people turning on lights in the room temporarily to find something, etc. So thanks for this suggestion and all of your other ideas.

 

[Crashbandit05]

I do not have the "deluxe reptibreeze kit" but I did order the LED/UVB 24" hood. The LEDs are great because they put out decent light (though not as bright as LYR from what I've seen) my live schefflera is growing like crazy and I like the fluorescent UVB tube because it gives a broader output of the beneficial UVB rather than the coil type bulbs.

 

[Rayzilla]

I do not have the "deluxe reptibreeze kit" but I did order the LED/UVB 24" hood. The LEDs are great because they put out decent light (though not as bright as LYR from what I've seen) my live schefflera is growing like crazy and I like the fluorescent UVB tube because it gives a broader output of the beneficial UVB rather than the coil type bulbs.

Does the hood have the ballast or whatever the part is called to operate the fluorescent UVB tube? Or does it only have the LED lights with the screen top?

I asked a few local shops if they can order the Reptibreeze XL LED model because none of them had it in stock. One said their supplier will let them know tomorrow or so, one said their supplier isn't getting it because there has been no demand for it and the third one will check with his supplier. It doesn't sound promising.

 

[Crashbandit05]

Yes, half of the hood is the LEDs and the other half houses the UVB bulb. It does the job but when I upgrade to his adult cage, I'd like to go with something from LYR.

 

[ZaydPulskamp]

I only learned about this deluxe model today. I haven't seen it in any of the local shops yet.

ZooMed has a deluxe model of their Reptibreeze cages. It only comes in the medium and XL size. You could turn on LED lights so that only the white lights up, only the red lights up, or both the red and white lights light up. It also includes the substrate tray. I think that is the only difference to the original model but I'm not 100% sure about that.

Is the red light fine for the chams? I think it is only for aesthetic purposes but I'm not sure if it is appropriate for chams. What are your thoughts?

Thanks.

Are there any locks for the reptibreeze cages?

 

[Rayzilla]

Yes, half of the hood is the LEDs and the other half houses the UVB bulb. It does the job but when I upgrade to his adult cage, I'd like to go with something from LYR.

Oh, I see. You are talking about this: http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/E...Qcm9kdWN0Q2F0ZWdvcnkiO3M6ODoiTGlnaHRpbmciO30=
So you would still need to use a basking light fixture. How did/would you position your system of light fixtures (or I guess that depends on how your branches are arranged)? Please let me know if I am not clear here but for example, would you have the LED fixture on the front and the basking fixture on the back, or vice versa? And for the LED fixture, is the UVB bulb closer to the front side and the LED bulb sets closer to the back side or vice versa?

Are there any locks for the reptibreeze cages?

I have not come across a lock mechanism for their cages yet. The description of the LED Deluxe model does not sound like it has any lock feature. I suppose you can DIY one to the door and frame like I've seen in the shops. Let me know if you want me to explain how they did it.

 

[Booly916]

I currently am using both the medium and XL reptibreeze LED deluxe models. There are some things i like and others i do not like.

First, i noticed that the clear acrylic door is cool in the fact that you can see much clearer, but it also is much heavier than a door with just screen on it which results in the door needing assistance to close. what i mean is that when you try to close the door you need to lift up on it considerably just to get it to close int he proper position so that you can latch it shut. this is a pain because it disturbs the whole cage whenever opening or closing the door since you have to lift up so much to get it closed. Also, when you have light fixtures on top it seems to add to the problem by adding more weight. When i removed the light fixtures i dont seem to have to lift the cage door up as much to get it to close.

second, the LED's have their own power cord that plugs into the top right rear corner of the cage. the top right front corner is where the touch sensitive power or cycle button to change the LED's from white, red, and white + red. i have noticed that the touch sensitive button is rather sensitive and has a tendency to turn itself on or off or cycle thru the lights even if i just try to open or close the clear panel door. see above for a contributing reason why this happens. The LED's are bright and do light up the cage nicely. However, i am using the LED/UVB hood with this cage and i have determined that with both the LED/UVB hood and the cage LED's that it is just too much light and unnecessary for the medium size cage. so now i just use the fixture on top for light source. seems like kind of a waste but when both LED's light banks are on, it is crazy bright and turns his cage into a light house.

the substrate tray that comes with it is useful depending on your cage and drainage setup. it does come with both the flat plastic square bottom as well as the 2" deep tray that is available for other reptibreeze cages. i personally am not going to use the tray and instead just use the flat plastic square with holes drilled into it for proper drainage as i am using a dragonstrand drainage tray underneath the reptibreeze cage. I may find a use for the tray at some time but for now i am not even using it.

Honestly, i don't think i can reccomend the LED reptibreeze cages as you can get much better light fixtures to cover your lighting needs. since LED's do not provide heat, they are just for aesthetic purposes to create additional light. They may help with plant growth as well but other light fixtures can do this too, a la LYR.

the cage door uses the same hinge type "lock" to keep it closed.

I can post pictures later if interested.

 

[Rayzilla]

I currently am using both the medium and XL reptibreeze LED deluxe models. There are some things i like and others i do not like.
...

I can post pictures later if interested.

Thank you very much Booly!

This is a very nice review.

The door issue I suppose I might be able to deal with but like you said about the LED lights, it will probably be overkill and not be used much since the other lights will be on for the full 12 hours or so of lighting time and all lights should be off during the other 12 hours or so.

I am not even sure what the local price is for it yet but I suppose it is almost double the price. The $100 USD premium would be better spent on getting a nicer canopy light system instead, or put towards a Mist King.

Thanks for taking your time and writing up this detailed review of your experience.

 

[Booly916]

Well sorry for the late response with pictures but i finally got around to doing it.

maybe i exaggerated a bit on the lighthouse effect, but i still think in person it is brighter then necessary.

Another issue i ran into which made me unplug the LED's altogether is that the touch sensing on/off switch is so extremely sensitive or rather finicky that any time i even breathed too hard next to the cage the LED's would cycle through all 3 light types and create a strobe or rave effect in my chameleons cage. not cool. maybe i have too much weight on the cage and any time it sways or is sits at the wrong angle it causes the power to cycle like rapid fire. So i don't even use the LED light's on the XL cage anymore due to this and i only occasionally use the LED's on the medium cage so i still can't say that i recommend them. Get a dragonstrand or something.

I had another issue while using the Mistking nozzle brackets designed to be installed on these type of cages. Normally you would mount the bracket on the inside of the cage as to make a secure and flush connection without stressing out the screen in the area and possibly tearing it. To mount it you would typically drill into the upper or top segment of the cage to support it. With the LED cage, the strip of LED's lies exactly where you would need to drill if mounting the bracket from the inside. so obviously you cannot drill a screw into the LED's as it would damage them. In this case i just mounted the brackets to the outside of the cage which means i had to drill into and secure the screws into the outer left and right segments of the cage. not ideal but it works just as good, just make sure you line it up correctly. This also put more stress on the screen as i mentioned and one of the side broke when trying to secure the bulkhead.

The large cage has 2 Mistking nozzles on each side in the back as well as a Mistking raindome that sits at the front of the cage right before the 24" quad fixture from LYR followed by a dome light behind that for basking. This setup works very well and all of the plants are live, except 1 in the smaller cage. Also, for the larger cage, i am using the blue LED lights that came with the quad fixture as a "twilight effect" that is only on for 30 min before & after lights on and 30 min on before & after lights out on an automatic timer.


XL cage with LED's. Get your sunglasses out...

XL cage looking up

the tenant of this particular XL cage...a 1 year old male panther

Medium LED cage

medium cage looking up with tenant doing her best smile

Mistking system with manifold feeding 3 nozzles.



This is the corner bracket that had to be mounted on the outside and screwed into the left and right and rear segments of the cage. The larger surface area where you would typically place the screw now has a strip of LED's so no go. Still works fine and it solid.



blue LED's built into the quad fixture from LYR to create the twilight effect on a timer.

 

[Remkon]

Red light during the day isn't recommended because it's an unnatural light spectrum. I doubt there are many (if any) studies on light spectrum effects on reptiles, but light does have a known significant impact on the mood and health of mammals and humans.

It doesn't count as a study but there's a dutch site 'reptielenlampen.nl' that also offers a lot of information on lights and their effects on reptiles. They have their own brand of lamps for terrariums named 'the white light'...

Here's a google translated link on their view on colored lights in case you're interested: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=nl&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=nl&ie=UTF-8&u=http://www.reptielenlampen.nl/contents/nl/d26.html&edit-text=

And the original link to their information page: http://www.reptielenlampen.nl/contents/nl/d2.html
The site is pretty crappy build but it contains a lot of information.

Thought it might be interesting to share.