Solarmeter
- Thread starter Nilsa
- Start date
trickedoutbiker
Avid Member
If you want an accurate one that is good quality and not some piece of junk that is going to give you false readings, then it won't exactly be "affordable" ....... as the good, accurate models can be quite pricey.
Fiona's Mom
Chameleon Enthusiast
Ok I'm new at this....what is it and what is it for?
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
Its mainly for:
when to change the uv bulbs
And is snuckums getting enough uv to begin with
The current good one is a solarmeter 6.5. Its has a wider uv band and doesnt have the hug spike at the deep uvb band that the older 6.2 has. Your bulb could be putting out crap, have a huge spike in the uvc that bleeds into the deep uvb, and your 6.2 would say you are good to go.
Your best bet is to get a 6.5, and you want it to read about .5 where the cham mostly hangs out.
They cost alot ($250) but if it means switching bulbs every 2-3 years instead of 6 months, it can pay for itself over time.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/is-uvb-10-harmful.128206/#post-1121612
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/solarmeter-reading.139937/
Fiona's Mom
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thanks.
trickedoutbiker
Avid Member
Yea the Solarmeter 6.5 is the best and most accurate meter on the market right now. But it's price range comes in at a whopping $250....
I only have one chameleon, so replacing bulbs won't be an issue for me. So I personally don't have a Solarmeter.
Now, if one was to have multiple chameleons or other reptiles, then replacing light after light after light on ALL THOSE CAGES every year could definitely become pricey, and in that case, I'd almost say a Solarmeter is REQUIRED to save you money on bulbs.
That's my 2 cents
I only have one chameleon, so replacing bulbs won't be an issue for me. So I personally don't have a Solarmeter.
Now, if one was to have multiple chameleons or other reptiles, then replacing light after light after light on ALL THOSE CAGES every year could definitely become pricey, and in that case, I'd almost say a Solarmeter is REQUIRED to save you money on bulbs.
That's my 2 cents
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
I am rocking 6 T5 HO bulbs right now that cost $45 each. If it saves me from even one bulb swap over 3 years it more that pays for its self.
As an added bonus, once the 12% beardy bulbs get too low, you can rotate them to the cham cages, they are still putting out 2-3x more uv than a reptisun at that point.
My only concern is the people rocking reptisun 5.0's (cuz 10's cook chams
) dont realize that at 18", they put out almost nothing, you might as well put in a shop light if that is where your cham is hanging out most of the time.
trickedoutbiker
Avid Member
My only concern is the people rocking reptisun 5.0's (cuz 10's cook chams
I use Reptisun 10.0 and there isn't any issues. Lots of people recommend the Arcadia lights, and those put out WAAY more UVB than even a brand new Reptisun 10.0.
Not to mention that the sun puts out more UVB than any manmade bulb, yet, chameleons thrive in the wild with those (although they probably don't soak in the sun as much in the wild because the amount of UVB exposure is so much greater)
You ALSO have to keep in mind that some UVB gets filtered out when it passes through the screen of a cage. And this is almost always the case, as I've NEVER heard of ANYONE putting their UVB lights INSIDE the cage. So, with that being said, a Reptisun 10.0 passing through a screen cage will filter some of the UVB out, but still leave good levels of UVB. After 6 months, the 10.0 is still putting out OK levels of UVB, comparable to a new or slightly used Reptisun 5.0. If using a Reptisun 5.0, passing through a screen cage it will also filter out some of the rays. When your bulb gets about 5-6 months old, the output is much lower. Add that to the fact that your light is passing through a screen and filtering it.... the 5.0 is almost crap at this point.
As long as you have a heavily planted cage with places for your cham to get out of the UVB light, then a 10.0 is not an issue at all. Like I mentioned before, Arcadia lights put out LOTS MORE of the UVB rays than any of the T5 HO Reptisun 10.0 bulbs do. And lots of people use the Arcadia 12%, and even the newer Arcadia 14% bulbs.... which are lots more than a Reptisun 10.0 bulb (which is translated to 10.0 = 10%)
It's all about how your cage is setup really.
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
The repitsun 10.0 jab was a joke. Back in the day zoomed tried to market the 5.0 for chams and other shade creatures, and the 10.0 was only meant for high desert animals like beardies and iggies. That market speak trickled over to cham forums and people started with "OMG a 10.0 in a baby tank, are you mad?" and the like.
The truth is like you said, a 10.0 with no reflector, through a screen, is worthless at 2ft, and has a gold spot in the 8-14" range, and even that is 4-8x weaker than an arcadia 6% with a reflector.
trickedoutbiker
Avid Member
Davecameos
Avid Member
In my opinion, I use the Solarmeter 6.5 and I could not be without it.
Every bulb is different. Even within the same model and brand.
Yes there are some guidance on distance etc but to be honest you can never be sure. I use Arcadia and Reptisun and I have had T5 HO 10.0 giving more UVI than an Arcadia T5 12%.
It is also about the distance from the light and the basking spot. If I set up a light with the right uvi and gradient for the cham it does not matter if it is 5% 6% 10% or 12% tube.
They get a lot of UV in the wild, but artificial uv light is not the same as the sun and overexposure can cause health issues. I wish my chams could have access to real UV all year around.
I know some friends of mine had a faulty batch of new uv lamps and thanks to the Solarmeter device they knew straight away.
Things like this can happen. We cannot apply a generic rule of how far the light has to be from the basking area because it depends on the species, the vivarium arrangement and the bulb.
This is only my opinion.
Every bulb is different. Even within the same model and brand.
Yes there are some guidance on distance etc but to be honest you can never be sure. I use Arcadia and Reptisun and I have had T5 HO 10.0 giving more UVI than an Arcadia T5 12%.
It is also about the distance from the light and the basking spot. If I set up a light with the right uvi and gradient for the cham it does not matter if it is 5% 6% 10% or 12% tube.
They get a lot of UV in the wild, but artificial uv light is not the same as the sun and overexposure can cause health issues. I wish my chams could have access to real UV all year around.
I know some friends of mine had a faulty batch of new uv lamps and thanks to the Solarmeter device they knew straight away.
Things like this can happen. We cannot apply a generic rule of how far the light has to be from the basking area because it depends on the species, the vivarium arrangement and the bulb.
This is only my opinion.
Nicholasdeaan
Avid Member
This^. I couldn't agree more! A company recently sent me a 14" 5.0 fixture instead of a 24" on accident. So I'm giving it a shot to see how well it will work on an enclosure. I had doubts at first, but, the way my set up is, it will work just fine. It's all about the different variables added in as you mentioned.
Davecameos
Avid Member
Yes. This subject is complex and important. There should be more help around for keepers.
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