UVB strip

Can anyone tell me if there is a way of knowing when your UVB strip needs replacing. Ie colour change etc. any help would be appreciated.

They get yellowish and darkened at the ends with the time, but that does not mean you should wait until this happens to get a new one. They should be changed every six months unless it is a bulb with a longer life time (usually 8 or 12 months) but if that is the case, it will be stated in the box. In general they should be changed every six months. If you want to spend the money you can buy an UVB meter, but they are expensive.

Ok thank you that is great advice. I wasn't sure if there was away but every 6 months is what I have been doing

Anytime

What type of bulb? If you have Arcadia T5 type you can replace once a year.

Decadancin said:

What type of bulb? If you have Arcadia T5 type you can replace once a year.

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So that really makes them worth the increase in price. I don't think they are twice as expensive as the others.

I put a date sticker on my light ballast and have a reminder set on my calendar on my phone for 2 weeks prior so I can order one. I think I will be going Arcadia with my next one.

Ninkylou said:

So that really makes them worth the increase in price. I don't think they are twice as expensive as the others.

I put a date sticker on my light ballast and have a reminder set on my calendar on my phone for 2 weeks prior so I can order one. I think I will be going Arcadia with my next one.

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Yeah, and it is easier for me to remember when to change it. That is one of the best investments I've made for the enclosure.

They are pretty close to the same. I had to order zoomed t5 ho 10.0s because of total cost difference this winter (I couldn't afford double the cost on 20+ bulbs- was $1008 vs $454.80). But it still works out a couple of dollars cheaper per tube to go with the zoomeds every 6 months for me (46" tubes). And I don't use them in the summer anyway- my animals are outside then.

The couple bucks savings would probably be negated by the double shipping for most people though, making both brands about the same cost either way...

Although I guess if you only have a cage or two and order a dozen at a time and save the bulbs for the future, the shipping savings then goes in favor of the zoomed again by a good bit...

fluxlizard said:

They are pretty close to the same. I had to order zoomed t5 ho 10.0s because of total cost difference this winter (I couldn't afford double the cost on 20+ bulbs). But it still works out a couple of dollars cheaper to go with the zoomeds every 6 months for me (46" tubes). And I don't use them in the summer anyway- my animals are outside then.

The couple bucks savings would probably be negated by the double shipping for most people though, making both brands about the same cost either way...

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You wouldn't happen to have a UV meter, would you? I'm really curious as to how much the UVB degrades over time with these bulbs. I have the reptisun 10.0 T5's, too. I plan on changing them every 6 months, but I'd love to know when they actually start losing their effectiveness.

No sorry I don't. I'm curious about the same thing- wondering how the zoomed t5 compares with the old bulbs...

To tell you the truth- before re-investing in lighting this year because I had to (fire) I was pretty far behind the times. Still using t8 zoomeds and compact flourescents.

20+ years ago I was breeding many chameleons under vita-lites, so although I appreciated the zoo-med bulbs when they came along (the t8s, not the t5s) I never thought of lighting (other than real sunlight) as a magic bullet for success. Heck for a few years I was using no UVB and had no idea because of something a guy at the lighting supply store told me about chroma 50s being the same exact output as vita-lites. LOL I still produced baby chameleons very successfully those years...

But I am super excited about the t5s they are really nice for the lizards...

I really like them, too! It made a HUGE difference from the CFL set up I had before. I'm planning on buying a UV meter this spring, when Todd gets them back in stock. I haven't been able to find any test results that show how fast these bulbs degrade over time.

Uvb

Using Arcadia T5 but now getting conflicting advice as to the UVB percentage for my panther. My usual reptile centre tell me 12 percent but today was told 6 percent.

Either will work fine. If you have a densely planted, or really tall enclosure you can go with the 12% (as long as your chameleon isn't too young...like under 3 months) but the 6% should be fine as well. I use the 6% with my veiled, but may switch to a 12% next time. If you are not sure and would like to use the 12%, you might try adding an extra piece of screen between the light and the top of your enclosure for the first few months (assuming it is outside the enclosure). As long as you offer proper shelter from the light so your chameleon can regulate the amount of UVB it is exposed to you should be fine.

You have 2 options:
1 - buy a Solormeter
2 - put the date received on the fixture and just replace it after 6 months
(1 year if it's Arcadia).

My own experience with Arcadia, the % UV starts dropping off after about
7 to 8 months. Distance from the bulb is also important, measure at 6'',
then measure at 8'' (threw the screen) and there is a big drop, esp if you
are using reptisun 5%.

I have never tried the reptisun HO, so have no idea about how long those
last, or when they start to drop off, and even with the Arcadia, it's not
consistant, it's like every bulb will start loosing some UV at different times.