Can I reuse a Reptisun 10.0?

[krusty46]

I see a lot of people here use the Reptisun 10.0 bulbs for their chams.
My question is I change my Beardies 10.0 every 6 months, but obviously it still puts out UVB, can I use it on my Chameleon cage for months 7-12 before tossing it? I don't have the funds for UVB meter so i don't know how much UVB its still putting out after I swap it, but does anyone do this and/or will it still put out enough UVB for my Chameleon?

Thanks

 

[Oliviabryant]

the key factor is, how big is your enclousre ? what is the screen? aluminum? or commercial grade fine mesh?

generally you can use a bulb for 6-8 months and if you do not have a UVB meter do not chance it and go any longer. The $30 isn't worth risking your chams health and paying hundreds in vet bills for MBD.
you can also go to ukuvb website and they will give you the break down of the lifespan on all bulbs and well as the best option for your enclosure.
they also have a study that shows a 5.0 bulb with a high reflective hood is just as good as any 10.0 bulb unless you have extremely thick mesh and a lower basking area.

 

[krusty46]

Ok, thanks. While the site didn't directly answer my question, I did find it extremely helpful and it told me (scared me?) for my size cage and screen type I should probably be using a 10.0 bulb on both animals as I have the light outside of the cage for my Chameleon
I have a 5.0 in there now, but I'll probably just stick with the 10.0's from here on out
I usually stock up on bulbs when they are on sale, so it's not so much the cost of the bulb--it's just more that I hate discarding what could potentially still be useful bulbs. I seem to be filling up the landfills single handedly

 

[Olimpia]

Try ordering them through something like Amazon. I use 4' long ReptiSUN 10.0 bulbs over all my chameleons and I could pay $50 at a store for each but get them shipped for about $24 each. I imagine the normal 18" or 24" long bulbs are even cheaper.

And yes, for most chameleons in the typically recommended cage sizes a 10.0 is great, as you still get pretty decent UVB even through the screen. They have a reputation for being an excessively strong bulb only fit for desert animals but that's really not true.

 

[pssh]

I use 10.0 bulbs for all my cages except the ones with babies/the ones that are too small to let the animals get out of the UVB. 10.0s work well for me.

 

[krusty46]

Outside of these forums, everything I read said to use a 5.0 bulb, so that's what I bought. After viewing the site Olivia recommended, I realized that I should use a 10.0 bulb.
Chip is usually middle to top of the cage, but as I read most of the info, he is hardly getting any UVB. My 5.0 is practically a 2.0.

Thanks to all

 

[pssh]

Yeah, if you ever have babies, maybe you could use an older 10.0 for a month or two on them.

 

[krusty46]

Yeah, if you ever have babies, maybe you could use an older 10.0 for a month or two on them.

I'm sure Chip would love that, but I don't know that I'm ready