Compact Florescent UV bulbs: Are there any disadvantages or dangers?

[DylanN]

Currently Im using a 5.0 compact on my baby panther, and a 10.0 compact on my Fischer who is in a black reptarium. Is this acceptable?

Thanks for any help you can provide.
Dylan

 

[SoCaliSon]

DANGER! Will Robinson DANGER!

Compact Fluo bulbs have a very nasty reputation of causing eye problems in captive herps... If you are using reptariums I would recommend using a Reptisun 10.0 Fluorecent tube.

 

[DylanN]

oh boy now im worried, im out of money and i need to buy new lights?! do you know what it is exactly that causes the eye problems? is there anything you would suggest doing with them untill i can get new lighting for them?

 

[SoCaliSon]

I would suggest taking the lights off.. and providing a couple of hours of Natural sunlight a day, until you can get some tube style fluorencet bulbs.

 

[Kat77]

DANGER! Will Robinson DANGER!

Compact Fluo bulbs have a very nasty reputation of causing eye problems in captive herps... If you are using reptariums I would recommend using a Reptisun 10.0 Fluorecent tube.

Joe is right. They have a very nasty reputation with chameleon keepers for doing very bad things to chameleon's eyes. They (apparently) emit UVCs that are too strong and can cause irreparable damage to chameleon eyes.

 

[jannb]

I would suggest taking the lights off.. and providing a couple of hours of Natural sunlight a day, until you can get some tube style fluorencet bulbs.

I agree.....no bulb at all (for a day or two, till you can get a tube UVB) would be better than the compact bulb. Jann

 

[Kat77]

check out www.lllreptile.com
They have the cheapest Reptisun tube bulbs you will find.

 

[DylanN]

Thank you guys for all the help ill go shut those bitch bulbs DOWN!

 

[PantherVeileD]

good thing you asked!! One of my veiled at the moment is not under any Uvb bulb but I give it natural sunlight. She will soon be sharing the 48" reptilsun Uvb once I figure out how to rearrange my cage again.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Dont panic.
Before I knew better, I used CFLs for six months, after allowing for a burn-in period, and no ill effects resulted. Definately switch to the linear bulbs, but I think your chameleon is unlikely to expire or go blind from just a few days under a CFL (assuming you followed the burn-in instructions and keep at the recommended distance).