Do I have the correct replacement UVB bulb?

[Charms]

Hi everyone, I need to replace my chameleon's UVB bulb! I have the Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit 24" With Bulb, and as I understand it, I need to swap in a new bulb every six months.
I just want to double check with you: is this the correct replacement bulb? Arcadia D3 6% T5 Bulb- 22"

Thank you!

 

[nightanole]

Its yearly for the T5 unless you have a meter. and yes you want the 6%.

If you cant find a 6%, or its holly expensive, you can also use the reptisun T5HO 5.0. I have ran both for 12 years, and my meter cant tell the difference. They are both made in germany 6 phosphor units that have a 1 year life.

 

[Charms]

Its yearly for the T5 unless you have a meter. and yes you want the 6%.

If you cant find a 6%, or its holly expensive, you can also use the reptisun T5HO 5.0. I have ran both for 12 years, and my meter cant tell the difference. They are both made in germany 6 phosphor units that have a 1 year life.

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Ah, I'm not sure where I got the idea it needs to be replaced every 6 months! Are you sure it's ok to go a full year? I do not have a meter.

 

[nightanole]

Ah, I'm not sure where I got the idea it needs to be replaced every 6 months! Are you sure it's ok to go a full year? I do not have a meter.

Yes both arcadia and zoomed say guaranteed a year. I have a meter and normally get 2-3 years before they become "half output". In which case they get retired to be used as 6500k bulbs, as i run 1 uvb and 1 normal in order to keep my plants alive. or in some cases the beardies get 12% bulbs, and when they get down to 6% they go into the cham cages.

 

[Beman]

Hi everyone, I need to replace my chameleon's UVB bulb! I have the Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit 24" With Bulb, and as I understand it, I need to swap in a new bulb every six months.
I just want to double check with you: is this the correct replacement bulb? Arcadia D3 6% T5 Bulb- 22"

Thank you!

Both of those links are correct. Yearly replacement for arcadia bulbs.

 

[Charms]

Yes both arcadia and zoomed say guaranteed a year. I have a meter and normally get 2-3 years before they become "half output". In which case they get retired to be used as 6500k bulbs, as i run 1 uvb and 1 normal in order to keep my plants alive. or in some cases the beardies get 12% bulbs, and when they get down to 6% they go into the cham cages.

In the chameleon care book my wife and I purchased, it says that these bulbs can sometimes start doing the half output thing while still looking totally normal and bright. Is this a common thing? My wife is pushing for me to get the replacement bulb now, but if it's something we don't really need to worry about with Arcadia, I'd prefer to wait a year.

 

[nightanole]

In the chameleon care book my wife and I purchased, it says that these bulbs can sometimes start doing the half output thing while still looking totally normal and bright. Is this a common thing? My wife is pushing for me to get the replacement bulb now, but if it's something we don't really need to worry about with Arcadia, I'd prefer to wait a year.

Yes they will look totally normal when the UVB drops to half or whatever. Its why i rotate them out into 6500k bulbs, they still look "daylight".

The old "six months and replace" was before T5HO bulbs existed. Back before the financial crisis the T5 bulbs even at 12% were putting out 1/4th the power of todays 6% T5HO's. And back then you had to replace them every six months.

Alot of "chameleon books" have not been updated since the "new" T5HO's came out around 15 years ago. The supplement schedules need to be changed to match the new bulbs too, very little D3 supplementation is needed.

Here is "A Step by Step Book about Pet Lizards" by Ray Staszko from 1990