double tube fixture

[dreamforthedead]

Does it have to be a proper reptile fixture or can you use a house hold one?? I've got the UVB tube and sun glow coming from exo terror hopefully by Saturday. I just need the fixture, it sounds silly but i forgot i hadn't bought the fixture for the tubes. If i bought one online i wouldn't get it till the middle of next week but i wanna start using the UVB tubes right away and get rid of that awful compact one. My local pet shop doesn't sell the fixture i need so i was wondering if i could just get one from BBQ with the correct watts, would that be ok?

 

[mc9423]

It doesn't matter, so long as it works

 

[ghettomike]

any household fixture will work, its all the same but the special reptile one that says exo terra on it or whatever will probably cost twice as much and that is the only difference.

 

[ChamOh]

yep, any fixture will work. just make sure to remove and plastic covering that may cover the bulb for household use. uvb doesnt penetrate through plastic well. these things usually pop right out

 

[SliK JiM]

You can normally buy 2 singles without covers cheaper than a double and just wire them up together to make a double! For some reason they insist on selling double units in the UK with those stupid plastic diffusers and charging you a fortune for the pleasure, which is why the signles are the way to go.

All you need is a junction box (about 70p) and just wire both to this then run a single plug for it.

 

[skully23]

If you have a walmart. Go there, thats where I went. I bought two (linkable) undercabinet fixtures and that only cost me about 18 dollars. All you have to do is take the plastic cover off because it blocks most of the stuff in light getting to a cham.
I hope something works and its cheap this way.

They look like this link below.
http://www.lightsofamerica.com/~/media/2CC7424C8946411BB0D2E8A9F3120E60.ashx

 

[DGray]

not so fast

Yes, you can use a cheap fixture from a big box, but be sure the fixture is rated at the same wattage as your bulbs. Many of the "energy-saving " fixtures are actually underpowering the tubes. You will not get the UVb you are counting on from those fixtures. This has been discussed on the UV meters owners group on Yahoo groups. My meter shows the same. All fixtures are not created equal...

 

[westsidereptilesWV]

I use the same fixtures as they sell in hardware store or walmart. they havent let me down yet in my some odd yrs of having herps. name brands are always twice if not triple the price of the everyday home improvement stores.

 

[xanthoman]

just a thought

its hard for us in the states to recomend a specific fixture you could buy in the uk. i assume you are talking about lineal tubes? do you know if they will both be t-12 (1-1/2" diam. older style) or t-8 (1" diam. newer style) they will likely need to be the same diam and wattage in order to work in the same fixture. if not, you may need to use two seperate single strip fixtures. zoo-med recomends an electronic ballast (as opposed to a magnetic ballast) for reptisun bulbs, but a magnetic will probably work. if you are currently using a cfl, it would be better to do without uvb for a week than continue using a cfl. jmo. also; you might want to think about having your cham checked for hookworms&coccidia before having it crawl across your face, just a thought

 

[SliK JiM]

I didn't even realise you were in the UK! My bad! The best place to go to get them is Wickes! Cheapest place around!

 

[dreamforthedead]

Yip im in the U.K, newcastle upon tyne. I have a geordie chameleon LOL I'm gonna have a look about after work, i went to BBQ yesterday but they didn't have an 18inch 15 watts that i need.

 

[SliK JiM]

Yeah, B&Q/focus/homebase all have a **** selection of fluorescent fixtures.