Lighting
- Thread starter RePtAr11
- Start date
RePtAr11
Member
hmm that sucks lol.. i have had the cfl for 2 weeks now the whole time i have had him. is that still in affect in 2011. i have read that from websites from 2005 and 06. but im sure i am wrong from all trhe things i have read on here. but just thinking that was with the older cfls. but im sure u have been doing this manyyears and have way more knowledge then me on this.. i honestley thought a normal house hold all genareal cfl put out proper lighting haha. that tells u how much i knew. guess i was thinking a plants lighting abilities to grow from indoor lighting. but have now read up on all lighting and how it effects the cham digestive and everything else so on.
summoner12
Avid Member
IMO=In My Opinion
T5 UVB? There is only one company that makes T5 UVB lamps and I wouldn't buy any sort of UVB product from them since they have a history of making bad UVB products.
Stick to the T8 Zoo Med brands 5.0 lamps. They work best for most application. 10.0 lamps can be used in large enclosures if raised off the cage an inch or two.
summoner12
Avid Member
CFL's are a bad idea as well. CFLs have very large concentrations of UVB near them and it drops very fast... It would depend on the reflector more than the lamp on how well the light is directed down into the cage.
Here is a 10.0 CFL in one of Zoo Med's CFL hoods... Here the meter can't even register a reading because there is so much UVB.:
Here, at a couple of inches the meter can finally display a reading on the meter:
At 8" we still see a very high reading. Having this light on a screen cage would cut the UVB be by about 40-50%... but even then the UVB is too high.
Granted this is a 10.0 and not a 5.0 and yes, people do have good luck with the new reformulated Zoo Med 5.0 CFL's... But why not just stick with the tried and true Zoo Med linear lamp that has been praised for it's exceptional UVB output?
BTW, I like to call R-Zilla, R-Killa. There were a lot of issue with their lamps, and I am not sure they are sorted out. I would personally never use a product from them.
Here is a 10.0 CFL in one of Zoo Med's CFL hoods... Here the meter can't even register a reading because there is so much UVB.:
Here, at a couple of inches the meter can finally display a reading on the meter:
At 8" we still see a very high reading. Having this light on a screen cage would cut the UVB be by about 40-50%... but even then the UVB is too high.
Granted this is a 10.0 and not a 5.0 and yes, people do have good luck with the new reformulated Zoo Med 5.0 CFL's... But why not just stick with the tried and true Zoo Med linear lamp that has been praised for it's exceptional UVB output?
BTW, I like to call R-Zilla, R-Killa. There were a lot of issue with their lamps, and I am not sure they are sorted out. I would personally never use a product from them.
RePtAr11
Member
ok ok deal.. but Darn i bought this really sweet setup hood with timmer and 2 fixtures for 2 basking spots or what ever i need it for that swivel side to side. plus it has the 20 inch T5 tube uvb light.. this is a RZilla product. Never really looked into this light size? i spent a good $ for it. $115.00 hmm so should i just go get the T8 or T12 fixture with a zoomed linear type tube UVB? if so its not a problem i guess, if its for Reptar lol
summoner12
Avid Member
Try and return the light if you can.... and yes, buy a Zoo Med linear lamp and you can get a fixture for it at Home Depot or Lowe's. I just got a dual 24" T8 fixture from Lowe's and it was about $20? I had to install a cord on the fixture, but I have those laying around so it was easy for me... might be a bit harder for others.
I would find a dual fixture and use a 6500K color temp lamp and a 5.0 UVB lamp side by side. The 6500K lamp will keep the plants alive and provide a better and brighter spectrum of light in the cage that is more natural looking for the chameleon. I find it hard to come by 6500K lamps... so just buy the Zoo Med 2.0 or NatureSun lamp. They are the same lamp.... but I don't think anyone is advertising the NatureSun online because they need to sell the 2.0's first.
RePtAr11
Member
thanks everyone.. looks like i can just use my orchid fixture it has two T12 bulbs already have a 2700 kelvin and a 6500 kelvin floresent now.. also can i use a plain jain clamp with a 6500 kelvin cfl compact floresent for my plants too? or maybe even right now use a 2700 kelvin 42 watt general purpose cfl huh just asking random questions.. maybe the 2700 42 watt can make it seem like fall. idk what do yall think i have alot of ideas. and the things to do it with, ppretty sure. i will post pics today of what i have already..
summoner12
Avid Member
Um... 47w CFL sounds pretty bright and maybe warm? You could try it, just keep an eye on your cham.
And be sure you have a proper reptile specific UVB lamp.
And be sure you have a proper reptile specific UVB lamp.
summoner12
Avid Member
It's not so much that bright is bad... it's just the heat and the type of light. Most of the lighting we give our chams is not bright enough for them vs. natural sun. But they do live out of direct sunlight for the most part. So it isn't sooo bad. But just keep an eye on the guy. If you can buy a lux meter, that'd be fun to play with. There is one on e-bay for like $20. I've seen other sites selling them for a lot more money and they look exactly the same....
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