Mike Peterson
New Member
Is there a difference between T5 fixtures besides reflection with a reptile hood as opposed to a regular T5 ballast? I'm an electrician and not seeing any other difference. Anyone help?
Linear UVB fixtures
- Thread starter Mike Peterson
- Start date
cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
Doesnt have to be a a "Reptile Hood" no, any T5HO fixture with a Reflector will do fine. The ballasts are the same, yes.
CamoChameleonsHuman
Chameleon Enthusiast
Not all t5ho fixtures are created equal. Usually you get what you pay for. A $15 Walmart option might save you today but you can't be sure of the quality. A bad ballast can cause the bulbs to burn the phosphorus in the bulbs faster than a quality hood. Rendering the bulbs useless faster than you would expect or guaranteed.
cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
I would agree, but with a serious however.
Thats true, however the OP, was asking about "Reptile ballasts" thinking that a Reptile company will provide you with anything better than that 15 dollar Walmart ballast would be ill advised, and you get what you pay for isnt always true.
Great example, the Reptisun Ballasts are a piece of 10 dollar Chinese junk, not a Phillips or Lutron quality ballast. This is the case with ALOT of the reptile Industry. A recent one I really liked, was the "Biodude" has that thermometer/hygrometer for 15.99, that is 4.50 on Alibaba. JD spots, have a Chinese variant (Not sure if chicken or the egg is the case here). Just because something costs more, does not mean its made better, ESPECIALLY in niche industry's like this one.
If you positively for a fact want a good quality ballast, buy your ballasts from a reliable industry that uses them, with a brand you know you can trust. Like a Phillips Fixture, or ATI, or at the very least one that someone has reviewed and found a quality ballast in or one that states which ballast it uses.
Mike Peterson
New Member
Thank you both for the great advice and inputs. I'm continuing my research and looking into some of my electrical distributors to see what I come up with. I will definitely share any info and the final outcome.
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