JoXie411
Chameleon Enthusiast
I think it’s one of those myths that started and now it’s going to be hard to get rid of
What is the best T5HO fixture that isn’t a ton of money
- Thread starter BenjiTheCham
- Start date
Randers88
Established Member
Check out the fixtures Joxie has. They seem very suitable and the price point is nice. You will just need to order a UVB bulb to go with it.
I have seen this stated multiple times, either on here or even on various social media platforms. I believe it is a blanket statement for those that haven't invested in a solar meter in order to ensure that their bulbs maintain adequate UVI levels for their animals. I should have stated that I have seen people make this statement, not that I read a scientific article stating this as fact... my apologies.
BenjiTheCham
Established Member
I would use that fixture, but I am going out of town on Thursday and I need the fixture before then. My T8 is having issues so I have to mess with it every day for it to actually turn on
BenjiTheCham
Established Member
So now I have a new problem lol. I found a fixture that will get here Wednesday, but there aren’t any T5HO 5.0 22” bulbs that I can get in this time frame. Petco has them on their website, but it doesn’t say that they have them in their store and doesn’t allow pickup. Just to make sure, I should be using 5.0, correct? I don’t have a solarmeter thing, so a 10.0 would be bad
edit: I think I’m just screwed now. Amazon JUST decided that my fixture’s estimated delivery is Thursday now. At least I didn’t order it yet. I guess I’m going to have to buy another fixture and hope I can get the person who is feeding my cham to set it up
edit: I think I’m just screwed now. Amazon JUST decided that my fixture’s estimated delivery is Thursday now. At least I didn’t order it yet. I guess I’m going to have to buy another fixture and hope I can get the person who is feeding my cham to set it up
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BenjiTheCham
Established Member
Really? I have a veiled. I didn’t know they required a 10.0
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
they dont. T8 10.0 maybe. But you start rolling with a T5HO 10.0 without a meter, and you will have a bad time. You "may" start getting eye issues, and edema from too much D3. You can run a 10.0/12% just fine, if you have a meter, so you can tune the hang out spot to be around 1.5 UVI, and the high basking branch no higher than 3.0 UVI.
but a 5.0/6% is find if the cham is hanging out 12-18" away from the bulb.
1000's of veilds were raised with a T8 5.0 and 6" away from the bulb in 2ft tall cages for decades, along with medium D3 supplements twice a month.
Now lets put that into perspective for a non techy.
lets say a T8 5.0 is a power of 1
now switching to just a T5 and no higher wattage, is 33% more light
Now switching to a T5 HO is double the wattage
Now switching to a 10.0 is double the UVB
So add it all up. It means a T5HO 5.0 is putting out 266% more UVB than a T8 5.0. A T5HO 10. is putting out 533% more UVB than a T8 5.0.
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BenjiTheCham
Established Member
Okay thanks, that’s what I thought I heard
BenjiTheCham
Established Member
I’ll check lllreptiles, and yeah, my local store sells the bulb, but now I can’t get the fixture in time and they don’t sell the fixture lol
Randers88
Established Member
Do many mis-direct to a 10.0 bulb for the reasoning of where they originate from? I don't keep Veiled's so I'm actually curious as to why so many give incorrect information regarding the proper bulb for them. I've seen many people recommend 10.0 's
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
I think most of the care sheets literally say "10.0" and they kinda omit the T8 or T5HO. Kinda like when they didnt have 5.0/10.0/6%/12%, and just marketed "tropical" and "desert". There was a bit of a ruckus when people started recommending T8 10.0 for chams around the mid 2000s. Same arguments, "your going to cook your cham using that desert bulb".
Randers88
Established Member
Oh okay, seems like many need to update their information then. I know of a few groups on facebook whose moderators live by the 5.0 for panthers and 10.0 for veiled's while recommending T5HO fixtures. All of my Chameleon keeping has been with Panthers with virtually no knowledge of Veileds.
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
Lets be honest, the internet is a horrible place...
Best ask the breeder you bought yours from, or just any popular breeder that has your species and likes to help out.
But this was my top google search:
https://wereallaboutpets.com/best-uvb-bulbs-for-chameleons
Yup merc vapor all the way down to cfls, anything works yo, just pick your budget
Randers88
Established Member
Agreed, I generally try to stick to what I know and help out when I can. I do my best not to regurgitate what I hear without doing my own research... but it looks like I put my foot in my mouth with this one. I'll stick to Panthers, and leave the Veiled help to you lolLets be honest, the internet is a horrible place...
Best ask the breeder you bought yours from, or just any popular breeder that has your species and likes to help out.
But this was my top google search:
https://wereallaboutpets.com/best-uvb-bulbs-for-chameleons
Yup merc vapor all the way down to cfls, anything works yo, just pick your budget
Vert340
Established Member
Heya a have a question for ya. So tomorrow I get to upgrade my chameleon into his new bigger cage and because if that I'm looking for a bigget fixture since i have a 12 inch one rn. The one you linked is the one i was looking into. So my question is, are the bulbs it comes with ones that give off uvb or will i have to buy 2 24inch reptisun bulbs to put in the fixture? I'm still pretty new when it comes to lighting so sorry if it's a dumb question.
JoXie411
Chameleon Enthusiast
The bulbs that come with the fixture are 65000k plant bulbs. What you want to do it take out one of the bulbs and replace it with the a reptisun 5.0 22”. You always buy two inches smaller then the hooded fixture for the tube lights
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