Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Product Name: ESU Reptile Super UV Coil Lamp 13W
Description: Super Coil Lamp from ESU Reptile, no need to buy an expensive fluorescent fixture this UVB producing low wattage bulb may be mounted in most standard incandescent domes!
* 13 watt = 50 watts of incandescent lighting.
* 20 watt = 75 watts of incandescent lighting.
* UVB 3% (290 - 320 nm), UVA 15% (320 - 400 nm).
* 5,000 hour rated bulb life.
* Energy Saving, more light from less wattage.
* Please note these bulbs DO NOT produce as much HEAT as a regular incandescent bulb!
Price: $15.99

Anyone ever use these?
Will they really last a full year?
How much heat would you say it gives off?
do you think its a good buy?

I have read some feedback on these and most people don't think that they work very well. They don't put out that much uvb and what uvb they do put out is not over a very big area. I would stay away from them, but that is just my opinion and I don't have first-hand experience.

Joel Fish

I bought one out of mere curiosity, and it did seem like a cool deal. Initially i thought when they say 20watts = 75 watts bulb, it meant heat. not at all. I would say that their 20 watts equals 25 watts of heat. So if you use the Super coil lamp, you still have to have a heat source.
About how long its lasts... Well, it does last pretty long, but do you want a working bulb with innefective UVB? When brand-new it already produce only 3% , which is lower than our normal 5.0 bulbs.
You can use the super UV coil lamp for reptiles with lower UV requirements(some suggest montane chameleons), and it does save you some money (cheaper bills) and it saves space, but if you have more money to spend, its best to spend on a proper hood fixture UV bulbs.
I have been using one shamelessly for about 6 months now, but i do give extra supplement calcium with D3 and bring my cham out every now and then, and she seems to be one of my healthiest chameleon. I used the Super UV lamp for my free range ficus tree becuase a i find that a dome fixture works better than a hood fixture for cagelss setups. A reflective dome does help increase the range of rays, but don't quote me on that.

I use the ESU coils exclusively, and no MBD here! The 13W fit in 5.5" domes, which was the whole reason I tried them originally (I needed something that would fit my "quarantine" Create-A-Cages). The 20W fits standard 8" domes, which I use on my big chams. I try to keep the coils right over their favorite perching areas, so I'm sure the chams are within 6-12" of the bulb for a good percentage of the time. There is practically no heat emitted from these bulbs. All in all, I'm very happy with them and continue to choose them over the traditional strip lights, which I find cumbersome. The original coil I ever bought still works great, but since ESU recommends replacing them yearly, I demote the bulbs to non-cham uses once they hit a year, just to be safe (I write the date on the bulb when it goes into service so I remember to replace it in a year).

As I said, no problems here!
~Kerry

Hi Kerry,

Just curious, what kind of chameleons do you use the ESU Coil Lamps with? Are they growing chameleons or already adults? I might eventually consider them.

Thanks!

Julie, Justin and Frasier.