Reptile & Amphibian Forums

apparently my chameleon's bulb burned out this morning so he has had no basking area all day. the bulb that WAS in the fixture was a zoo-med 75w and only lasted a couple months.

is there something better or longer lasting that someone would recommend? also how long can he go WITHOUT the basking area? could it wait till saturday, i'll be going the the san diego IRBA show and i'm sure there will be a varity there. if not i'll send someone out in the morning. the enclosure staying about 80 degrees excpet in the basking area which was 95-100 degrees. and he normally stays at the front of the enclosure on top of the plant or in the middle of the plant but on top. both areas are about 6 inches out of the basking area.

dennis
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compasscreek backcountry adventures

The same thing happened to us... We had a 160W PowerSun that just snuffed out on us after just a few months. Really infuriating considering what we paid for the damn thing, with the supposed guarantee that it lasts three years.

One thing we did notice is that the lamp always seemed to be rather argumentative when using that bulb. Sometimes, the light would go out if you so much as touched the lamp, then it would suddenly come back on for no reason. Or sometimes, you'd flick the switch on but it would take a few seconds for the light to come on. This only happened when using the PowerSun bulbs (we had two) and would happen with both basking lamps we had (same brand lamps, though), but would never happen with regular bulbs. We wonder if it's because the maximum capacity for the lamp was 150W and the PowerSun was a 160W, yet you see the lamps being sold with the claim that you can use them with the high-wattage PowerSuns. Go figure...

If I were in your position, I would not wait until Saturday and go ahead and get him a regular bulb until you can get him a UV bulb, so he can at least have proper temps. In the meantime, you might want to look into the reason why your bulb died prematurely, so you don't end up shelling out another $40 for a bulb that will die just like the last one. We will probably look into getting another lamp before trying to put the other PowerSun in there. For now, we have a regular bulb.

Hope this helps! Sorry about the length. I seem to have diarrhea of the mouth this evening. LOL

Julie, Justin and Frasier the Veiled.

I own 3 powersun bulbs. From what i understand (dont remember where) they do come on and shut off. They delay a few minutes when i turn on then stay on. Has something to do with temp of the bulb and so on. When purchased the manager said if i have any problems bring it back under the warranty and he will replace free of cost.
As for heat lamps, i usually have 5 or 6 laying around. When one does blow i go to home depot and get them. Philips Dura Max has from 50 to 200 watts and they only cost something like 2.99. I stopped buying overpriced bulbs from the pet store.
Last comment on Mercury Vapor lights, i read on here about the heat they put out. I put my hand directly under it after it's been on and can barely feel any heat at all. During the summer i can go with out additional heat but winter i will use a heat light to add heat..
All in all i like not having cords all over since i only use one bulb for 2 purposes..

You can get a clear light bulb at a home depot that may not last longer but it will be less than half the price.
Those reptile basking bulbs in fancy boxes with reptiles on it really are not providing that much extra. The UVA and UVB should be provided by either your fluorecent or mercury vapor bulb why pay for it again in your basking bulb, just make sure you provide a bulb as a UVB source like a reptisun 5.0

You really do not need to spend a lot of money on heat bulbs. the fancy reptile heat bulbs are just a marketing gimmick. What you need to spend more mone on is your UVB bulbs. As for heat bulbs, any incadescent bulb would do. Myself, as well as an award winning chameleon breeder(who's identity will remain anonymous) use normal bulb you can get at the supermarket without any detrimental effects to our reptiles. buy a about a dozen bulbs at at time, so when ever your bulbs go out, you can replace it right away.

i also have the reptisun 5.0 on his enclosure. so all the basking light is for is heat? no UV? with the incandesant you mentioned what wattage should i go with?

dennis
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compasscreek backcountry adventures

The basking light is mainly for heat, though it does produce some UVA wavelenghts. But the amount is to little to be of significance. The reptisun will provide all the UV rays your chameleon needs. I'd suggest you use a 40-60 watt bulb, if it is a panther, depending on its size, age, distance of the lamp from the cage, and the tendencies of yoru cham. But through personal experience, you can't go wrong woth a 40 watt.

After several years comparing products, these have become our favorites by a long shot. They range from 30 to 100 watt with the most tranparent lense we could find. They last 3-4 times longer than "reptile" bulbs and cost 1/3-1/4 the price.

Incidentally, they emit just as much UV as the Z****d basking lights, and they don't explode all over your cage for no reason. Avoid the halogens if you want longer bulb life.

Because that will be great! Were can you find them? How much UVB do they give? Thnks for sharing!

Anthony

They emit just as much UVA and UVB as any standard reptile basking light. Its all misinformation to make you pay $15 a bulb instead of $3. Virtually every artificial light made emits miniscule amounts of UV, therefore the manufacturer can claim it as a feature when it pertains to herps. These are only to substitute for the basking lights, not the UV source. I'd still suggest flourescents for that.

Oh, I might also add that I've bred and raised chameleons indoors for years under Vitalites, Verilux, and Reptisun 2.0's with absolutely no ill affects. Their UV requirements are commonly exaggerated and periodic trips outdoors and supplemental D3 are sufficient to fullfil their needs.

Once you ween yourself and your animals off the propoganda teet, you can spend the cash difference to improve their quality of care in so many other ways. Someone just said to me the other day that "Home Depot is his favorite reptile store" and I'd have to agree.

Have fun and don't pay retail!

E

I was having a horrible time with my light bulbs and keeping them more than a few months, no matter what type I bought. I found that it was the light fixture itself. I was using one of the regular workshop dome lamp things. ( dont know the technical name) I finally bought a basking lamp from the petstore specifically for cham light bulbs. I cant remember the name but I think it was zoo med. I have had it working now for over 9 months and havent lost a bulb yet!
I dont know if this is your situation but thought it might help!

Erin D.