Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We all know that a cham requires the right temps and a source of UVB. We also know how expensive it can be to provide the proper lighting.
I personally use a 100 watt halogen floodlight for heat (in colder months) and a 100 watt Z00med ActivHeat bulb for UVB. Both lamps are 7 inches from the top of the cage to prevent burning.
There has to be a cheaper way!!! The heat source is okay but the UVB source is outrageous, especially when it has to be replaced every 6 - 12 months (depending on your choice of bulb).
If fluorescent bulbs give off UVB why can't we use one of the fluorescent bulbs that fit in an incandescent fixture as a UVB source?
http://www.efi.org/products/lighting/gfl15.html (these are the bulbs I'm wondering about)

Hi-

The bulbs you are looking at dose not say anything about UVB light, so I would not use it. They do make bulbs like the one you are looking at that does put off UVB light. How good of a bulb it is I don't know, never used one. Hope this helps!
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John @ Chameleon Paradise
1.1 Ambilobe Panthers
1.1 Nosy Be Panthers
1.1 Sambava Panthers
1.2 Rhampholeon uluguruensis

most found in hardware stores do not put out UVB

This is my understanding of it. Yes, flourescents can be made to give off uvb ala the reptisuns. But, the vast majority of flourescents are for human eyes so they are specifically designed to not give off uvb. Don't stare at your reptisuns and powersuns! Unless I'm missing something, that bulb isn't designed to give off uvb at all.

For a flourescent to give off uvb, it has to have the right phosphors in it. This is why bulbs that give off uvb are expensive - they have the right rare earth phosphors. It's also why we have to replace them, after awhile the phosphors fail to give off uvb (but plenty of other visible spectrums) when excited by the electrical charge in the bulb.

There is this product: http://www.petluvers.com/esusuperuvcoillamp.html
It's kind of what you're looking for as it screws in to a regular light socket, it's a flourescent and they claim it gives off uvb. I have been searching high and low and cannot find anyone that has actually measured it's output with a uvb meter. No one seems to trust it. It's only 3% uvb and it's not clear what kind of an area the uvb output would cover or how long the uvb output would last.

Maybe someday there will be a cheaper alternative for uvb.

Joel Fish

Reptile Depot and LLL Reptile have reptisun bulbs for very reasonable prices.

The the Forurescent Plant Lights have UBA or UVB? I've looked on the various packaging but they make no reference to it.

Any Ideas?

Found this page that has some good variety.
http://www.bigappleherp.com/Reptile_Supplies/Catalog/UVAUVB_Fluorescents_38.html

Ww