Reptile & Amphibian Forums

While I was sleeping this morning, I heard a sound that sounded strangely enough like an exploding light bulb at my chameleons cage. Sure enough, a light bulb had exploded! Out of nowhere! My light fixtures are 60 watt fixtures, but I don't use any lights over 50 watts. In the timed power strip, I have my UVB light, and 2 60 watt fixtures with 50 watt exo terra lights. Either way, I got up and cleaned up broken glass, luckily none made it into the cage, and my cham didn't seem startled or anything. But! 1. How did it just explode?! 2. How do I get the rest of this p.o.s. bulb out of the fixture without making a trip to the hospital for stitches? Thanks!

Dont know how it exploded BUT take a potato and cut it in half (not the long way) and shove the potatoe onto the rest of the bulb and use that to spin it out..

Jason

Can't you unplug it and use a pair of pliers? Just put some thick gloves on so you can't hurt yourself.
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Feenie

1.1 vieled cham.- Stitch and Rana (Missing you,Chloe)
2.0 Panther chams- Lou and Yosamite Sam
1.0 Giant Day Gecko- Mr. Gecko
0.1 Aussi Whites Tree frog- Frumpy
1.0 Peacock tree frog- Igaro
0.1 Reeds tree frog- Dottie
0.0.2 New River Tinc. Dart Frogs- Tinker and Bell
2.2 Canines Junior-pitbull chiuahuah mix, Jose- chiuahuah, Pearl- Staffie, and Daisy- Red nose Pit- foster child
1.0 Fiance- Trent species unknown
and the list grows on.............

I *think* exploding bulbs can be caused by heat/ humidity changes. since the bulb is a sealed enviroment when it heats up the air inside and the glass need to expand at the same rate. do maybe if moisture got on the bulb, it would contract enough to cause an explosion? I dont really know, but one time I wasnt paying attention and misted a warm bulb and it exploded everywhere!

I would use a potatoe to get it out, and make sure to unplug it first!
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0.2.0. Leo (Zora and Shiva)
1.1.0. WTF (Jade and Obsidian)
0.0.1. Anolie (Yet to be named)
0.1.0. Irish Setter (Leah)
2.1.0. Holland Lop Bunnies (Romeo, Brody, Zoom)
1.1.0. House Cats (Spirit, Dickons)
One randon balck goldfish in a pink tank.

Check out my site ~ www.freewebs.com/stephsgeckos

Hey,

I have exploded quite a few light bulbs in my day, lol. As Froggy stated, when moisture gets on the light bulb, it will explode. I used to break them accidentally when misting the cage. If you have automatic misters, you might want to move them to a different spot in the cage so that the light bulb doesn't get wet. To get it out, MAKE SURE IT IS UN-PLUGGED (or you will be in the hospital with your hair standing up!), and then take a pair of needle nose plyers and unscrew it. If you can't get a grip on it, try keeping them closed until it is all the way in the socket, and then open them so that it is pushing outward, then spin counter-clockwise. PLEASE MAKE SURE IT IS UN-PLUGGED, NOT JUST TURNED OFF!!! I was adding more dome fixtures to my cricket racks today and I had to reach in one of the sockets to pull out one of the prongs (can't really explain it), and I was too lazy to un-plug it. I just turned it off. Luckily my cell phone rang just before I did it, cause I realized that it wasn't off after all, and I would have gotten the shock of my life. BE CAREFUL!!!!

Ank-Inc.
Adam.

I beleive it exploded from a water droplet maybe? It water condensed somewhere, and then fell near the light, a bit of water could have splashed on the bulb. It doesn't take much cool water to burst a lightbulb.

Like hitting a ballon with a pin.
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CANADIAN CHAMELEONS