Zoo Med ReptiSun Tropical Fluorescent UVB Lamp 26W

Yes this gives good enough UVB for your friendly chelonian. This bulb can be used in standard clamp lamps that have a ceramic holster. It runs at only 28 watts so don’t expect it to be a good basking lamp on it’s own. It’s more of a supplement to your regular incandescent. The nicest treat, I think, is that it’s self ballasted; so you won’t have any other expensive equipment to buy other than the clamp lamp.
Anyway, the point is… If you have a setup that involves you being unable to install the larger more traditional fluorescent lamp covers and you want UVB lighting for your reptile this is an excellent alternative.

My little Drogon adores this light. Even though it’s not a basking lamp, he gets really close to it all the time! I guess he knows he needs the UVB. I’ve had zero issues with it being set up on a Zilla power center and it’s not blinding (nor does it buzz) when it comes on early in the morning.

I just purchased my 4th Reptisun CFL (in over 2 years) and I would swear by them. The bulb emits steady, bright light without much heat, which is perfect as I have separate lights and devices to control heat. I live in the mid-Atlantic which means we cannot have our skinks’ habitat near a window at least 4 months out of the year. This light provides plenty of UV especially in those dark winter months. I have it in a 12″ hood and the light reflects to light all of a medium-sized terrarium very well. The light spectrum is a cool blue. The only drawback is the lamp itself will continue to work long after the UV effects have (theoretically) diminished, but there’s no way to tell that it has happened. I have to set a reminder to re-order; what I do is write the date I started using it on the bulb’s base with a Sharpie, and then set a calendar reminder to re-order. Our Pet* stores usually charge close to the MSRP (high $30s to low $40s), even on sale. I still purchase at the store if it is convenient, but as long ass my reminder system is working I prefer to purchase through Amazon because I’ll be saving at least $10 even if there is a sale at the Pet* store.

I watched some videos on the reviews of other owners of this bulb and I think there is something wrong with mine. It seems much dimmer than any bulbs in the reviews. Like, I’m talking significantly dimmer (75% less light). Did I receive an old bulb that someone tried to return as new? Does the bulb just take a while to warm up? I’ve had it on for a couple hours so far. It’s a major hassle to have to return it and take a gamble at getting another “new” bulb.

funktionniert gut..seit 1 Monat…natürlich kann ich nicht wissen ob die Schildröte sind Happy… aber es sollte passen, ich hoffe doch

Buen foco

I’ve been buying Reptisun bulbs for years (13 and 26w and T5 high output tubes ), but I recently saw some ads for Exo Terra’s UVB bulbs and thought I’d give them a try. Although I’ve bought a lot of the Reptisun bulbs through Amazon and have never had a problem with them working, all three of the Exo Terra Repti-Glo bulbs were dead or dying on arrival. Needless to say, I won’t be trying Repti-Glo again in the near future as they don’t seem to ship well.

Last week, I experienced my first issue with a Reptisun bulb. Because Amazon’s 30 day return window had already closed, I emailed Zoo Med directly explaining that the lamp had separated at the base while in use and I sent along a photo of the lamp and a copy of my receipt. They responded immediately and I received a replacement two days later.

Although a lot people say you have to replace these every 6 months, I follow the manufacturer’s recommendation and replace all of the bulbs on an annual basis on New Year’s Day. I do, however, keep a spare of each type of bulb on hand in case one burns out mid-year. If you’re new to UVB, beware there’s a ton of old info online saying that compact fluorescent bulbs aren’t safe. While it’s true there were issues years ago, they were redesigned and are safe now under normal circumstances. I am, however, extremely careful to purchase bulbs from reputable manufacturers and distributors only – I won’t buy cheap or generic knock-off brands.

I use UVB in all the terrariums, including with corns snakes, as the latest studies/literature indicate that all these guys benefit from some exposure (just make sure there are hides available). I use13w minis primarily in 10 gallon terrariums with inhabitants that don’t require high amounts of UVB (I make sure that they can’t get too close to the the light) in 5.5” dome fixtures which cast a smaller footprint, though I’m also using the same arrangement for my daughter’s diurnal, shade-dwelling lizard whose terrarium is twice as large (it’s in a double dome fixture with his basking lamp). There are some excellent iso-irradiance charts available online that can give you an idea of how far the UVB will spread and what the intensity of the rays will be. Just be sure the bulb is near the heat lamp as reptiles need both heat and UVB for vitamin D synthesis. Also, be aware the if you have a mesh screen top, the finer the mesh is, the less UVB the animal will get (I’ve read that the reduction ranges from 30-50%); however, a reflective dome can focus/intensify the UVB which can make up for the loss-it just depends on your setup). Likewise, never place ordinary glass or plastic between the UVB bulb and the lid- they’ll filter out the rays.

I’ve also bought the 26w model for her diurnal snake’s enclosure. It’s installed in a canopy light next to the domed basking light in a 40 gallon breeder tank (36x18x18”), providing a large UVB gradient that overlaps the temperature gradient. I set the UVB to come on an hour after the incandescent and LED lights and it shuts off an hour before the other lights so Race has an opportunity to bask with and without it present. The 26w is too long to fit in the mini-domes I buy, though.

All-in all, the mini compact fluorescents are great for smaller enclosures and for those guys that don’t require a ton of UVB or for creating more specific zones of exposure. They 13w lamps also fit smaller dome fixtures as well as canopy tops, but they can fluctuate several dollars in price so you may want to watch the cost. I’ll definitely be buying more.