are coil uvb bulbs really that bad?

[coreyflowers1]

I seen a few threads a while back about coil uvb bulbs not being very good.I have used them for three years and never had any problems ....I was just wondering if it would b smart to switch over to tube uvb Or just stick with what IV been doing.thanks n advance yall

 

[bradley]

There once was a problem with compact uv light causing eye problems with chameleons but these have since been fixed.

The problem with compacts is they only offer uv over a small area, whereas tube bulbs offer it over a wider spread. This wider spread of uv is better for the chameleon as it allows it to be in moire areas whilst still receiving uv. I would only use compacts in smaller enclosures otherwise not at all. If you are swapping to linear tube style take a look at the Arcadia T5 bulbs from light your reptiles, they are the best uv lights out there.

 

[dropanuke]

I think it's just speculation.
Iv seen and heard of chams with eye problems with both.

 

[MollyT]

I've seen where many people on here have said that they have never had a problem with them. I used them with my first cham, and had a bad experience with him. The bulb likely had nothing at all to do with it...still, I had heard so much on here about how they cause eye problems(and that was one of my first chams problems). So when I got my second one, I went with the tube bulbs. If you have been using one for that long with no problems, I don't see why you should switch, but I am in no way an expert.

 

[Seiryu]

They used to cause problems. Mostly I think it was people hanging the bulbs on the side of the cage instead of on top. Having the light at eye level at all times can cause eye problems because of the constant glare in their eyes.

But, like bradley said, the tubes are better because it can cover a much wider area of the enclosure. Why chance it anyways.

 

[dlegare]

I seen a few threads a while back about coil uvb bulbs not being very good.I have used them for three years and never had any problems ....I was just wondering if it would b smart to switch over to tube uvb Or just stick with what IV been doing.thanks n advance yall

There can be problems with both bulbs although rare with the linear bulbs. It's very important to know the proper uv lamp type and also have the correct distance from bulb to basking area. The only fool-proof way to prevent overexposure is to employ a uv meter. I know this is an extra cost but we are spending hundreds of dollars on Chameleons we may as well take the extra step to make sure we are providing proper levels of uv.

Personally I feel the u. Meters are essential considering the development of new lighting options such as ho and vho flourescent and LED.

 

[dropanuke]

It's just opinions.

 

[Carlton]

It's just opinions.

No, I don't think I'd say it was just opinion. There were some pretty specific distinct eye damage issues with chams under the earlier versions of CF bulbs. I don't use them as I've had consistent good results with linear tube UV ReptiSuns.

 

[Barb]

We, at the tortoise forum I am a member of , have still been seeing cases of the coil bulbs causing problems with tortoises. I wouldn't chance using them, period. Now, we don't know if they are using the old bad bulbs or the new bulbs that are suppose to be okay. The bad bulbs were never pulled off the market, so you don't really know,what your getting. Also, there are studies out now, that the coil style regular household lamp bulbs are causing problems with people. Why chance it.

 

[Drew1405]

I know this thread hasn't been updated for a while however I just came across it when doing a Google search for info on coil bulbs with Chameleons.

I have a 6 month old Veiled and he has been having eye problems for the last month or so. He's been in and out of the vets a fair bit with various treatments being administered to no real avail. His eyes are ok for a while and then they go back to being bad again.

Finally after looking up Google for people with similar experiences I found one where the Cham owner was having the exact same problems with his Cham's eyes as I am having with mine and he was using a coil bulb... and so am I.

Considering I've been head scratching for weeks trying to work out the cause of the problem to my Cham's eyes and all sorts of treatments not working well, I narrowed it down to be a problem with the bulb. So I have ordered a whole new light set up with a Exo Terra 5.0 tube light to see if it makes any difference. I will have this set up in the next few days so I will come back and add my findings to this thread in case it may be of interest to others on here.

 

[ponders]

I had never used a coil bulb until recently because of all the bad stories I had heard. We have all been told that the bulbs had been redone to be safe in the last few years.

So, when I won one in a raffle, I thought I would give it a try. It was a coil bulb 5.0. I noticed my babies Chams closing their eyes within a day. I removed the coil and they improved in several days. I borrowed a uv meter from a friend and the levels were over 100 several inches from the bulb, linear tube was in the 30s. The light was placed on the top of the cage. The levels were safer the deeper into the cage the light went, but babies like to be on the top. They even developed blisters, just from one day of exposure. I would recommend a linear bulb to anyone asking.

 

[Venutus1]

I seen a few threads a while back about coil uvb bulbs not being very good.I have used them for three years and never had any problems ....I was just wondering if it would b smart to switch over to tube uvb Or just stick with what IV been doing.thanks n advance yall

I would suggest you watch this because it explains / shows UV penetration very well between coils and tubes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUu24MNO2Ho

plus we all love Dr. Baines.


She has done more to "enlighten" people to the needs of reptiles and UV than anyone else in the world.

Thank you!
Cheers,

 

[Drew1405]

Well further to my post in this thread a couple of weeks back I can confirm that it was indeed the coil bulb that was causing the problem with my cham's eyes! From the day I switched to a UVB tube I started to see an improvement! After a few days he was totally back to normal and there hasn't been a single issue with his eyes since! Considering how many other options were tried with no luck before thinking about the bulb I'd say it's no coincidence. I also asked the vet what kind of light he kept my cham under when he was kept in. It just so happened to be a tube light. This explains why he perked up when he was kept in there for a few weeks but went downhill again after he came home.

I don't know how many people out there have had these types of problems with coil bulbs but it's plain to me now that they really do need taken off the market if even just a small number of animals are being negatively affected by them.