Cfl???

[GavinSTAN13]

hello everyone i had a question about cfl bulbs. Well i was just finishing up a new cage in the greenhouse, and it is a rather small one, (temp housing for the small guys) and i was thinking about using a zoomed 5.0 cfl, now ive heard mixed reviews about these, is it the lack of uvb, which can be fixed by some good sunlight. or something else. I could really use some feed back thanks.

 

[Monkeykungphu]

Apparently some CFLs can cause eye problems & even blindness with chameleons.

Not sure if it's because the way the curved glass refracts the lights, possibly magnifying it, or if it's another cause. However, over & over I've read don't use CFLs because they can be detrimental to you chams health. Not such much that they aren't providing "enough" light.

Everyone, for the most part, recommends a linear 5.0 UVB bulb. Some say 10.0 if your fixture will be further away from your chams (20" +).

 

[GavinSTAN13]

perhaps if i put tinted plastic on the underside of the hood but would that reduce the amount of uvb coming in. or even just backing it away from the cage?

 

[bridgofaith]

CFL bulbs produce too much UVB due to the incorrect phosphor formula used to create them. That being said, ZooMed has redesigned their Reptisun 5.0 and 10.0 CFL and they are suppose to be safe now. This thread tells you how to know if you have the new 'safe' bulb or the old dangerous one: https://www.chameleonforums.com/repti-sun-cfl-old-vs-new-31927/ If you position it properly, you should be ok. Be sure to follow the directions. UV will not penetrate glass or plastic, there shouldn't be anything between the bulb and the screen.

Of course to be absolutely sure you are using the best, safest bulb, stick with the linear (long tube style) 5.0 Reptisun.

 

[draetish]

Use the ReptiSun linear tube lights and play it safe, for your chams sake!

 

[BocaJan]

My boy Arnie was one of those chameleons who went almost blind from the bulb. He could not shoot at his food and I had to cup feed him by hand so he could "bite" his food. I know some of the bulbs have been declared safe but I will only use the linear ones.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I've used ReptiGLO CFLS without issue. However, because some CFLs have prooven to cause issues, and you may not necessarily know if you have a good one or bad one, best to stick with the linear tube lamps

 

[GavinSTAN13]

thank you for all the feedback. and sandra that is the bulb that i intended on using until i get the replacement, the reptiglo 5.0 cfl. you have used it without problems, what kind of cham did you use it with, and were there any special things i should note.

 

[sandrachameleon]

thank you for all the feedback. and sandra that is the bulb that i intended on using until i get the replacement, the reptiglo 5.0 cfl. you have used it without problems, what kind of cham did you use it with, and were there any special things i should note.

I allowed a full day (12 hr) burn in prior to using, and the bulb is the recommended distance from the animals as per the instructions within the light package.

I've used on a few adult panthers for a 6 month period (the life of the bulb). I used a 2.0 on frogs for 6 months (the life of the bulb). And I've recently used on half a clutch of panther babies for 2 weeks total so far. (I've got all the other babies under linear tubes). Although there dont appear to be any issues with the babies thus far, I do intend to put a linear tube on them instead next week, and move the CFL over to a frog enclosure (these frogs are a greater distance from the bulb and spend less time in the direct light).

There are a few threads (use the search function) on this subject, in which several others have used various CFLs without problems. And of course several where the results have been quite awful.

I personally think using a ReptiGLO CFL for a short time will be fine until your replacement comes. But just because I've used the ReptiGlo brand CFL as sold in Canada without issue doesnt mean it is necessarily a safe product. use at own risk! the ReptiSun and ReptiGlo linear tubes are known to be safe, with the ReptiSun 5.0 linear tube being the superior product for chameleon purposes.