Exo Terra Compact Top + heat?

[ReptiGeek]

Hey everyone,
I'm curious to know if anyone on the forums has used the Exo Terra compact tops (http://exo-terra.com/en/products/compact_top.php) for both UVA/B and heat, like the Zoo Med dual dome fixture? That being said, the compact top says it has a 26W maximum bulb rating, but I don't entirely see why. The socket seems more then capable of handling up to a 60W bulb.
Any input would be greatly appreciated, especially since I have 2 of these fixtures laying around!
Thank you in advance,
Travis

 

[DirtyDubbz]

Looks interesting I might be interested as well seems to have good reviews from what I have seen

 

[shmeenakoz]

Hey everyone,
I'm curious to know if anyone on the forums has used the Exo Terra compact tops (http://exo-terra.com/en/products/compact_top.php) for both UVA/B and heat, like the Zoo Med dual dome fixture? That being said, the compact top says it has a 26W maximum bulb rating, but I don't entirely see why. The socket seems more then capable of handling up to a 60W bulb.
Any input would be greatly appreciated, especially since I have 2 of these fixtures laying around!
Thank you in advance,
Travis

I asked about this a week ago since I had to quickly swap cages! I gave up on searching so I just have my compact going with 2 UVB's and the old dome with a 40W. I can't find any 25W anymore so yeah now my cage looks all junked up. Hope someone can chime in on this!

 

[CarlC]

Are the bulb sockets plastic? That would be the only reason I can think of that would limit wattage.

Carl

 

[mhfan305]

I asked about this a week ago since I had to quickly swap cages! I gave up on searching so I just have my compact going with 2 UVB's and the old dome with a 40W. I can't find any 25W anymore so yeah now my cage looks all junked up. Hope someone can chime in on this!

You cant find any 25W bulbs at a Home Depot or Lowes? They couldnt have just stopped making them...same for 13W.

 

[shmeenakoz]

You cant find any 25W bulbs at a Home Depot or Lowes? They couldnt have just stopped making them...same for 13W.

As far as incandescent "old school" (non mercury) bulbs, yes they are no longer being manufactured as of 2013. So if everyone bought up the remaining 25W I'm sol.

 

[shmeenakoz]

Are the bulb sockets plastic? That would be the only reason I can think of that would limit wattage.

Carl

I believe they are not plastic. I thought that seemed funny. Id be tempted to just use regular but don't want to run the risk of harming my cham.

 

[ReptiGeek]

Okay so I did some research and there are multiple cases stating that users have had no problems with heat bulbs up to 60W. The sockets aren't plastic. Even Big Apple's Herps did a review on them and stated that people have been using heat with them as well. The compact tops also have the metal reflector. I think I am going to do a test run using a 60W Blue Daylight bulb from Zoo Med and a regular 26W 6,500K running at the same time inside the compact top for the next few days. For those interested, I will try to remember to update this thread with my results.

 

[ReptiGeek]

Zoo Med 60W Blue Daylight bulb installed. Giving off good heat, does not appear to be burning hot. Stay tuned.

 

[mhfan305]

Zoo Med 60W Blue Daylight bulb installed. Giving off good heat, does not appear to be burning hot. Stay tuned.

Thank you!

 

[shmeenakoz]

Zoo Med 60W Blue Daylight bulb installed. Giving off good heat, does not appear to be burning hot. Stay tuned.

Yes thank you!!!!! This will be such a relief if no harm will come from using regular bulbs!

 

[CarlC]

I just looked up what this assembly looks like. It is all plastic. The warning is on there for a reason.

Carl

 

[symphonica]

I personally don't like these fixtures because I'm not a fan of the coiled UVB bulbs. I think they're useless. I'd just go with a T8 or T5HO tube fixture and a silver, aluminum clamp dome from the hardware store for $10. They'll be able to handle bulbs up to like 200w, not that they need anything that strong. The aluminum ones also don't get hot to the touch.

 

[ReptiGeek]

I just looked up what this assembly looks like. It is all plastic. The warning is on there for a reason.

Carl

That is incorrect. The sockets are ceramic and they have the aluminium reflectors, which is quite suitable for higher wattage bulbs. That is why I decided to try this out in the first place. I used to be in electrical and worked with lighting every day. I didn't experiment with bulb wattage vs. max. lamp wattage, but virtually all ceramic socket fixtures (that I ever dealt with) can handle a 60W bulb.

I personally don't like these fixtures because I'm not a fan of the coiled UVB bulbs. I think they're useless. I'd just go with a T8 or T5HO tube fixture and a silver, aluminum clamp dome from the hardware store for $10. They'll be able to handle bulbs up to like 200w, not that they need anything that strong. The aluminum ones also don't get hot to the touch.

Symphonica, I am not using the coiled UVB bulbs. But just to be clear, coiled UVB are not useless. They still have a good UVB output, just at a shorter distance. This means you have to set up your enclosure accordingly.
Now I'll have you know that I use mercury vapour bulbs, metal halide bulbs, T8, T5 AND compact fluorescent, so I am not biased toward any particular one. So it is not a question of what I should be using. I merely stated I have a couple of these fixtures laying around the house and wanted to optimize their purpose. 6,500K compact fluorescent bulbs are incredible at growing plants (or keeping plants alive). Using them in conjunction with the Exo Terra Compact top is very ideal with a live planted terrarium and I have had much success doing so. What I wanted to know, and thus decided to try, was if I could use one of these compact tops to grow plants on one socket and on the other socket provide heat. So far so good.


For those others who are using these compact tops, do not think they are bad in any way, nor the UVB bulbs you put in them. No chameleon of mine has ever developed eye issues or metabolic bone disease when using the fixtures in conjunction with compact fluorescent UVB bulbs and ALL of my chameleons (that I have had since babies) started on this type of set up. They have since had new UVB fixtures installed, but that is strictly because I switched the compact top from a UVB provider, to a UVA and 6,500K light provider (which stimulates reptile appetite and natural behaviours as well as grows plants).

 

[symphonica]

That is incorrect. The sockets are ceramic and they have the aluminium reflectors, which is quite suitable for higher wattage bulbs. That is why I decided to try this out in the first place. I used to be in electrical and worked with lighting every day. I didn't experiment with bulb wattage vs. max. lamp wattage, but virtually all ceramic socket fixtures (that I ever dealt with) can handle a 60W bulb.



Symphonica, I am not using the coiled UVB bulbs. But just to be clear, coiled UVB are not useless. They still have a good UVB output, just at a shorter distance. This means you have to set up your enclosure accordingly.

Now I'll have you know that I use mercury vapour bulbs, metal halide bulbs, T8, T5 AND compact fluorescent, so I am not biased toward any particular one. So it is not a question of what I should be using. I merely stated I have a couple of these fixtures laying around the house and wanted to optimize their purpose. 6,500K compact fluorescent bulbs are incredible at growing plants (or keeping plants alive). Using them in conjunction with the Exo Terra Compact top is very ideal with a live planted terrarium and I have had much success doing so. What I wanted to know, and thus decided to try, was if I could use one of these compact tops to grow plants on one socket and on the other socket provide heat. So far so good.



For those others who are using these compact tops, do not think they are bad in any way, nor the UVB bulbs you put in them. No chameleon of mine has ever developed eye issues or metabolic bone disease when using the fixtures in conjunction with compact fluorescent UVB bulbs and ALL of my chameleons (that I have had since babies) started on this type of set up. They have since had new UVB fixtures installed, but that is strictly because I switched the compact top from a UVB provider, to a UVA and 6,500K light provider (which stimulates reptile appetite and natural behaviours as well as grows plants).

I don't believe you mentioned any of that in your initial post. You just said you wanted any input about these fixtures to run both UV and heat together. Mentioned nothing about plants or that you are using these in conjunction with other fixtures and sources. You can't expect us to know what you don't type out - we're not psychics here, as much as I wish I was. If you reread your initial post, your question was who has used these dual fixtures and a request for any input. You seem to have contradicted the input you received, so if you aren't open to others' input and know all the answers, what were you hoping to get out of this thread? You seem to have enough opinions and experience about them to make recommendations to others, so I'm not sure what your question is/was or what the point of this thread was supposed to be.

If you're just inquiring about the fixture itself and not the bulbs, why wouldn't this fixture be able to grow plants and provide heat? Isn't it all dependent upon what you use for the bulbs, and not the fixture? Isn't it just a fixture that takes coiled and S-type bulbs? Does it fit R-type bulbs? Probably not.

 

[symphonica]

And what wattage are the ballasts in these things rated for?

 

[MelissaB]

And what wattage are the ballasts in these things rated for?

There are no ballasts in that type of fixture. CFL have their own ballast built into the base of the bulb.

 

[CarlC]

The housing is plastic so when used with higher wattage (more heat) you run the risk of fire.

Do as you please. I prefer to know I will be coming home to a house that has not burnt to the ground.

Carl

 

[symphonica]

The housing is plastic so when used with higher wattage (more heat) you run the risk of fire.



Do as you please. I prefer to know I will be coming home to a house that has not burnt to the ground.



Carl

Has always been my area of paranoia, especially with all of the electrical equipment for reptiles and fish. Unless you're an electrician, I would never run the risk of disregarding safety labels - they're on there for a reason.

 

[ReptiGeek]

Symphonica,
You made a simple question and experiment into a huge deal. Relax… It was literally just a question at the beginning, and then I clarified everything in my following posts and made it into an experiment. Your response was after this, so yes I would expect for you to have read that first. And I'm not running this over any of my chameleons enclosures right now. I am strictly testing it. Your opinions are valid, but you really don't have to ream me out like I am doing something illegal. It is a test, an experiment. I'm not telling people to do this. I stated I would try this first, and if I have good results I would update this thread. I never said for any one to "go out and do this."

Carl C,
The aluminum reflectors in the Exo Terra are quite thick. Aluminum does not conduct much heat, thus that is why it is used as reflectors in light fixtures and lamps.