MH Grow Light.

I may be wrong, but isn't that bulb just for plants to thrive? It doesn't say anything about UVB at all. Why wouldn't you just use a Reptisun or Arcadia?
 
Can Metal Halide Lamp Systems be Used for Reptiles? Yes. The light characteristics of a I00 watt metal halide lamp are shown in Table 1. The lamps emit substantial visible light and "respectable" amounts of UVA and UVB. However, these systems are costly (in excess of $200) and comparable quality lighting can be attained less expensively.
 
I have never heard of anyone using one of those lights. I would stick to what members of the community have used successfully for years.
 
You know the old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Stick with what the community has been using for years with great success as suggested above!
 
I have used halide lights for coral reef aquariums. They are hot and use a lot of electricity. If I remember correctly, the UVB does penetrate better than a fluorescent but you also have to be careful that they don't get too much UVB (or light). It would also be hard to regulate the temp. The only way that I could see a halide light being of use is if you were setting up a 400 watt in like a 8x8 room with 10 foot ceilings so the light could spread out and penetrate through the foliage and the chams would have filtered light. And you would need to find a way to get all that extra heat out of the room.

On a cage you would have to hang a 100 watt light like 2 feet above the cage. plus it would be too much light for most house plants if anyway near it.
 
was just looking at the link... the 35 watt would probably be good for heat loving herps. not so much for chams.
 
That's a ton of money, why does it have to be that much? Reptisuns are not that expensive and you can get a hood for $40 or less online
 
Pet stores sometimes hike up the prices like crazy! I would check amazon if that is the case with your store.
 
Duffield said:
Understood. Im looking at 100$ at the pet store for a UVB bulb and fixture. any ides?
Click to expand...

I'm surprised no one has referred you to Light Your Reptiles, people say he offers great products and top notch customer care. He offers great lights that your plants will love, as well as Arcadia UVB 6% or 12% options. Yeah, the price is a little scary but people swear by the products. I'm setting up a new chameleon enclosure and I will switching over to these fixtures.
However, everyone has their own opinion and husbandry, so figure out what's best for you and more importantly your chameleon. :)

Link: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/fixtures/t5-high-output/
 
Syreptyon said:
That's a ton of money, why does it have to be that much? Reptisuns are not that expensive and you can get a hood for $40 or less online
Click to expand...
Our last privately owned pet shop (the last one that has employees that know jack) sells the 4' reprising fixture with bulb for less than $60. Smaller sizes are a little less expensive. I think the 2' was under $50. It is less expensive than Amazon plus has a free bulb.
 
I use the Exo Terra sunray. It cost about $75 if I remember correctly. The first 3 months or so, it was too intense. I was getting UV index readings greater than 10 at like 13 inches! It was providing a ton of light and ample heat, but is was absolutely frying my plants. Luckily, I used my grow out period for my enclosure to help “season” this light. Without an inhabitant in the enclosure I wasn’t worried about burning some leaves. After about 3 months, I saw a substantial drop in UV index output. I measure about 4-6 at 8 inches (through aluminum screen). This is still high, but I utilize a canopy layer of ficus plants to help knock this number down. After using the light for well over a year, I still measure ample UV index with my solarmeter, and the light provides safe levels of basking heat. With any lighting system, you have to be careful to measure levels of both UV index and heat output before you subject your animal to their rays. I also use one of Todd’s quad setups with Arcadia t5’s. Never skimp on your lighting. It’s too important to your chameleon.
 
tjcondy said:
I can't decide between the 3 or quad, would you say the extra money for it is worth it?
Click to expand...
Yes more is always better. And the nice thing about the quad setup is you can turn two lights off and leave the other two on as you feel is needed.
 
@CharlesYamaguchi uses mh, he would probably be a good resource for you on using them. I'm not sure when they'd be available but he had mentioned he's working on a cheaper assembly to offer the community. He will also help you with buying parts to make your own when he has time to help make it a little cheaper too. He recently moved but pops up on face book forums once and a while. If you're really interested in mh I'd send him a message but be patient on getting a reply due to the recent move.
 
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