r-zilla light
- Thread starter Fatalll
- Start date
KatiLemons
Established Member
I personally would just stick with using the reptisun 5.0 . I jsut bought a light fixture from a garage sale with a uvb light in it already and the tag said like new! I still changed the light out. I didnt want to take the chance. I really havent seen anyone who has used anything other than the reptisun 5.0. If anything I see people who use the CFL RS5.0 and alot of people are on the fence about CFL's.
bigben2057
New Member
I use a ex terra 10.0 uvb desert cfl and my chameleon dosent mind.
KatiLemons
Established Member
lol. I think thats a good choice. I feel that if everyone else is doing it and thier chams are healthy I shall be part of the statistic!! Like you said better get a new tube rather than having to get a new cham to replace one.
KatiLemons
Established Member
I'm not saying that they are bad, I am just stating that I have seen on here that alot of people believe that the reptisun 5.0 CFL's can cause eye damage. I am glad you havent had that problem
!! So maybe everyone is just scared to switch!I bought one 3 yrs back put it over a bin of baby veilds and it blinded the most of them. Heres the deal a t-8 or t-10 spreads the light out better than a small diameter bulb. those bulbs have verry intence light out of such a small surface area. Thats ok for a desert reptile,but not so good for tropical reptiles. I know others have used them with no problems. I will never own another crapy zilla bulb. not to mention how fast the other reptile bulbs burn out
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
you need to change that light out immediately. How long have you been using that light? He "might not mind" now but you could slowly be damaging your chameleons eyes. Please change out that light ASAP. The light you are using is just for what it sates "desert" animals. You chameleon is not a Bearded dragon. Get the Reptisun 5.0!
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
CHANGE the bulb now. Chameleons do not live in the desert.... you are going to cause damage to your chameleon if you use the wrong bulb.
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
I'm not saying that they are bad, I am just stating that I have seen on here that alot of people believe that the reptisun 5.0 CFL's can cause eye damage. I am glad you havent had that problem
its not that they are bad in general, but bad for chameleons.
OrangeCrush
New Member
I started out with a compact reptisun 5.0 and it looked like my chams eyes were being irritated so I switch for with reptisun 5.0 tube. It was better to be safe and not cheap and just buy a new bulb. Also stick with the 5.0 the 10.0 is too strong. They will sit much lower in the cage with those bulbs.
Chris Anderson
Dr. House of Chameleons
Wow, the amount of misinformation in this thread is unbelievable. People need to stop blindly regurgitating bad information. Take the time to do your research on the topic and get your facts straight.
There is nothing inherently dangerous about compact fluorescent (CF) bulbs if they are used appropriately (just like any other bulb). Anyone casting all CF bulbs as dangerous is misinformed about the actual issues that have been associated with a couple of these bulbs, has not actually done any research of their own, and is just blindly regurgitating information that others have said and attributing it to all CF bulbs rather than just a few that are implicated.
The Reptisun CF bulb that had been associated with eye issues is made by ZooMed. Both the 10.0 and 5.0 Reptisun CF bulb were implicated in the eye issues being mentioned (http://uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm). The Exo Terra CF bulb that was referenced in this thread is called the ReptiGlo bulb (different than the Reptisun) and has never been implicated in any eye issues. The Reptisun CF bulbs have been reformulated since this issue occurred (in 2007) and are now considered safe if used correctly (like any bulb).
The R-Zilla Desert 50 series bulbs (like the one the OP is talking about) were another of the bulbs implicated in the eye issues (http://uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm). I am not aware, however, that they ever changed their formula so I do not know if they are now considered safe or not. As a precaution, I would remove this bulb and replace it with one that is known to be safe.
As for using a desert bulb/10.0 for chameleons rather than a 5.0, the fact of the matter is our artificial UV lights that we provide for chameleons are producing radiance levels far below the levels that chameleons are exposed to naturally. Chameleons need a UV gradient and safe gradients can be provided with most bulbs whether they emit higher or lower radiance levels. The desert/10.0 bulbs can be used safely as long as the basking perch is not too close to the bulb (again, just like any bulb, you need to set your enclosure up appropriately). Additionally, the screen of many enclosures (such as the reptariums) filter a lot of the light out so these higher output bulbs in many cases are better because they end up providing a higher (but safe and effective) radiance level inside the enclosure than the lower output bulbs which may not be providing a high enough radiance once filtered out. Similarly, CF bulbs emit their UV radiance into a smaller area (because they are coiled) than linear fluorescent bulbs and therefore similar care should be made with them to make sure the chameleon's basking spot is not too close to the bulb.
Anyone interested in learning about reptile UV requirements and different bulbs should read the following pages/sites:
http://www.chameleonnews.com/04AugBeveridge.html
http://www.chameleonnews.com/10JulWeldon.html
http://uvguide.co.uk/
Chris
There is nothing inherently dangerous about compact fluorescent (CF) bulbs if they are used appropriately (just like any other bulb). Anyone casting all CF bulbs as dangerous is misinformed about the actual issues that have been associated with a couple of these bulbs, has not actually done any research of their own, and is just blindly regurgitating information that others have said and attributing it to all CF bulbs rather than just a few that are implicated.
The Reptisun CF bulb that had been associated with eye issues is made by ZooMed. Both the 10.0 and 5.0 Reptisun CF bulb were implicated in the eye issues being mentioned (http://uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm). The Exo Terra CF bulb that was referenced in this thread is called the ReptiGlo bulb (different than the Reptisun) and has never been implicated in any eye issues. The Reptisun CF bulbs have been reformulated since this issue occurred (in 2007) and are now considered safe if used correctly (like any bulb).
The R-Zilla Desert 50 series bulbs (like the one the OP is talking about) were another of the bulbs implicated in the eye issues (http://uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm). I am not aware, however, that they ever changed their formula so I do not know if they are now considered safe or not. As a precaution, I would remove this bulb and replace it with one that is known to be safe.
As for using a desert bulb/10.0 for chameleons rather than a 5.0, the fact of the matter is our artificial UV lights that we provide for chameleons are producing radiance levels far below the levels that chameleons are exposed to naturally. Chameleons need a UV gradient and safe gradients can be provided with most bulbs whether they emit higher or lower radiance levels. The desert/10.0 bulbs can be used safely as long as the basking perch is not too close to the bulb (again, just like any bulb, you need to set your enclosure up appropriately). Additionally, the screen of many enclosures (such as the reptariums) filter a lot of the light out so these higher output bulbs in many cases are better because they end up providing a higher (but safe and effective) radiance level inside the enclosure than the lower output bulbs which may not be providing a high enough radiance once filtered out. Similarly, CF bulbs emit their UV radiance into a smaller area (because they are coiled) than linear fluorescent bulbs and therefore similar care should be made with them to make sure the chameleon's basking spot is not too close to the bulb.
Anyone interested in learning about reptile UV requirements and different bulbs should read the following pages/sites:
http://www.chameleonnews.com/04AugBeveridge.html
http://www.chameleonnews.com/10JulWeldon.html
http://uvguide.co.uk/
Chris
Todnedo
Avid Member
[QUOTE
The R-Zilla Desert 50 series bulbs (like the one the OP is talking about) were another of the bulbs implicated in the eye issues (http://uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm). I am not aware, however, that they ever changed their formula so I do not know if they are now considered safe or not. As a precaution, I would remove this bulb and replace it with one that is known to be safe.[/QUOTE]
I spoke with a R-Zilla rep. about two years ago and he assured me the bulbs were reformulated and safe.
The R-Zilla Desert 50 series bulbs (like the one the OP is talking about) were another of the bulbs implicated in the eye issues (http://uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm). I am not aware, however, that they ever changed their formula so I do not know if they are now considered safe or not. As a precaution, I would remove this bulb and replace it with one that is known to be safe.[/QUOTE]
I spoke with a R-Zilla rep. about two years ago and he assured me the bulbs were reformulated and safe.
Chris Anderson
Dr. House of Chameleons
bigben2057
New Member
They were bad 3 years ago the probleam has been fixed
bigben2057
New Member
Thank goodness we have someone with good info. Yea you are correct i have the bulb 2.5 feet away from his basking spot.
ApolloT
Member
i got the some zilla light fixture but i have the tropical bulb. should i replace that bulb also?
Slimline Tropical Fixtures:
Slimline Tropical Fixture includes a 18" Tropical 25 T8 fluorescent bulb with a UVB output of 25 microwatts per second/cm2 @ 12"
Ideal for Anoles, Day Geckos, Tokay Geckos, Iguanas, Basilisks, Chameleons, Chinese Water Dragons, Tegus, Red-eared Slider & Red Foot Tortoises
