ReptiSun & ReptiGlow bulbs - difference??

[Psychobunny]

Zoo Med sells these compact fluorescent screw in type UVB's 5.0, one they call ReptiSun, which has been very popular for years in the tube version, and a newer bulb they call ReptiGlow which comes in either 13 or 26watts.

I can not find any difference between these 2 bulbs except the ReptiGlow is a little cheaper and the ReptiSun is longer by a few inches.

Does anyone know what the differences are? I have both.

 

[Chameleonic]

I have used both too. The only difference is that the Reptisun is a bit better quality of light and will last longer before needing replacement. You should replace bulbs every 6 months for the Reptisun anyway, but a bit more often with reptiglo

 

[pssh]

Compact bulbs tend to be more harmful. For whatever reason, they don't seem to manufacture them in a way that is safe. Some are okay to use, but I've lost track of which ones they are. I know a while back reptiglo changed the way they made the compacts and they became unsafe/didn't work very well. I don't know if they've changed back though.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

They're not really new, both CFL versions have been around for at least a decade. Both work well, I like the more yellow light from reptiglo personally and some people prefer the reptisun because they tend to last a little longer. But without a UVB meter I still think they should be changed every 6 months regardless.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Pssh - this is completely incorrect and can cause undue worries over a problem that does not exist. Please fact check before posting things like this.

Compact bulbs tend to be more harmful. For whatever reason, they don't seem to manufacture them in a way that is safe. Some are okay to use, but I've lost track of which ones they are. I know a while back reptiglo changed the way they made the compacts and they became unsafe/didn't work very well. I don't know if they've changed back though.

At one time there was a manufacturing problem with the ReptiSun CFL UVB bulbs so that they emitted unsafe levels of UVB and even UVC rays, which corresponded to health problems like eye problems and burns in reptiles. This manufacturing issue was identified and corrected by the manufacturer several years ago and thus we have not seen problems with it since then unless someone unluckily picked up an older bulb from before correction. The ReptiGlo CFL UVB bulbs were never associated with these harmful effects. The linear ReptiGlo or ReptiSun bulbs have never had any health problems associated with them either.

 

[reptilover]

Pssh - this is completely incorrect and can cause undue worries over a problem that does not exist. Please fact check before posting things like this.


At one time there was a manufacturing problem with the ReptiSun CFL UVB bulbs so that they emitted unsafe levels of UVB and even UVC rays, which corresponded to health problems like eye problems and burns in reptiles. This manufacturing issue was identified and corrected by the manufacturer several years ago and thus we have not seen problems with it since then unless someone unluckily picked up an older bulb from before correction. The ReptiGlo CFL UVB bulbs were never associated with these harmful effects. The linear ReptiGlo or ReptiSun bulbs have never had any health problems associated with them either.

^^^ beat me to it

 

[Psychobunny]

I noticed it takes a minute for the reptiglow to light up all the way!!
Havent noticed that on the reptisun bulb yet!!

Read some bad reports on Zilla brand UVB's!!
Dont know if they have improved or not, so I will stay away from them

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Yes stay away from Zilla. Those are still not reliably effective or safe...

 

[Bitfly]

So why does all the packaging for these bulbs say to replace yearly and everyone on these boards say 6 months?

Wouldn't the manufacturer love to get everyone to change them in 6 months and say so on the box?

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

The recommendation for 6 months is based on UVB readings taken from the bulbs. Some of the bulbs can continue to put out UVB for up to a year, but after average 6 months the levels of UVB are not adequate for reptiles. I don't have an answer for you on the box label. Why do they keep selling calci-sand even though it kills so many reptiles from impactions? Why is there a chameleon picture on the label of Repti-bark even though chameleons have absolutely no need for bark?

 

[drcrossfire]

So why does all the packaging for these bulbs say to replace yearly and everyone on these boards say 6 months?

Wouldn't the manufacturer love to get everyone to change them in 6 months and say so on the box?

if you take your chameleon outside during the summer-- then your lights can last a year~! we say six months for safety.. but if you want to buy a UV meter you can replace at the proper time.

I prefer the strip bulbs as opposed to CFL because it is easier to get near the basking spot

 

[carol5208]

there was a very good test done on reptisun vs reptiglo. It was done in great detail by an individual I believe, from different distances, and they were really put to the test. Reptisun was proven to give off better uvb. I am on my daughters laptop and my computer is down right now or I would post the link.

 

[c2c]

i use the repti glo 5.0 and i am happy with it

 

[pssh]

How is that incorrect? I said that some were okay, but I wasn't sure which ones. Then I admitted to not knowing if the reptiglo bulbs are safe again?

Aside from the arcadia, reptiglo, and reptisun, I've never heard of another compact bulb that was considered safe.

 

[Miss Lily]

I have always used Repti Glo linear bulbs and replaced them every 6 months. I just replaced Monty's last night and his cage is brighter today, so the light is visibly better too. He has also been basking better today too and enjoying his new tube!

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

How is that incorrect? I said that some were okay, but I wasn't sure which ones. Then I admitted to not knowing if the reptiglo bulbs are safe again?

Aside from the arcadia, reptiglo, and reptisun, I've never heard of another compact bulb that was considered safe.

Your comment was "Compact bulbs tend to be more harmful.", which implies that all of them are dangerous and that they should not be used. This is incorrect. And you pointed out the wrong brand as having problems. If you did not know the brand you could have just said "there was one brand" instead of assuming the wrong one. A lot of people know of the previous reputation of the reptisun bulbs as causing eye problems. Since that is not true anymore, and never was for reptiglo, we need to make sure that we are perpetuating current information instead of rumors or outdated information. This comment "For whatever reason, they don't seem to manufacture them in a way that is safe." is wrong. That was a problem in the past with one brand but is no longer an issue. They have been used very safely for years now. There is enough misinformation on various sites already. Chamforums needs to be ahead of the game.

 

[pssh]

I was talking to Dave Weldon a while ago (maybe a year or year and a half?) and he was telling me about how the reptiglo's became unsafe because of their manufacturing process. Perhaps they fixed it immediately after that batch? I don't know. I do know that the manufacturing process of the bulbs can cause issues and that there are many, many, many other reptile bulbs that are unsafe or questionable. It seems that major brands have fixed any issues they had, but that doesn't mean that no-name or nameless brands have as well.

Before I found this site, with my first chameleon I used the compact reptiglos so I can say that they were safe previously, but I stopped using compact bulbs before any issues with the brand arose.

Edit: Okay, it was in 2010 and I found one of his posts in this thread if you would like to read it:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/compact-bulb-question-48413/

There is a reason I mentioned it. Also, when I say tend, I don't mean all.

 

[PappaRONzi]

So are the cfl bulbs as effective as the tube bulbs? I started with a cfl and then switched to a long tube bulb. I felt like my Cham was lethargic and after I switched it seemed like he became more active and his color improved. So are they the same or is one better than the other?