"Under Cabnient" Flourescent Fixture?
- Thread starter PhxKarma
- Start date
Elizadolots
New Member
What are you intending it to do for your enclosure? Fluorescents are typically cool and do not provide heat. If you just want additional light, it might be okay, though the color of fluorescents is bluer than incandescents. Mixing fluorescents with incandescents can create a bizarre lighting situation.
Ryan Jarosek
New Member
put a reptisun 5.0 in it and through away the plastic cover and it will work perfectly.
Elizadolots
New Member
well, there you go....
Clifford
New Member
That's what I use for my UVB tubes. remove the plastic cover thats supposed to go over the bulb.
bridgofaith
Avid Member
Those are the exact ones I use on all my cages. They work great. Like Ryan said, be sure and throw out the plastic cover when you put a UVB bulb in, uvb can't penetrate plastic or glass.
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Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
Um, I don't think I understand your comment Elizadolots. Just about everyone uses a combination of incandescent (basking bulbs) and fluorescents (ReptiSun/ReptiGlo). Were you thinking of some other type of light instead?
summoner12
Avid Member
Todnedo
Avid Member
What do you mean by "bizarre lighting situation"?
fluxlizard
Avid Member
This brings up a question I have.
Years ago a friend of mine who owned a pet shop told me that a salesman for one of the lighting companies came into his shop and info and a demo. I don't remember for sure, but I think he might have been from ESU, but I'm not positive about that.
Anyway, my friend told me that one of the things he was showing him was how important it was to have a high quality lighting fixture for a full spectrum florescent tube, or the tube wouldn't burn as bright and would also give off far less UVB. My friend told me that he put some tubes in different light fixtures that he had around his shop, including in a new shop light 4' double flourescent tube fixture, a counter type fixture, and then in some of his aquarium hoods and took some readings with him, and my friend told me that it made a really big difference on the UVB amount- the higher quality aquarium hoods showed significantly more uvb and if I remember right one of his fixtures (the shop light maybe?) showed no uvb. Keep in mind the brand of tube and model was the same for all the fixtures.
Has anyone on the forums with the appropriate tools ever tried using tubes in different fixtures to see if they get different readings in the output of uvb?
I'm just wondering if the salesman was full of it, or if there is in fact a difference in say this under the counter light vs say a more expensive fixture. I've never worried about it enough to use the more expensive fixtures, but the guy sure had my friend convinced, so I do wonder about it from time to time...
Years ago a friend of mine who owned a pet shop told me that a salesman for one of the lighting companies came into his shop and info and a demo. I don't remember for sure, but I think he might have been from ESU, but I'm not positive about that.
Anyway, my friend told me that one of the things he was showing him was how important it was to have a high quality lighting fixture for a full spectrum florescent tube, or the tube wouldn't burn as bright and would also give off far less UVB. My friend told me that he put some tubes in different light fixtures that he had around his shop, including in a new shop light 4' double flourescent tube fixture, a counter type fixture, and then in some of his aquarium hoods and took some readings with him, and my friend told me that it made a really big difference on the UVB amount- the higher quality aquarium hoods showed significantly more uvb and if I remember right one of his fixtures (the shop light maybe?) showed no uvb. Keep in mind the brand of tube and model was the same for all the fixtures.
Has anyone on the forums with the appropriate tools ever tried using tubes in different fixtures to see if they get different readings in the output of uvb?
I'm just wondering if the salesman was full of it, or if there is in fact a difference in say this under the counter light vs say a more expensive fixture. I've never worried about it enough to use the more expensive fixtures, but the guy sure had my friend convinced, so I do wonder about it from time to time...
SpinyFranky
New Member
very interesting! im sure someone with one of those fancy UVB meters has something to say, or will be doing some experiments soon
.Personally I have had that little $7 fixture... but I hated it. took the plastic off and put the bulb in, the light came through the sides. I ended up taping the whole thing with tin foil to make a little reflector dome so the light would just shine down. I eventually scrapped it and purchased one of those specialized ones that come with... is it foil? Im not sure exactly but its a very flexible yet solid sheet that reflects the light very well. Imo it was worth the $6-8 bucks more.
P.S I think Eliza was just making a point that just any old fixture and bulb won't cut it... that it needs to be a specialized bulb ( and if the guy im quoting is right, then a specialized fixture as well )
SpinyFranky
New Member
forgot to add...
perhaps ( and this is just a guess ) they were being tested in fixtures of different wattages?
Im sure the more watts the stronger the bulb would operate... which could have some influence on to the amount of UVB produced.
Im still very interested to see what information comes out of this thread.
S.F
fluxlizard
Avid Member
No, they were, but he was testing them in pairs so he was comparing 4' to 4' not 4' to 2'.
The other thing that crosses my mind from time to time is my friend just happened to be selling not only the tubes, but the high quality fixtures lol
But I would like to sort of put it to rest and know if someone on here ever checked...
SpinyFranky
New Member
No, they were, but he was testing them in pairs so he was comparing 4' to 4' not 4' to 2'.
The other thing that crosses my mind from time to time is my friend just happened to be selling not only the tubes, but the high quality fixtures lol
But I would like to sort of put it to rest and know if someone on here ever checked...
you mean like he would put a bulb in say a XXX watt fixture of common make, and then put a bulb in a XXX ( same wattage ) fixture of the brand he was representing?
Who brought the bulbs? were they both ( or all ) new?
Just saying... it sounds either like a big scam took place, or that there is a really good product out there, hiding from us.
Also, can I ask how long ago this was? more or less than 5 years? lol... ide be interesting in knowing the products brand name and such.
fluxlizard
Avid Member
No, more than 5 years- this was sometime in the late 90s.
And I *think* he was selling ESU reptile tubes. I just googled and the brand is still out there, but I don't see it advertised now like I did back then.
But he was making it sound like any brand of full spectrum tube would be like this, not just his brand.
And no, the rep wasn't selling fixtures, only the tubes. At least that's how I remember it. But he was concerned the tubes be used properly.
My friend had fixtures in use in the shop over aquariums and reptile enclosures that were cheap hardware store types and not the same as the more expensive fixtures he was actually selling. So they would take a new tube of x length, put it in one of the el cheapo hardware store bargain priced fixtures, get a reading, then put same tube in one of his aquarium hoods or reptile hoods, and get a reading and the readings would be different. More light and UVB from the more expensive fixture, less (and in one case none) from the el-cheapo budget hardware store or walmart fixtures.
But it wasn't the brand of tube that was supposed to be important. He was trying to demonstrate how important the quality of fixture the tube was placed in was. Supposedly the cheaper fixtures would have a negative effect on any brand of tube- and I sort of remember that he grabbed a couple of other full spectrum tube brands off the shelf and showed that as well as the brand he represented, but it's been so long and it was only my friend telling me how blown away he was by the readings so I've forgotten for sure. But my friend immediately took down all his cheaper fixtures from his reptile rack and replaced with better quality fixtures. So, I do think he was convinced anyway...
Edit- but I don't know the truth of it- I got the info second hand right after it happened, and I've wondered about it from time to time- that's why I am asking if anyone on here has actually done readings with cheap vs more expensive fixtures, because I know some of the members on here like to take readings.
And I *think* he was selling ESU reptile tubes. I just googled and the brand is still out there, but I don't see it advertised now like I did back then.
But he was making it sound like any brand of full spectrum tube would be like this, not just his brand.
And no, the rep wasn't selling fixtures, only the tubes. At least that's how I remember it. But he was concerned the tubes be used properly.
My friend had fixtures in use in the shop over aquariums and reptile enclosures that were cheap hardware store types and not the same as the more expensive fixtures he was actually selling. So they would take a new tube of x length, put it in one of the el cheapo hardware store bargain priced fixtures, get a reading, then put same tube in one of his aquarium hoods or reptile hoods, and get a reading and the readings would be different. More light and UVB from the more expensive fixture, less (and in one case none) from the el-cheapo budget hardware store or walmart fixtures.
But it wasn't the brand of tube that was supposed to be important. He was trying to demonstrate how important the quality of fixture the tube was placed in was. Supposedly the cheaper fixtures would have a negative effect on any brand of tube- and I sort of remember that he grabbed a couple of other full spectrum tube brands off the shelf and showed that as well as the brand he represented, but it's been so long and it was only my friend telling me how blown away he was by the readings so I've forgotten for sure. But my friend immediately took down all his cheaper fixtures from his reptile rack and replaced with better quality fixtures. So, I do think he was convinced anyway...
Edit- but I don't know the truth of it- I got the info second hand right after it happened, and I've wondered about it from time to time- that's why I am asking if anyone on here has actually done readings with cheap vs more expensive fixtures, because I know some of the members on here like to take readings.
SpinyFranky
New Member
Ahhh you cleared it up for me now, thanks!
honestly, it does not sound that far fetched.... the more expensive things are, usually the better quality they are.
Sure you can buy a Ford Focus for what... 20 grand? or you can get the Porsche Carrera for 50. Both are cars, both drive - but one drives a hell of a lot better than the other. The quality reflects on the pricing.
I don't see it any different with anything else.
You can get a Zilla UVB tube cheaper, but the quality is no where near Repti Sun. Why can the same not apply to fixtures?
I would definitely find it safe to assume that the more expensive and specialized product would have better wiring and soldering, more efficiency e.t.c e.t.c than something you get out of the bargain bin at Lowes or Home Depot.
No doubt that would also reflect on the Animals health in the long run.
Im gonna go google that brand myself.
