zilla slimline

coldbloodedAL

Avid Member
I just bought a zilla slimline light fixture and it has a clear plastic cover over where the bulb goes. I thought that kind of stuff filters uvb?
 
I got rid of that light. It's for desert animals. Not only did it have that piece of plastic on it, but it also doesn't exactly tell you how much UVB is coming off of it. Just made me personally nervous.

I would search zilla slimline on the forum. There was a large discussion of it a few months back that brought some other issues with it to light.
 
I got rid of that light. It's for desert animals. Not only did it have that piece of plastic on it, but it also doesn't exactly tell you how much UVB is coming off of it. Just made me personally nervous.

I would search zilla slimline on the forum. There was a large discussion of it a few months back that brought some other issues with it to light.

I have a reptisun 5.0 for it i was just wondering about the acrylic cover?
 
Remove the plastic cover!!! It will reduce the uvb out put of your bulb.When you buy floresent light fixtures it is importiant to get ones with a electronic ballast The fixtures with starters are hard on bulbs. They loose there output much sooner
 
Well im beginning to think i might just return this one. What is a good fixture?

Look for a standard aquarium fixture with a electronic ballast...If it has a round silver starter it is not electronic... a dual fixture that holds t-8 bulbs is best you can put a 6500k plant bulb with your reptisun5.0 Your plants will flourish as well.
 
Howdy Al,

The fixture itself is ok to use. As already mentioned, just remove the plastic lens and the tube that may have come with it. Install your Reptisun 5.0 18" tube, don't use the lens, and you're all set :). I've used this type of fixture (lens removed) for 8+ years with no problems.

Example of your fixture(?): http://www.petsolutions.com/storefr...eReptileLamp&gclid=CM6EtKfW-aoCFR9hgwodXjdR5Q

If they still use the same plastic material for the lens construction, it filters-out ~99% of the UVB. Go figure...:eek:. In the past, reptiles have suffered a tragic fate from this configuration :(. I spoke by phone and email with the original importer of this assembly ~6-7 years ago about the lens problem but it never got resolved by them. They sold the product line to the current supplier. The current importer may have changed the plastic formula since then but I haven't measured one to see if it has been fixed, so you are better off leaving it removed.
 
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