When to replace reptisun 10

[amyemiline]

Just a question regarding when to replace reptisun 10 uvb lights.
I know people say 6 months to a year. I have had one of my reptisun 10's for almost a year now, but when I test it with my solar meter 6.5 I am still getting a high reading of about 2.6-3.0 in the basking spot and 13.0 when I move it closer to the bulb.

Now does this mean it is still good, or should I be replacing it anyways?

 

[CooperDragon]

The general rule is 6 months for a T8 and 1 year for a T5. That's just a conservative estimate though and the life span can vary between bulbs. Since you have a solarmeter, go with what it's reading. You want to keep UVI of 3-6 in the basking area with gradients down to <1 in some areas of the tank. Once you aren't getting those readings, either move the bulb as needed or replace it. I've had my T5 Arcadia running smoothly for over 2.5 years now. It's just a matter of having a solarmeter to check output and verify that it's still good.

 

[amyemiline]

Ok thank you! I will lower my bulb closer to the basking spot and continue to check with my solar meter every couple weeks.

 

[CooperDragon]

Sounds good. I wouldn't go closer than 6'' with a T8 due to visual intensity though.

 

[amyemiline]

ok will make sure to measure my distance.
Thanks again!

 

[Diggity]

Anyone have any experience with the Mega-ray bulbs? Local pet store informed me that they are best UVA/UVB source on the market for reptile lighting? Wanted to ask around as they're pretty pricey.

 

[Taterbug]

Anyone have any experience with the Mega-ray bulbs? Local pet store informed me that they are best UVA/UVB source on the market for reptile lighting? Wanted to ask around as they're pretty pricey.

Best is subjective from my research mega-ray are the go to brand for MVB but for bigger lizards like dragons T5 tubes still win the day because they have a bigger effective area and better color output.

 

[CooperDragon]

I agree with Taterbug. I like them and have two but their beams are relatively narrow so I use them as portable basking spots outside the tank while I use a T5 tube in the tank because it provides a much wider spread of UVB covering the whole basking area really well.