The Zoo Med Wire Cage Clamp Lamp fixture is just the thing for high heat emitting bulbs like ceramic heat emitters (CHEs).
The wire cage is safer for use with these bulbs than an enclosed dome. In fact, according to Zoo Med, this fixture is the only one UL rated for use with CHEs.
It has a ceramic socket, a clamp to hold it in place and an adjustable arm.
Zoo Med warrants this fixture for 1 year.
(Zoo Med item number LF-10)
The Zoo Med PowerSun(R) UV is a self-ballasted mercury vapor lamp. These are all-in-one lamps that give off light, heat and UV rays (both UVA and UVB) at the same time. This makes them great for creating a healthy basking area for any reptile, including your box turtle.
The UV light penetrates farther than standard UV bulbs, so if you have a tall habitat to keep your boxie from escaping, enough UV can still get to him.
In smaller enclosures this bulb might be overkill and could heat the whole thing too much (you may have to experiment with where to put it to avoid this).
You do need to use the PowerSun bulbs in a ceramic socket (no plastic or other materials), but you don’t need an external ballast (a ballast controls the electrical current to the light). So they’re almost as easy to use as a regular bulb, but they give your pet all the light and heat he needs.
It is important to note that these bulbs do contain mercury. But so do the compact fluorescents we’re all being forced to switch to, so that shouldn’t make much difference at this point. It’s just something to keep in mind.
This review is for the T5-HO ReptiSun® 5.0 fluorescent bulb from Zoo Med. Click here to read the T8 version review. You can also read about the differences between T5 and T8 lamps.
These lamps offer the same high quality you expect from ReptiSun, but they’re stronger, giving you more flexibility in where you put the lamp. Where the standard ReptiSun 5.0 lamps need to be about 12 inches from your pet in order to offer enough UVB, these lamps give your pet the same 5% UBV at up to 24 inches. This makes them ideal if you have a taller habitat set-up.
Reptile keepers and even zoos use the ReptiSun brand because it’s reliable and high quality. Many won’t use anything else.
This review is for the T8 ReptiSun® 5.0 fluorescent bulb from Zoo Med. If you’re looking for the T5-HO version, you’ll find that review here. We also have information on the difference between T8 and T5 lamps here.
Almost all reptiles, including box turtles, need UV rays to stay healthy and especially to make Vitamin D. If your pet doesn’t get much time outdoors, you need a bulb that emits both UVA and UVB rays. This bulb fits the bill. It puts out 5% UVB at up to 12 inches away.
The ReptiSun 5.0 and 10.0 line of UV lamps is one of the best products available. Reptile keepers regularly recommend these lamps for consistent quality and reliability. Many will use only the ReptiSun brand.
You can feel confident that these lamps will give your boxie the UV light she needs. All you need to do is decide which lamp you need.