I decided to buy the Reptisun UVB to see if it could be a cheaper alternative to Arcadia UVB tubes. While it produces the same amount of visual light the UV readings do not reach as deep as my preferred brand. It is also recommended that these bulbs are replaced every six months while the other brand can produce d3 for a year. It does what it needs to do but I think I will stick my original brand.

You should’ve known when you were signing up for that reptile that it was going to be expensive and boy were you right!! Just these lights themselves will be $30 on a good day. You replace them every six months but God dang it feels like it not very long before you replace them and spend another $5000 on just lights.. These lights do not burn out so you have to replace them every six months.. sometimes I’m sure you can find good deals even on their fixtures so just look around wait a while and you’ll find a good deal eventually a little bit better than full price.. I’ll take anything I can get at this point with how expensive this stuff becomes LOL..

We use these UV bulbs in our bearded dragon's 75G enclosure and so far they've been great. the T5 10.0 is perfect if you keep the fixture on top of your desert reptile's enclosure. The long, thin lights like this are much better for your pet than the smaller bulbs, since it allows the UV light to reach way more of their tank. Also really important for preventing things like metabolic bone disease (MBD). Just remember to replace your UV bulb every six months or so - even if it's still working, the UV output diminishes over time and should be replaced to keep your pet receiving optimal UV exposure.

Are you feeling lucky?

Bought 2 of these and, though I saw the reviews about bulbs arriving broken, I thought maybe things would have changed by now and perhaps they would be fine. Bulbs arrived poorly packaged. One miraculously arrived intact while the other was broken. They sent me a replacement bulb. That was also broken. The shipping box these come in is pretty big compared to the bulbs. You would think that whoever packages these would put some bubble wrap in there or at least enough packing material to make it so the bulb isn’t just banging around in the box. Nope, they put a single piece of packing paper in there, like that was actually going to do anything to protect the bulb. So, while the price is tempting, ask yourself first before ordering: Am I feeling lucky? You’re going to ... MoreBought 2 of these and, though I saw the reviews about bulbs arriving broken, I thought maybe things would have changed by now and perhaps they would be fine. Bulbs arrived poorly packaged. One miraculously arrived intact while the other was broken. They sent me a replacement bulb. That was also broken. The shipping box these come in is pretty big compared to the bulbs. You would think that whoever packages these would put some bubble wrap in there or at least enough packing material to make it so the bulb isn’t just banging around in the box. Nope, they put a single piece of packing paper in there, like that was actually going to do anything to protect the bulb. So, while the price is tempting, ask yourself first before ordering: Am I feeling lucky? You’re going to need a lot of luck if you’re ordering this and want an intact bulb. Until Petco changes how they package these, it’s just not worth the hassle.

Dependable bulb for a great price

I have a veiled chameleon and a bearded dragon, both of which depend on Reptisun 10.0 t5 ho bulbs. I always order my bulbs from foster and smith, they have great shipping techniques and have yet to receive a bulb broken. I did once have an out of stock problem six months ago but I called and they explained how it works with them and as soon as my bulbs came in they shipped it out! They have remarkable customer service and I recommend this website to everyone for the pet needs. Also someone in the reviews said these bulbs need replaced every 6-9 months, that is wrong. The UVB out put starts to drop down at 5-6 months, these are still great bulbs vs some of the alternative. They are the second favorite bulb with many reptile keepers, the arcadia brand being number one ... MoreI have a veiled chameleon and a bearded dragon, both of which depend on Reptisun 10.0 t5 ho bulbs. I always order my bulbs from foster and smith, they have great shipping techniques and have yet to receive a bulb broken. I did once have an out of stock problem six months ago but I called and they explained how it works with them and as soon as my bulbs came in they shipped it out! They have remarkable customer service and I recommend this website to everyone for the pet needs. Also someone in the reviews said these bulbs need replaced every 6-9 months, that is wrong. The UVB out put starts to drop down at 5-6 months, these are still great bulbs vs some of the alternative. They are the second favorite bulb with many reptile keepers, the arcadia brand being number one as they need replaced once a year but can be a bit more costly. Either way I love this brand and forster and smith, both have been very dependable for me! If you're interested in checking out my pets and how healthy these bulbs and other items from forster and smith have kept them healthy check us out on instagram at Jeffery_And_Friends

Everyone with a larger aquarium needs these bulbs

Arrived early which made me and my beardie extremely happy! This light is perfect for larger aquariums and gives off uvb up to 18 inches and with the correct fixture should be placed inside the tank under the mesh to lessen any chances of the mesh blocking the UVB rays (mesh can lower rays 30-50%!) I recommend Carolina Custom Cages Reptile 22" T5HO UVB Standard Light Fixture to use along with these bulbs because it has the hardware to achieve this and can be hung with zip ties or screws (provided with purchase) along with clamps that will securely connect to the fixture so it can hang on your mesh aquarium lid so long as you have metal mesh. I was slightly concerned when the box originally arrived because the outer box they put my 2 lights in was huge (you probably ... MoreArrived early which made me and my beardie extremely happy! This light is perfect for larger aquariums and gives off uvb up to 18 inches and with the correct fixture should be placed inside the tank under the mesh to lessen any chances of the mesh blocking the UVB rays (mesh can lower rays 30-50%!) I recommend Carolina Custom Cages Reptile 22" T5HO UVB Standard Light Fixture to use along with these bulbs because it has the hardware to achieve this and can be hung with zip ties or screws (provided with purchase) along with clamps that will securely connect to the fixture so it can hang on your mesh aquarium lid so long as you have metal mesh. I was slightly concerned when the box originally arrived because the outer box they put my 2 lights in was huge (you probably could fit 25-30 light strips in there that come in boxes that aren't the most padded themselves). There was no paper or styrofoam or anything to protect the bulbs and my box was pretty beat up and crushed looking upon arrival. Luckily, after testing both of them they still work great. The one I have been using for days with no issues. Just remember to replace bulbs every 6 months for the uvb output will lessen over time (the box says 1 year but you really should change them every 6 months, bulbs will be dramatically cheaper then if you have to bring you pet to the vet to be treated for MBD.

Lizzy really enjoys her light.

We found a lizard egg and successfully incubated and hatched it. We kepted Lizzy (longtail lizard) in a 5 gal. tank with 2 light bulbs... one uva and an uvb infrared which also put off some heat. When she was older we transferred her to a 39 gal. tank with coconut bedding, real plants and artificial vines, large rock and real limb (heat treated to destroy any bugs, parasites, fungus, etc. We already had this Zoo Med ReptiSun light used at one time for a different purpose. It worked well for a year. It still does work, but it is recommended to be replaced every 12 months or so. I checked with several other pet supply outlets. While they had these lights, not every outlet carried this 22 inch. I found it at Petco's. It wasn't instock at the store but I ordered it and ... MoreWe found a lizard egg and successfully incubated and hatched it. We kepted Lizzy (longtail lizard) in a 5 gal. tank with 2 light bulbs... one uva and an uvb infrared which also put off some heat. When she was older we transferred her to a 39 gal. tank with coconut bedding, real plants and artificial vines, large rock and real limb (heat treated to destroy any bugs, parasites, fungus, etc. We already had this Zoo Med ReptiSun light used at one time for a different purpose. It worked well for a year. It still does work, but it is recommended to be replaced every 12 months or so. I checked with several other pet supply outlets. While they had these lights, not every outlet carried this 22 inch. I found it at Petco's. It wasn't instock at the store but I ordered it and also decided to make this a repeat purchase in 12 months. It arrived quickly and packaged well. So far this light is doing a fine job. Lizzy enjoys it. The UVA LED light runs full length of the tank and she has a great appetite.

Perfect bulb for keeping desert species healthy!

These bulbs are perfect for our bearded dragons. The long bulbs span a good amount of the enclosure - enough to ensure the beardies have UVB in all temperature areas to also thermoregulate while getting proper UVB throughout the day. The T5's are the current best bulbs you can get and Zoo Med's 10.0 HO T5's are one of the best. They are also more easily available than some of the current "gold standard" Arcadia bulbs. And if you Subscribe and Save, the price on these is really great and you can set it up to autoship, so you never run out of bulbs. You are supposed to replace once a year, but we do 10-11mo to be safe and keep a spare for each baby on hand at all times, plus some spare freebie 5.0s for if we are desperate. Too bad they don't have them in stores. Our ... MoreThese bulbs are perfect for our bearded dragons. The long bulbs span a good amount of the enclosure - enough to ensure the beardies have UVB in all temperature areas to also thermoregulate while getting proper UVB throughout the day. The T5's are the current best bulbs you can get and Zoo Med's 10.0 HO T5's are one of the best. They are also more easily available than some of the current "gold standard" Arcadia bulbs. And if you Subscribe and Save, the price on these is really great and you can set it up to autoship, so you never run out of bulbs. You are supposed to replace once a year, but we do 10-11mo to be safe and keep a spare for each baby on hand at all times, plus some spare freebie 5.0s for if we are desperate. Too bad they don't have them in stores. Our local store only has shorter tubes and for some reason the pricing on them is way off. MSRP on the big bulbs is around $20-25 but the 14" bulbs in store are over $30. Oh well. Ordering online is very convenient - just doesn't help in an emergency so IMO: Stock up!

ReptiSun 5/10 HO T5 bulbs for chameleons

I am using the ReptiSun 5 HO T5 bulb for a 30” juvenile panther chameleon cage, and the 10 HO T5 bulb for a larger cage. I’ve read many reviews and looked at published data on these bulbs (given that the 5 HO bulb is recommended for forest dwelling reptiles like chameleons and the 10 HO bulb is advertised for desert reptiles). If the lights are placed outside a screened cage, you will need to consider the light absorption and diffraction from the screen, and how rapidly the UVB light subsides with distance from the bulb, and the distance the lizards will be from the light at the top of the cage vs the lower parts of the cage and how much plant foliage there is. Over-exposure of UV light is possible, but appears minimal if the lights are placed outside the screening ... MoreI am using the ReptiSun 5 HO T5 bulb for a 30” juvenile panther chameleon cage, and the 10 HO T5 bulb for a larger cage. I’ve read many reviews and looked at published data on these bulbs (given that the 5 HO bulb is recommended for forest dwelling reptiles like chameleons and the 10 HO bulb is advertised for desert reptiles). If the lights are placed outside a screened cage, you will need to consider the light absorption and diffraction from the screen, and how rapidly the UVB light subsides with distance from the bulb, and the distance the lizards will be from the light at the top of the cage vs the lower parts of the cage and how much plant foliage there is. Over-exposure of UV light is possible, but appears minimal if the lights are placed outside the screening and the cage is large enough and has enough shaded areas for the chameleons to escape exposure if necessary. These ReptiSun bulbs appear to be high quality but should be replaced after 6-12 months to insure adequate UVB light is present (visible light that is radiated by the bulb will continue long after the UVB light has dissipated). These ReptiSun bulbs have been recommended by many other users and I have been satisfied with them for the short time I’ve been using them.

Reptisun 10.0 uvb

This product needs to be paired with a terrarium hood that will fit the lamp. That hood needs to be bought separately. I would recommend buying this product as a replacement only for the sake of spending less money. Great product though :)