How often do you check bulbs with a Solar Meter?

jsheffield

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Hello,

When I first bought it, I checked my various enclosures every couple of weeks... now it'd been like six months.

All but one of the bulbs were still in the satisfactory range for the tortoises they're being used with... I replaced the low registering bulb, which had been in place for about two years.

How often does everyone else check the bulbs in their enclosures?

Thanks,

Jamie
 

Tom

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I don't have a set schedule. I just do it when it occurs to me. I have bulbs that have been in use for several years and are still going strong because they only get used for a few hours a day instead of 12 or more hours every day.
 

ZEROPILOT

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I change mine out every 12 months as a Christmas gift to my Chameleons.
Usually my RETISUN 10.0 have lost about 25% to 35% of their effectiveness. Still useable if I readjusted the height. Chameleons probably get a little more out of them than a tortoise does because they have multiple branches at different heights. Some quite close to the fixture.
I don't really check them much after I do my initial installation and set up. I've gotten lazy because they always seem to last just as long as the previous tubes. Pretty good quality and great consistency.
Mine are on from 8 am until 4 pm. After that, my UVA plant lights stay on from 6 am until 7 pm. The basking lamps also switch off at 7 pm. Then there is a needed overnight temperature drop from 82 to 70 degrees or less

When I first bought my 6.5 meter (from Josh's Frogs)I was testing EVERYTHING.
 
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ZEROPILOT

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I don't have a set schedule. I just do it when it occurs to me. I have bulbs that have been in use for several years and are still going strong because they only get used for a few hours a day instead of 12 or more hours every day.
I'm still interested to see if ARCADIA last longer than REPTISUN.
All indications suggest that they do.
 

Tom

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I'm still interested to see if ARCADIA last longer than REPTISUN.
All indications suggest that they do.
I had T8 ZooMed 10.0 bulb last for three years with no drop. I eventually replaced them with Arcadia 12%HO tubes because the 10.0 bulbs made so little UV.
 

LJL1982

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What brand solar meter are people using? I'm guilty of replacing on an annual schedule rather than meter checking, but keen to do so going forward...I'm seeing solarmeters for £500 upward...I then think we'll that's 10 bulbs I could change more frequently.
 

Mrs.Jennifer

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Hello,

When I first bought it, I checked my various enclosures every couple of weeks... now it'd been like six months.

All but one of the bulbs were still in the satisfactory range for the tortoises they're being used with... I replaced the low registering bulb, which had been in place for about two years.

How often does everyone else check the bulbs in their enclosures?

Thanks,

Jamie
Truth be told, after my husband bought me a Solarmeter 6.5 for Christmas last year (BEST GIFT EVER!), I was checking all the time. And that’s how I figured out the 6 month old Reptisun bulb was growing weaker. After lowering the fixture a couple times, I swapped out for the Arcadia 12%. Now I check twice a month. I’m sure that’s more than I need to, but it’s mostly so I can play with my Solarmeter.😉
 

Tom

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What brand solar meter are people using? I'm guilty of replacing on an annual schedule rather than meter checking, but keen to do so going forward...I'm seeing solarmeters for £500 upward...I then think we'll that's 10 bulbs I could change more frequently.
Solarmeter 6.5 is the only one. It is also marketed by ZooMed with a different sticker on it, and that version might be available there. Normal price is $249 US dollars, and it should be similar over there. 500 pounds sounds a bit too steep.
 

Tom

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Truth be told, after my husband bought me a Solarmeter 6.5 for Christmas last year (BEST GIFT EVER!), I was checking all the time. And that’s how I figured out the 6 month old Reptisun bulb was growing weaker. After lowering the fixture a couple times, I swapped out for the Arcadia 12%. Now I check twice a month. I’m sure that’s more than I need to, but it’s mostly so I can play with my Solarmeter.😉
Have you taken it outside and seen what UV levels are like over the course of a day. Winter and summer? I was astounded that standing in direct hot sun pointing the meter right at the sun could result in a reading of 0.0 in the morning or late evening. I had no idea. I used to rush home from work to get my tortoises out in the last bit of sun in the evenings to get them some UV, not realizing that no UV at that time of day. I also did not have any clue how low mid day winter UV levels are compared to summer.
 

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If you have some sort of routine where you weigh/measure the animals, I think it's good to make checking the bulbs part of that.
 

Mrs.Jennifer

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Have you taken it outside and seen what UV levels are like over the course of a day. Winter and summer? I was astounded that standing in direct hot sun pointing the meter right at the sun could result in a reading of 0.0 in the morning or late evening. I had no idea. I used to rush home from work to get my tortoises out in the last bit of sun in the evenings to get them some UV, not realizing that no UV at that time of day. I also did not have any clue how low mid day winter UV levels are compared to summer.
I have not—but now I will! Of course it won’t look like much right now in Connecticut!
 
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