I live in California and apparently these are banned? I'm so confused. If I'm looking for regular basking bulbs what's the difference between "incandescent equivalent" and the incandescent that can't be shipped to me?? Help me, I don't know things.
Incandescent bulbs?
- Thread starter ErinH
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- basking bulb
Agathaade
Active Member
I have this problem too. I didn’t even know they were banned in California!
‘Incandescent equivalent’ sounds like an LED or fluorescent bulb where they describe how the wattage translates, that’s not what you’re looking for.
I’ve been lucky once on Amazon with regular incandescent flood bulbs (most won’t ship to me), but most of the time I have to buy reptile flood bulbs.
Those you can find in California because they are for animal care, but in pet stores or online/Amazon. They are more expensive so that’s a bummer but easy to find.
‘Incandescent equivalent’ sounds like an LED or fluorescent bulb where they describe how the wattage translates, that’s not what you’re looking for.
I’ve been lucky once on Amazon with regular incandescent flood bulbs (most won’t ship to me), but most of the time I have to buy reptile flood bulbs.
Those you can find in California because they are for animal care, but in pet stores or online/Amazon. They are more expensive so that’s a bummer but easy to find.
Ok thank you! I don't mind getting the reptile ones...it would have just been nice to have a ten pack on hand for the price of one!
I still don't understand wth the difference or banning is for? A quick scan said something about energy efficiency? Ok CA! Anyway. I guess that's what Google is for. ?
The things I never knew owning a tortoise would teach me. Today has been lightbulbs and bugs. Haha.
I still don't understand wth the difference or banning is for? A quick scan said something about energy efficiency? Ok CA! Anyway. I guess that's what Google is for. ?
The things I never knew owning a tortoise would teach me. Today has been lightbulbs and bugs. Haha.
LEDs are MUCH more efficient and use a fraction of the electricity to make the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb. They also last a lot longer. 50,000 hours compared to 2000 hours.
Unfortunately, all the things that make them so good for lighting and saving energy, make them useless for out purposes of creating a warm basking area.
None of the "reptile" bulbs sold in pet stores are suitable for tortoises. They are all either "intense spot bulbs" or colored bulbs or MVBs. None of those should be used over a reptile.
I did a whole thread on the stupidity of the government banning the sale of regular incandescents bulbs. This is craziness. They have no right to tell us which bulbs we must use. LEDs make perfect sense for lighting up your home, but to force us to use them, and make it illegal to sell regular incandescent bulbs? That is just wrong. Blatant government abuse of power. We didn't vote on this. They just did it without the consent of the governed. One more infuriating reason to retaliate when the time comes. And its coming.
What you'll have to do to get the life sustaining bulbs you need is have a friend or family member out of state buy them on Amazon (Amazon... a whole 'nother can-o-worms...) and use your CA address for shipping/delivery. I tried to do this myself, but it won't let me "buy" them in CA. It did let my friend in Georgia buy them and put my address here as the shipping address.
Good luck. Can we stop electing tyrannical lunatics now?
Unfortunately, all the things that make them so good for lighting and saving energy, make them useless for out purposes of creating a warm basking area.
None of the "reptile" bulbs sold in pet stores are suitable for tortoises. They are all either "intense spot bulbs" or colored bulbs or MVBs. None of those should be used over a reptile.
I did a whole thread on the stupidity of the government banning the sale of regular incandescents bulbs. This is craziness. They have no right to tell us which bulbs we must use. LEDs make perfect sense for lighting up your home, but to force us to use them, and make it illegal to sell regular incandescent bulbs? That is just wrong. Blatant government abuse of power. We didn't vote on this. They just did it without the consent of the governed. One more infuriating reason to retaliate when the time comes. And its coming.
What you'll have to do to get the life sustaining bulbs you need is have a friend or family member out of state buy them on Amazon (Amazon... a whole 'nother can-o-worms...) and use your CA address for shipping/delivery. I tried to do this myself, but it won't let me "buy" them in CA. It did let my friend in Georgia buy them and put my address here as the shipping address.
Good luck. Can we stop electing tyrannical lunatics now?
Omg seriously. I'd also like to continue drinking the soda I want in whatever size I want to drink it in, inhale whatever flavor nicotine I want, and decide what I want to do with my own body for my own health (or lack thereof). Preferably without couch doctors and police and the newly woke policing me.
Ok, thanks Tom. I'll see what kind of work around I can figure out.
Agathaade
Active Member
Oh wow.
@Tom I did get a basking bulb from a reptile brand, they have exactly the same shape as my incandescent flood bulbs, I’m including pics of the two. The one with the markings is the reptile 75W bulb, the other is a regular household 45W bulb. I assumed they were the same, just one branded and priced for reptiles. Are you saying the reptile one focuses the heat in one hotspot instead of pspreading it?
Did I get the wrong regular incandescent bulb?
@Tom I did get a basking bulb from a reptile brand, they have exactly the same shape as my incandescent flood bulbs, I’m including pics of the two. The one with the markings is the reptile 75W bulb, the other is a regular household 45W bulb. I assumed they were the same, just one branded and priced for reptiles. Are you saying the reptile one focuses the heat in one hotspot instead of pspreading it?
Did I get the wrong regular incandescent bulb?
The flukers bulb in the picture does look like a flood, but you'll have to read the packaging to be sure. Look for something that says "BR30", if it doesn't say flood or spot.
Agathaade
Active Member
The Flukers packaging doesn’t say anything technical about the bulb, just has information about use with reptiles, like distance/temperature graphs.
I’m attaching pics of the two kinds of bulbs side by side for comparison. They look structurally exactly the same, both have that little reflector inside that you can see through the back.
Would you say the Flukers is safe?
I’m attaching pics of the two kinds of bulbs side by side for comparison. They look structurally exactly the same, both have that little reflector inside that you can see through the back.
Would you say the Flukers is safe?
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What I ended up doing was this. I ordered the bulbs I wanted and had them shipped to family in PA. They slapped a new mailing label on the box and shipped them to me.
CA is the first state to ban them being sold. There are several other states that are getting ready to start this as well. I think eventually they will be gone completely.
Such is "progress".
It looks okay to me. Try this just for fun: Put in one or the other bulbs and use a tape measure to measure the lit area directly below the bulb. Write that down and then put your digital thermometer directly under the first bulb and let it sit there baking for a good hour. Then switch bulbs and do the other one. See if they are reasonable similar in beam size and temperature generated. Tell us what you get. If your Flukers bulb works, then I think we Californians may have a way to get around our moronic legislators intentions and I will thank you for this discovery.
It was not a California law banning incandescents. It is a federal law banning all sales of incadescents in the US. However a law suit was filed and the judge ordered the law cannot go into effect prior to it being settled. However, California, in all its wisdom, chose to put the ban into effect earlier - prior to the lawsuit, so the law is indeed in effect in California as of Jan 2020What I ended up doing was this. I ordered the bulbs I wanted and had them shipped to family in PA. They slapped a new mailing label on the box and shipped them to me.
CA is the first state to ban them being sold. There are several other states that are getting ready to start this as well. I think eventually they will be gone completely.
Such is "progress".
That is indeed a flood type bulb and would be good to use. More expensive as it is marketed for reptiles, but it is a flood bulb option.
Agathaade
Active Member
Thank you @Markw84 for taking a look!
I do think it’s a shame they made no exceptions for certain applications, esp involving animal husbandry.
To be sold the exact same bulbs at a markup... ugh!
I don’t mind using energy efficient bulbs in the rest my home though.
I’ll test the bulbs and report later tonight.
I do think it’s a shame they made no exceptions for certain applications, esp involving animal husbandry.
To be sold the exact same bulbs at a markup... ugh!
I don’t mind using energy efficient bulbs in the rest my home though.
I’ll test the bulbs and report later tonight.
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I stand corrected. I did research on the CA law a while back, and I do remember something about a lawsuit and a judge.
It's unfortunate that this doesn't affect all reptile keepers, rather than just tortoise keepers. There would be more uproar about it.
Everything i read about all the BS you guys in California have to deal with about these bulbs just makes my head hurt. On the other hand, it makes me want to go to the store and buy another box because im nervous lol
I have 2 12pk boxes now for one leopard tortoise ?
I have 2 12pk boxes now for one leopard tortoise ?
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I can still get my hands on 40 watt and 60 watt incandescents.
The local DOLLAR STORES sell them and I use them for my Chameleons.
I also found small incandescent spot light bulbs at Home Depot on clearance.
Let me know if anyone wants any bootlegged out of Florida.
The local DOLLAR STORES sell them and I use them for my Chameleons.
I also found small incandescent spot light bulbs at Home Depot on clearance.
Let me know if anyone wants any bootlegged out of Florida.
Thank you! I'll keep that in mind! I just ordered some on ebay and haven't gotten any kind of oops sorry messages...fingers crossed!
Are you going to tell us what is better than incandescent flood bulbs?
mools
Member
I would like to know too.
Its been 20 months since I asked, and no activity from the poster. I don't think we will get an answer.
