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      • Getting Started
      • Choosing Your Chameleon
      • Checklist/Shopping Guide
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      • Daily Care & Maintenance
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      • The Bio-Active Enclosure
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T8, T5, T5HO Which One ?

When shopping for florescent UVB bulbs, it can be hard to know if you are getting the right bulb for your chameleon. T8? T5? T5HO? What does it all mean? In short, it is about wattage.

The first thing to be aware of is that the fixture (ballast) has a max output that should match the bulb. It is important because a 54 watt bulb can be run at 28 watts. As you may have guessed, this reduces their output. There is more to the story, but for our purposes we just need to check the wattage to make sure our bulb matches the fixture output.

See our wattage charts below for help when picking fixtures and bulbs.

T8

Standard T5

Standard T5

 Size 46"  Wattage: 32w 

Size 34"  Wattage: 30w 

Size 22"  Wattage: 18w 

Standard T5

Standard T5

Standard T5

  Size 46"  Wattage: 28w 

Size 34"  Wattage: 21w 

Size 22"   Wattage: 14w 

T5HO

Standard T5

T5HO

Size 46"  Wattage: 54w

 Size 34"  Wattage: 39w

 Size 22"   Wattage: 24w

What strength Bulb ?

This is a common concern and can be quite confusing, though it doesn't need to be. Let's look back at our UVI requirements: We simply want the highest part the top of his back can reach to be no more than 6 UVI. We want the basking area to be 3 UVI. The bulb we choose will be the one that hits this zone. 


For setups with a single bulb w/reflector and the fixture set on the screen top (the most common set up for beginners), 6% or 5.0 is perfect.


A 12% or 10.0 would be for larger setups where the light is suspended above the top of the cage or in multi-bulb fixtures where the additional slots are used for plant bulbs.





 Affiliate Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We do not list only Amazon items, but the affiliate program is how we maintain our site here at CaskAbove. 

Setting up the enclosure

 Which One? 

T5HO Fixtures & Bulbs

Dome Fixtures & Heat Bulbs

Plant Lighting

UVB Lighting Kits (Bulb Included)

Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit (Bulb & Fixture)

Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit (Bulb & Fixture)

Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit (Bulb & Fixture)

This is a great combo pack for UVB lighting. It includes the bulb strength of choice and light fixture. This will save on the costs of buying separately. They come in lengths of 24 to 48 inches and bulb choice of 6% to 14%.


  • Shop LightYourReptiles.com
  • Shop Talis-us 
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Reptisun T5 HO Terrarium Hood with Bulb

Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit (Bulb & Fixture)

Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit (Bulb & Fixture)

This is another great combo choice for UVB lighting. Available in 24, 30, and 48 inches. There is a variety set option on Amazon which includes both 5.0 and 10.0 bulbs. 


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T5HO Fixtures for UVB.

Sunblaster NanoTech T5 High Output Fixture Reflector Combo

Carolina Custom Cages Reptile T5HO UVB Standard Light Fixture

Carolina Custom Cages Reptile T5HO UVB Standard Light Fixture

This is a quality fixture used by many keepers in the herp world.


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Carolina Custom Cages Reptile T5HO UVB Standard Light Fixture

Carolina Custom Cages Reptile T5HO UVB Standard Light Fixture

Carolina Custom Cages Reptile T5HO UVB Standard Light Fixture

These are built with the same basic hardware as the Sunblaster. It is another solid choice for a T5HO fixture.


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Vivarium Electronics T5 HO light fixture with reflector

Carolina Custom Cages Reptile T5HO UVB Standard Light Fixture

Vivarium Electronics T5 HO light fixture with reflector



For use with T5HO bulbs such as the Arcadia and ReptiSun T5HO UVB Bulbs.


Shop Reptile Basics

T5HO Bulbs for UVB

Arcadia 6% T5HO UVB

Arcadia 12% T5HO UVB

Arcadia 12% T5HO UVB

Arcadia D3 6% UVB T5 Bulb


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Arcadia 12% T5HO UVB

Arcadia 12% T5HO UVB

Arcadia 12% T5HO UVB

Arcadia D3 12% UVB T5 Bulb  22“/46"


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Zoo Med Reptisun 5.0 T5HO

Zoo Med Reptisun 10.0 T5HO

Zoo Med Reptisun 10.0 T5HO

5.0 T5-HO UVB Fluorescent Lamp - 22” (24w) - 46” (54w)


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Zoo Med Reptisun 10.0 T5HO

Zoo Med Reptisun 10.0 T5HO

Zoo Med Reptisun 10.0 T5HO

 10.0 T5-HO UVB Fluorescent Lamp - 22” (24w) - 46” (54w)


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 Which One? 

T5HO Fixtures & Bulbs

Dome Fixtures & Heat Bulbs

Plant Lighting

Heat Bulbs and Domes

A word about heat bulbs and domes:

First of all, not all domes are the same. The difference is in things like reflectiveness of interior and the depth of dome. Standard 5.5” domes may leave the bulb touching anything it sits on. The deeper 8.5” dome will keep the hot bulb safely away from surfaces, especially in setups where the lamp is sitting directly on the screen.

*Personal preference for deep dome fixtures when using the cheaper plant bulbs. Some may have glare, be longer than normal bulbs, and can be visually unappealing. A deep dome hides all this nicely.


For the bulbs themselves, any incandescent bulb 40w to 75w is all we need. There are specialty reptile bulbs and plant bulbs that can be used.

Oiibo Deep Dome , 8.5 Inch with Optical Reflection Cover Anti-scald

Oiibo Deep Dome , 8.5 Inch with Optical Reflection Cover Anti-scald

Oiibo Deep Dome , 8.5 Inch with Optical Reflection Cover Anti-scald

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Zilla Reflector 8.5 inch Dome Lamp, Black

Oiibo Deep Dome , 8.5 Inch with Optical Reflection Cover Anti-scald

Oiibo Deep Dome , 8.5 Inch with Optical Reflection Cover Anti-scald

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Zilla Reflector 8.5 inch Dome Lamp, Silver

Oiibo Deep Dome , 8.5 Inch with Optical Reflection Cover Anti-scald

REPTI ZOO 8.5 Inch Reptile Lamp Fixture, Optical Reflection

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REPTI ZOO 8.5 Inch Reptile Lamp Fixture, Optical Reflection

REPTI ZOO 8.5 Inch Reptile Lamp Fixture, Optical Reflection

REPTI ZOO 8.5 Inch Reptile Lamp Fixture, Optical Reflection

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Zoo Med Economy Clamp Lamp with 8.5-Inch Dome

REPTI ZOO 8.5 Inch Reptile Lamp Fixture, Optical Reflection

Zoo Med Economy Clamp Lamp with 8.5-Inch Dome

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Fluker’s 8.5 Inch Dimmable Clamp Lamp

REPTI ZOO 8.5 Inch Reptile Lamp Fixture, Optical Reflection

Zoo Med Economy Clamp Lamp with 8.5-Inch Dome

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LUCKY HERP 2-Pack Reptile Heat Bulb, Basking Spot 50w - 75w

GE Incandescent Plant Light Bulb, 65W, 730 Lumen, Blue-Tinted White Light Bulb for Indoor Plants

Zilla (3 Pack) Reptile Terrarium Heat Lamps Incandescent Bulb, White Spot, 50w 75w 100w

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Zilla (3 Pack) Reptile Terrarium Heat Lamps Incandescent Bulb, White Spot, 50w 75w 100w

GE Incandescent Plant Light Bulb, 65W, 730 Lumen, Blue-Tinted White Light Bulb for Indoor Plants

Zilla (3 Pack) Reptile Terrarium Heat Lamps Incandescent Bulb, White Spot, 50w 75w 100w

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GE Incandescent Plant Light Bulb, 65W, 730 Lumen, Blue-Tinted White Light Bulb for Indoor Plants

GE Incandescent Plant Light Bulb, 65W, 730 Lumen, Blue-Tinted White Light Bulb for Indoor Plants

GE Incandescent Plant Light Bulb, 65W, 730 Lumen, Blue-Tinted White Light Bulb for Indoor Plants

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GE 65-Watt Soft White Reflector Flood BR30 Light Bulb, 4-Pack

PHILIPS 60-Watt Incandescent Agro-Lite Indoor Light Bulb for Plants

GE Incandescent Plant Light Bulb, 65W, 730 Lumen, Blue-Tinted White Light Bulb for Indoor Plants

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PHILIPS 60-Watt Incandescent Agro-Lite Indoor Light Bulb for Plants

PHILIPS 60-Watt Incandescent Agro-Lite Indoor Light Bulb for Plants

PHILIPS 60-Watt Incandescent Agro-Lite Indoor Light Bulb for Plants

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Philips Agro Plant Light 50-Watt Flood Light Bulb

PHILIPS 60-Watt Incandescent Agro-Lite Indoor Light Bulb for Plants

PHILIPS 60-Watt Incandescent Agro-Lite Indoor Light Bulb for Plants

Shop Amazon

 Which One? 

T5HO Fixtures & Bulbs

Dome Fixtures & Heat Bulbs

Plant Lighting

Plant Lighting

A word about plant lighting:

The lights listed above are for heat. Full spectrum LED lights will be for the benefit of your plants. There are many options, but let’s keep it simple. We will call our two options Strip Light and Focused Light. Strip light just means a strip of led lights, and focused light is going to be a spotlight type bulb, (also in led). For our needs, a good set of strip lights is plenty. If you have bioactive or lower plants, below 21", you may want to add a spot bulb to get enough light to the lower plants.


Are They Too Bright ?

It is definitely possible to overdo it. Keep in mind, chameleons eyes would have to deal with sunlight, which would mainly be bright in one direction. They can simply not look directly at it. Since we will be covering the top of a cage, it is good to take into consideration. The simple test is, Is it too bright for you? Most plants can get sufficient amounts of light at visually comfortable levels.


Do Colors Matter ?

In short yes. You want full spectrum white. Not the reds, pinks, or blues, which are specialized towards plant growth periods.


How much light do I need?

For most of our need as chameleon keepers 32watts to 72watts of LED will work.

Barrina T5 Grow Lights, Full Spectrum, 2ft 80W (8 x 10W, 500W Equivalent), LED Grow Light Bulbs

GE Grow Light Bulb for Indoor Plants, Full Spectrum, 32-Watt, Balanced Lighting for Seeds and Greens

Barrina T5 Grow Lights, Full Spectrum, 2ft 80W (8 x 10W, 500W Equivalent), LED Grow Light Bulbs

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Mosthink LED Plant Grow Light Strips Full Spectrum for Indoor Plants with Auto ON/Off Timer

GE Grow Light Bulb for Indoor Plants, Full Spectrum, 32-Watt, Balanced Lighting for Seeds and Greens

Barrina T5 Grow Lights, Full Spectrum, 2ft 80W (8 x 10W, 500W Equivalent), LED Grow Light Bulbs

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GE Grow Light Bulb for Indoor Plants, Full Spectrum, 32-Watt, Balanced Lighting for Seeds and Greens

GE Grow Light Bulb for Indoor Plants, Full Spectrum, 32-Watt, Balanced Lighting for Seeds and Greens

GE Grow Light Bulb for Indoor Plants, Full Spectrum, 32-Watt, Balanced Lighting for Seeds and Greens

Shop Amazon

SANSI LED Plant Light Bulb Full Spectrum 10w - 36w

SANSI 60W Foldable Plant Light Daylight Full Spectrum LED Grow Light

GE Grow Light Bulb for Indoor Plants, Full Spectrum, 32-Watt, Balanced Lighting for Seeds and Greens

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SANSI 60W Foldable Plant Light Daylight Full Spectrum LED Grow Light

SANSI 60W Foldable Plant Light Daylight Full Spectrum LED Grow Light

SANSI 60W Foldable Plant Light Daylight Full Spectrum LED Grow Light

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SANSI 70W Plant Light Daylight Full Spectrum LED Grow Light

SANSI 60W Foldable Plant Light Daylight Full Spectrum LED Grow Light

SANSI 60W Foldable Plant Light Daylight Full Spectrum LED Grow Light

 SANSI 70W Plant Light Daylight Full Spectrum LED Grow Light for Indoor Plants, Plant Grow Light 

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Arcadia Jungle Dawn Plant LED Strip Lights

Arcadia Jungle Dawn Plant LED Strip Lights

Arcadia Jungle Dawn Plant LED Strip Lights

Highly coveted enclosure plant lighting designed for reptile terrariums. Full spectrum high output advanced sunlight replicating light bar available in 15W, 34W, or 51W.


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 Affiliate Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associated company we earn from qualifying purchases. We do not list only Amazon items, the affiliate program is how we maintain our site here at CaskAbove. 

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