Solar Glo is the only lamp in this group that produces UVB. It is a self-ballasted mercury vapour bulb, so UVB, UVA, visible light and infrared-A heat all come from one envelope and no external ballast is needed — it screws into a standard ceramic socket. That makes it the simplest way to light a large desert or open-air enclosure, and also the least flexible: a mercury vapour lamp has to run at full mains voltage, so it cannot be dimmed or switched by a thermostat, and 80W is the smallest step available. In a small or shallow terrarium there is no way to turn it down, and a separate heat lamp plus a UVB tube will suit better.
Three wattages — 80W, 125W and 160W. It needs a ceramic fixture such as the Porcelain Wire Clamp Lamp or the Light Dome. To split the jobs instead, use a Day Glo for heat and light with a Reptile UVB100 T8 Tube for UVB. More in our Exo Terra collection.
Features
- UVB, UVA, visible light and heat in one bulb — the whole daytime package from a single fixture.
- Self-ballasted — no external ballast or controller; fits a standard ceramic socket.
- Extended UVB reach — Exo Terra rates the wide-beam design as adding roughly 30cm of UVB penetration distance.
- Supports vitamin D3 synthesis — UVB is what lets a reptile make D3 and use dietary calcium, the mechanism behind metabolic bone disease when it is missing.
- Full-spectrum visible light — Exo Terra tunes the spectral peaks for appetite, activity and colour.
Specifications
80W (PT2334) · 125W (PT2192) · 160W (PT2193). Shipping weights 180g to 240g. Because the output cannot be dialled down, mounting height is the only control: hang it higher for a cooler basking spot and lower for a hotter one, and confirm the surface temperature with a thermometer before the animal goes back in. UVB output falls away long before the lamp stops producing visible light, so replace it on the manufacturer's schedule rather than waiting for it to fail.
Safety
Use a ceramic or porcelain socket rated for the wattage — a plastic lamp holder is not suitable. Do not fit it to a dimmer or thermostat. Keep the beam off any surface the animal can press itself against, and give the enclosure a genuine cool, shaded end so it can move out of both the UVB and the heat.