Combined LED + UVB lighting: the two-in-one terrarium fixture
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
A combined LED + UVB fixture brings together in a single unit a powerful daylight source (6500 K LED) and a UVB tube essential for vitamin D3 synthesis. The result: a bright terrarium, natural colours and more active reptiles, for a price of 80 to 200 € depending on length.
Contents · 5 sections
Why pair LED with UVB rather than use a single tube?
A UVB tube on its own gives little light: around 1,000 lux, while a desert lizard like the bearded dragon lives under more than 100,000 lux in the wild. The LEDs deliver the light intensity that stimulates appetite, activity and the day-night rhythm, while the UVB ensures calcium absorption. The two functions are complementary, not interchangeable — our guide to UVB lamps details the ratings by species.
Which criteria for choosing a combined fixture?
- Length: cover 50 to 70% of the terrarium to create a light gradient;
- T5 UVB replaceable separately from the LEDs — the tube wears out in 6 to 12 months;
- Appropriate UVB rating: 10-12% for desert species, 5-6% for tropical ones;
- LEDs around 6,500 K, ideally dimmable to simulate dawn and dusk;
- Built-in reflector, which can double the useful output.
How much does it cost to buy and run?
A 60 to 90 cm combined fixture costs 80 to 150 €; 120 cm models with dimmable LEDs reach 200 €. In use, the LEDs consume little; the real recurring cost is the UVB tube to replace every year (25-40 €), even if it still lights up: its UV output declines well before its visible light does.
How do you install it correctly?
Mount the fixture inside the enclosure, with no glass or plexiglas between the tube and the animal — glass blocks UVB. Respect the manufacturer's recommended distance (usually 25 to 40 cm from the animal's back) and control the schedule, 10 to 12 hours a day, with a timer. The lighting produces almost no heat: keep your spot lamp or your usual heating. Full comparisons on the reptile hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is a combined fixture enough for a bearded dragon?
For light and UVB, yes. You still need to add a regulated basking lamp to create the 40 °C hot spot, which the fixture does not provide.
Do LEDs produce UVB?
In a combined fixture, no: the fluorescent tube (or a specialised bulb) handles it. Dedicated UVB-emitting LEDs do exist, however, and have been on sale since 2019; spectral analysis of 18 of them found that none reproduces the solar spectrum — see our article on UVB LED lamps under the spectrometer.
An accessory from our shop for this use: Stick-on digital thermometer for aquarium and terrarium glass (€18.90) · the whole shop
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Reptiles universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.
