The definitive lighting thread! Everything you really need to know

Chameleopatrick

New Member
Lighting is a subject to chameleon keepers worldwide that is often misunderstood. Great , not good lighting is essential for long term success so this thread is here to assist you in everything you NEED to know.

Lighting terms that you should understand are;

Lumens = The unit of measure for visible light. More lumens equals brighter light.

UVB = Ultraviolet Radiation B. A wavelength of light generated naturally by the sun that is essential for processing calcium in reptiles. Artificial sources of this type of light are available and will be discussed later in this thread.

Color temperature = The color of the light emitted from a light source. 5000 kelvin to 6500 kelvin is considered natural day light full spectrum. 5000K closely resembling approximate noon day sun color and 6500K representing morning and evening. While 3500 K to 4100 K color is common in household lighting. 5000K bulbs will show off your chameleons and plants best most natural colors while 6500 K will wash out your colors, both will grow plants given ample lumens.

CFL = Compact Fluorescent Light, used with common lightbulb fixtures. CFL's can provide visible (UVA) light, UVB light, but don't typically throw much heat to be used as a spot bulb for basking chameleons.

T5HO, T8, T12 =Linear Fluorescent Tubes, such as shop lighting. a specialty fixture is required. T5HO currently produces the most lumens or brightness of any of the commonly used tubes and is highly recommended for planted habitats with live plants.

MVL = Mercury Vapor lamp is lighting that provides heat, light and UVB. These bulbs run very hot, produce good lighting, and are sensitive to damage. more will be discussed later.

Incandescent = Standard old school filament lightbulb. This type of bulb runs hot and provides light and heat but no UVB. Comes in a wide variety of bulb configurations from flood to standard.

LED = Light Emitting Diode. Fairly recent in the chameleon hobby, used almost exclusively for additional lumens or brightness. these run very cool and are the most efficient light source per watt when using CREE LED's. Not many consumer products are offered currently in the reptile hobby using CREE technology.

Fixture = The mechanism that holds and operates your light bulb. Having the appropriate fixture with a good reflector facilitates a clean presentation of you chameleon habitat.

Light cycle = Day and night, usually controlled via a timer using 12 - 14 hours of daylight per 24 hour period.

As keepers, many will attempt to replicate natural conditions as close as possible for their species in alignment with best husbandry practices. The sun produces between 20,000 and 30,000 lumens per square meter at the ground level in filtered conditions such as cloud cover or minimal shading and can produce up to 125,000 lumens in direct sunlight. Most keepers use only a fraction of lumens they need to in order to keep their chameleons and habitats healthy for the long term.

Bright enclosures will stimulate natural active behavior and will make your plants thrive. All of my chameleon enclosures have a minimum of 24,000 lumens for an 18x36" area. Most CFL's in the 26 watt range produce 1300-1600 lumens, the Longstar 40 watt CFL in 5000K will produce about 2500 lumens. How many bulbs do you need for 20,000 lumens if using regular CFL's?
Plants like Hibiscus will require all of 24,000 lumens to thrive where a Pothos plant will require considerably less such as 1200 lumens. When it comes to lumens in indoor habitats more is better.

UVB lighting is essential to normal health in reptiles, birds and humans.
UVB lighting will assist your chameleon in producing vitamin D3 which allows the body to process calcium for bone development properly. In indoor habitats UVB lights must be used and can be purchased in various lighting forms. The most popular are CFL's, MVL'S and Linear fluorescent tubes.

UVB is measured in microwatts per centimeter and the UV index. The exact number of micro watts required to synthesize calcium in chameleons hasn't yet been determined so one can refer to their native origin to assume potential required levels. The UVB output from the sun near the equator is very strong and can reach 300 to 450 micro watts in direct midday sunlight and 150-200 in the shade. When chameleons bask they absorb the maximum UVB they can, but not all chameleons are basking chameleons. So how much is enough? I let my chameleon decide by giving it various distances to sun or perch from the source. Since overexposure to UVB can have just as negative effects as underexposure and erring on the side of caution, I use a solar meter to set the zones from 140 micro watts in the basking area (top section of the habitat), then 35-75 (in the mid section of the habitat). anything below 50 micro watts seems almost useless. People often ask, what should I get 5.0,6.0, 10.0 or 12.0? The answer depends on what top you have for your enclosure, how far away the perching site is, and if the fixture has a reflector . Is your habitat top screened? if so, you can expect a significant reduction of UVB that reaches the chameleon from the light, from 10 to 50 percent. Exoterra bug screen tops reduce UVB by 50 percent while hardware cloth results in a 10 % reduction. UVB does not pass through glass or acrylic. After measuring the the UVB output of many different styles and strengths of bulbs through a screen top I wouldn't recommend anything less than a 10 percent bulb for any chameleon. The throw of the UV in CFL bulbs is very limited and the spread is minimal when compared to a T5HO bulb. So if you want maximum results both in spread and throw the T5HO works extremely well. MVL's also offer UVB and work well as a light, heat, and UVB all in one. Since these bulbs burn so hot its not recommended to place them directly on your habitat, rather hang it above in a deep dome by at least three inches above the enclosure with a basking area approximately 12" under the bulb. These will burn your plants and chameleons if too close.


Most Chameleons require some way to thermoregulate its body temperature via a basking site in which a variety of methods can be used. Ceramic heat emitters are unnatural and provide nothing over a decent light so they are not recommended. I have had terrific success with Mercury Vapor Lamps in a deep dome fixture for heat sources with every chameleon species I've kept. Regardless of what method you use for a basking light, the basking area must be appropriately measured to meet your species requirements. For example a cameroon mountain chameleon species may have a basking area temp of 82-85 degrees versus a panther or carpet chameleon which will prefer temperatures closer to the mid to upper 90's.
If a house hold bulb, spot, or halogen light is used as a basking light its essential to have an ample UVB light source also over the basking area. Also Hanging lights versus clamp on light are are much safer when it come to a hot light. I've seen too many clamp on lights accidentally get knocked off creating a potential dangerous situation.

After twenty years of indoor chameleon keeping, trying various products and methods in regards to lighting.

My recommendation for the best indoor chameleon and plant lighting is a six lamp T5HO light fixture with 5 plusrite 5000k 4900 lumen output bulbs and one Arcadia 12% bulb. in conjunction with one 100 watt power sun MVL placed appropriately.


If you use a standard bulb fixture the Longstar 40 watt 5000K CFL bulbs work very well, and have tremendous output compared to 23 or 26 watt bulbs for plant growing and lighting up your enclosure.
 
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Great Thread Idea

Wow this is a LOT of really good information on Lighting. I was surprise at how little I knew before about lighting that I have read in you post. Thanks again for posting. Great thread Idea :D
 
My recommendation for the best indoor chameleon and plant lighting is a six lamp T5HO light fixture with 5 plusrite 5000k 4900 lumen output bulbs and one Arcadia 12% bulb. in conjunction with one 100 watt power sun MVL placed appropriately.


If you use a standard bulb fixture the Longstar 40 watt 5000K CFL bulbs work very well, and have tremendous output compared to 23 or 26 watt bulbs for plant growing and lighting up your enclosure.

sounds like overkill
 
my added addendum--

no matter WHAT your lighting system is, the best investment right now is to get a UVB meter. first of all, they are now an almost necessary investment and are small and convenient, and they have taught me more about my various lighting systems about various bulbs/housing/distance than anything else ever has. and for the average ZooMed/Exo-Terra/Fluker's owner/breeder, there is just absolutely no more guesswork for when it's time to replace your bulbs.

and i think it's even fun to use. kind of Jedi-ish.
 
Since lighting is special to me too, I can't help but chime in here... :)

Color temperature = The color of the light emitted from a light source. 5000 kelvin to 6500 kelvin is considered natural day light full spectrum. 5000K closely resembling approximate noon day sun color and 6500K representing morning and evening. While 3500 K to 4100 K color is common in household lighting. 5000K bulbs will show off your chameleons and plants best most natural colors while 6500 K will wash out your colors:confused:, both will grow plants given ample lumens. Color temperature is not actually the color of a bulb, but the avg of the aggregate of the colors. In other words, it is a rough estimate of the ratio of reds:blues in the light; the further below 6500K you go, the more "red" it gets and the further above 6500K you go the more "blue" it gets with 6500K being an excellent approximation for "full spectrum" daylight.

Your comment about 6500K bulbs washing out your plants is not entirely accurate though. 6500K is, for most bulbs, the closest true approximation to "daylight". Bulbs above this color ratio (particularly 8000K and 10000K bulbs made for aquaria will wash out your plants).


CFL = Compact Fluorescent Light, used with common lightbulb fixtures. CFL's can provide visible (UVA) light, UVB light, but don't typically throw much heat to be used as a spot bulb for basking chameleons. Visible light and UVA light are NOT the same thing. UVA is part of the UV-spectra which starts immediatelly after the visible spectrum. A subtle, but imho important, distinction.

T5HO, T8, T12 =Linear Fluorescent Tubes, such as shop lighting. a specialty fixture is required. T5HO currently produces the most lumens or brightness of any of the commonly used tubes and is highly recommended for planted habitats with live plants. I personally recommend T8 lights for use with chameleons because I find that the intensity of T5HO is too bright unless you have a really densely planted setup (which the greater majority of users, at least on these boards, don't seem to have).



LED = Light Emitting Diode. Fairly recent in the chameleon hobby, used almost exclusively for additional lumens or brightness. these run very cool and are the most efficient light source per watt when using CREE LED's. Not many consumer products are offered currently in the reptile hobby using CREE technology. I agree that LED's provide excellent light:power ratio as well as generating very little heat. They are ideal for "display" setups or very densely planted setups and custom builds with unique lighting requirements. However, their high startup cost tends to push them away (at least for now) for most "basic" setups. [Shameless plug: for more info on custom built LED units PM me :) ]




As keepers, many will attempt to replicate natural conditions as close as possible for their species in alignment with best husbandry practices. The sun produces between 20,000 and 30,000 lumens per square meter at the ground level in filtered conditions such as cloud cover or minimal shading and can produce up to 125,000 lumens in direct sunlight. Most keepers use only a fraction of lumens they need to in order to keep their chameleons and habitats healthy for the long term. May I ask where you got these numbers? I'm not arguing them, just curious.

Bright enclosures will stimulate natural active behavior and will make your plants thrive. All of my chameleon enclosures have a minimum of 24,000 lumens for an 18x36" area. Most CFL's in the 26 watt range produce 1300-1600 lumens, the Longstar 40 watt CFL in 5000K will produce about 2500 lumens. How many bulbs do you need for 20,000 lumens if using regular CFL's?
Plants like Hibiscus will require all of 24,000 lumens to thrive where a Pothos plant will require considerably less such as 1200 lumens. When it comes to lumens in indoor habitats more is better. I have to disagree here. On what basis are you making the claim that "more is better"? For what exactly? If you are referring to plant growth, more is better you are right. However, with chameleons there is no established reason for them to have "more light" (that I know of anyway) and I have heard of many issues of too much brightness (and to some extent have experienced it myself). Sufficiently bright lighting to stimulate activity is necessary, don't get me wrong, but thats a floor that must be met imho; I'm very curious to know why you are saying more light will equate with more stimulation?


UVB is measured in picowatts per centimeter and the UV index. The exact number of pico watts required to synthesize calcium in chameleons hasn't yet been determined so one can refer to their native origin to assume potential required levels. The UVB output from the sun near the equator is very strong and can reach 300 to 450 pico watts in direct midday sunlight and 150-200 in the shade. When chameleons bask they absorb the maximum UVB they can, but not all chameleons are basking chameleons. So how much is enough? I let my chameleon decide by giving it various distances to sun or perch from the source. Since overexposure to UVB can have just as negative effects as underexposure and erring on the side of caution, I use a solar meter to set the zones from 140 pico watts in the basking area (top section of the habitat), then 35-75 (in the mid section of the habitat). anything below 50 pico watts seems almost useless. People often ask, what should I get 5.0,6.0, 10.0 or 12.0? The answer depends on what top you have for your enclosure, how far away the perching site is, and if the fixture has a reflector . Is your habitat top screened? if so, you can expect a significant reduction of UVB that reaches the chameleon from the light, from 10 to 50 percent. Exoterra bug screen tops reduce UVB by 50 percent while hardware cloth results in a 10 % reduction. UVB does not pass through glass or acrylic. After measuring the the UVB output of many different styles and strengths of bulbs through a screen top I wouldn't recommend anything less than a 10 percent bulb for any chameleon. The throw of the UV in CFL bulbs is very limited and the spread is minimal when compared to a T5HO bulb. So if you want maximum results both in spread and throw the T5HO works extremely well. MVL's also offer UVB and work well as a light, heat, and UVB all in one. Since these bulbs burn so hot its not recommended to place them directly on your habitat, rather hang it above in a deep dome by at least three inches above the enclosure with a basking area approximately 12" under the bulb. These will burn your plants and chameleons if too close.

Several points here....
-There are types of glass that do allow minimal UVB penetration.

-UVB is measured in "microWatts/cm^2". That is 10^-6 power, labelled with a "mu"W. I'm not sure where you are seeing picowatts, but I am assuming this was just an oversight.

-Based on what did you get the claim of 50 mW of UVB required? You said anything below that is practically useless.


Most Chameleons require some way to thermoregulate its body temperature via a basking site in which a variety of methods can be used. Ceramic heat emitters are unnatural and provide nothing over a decent light so they are not recommended.

CME (ceramic heat emitters) are for use at night where ambient temps drop too cold (typically below 50F, but depends on your species, etc). They are not recommended for daytime use, but if you live in exceptionally cold places at night, they are the correct item to use. You do NOT want to be using a red or other colored light bulb at night as they can see the visible spectrum, but a CME puts out no light so its perfect to keep it dark, but warm.



My recommendation for the best indoor chameleon and plant lighting is a six lamp T5HO light fixture with 5 plusrite 5000k 4900 lumen output bulbs and one Arcadia 12% bulb. in conjunction with one 100 watt power sun MVL placed appropriately.

IMHO, this is extreme overkill for a few reasons: 1) The 5x 5000K bulbs are basically for your plants only, they provide little benefit (aside from alleged increased activity); 2) for the size and amount of plants in most typical users setups, this is simply above and beyond too much light....leading to unnecessary overgrowth and pruning. I agree with this type of lighting on display builds or for users trying to grow plants (but then, as is the source of this issue, the lighting is for the plants, not the chameleon).

From what I have seen of most users on these boards, housing a 2x2x4' setup with 1 large ficus/hibiscu and 2-3 smaller pothos/etc, I would suggest a simple 2x2' T8 setup with 1-6500K and 1-UVB bulb. If you are growing special plants that you want to "grow out" I would up that to a T5HO or a 4x fixture...but 6x T5H0 lights is sufficient for coral growth, which needs way more light than we are dealing with.

I would be very interested to see how densely planted / what plants you use in your setups :)

You keep yours out doors right? A luxury many do not have. This is just a fraction of your light. I'm speaking of indoors habitats. Long term success.
Can you explain a little more on why you feel this much light is necessary? Just because the sun puts out this much does not mean we need to emulate it in our enclosures....unless it serves some actual benefit to the chameleons.
 
Good input evilLost.

While technically the Kelvin rating may be an average of the aggregate the end result is a number that is referenced to the combined output color.

Regarding the 6500K color temperatures washing out colors. I won't claim to have tried every brand of bulb but every brand I have experience with ( many) both CFL and Linear tubes when compared to the 5000 K wash colors out terribly. I have done the comparison personally many times. Side by side there is no comparison which has better display properties. IMHO...

When you say that T5HO is too bright, how so? Certainly its no where near actual sun light, not even close. so how can it be too bright?

The habitats I use are all planted with various tropical plants so good, very bright, high quality lighting is essential for the health of the entire environment. Because the light is so bright the entire habitat is utilized by its residence versus just the top half. I believe almost all habitats posted on Chameleon forums use way too little light in their enclosures for healthy chams and plants.
One UVB bulb and one or two 5000-6500K bulbs are depressingly dim for any large enclosure.

EvilLost when you say you have heard of many issues of too much brightness, may I ask from who? And what the issue is? Unless you have light brighter than the sun Im doubting that bright light caused any health issues. Too much UVB sure, but not too many lumens.

You are right on the microwatt versus pico watt when measuring UVB with common devices.

A few people have now said the word "overkill" with regards to the amount of lumens I use but Im not sure its even enough.

Fluorescent lighting Loses half its lumen intensity for every 12" of depth. So if my enclosure is 36" deep/ tall and I start with 25000 lumens the actual lumens that reach the bottom of the enclosure is 6250 lumens which is considered heavy shade. This is without Screen mind You, If you use screen, the actual lumens are cut down by close to half. Of course this is with new bulbs after six months the number is even lower.

There have been several medical studies that show the positive psychological benefits to large amounts of quality light in humans. Now Chameleons are NOT humans but I sincerely believe from personal research, published research, and just hours of observation that bright quality light is a force multiplier for healthy chams and the environments that they occupy.

EvilLost, Thank you for the additional info added.
 
I kind of agree with both of you (evilost and patrick).

There are several things to look at here. I think people were using the term "overkill" and kinda meant to say "unnecessary". Unnecessary for just chameleons alone that is. As several members have pointed out, a lot of your enclosure's lighting needs are dependent on the plants you have within your enclosure. I also agree with some other members that you can over do it with light if you enclosure doesn't provide ample shaded space. Chameleons are creatures that rely heavily on camoflague and seem to(IMO) prefer to be in shaded areas after they have spent enough time basking to raise their body temperatures and soak up some UVB. I think the shaded areas make them feel more comfortable and not as exposed to predators. At the same time we must remember that they are cold blooded creatures and the most important thing is that they have several different "micro environments" with different lighting, temperatures, humidity, ect... so they can make can make the decision and control their metabolisims and such. Basically what I mean to say is that there is no end all be all lighting solution for chameleons as each person might need or want somethign different depending on their geographic location/environment, species being kept, and other factors such as plants. I wish I could type more but I'm already late for class. Great thread and nice discussion guys!

-Alex
 
I don't think it's overkill to have a lot of light in an enclosure, as long as the animal can escape to shade when they want, like in nature. I think it's BECAUSE the sun puts out so much light that it's a good idea to replicate it. Mine are in a bright room with an open window and have a couple 5000k fluorescent lights across the cages in conjunction with the normal UVB and basking bulbs, and the cages are bright, but they could be brighter. But since they get several hours a week/days at a time of sun in outdoor cages, I don't find it as necessary to replicate it indoors. But I don't think that it's the wrong thing to do at all, and we certainly should try.

I probably will re-think my lighting in the coming months, looking into t-5 bulbs instead of my t-8s, since they put out a lot of heat right now. The room warms up to much, especially with the window, so I can't put more bulbs in there, but I will rework what bulbs and fixtures I use to achieve light without as much heat.
 
Since Evil asked...

Carpet and Serreta enclosure with 6 t5HO. Recently set up.

carpetchamhabitat.jpg


IMG_0180.jpg
 
Good input evilLost.

Regarding the 6500K color temperatures washing out colors. I won't claim to have tried every brand of bulb but every brand I have experience with ( many) both CFL and Linear tubes when compared to the 5000 K wash colors out terribly. I have done the comparison personally many times. Side by side there is no comparison which has better display properties. IMHO...

Interesting. I have not experimented too much with 5000K, but more red light generally means more color. This is similar to why commercial grow houses will use blue-heavy lights during vegging and red-heavy lights during flowering.

In either case, I'm confident that light in the 5000-7000K range is the ideal range we want for our plants.


When you say that T5HO is too bright, how so? Certainly its no where near actual sun light, not even close. so how can it be too bright?

I still question the premise that we want to be "matching" the sun. In the wild, chameleons do not necessarily live in the top of trees receiving all sunlight. Rather they live in the understory where much of the incoming light is filtered down. Even excluding this, I would still question why you seem to be assuming that we "need" to have that much sunlight for our chams? For what purpose (biological, chemical, social, etc?)


The habitats I use are all planted with various tropical plants so good, very bright, high quality lighting is essential for the health of the entire environment. Because the light is so bright the entire habitat is utilized by its residence versus just the top half. I believe almost all habitats posted on Chameleon forums use way too little light in their enclosures for healthy chams and plants.
One UVB bulb and one or two 5000-6500K bulbs are depressingly dim for any large enclosure.

I have to disagree here. Obviously wattage/etc matters and you need a floor amount of light (ie "enough" light). My chameleons use the length of their enclosure and reguarly wander into darker parts of my house; I do not believe there is a correlation to more light = more activity. I'd love to see a study on point here since our personal experience doesn't mean a whole lot.

As a second point, I believe it is very important to give them a wide range of lighting and heating options to choose from. By "overlighting" the setup, you are potentially removing shady spots for them to go to should they choose to.




EvilLost when you say you have heard of many issues of too much brightness, may I ask from who? And what the issue is? Unless you have light brighter than the sun Im doubting that bright light caused any health issues. Too much UVB sure, but not too many lumens.

I have seen many threads on here about animals with eyes closed during the day, but in hindsight there were probably other husbandry issues causing that. I have no actual knowledge of too much light being a bad thing (except for the minor shade argument, above). You are likely correct that too much light won't harm them (too much UVB def will of course!)


A few people have now said the word "overkill" with regards to the amount of lumens I use but Im not sure its even enough.

Why do you feel it is not enough? I still don't understand why you feel you need this much light at all.

Fluorescent lighting Loses half its lumen intensity for every 12" of depth. So if my enclosure is 36" deep/ tall and I start with 25000 lumens the actual lumens that reach the bottom of the enclosure is 6250 lumens which is considered heavy shade. This is without Screen mind You, If you use screen, the actual lumens are cut down by close to half. Of course this is with new bulbs after six months the number is even lower.


The statement about fluorescent lighting losing intensity is a bit misleading (and does not apply to just fluorescent lighting), but in general this is true.

Just to be clear: when you say your light generates "25000" lumens, you are referring to 25000 lumens in ALL directions. However, when you are measuring light at the bottom of your tank, you are not measuring the light from all directions. This is the result of the light diffracting/reflecting off in other directions but is distinctly different from light just "losing intensity over distance". It might be a subtle, but I feel important, distinction. (This is also one of the reasons that LED lights combined with optics are highly efficient in "effective lumenosity" even though their actual lumenosity is not that great).


There have been several medical studies that show the positive psychological benefits to large amounts of quality light in humans. Now Chameleons are NOT humans but I sincerely believe from personal research, published research, and just hours of observation that bright quality light is a force multiplier for healthy chams and the environments that they occupy.

I would say that a study on humans is entirely inapplicable to chameleons. What other published studies have you seen? I personally have not seen any but I admit I haven't gone looking too deep.

I am still confused on what exactly you are basing the healthy chameleon + light formula on.....healthier in what sense? Psychologically? Chemically? Socially? I just don't see "why"

Looking at your setups, I still think you have *way* too much light and are just wasting money on electricity and bulbs imho. Your setups are not very densely planted and your plants are not particular "light needing" plants. If you were to change your setups down to 2x bulbs instead of 6x, I doubt there would be much, if any, difference in your overall setup.


One final point: As far as plants are concerned, many can grow with "enough" light but will explode with "lots" of light. For PLANT reasons I'm all about the extra lighting, but for HUSBANDRY reasons (chameleons or other herps for that matter) I have never come across a reason valid enough to justify the added costs of lights+electricity. I have 7 various setups and a minigreenhouse in my 700sq ft 1br apt and my electricity bill is already over $120/month....and thats with "extra" lighting for my plants (even with my extra lightning, I still use about 1/2 of your lighting: 2x2' T8 for a 29gallon tank for example)

I'm not saying its a bad thing to have more lights; I'm simply saying the potential (probably miniscule) benefit given is not worth the (somewhat high) costs involved if your only concern is the chameleon (and not your plants). This quickly compounds for those with several setups


This is a fantastic thread :)
 
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Where is the basking light in that set up? It doesnt appear that there is even room for one. Does that produce temps high enough for for your Carpet to bask?
 
Where is the basking light in that set up? It doesnt appear that there is even room for one. Does that produce temps high enough for for your Carpet to bask?

Detailed observation!

Not currently using a spot since the basking area is 90-93 degrees which is 3" below the screen but just six inches away its 80 and 72 at the bottom of the door. A very nice thermal gradient all in one cage.
 
I am fairly new to this, see please correct me if i am wrong. I have an approx. 12 month old male Jackson's. After reading this it would appear to me that a MVL would be a better choice than the standard 5.0 UVB light and 40 watt basking light? Seems like the UVB output is much better with the MVL and could be beneficial to my Cham? He is also close to a western facing window that also gives him light and heat as well. Would a MVL be to much heat for a 18x36 screen cage with two good size Pothos in it? Lots of questions, thanks for the feedback.
 
thank you evil for pointing out the uva discrepancy. ive seen this misinformation perpetuated commonly since ive started posting on the forums, and had become a major pet peeve of mine(just like the distinction between venomous and poisonous)

here look
EM_spectrum.svg


6th grade science class, come on guys.

the only issues ive heard of in regards to too much light is the issues with the cfl ubv bulbs, but apparently thats been amended. i could see serious issues arising if the cages arent heavily planted and they dont have the option of hiding from the light.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUu24MNO2Ho

helps put into perspective the kind of output youre looking at. i personally use one reptisun 10.0 t8 and a "daylight" bulb. my cages are pretty heavily planted. i understand the concern and why 5.0s are recommended but really just look at the video.

when your purchasing the bulbs your lumens are right on but the color "temperature" is usually labeled as daylight, bright white, and soft white. daylight is what youd see in a nursey(very blue hue), bright white in an office and softwhite emulates the standard incandecent.

brightwhite or softwhite offset the blueness of your uvb bulbs and gives an overall more natural color.

based on my experience 2 tubes and a basking lamp are perfectly sufficient. if youve got a hibiscus chuck an extra cfl on and they do just fine.

i think that amount of light is unnecessary as eco pointed out but along as they have plenty of areas to avoid the onslaught of light it seems that amount of light could prove ideal (but not necessary).

"This is similar to why commercial grow houses will use blue-heavy lights during vegging and red-heavy lights during flowering." mercury vapor/metal halide and then high pressure sodium.

"In the wild, chameleons do not necessarily live in the top of trees receiving all sunlight." i agree completely chameleons wont be spending their day at the tippy top of the canopy waiting to be picked off by raptors, rather they'll bask early, charge up and spend the rest of the day hunting, or just looking awesome.

"By "overlighting" the setup, you are potentially removing shady spots for them to go to should they choose to." again my thoughts exactly, BUT if you can provide conditions where there is heavy shade, and i assume there would be with all the plant growth in an enclosure so HEAVILY lighted (never thought id use that term) this could prove beneficial.

and in conclusion "Your setups are not very densely planted and your plants are not particular "light needing" plants."

i wish i had youre sort of lighting with 2 ficus one schefllera and misc pothos and spider plants in the bottom per 2x2x4 cage. you dont need that much light! i need that much light! :p actually i dont need that much light but id like to see how it goes. id like to be able to keep bushy hibiscus in my basement all winter.

great thread even though i question the excess. i love when threads come together that provide cumulative knowledge. gj
 
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