Exo terra compact top for heat?

suheyls

New Member
Hey guys I recently bought an exo terra medium compact top for Simons bigger home. I already have a separate uvb strip light for him and I was planning on using this one for heat/basking only but it says you cannot use over 25watts with it. do you guys think putting 3 25 watt bulbs will get the right temperature? Or how high on the wattage would you guys go?
 
Hey guys I recently bought an exo terra medium compact top for Simons bigger home. I already have a separate uvb strip light for him and I was planning on using this one for heat/basking only but it says you cannot use over 25watts with it. do you guys think putting 3 25 watt bulbs will get the right temperature? Or how high on the wattage would you guys go?

What type of chameleon do you have and how old is it? 25 watt seems way too low and may not produce enough heat. Most of us use a dome fixture with a 40 or 60 watt incandescent bulb. Both are very cheap and will run you about 10-15 bucks. The only way you'll know for sure though is to check the basking spot temp.
 
What type of chameleon do you have and how old is it? 25 watt seems way too low and may not produce enough heat. Most of us use a dome fixture with a 40 or 60 watt incandescent bulb. Both are very cheap and will run you about 10-15 bucks. The only way you'll know for sure though is to check the basking spot temp.

I have a male Velied chameleon about a year is my best guess, I want to move him to his 24x24x48 cage but I've been hesitant since I don't think I have the required lighting yet. The box on the exo terra says to not go over 25 which I know is way too low, but it does contain 3 sockets I didn't know if that would make up for the low wattage or not. My biggest worry is that he won't get the sufficient heat and basking with just a dome. Does it have enough power to warm the entire cage??? If you think it does then I have a dual dome that I am using for his smaller cage, one spot for basking and the other for uvb. Is it a good idea to use both sockets for basking bulbs?
 
I have a male Velied chameleon about a year is my best guess, I want to move him to his 24x24x48 cage but I've been hesitant since I don't think I have the required lighting yet. The box on the exo terra says to not go over 25 which I know is way too low, but it does contain 3 sockets I didn't know if that would make up for the low wattage or not. My biggest worry is that he won't get the sufficient heat and basking with just a dome. Does it have enough power to warm the entire cage??? If you think it does then I have a dual dome that I am using for his smaller cage, one spot for basking and the other for uvb. Is it a good idea to use both sockets for basking bulbs?

Okay, so a veiled will need a basking temp of around 90-95 degrees. You do not need to warm up his entire cage. The basking spot is just that...a spot where he warms up to digest food. He'll need a place to cool down as well, so the rest of the cage should be around 70-75 degrees. Veiled's are pretty tough and can stand a night temperature drop to about 50-60 degrees. I would use the dual dome light and put in a 40-60 watt incandescent bulbs. Just make sure you get a reading on the basking spot before putting him in his cage. I would honestly spend money on a linear fluorescent UVB lamp. They cover so much more of the cage than the coiled uvb bulbs.
 
Okay, so a veiled will need a basking temp of around 90-95 degrees. You do not need to warm up his entire cage. The basking spot is just that...a spot where he warms up to digest food. He'll need a place to cool down as well, so the rest of the cage should be around 70-75 degrees. Veiled's are pretty tough and can stand a night temperature drop to about 50-60 degrees. I would use the dual dome light and put in a 40-60 watt incandescent bulbs. Just make sure you get a reading on the basking spot before putting him in his cage. I would honestly spend money on a linear fluorescent UVB lamp. They cover so much more of the cage than the coiled uvb bulbs.
I have a 30 inch long uvb strip light, I don't remember what brand it was though. I'm not sure if that means it's fluorescent or not
 
I have a 30 inch long uvb strip light, I don't remember what brand it was though. I'm not sure if that means it's fluorescent or not

I must have missed the UVB strip light part, but that's fine. Reptisun and Arcadia seems to be what people are using on here. Reptisun is more readily available and I believe the veiled's use the 10.0. I don't know how big your dual dome is, but you can always pop in another incandescent bulb to expand the basking spot if you feel one isn't enough for an adult veiled. There is also a care sheet in the "Care Resources" link for your specific cham. Check it out.:)
 
Thank you! I returned the exo terra top, and I'm using my dual domes for heat, temperature is between 85-90 right now for his basking spot, and I have finally moved him to his big cage! He is exploring right now :)
 
I moved my panther tonight and he's not moving at all. He was in a smaller reptibreeze and now he's in a large dragonstand. I thought he'd be loving life.... so far he's fearing for it. Hopefully he'll get settled in soon.I'm gonna be posting pics to get peoples opinions later.
 
Thank you! I returned the exo terra top, and I'm using my dual domes for heat, temperature is between 85-90 right now for his basking spot, and I have finally moved him to his big cage! He is exploring right now :)

That's great that he took to his new enclosure right away. My guy was the alpha out of the clutch I got him from and it only took him a couple of days to make the XL Reptibreeze his territory.

I moved my panther tonight and he's not moving at all. He was in a smaller reptibreeze and now he's in a large dragonstand. I thought he'd be loving life.... so far he's fearing for it. Hopefully he'll get settled in soon.I'm gonna be posting pics to get peoples opinions later.

This is very normal for any cham that has been introduced to a new location. Give him a week or so and everything should be fine. Just be sure you keep an eye on his behavior as there may be something in your setup that could be bothering him. As for now, just give him a week to familiarize himself with his new home
 
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