Keeping the temperature up in a screen cage.

Since I've gotten my new 6 month old parther last night he has been super dark almost like he is ether stressed or cold. We put him in a 16×16×30 his basking light is 100 w and a 26 w uvb. How can I keep his temp up above 60?!

Add some branches up towards the light. 100 watt is probably TOO much wattage there... I can reach temps of 95 with just a 40 and a 70 watt in a double dome.

100 watt will easily reach your desired temp (around 80-85 for such a young panther) if you just put branches near it.

I do have vines up high close to the light but I got a higher wattage cause the temperature was so low. I'll down grade back down to 75w than. Do you think he could be dark because he is in a new home!?

my set up

ya know, I know you said your cham was 6 months. so a few factors might be

first, his new environment. it may take him a few weeks to a month to get used to his new home.

also, both my chams are around 4 months old, so a little younger then yours. but mine stay dark a lot also. from what I was told younger panthers while in the cage just try and stay warm. when I bring my panthers out, they show off their colors a lot. way different when they are in their cage. I mean, if your hitting your temps and humidity is fine and there isn't anything crazy going on around his cage he IMO should be fine. I use 60 watt bulbs in both my cages and can hit my temps no problem.

good luck

How can I keep up the humidity in a screen cage?

more horizontal and vertical branches will probably do it. How often are you misting? and do you have any drainage system for the enlclosure? you dont want waer to collect on the floor of the cage. Live plants also hold water much better than the plastic and silk plants you can get at pet stores. just make sue you wash the leaves really well with soap and water and rinse A LOT. Cover the soil with river rocks to make sure your cham doesn't ingest the soil. Id recommend removing the reptile carpet. They act as velcro to your chams tongue.

I noticed your temp gauges are at the bottom of the cage. You need to measure the temps of the basking spot. So a gauge will need to be where the basking branches are. 60 degrees at the bottom is perfectly fine, and is actually desired.

I personally dont trust those (unnamed) gauges your using. Get a thermometer with probe on it and give that a shot

As for keeping the humidity up, try wrapping one or two sides of the cage with plastic.

I moved the gauges to mid cage yesterday and I also got a digital temperature gauge I have a live plant in there now and the soil is overd with river rocks. I would like to get more live plants in there but is any kind of house plant safe? I'll get rid of the carpet right now thanks ☺ I'll try and wrap one of the sides and I'll see if that will help.

plants

plants that can be used in a vivarium and risks of them

I have a temp gun and a zoomed digital thermometer I found it extremely hard to get high temperatures until someone recommended a light dimmer which can give you stronger heat. I think it was xraygirl and misting with warm water is over looked by some people and that helps a lot.

I have a power Sun light with uva and I also have my uvb. I'm going to try the warm water.

Make sure it's not hot water

Yeah I know