Question on my UVB and heat

I got my 2 veiled this past weekend I was going to get the solar sun bulb but the guy sugguested I get the zoo med kit. It comes with the 75watt heat and 10.0 compact UVB. Is this acceptable ? I have the zoo med reptile breeze 18X18X36 for each one.

I seen other post about others veiled just sitting staying dark etc & seen suggestion because they had the 10.0. Mine were very active the first day but really have just been hanging out at the top & staying dark!

They both ate 3-4 crickets the first day with water but now don't seemed to be interested. I think I am having new mom worries but can't help but ask!

Sorry... I forgot to mention when I took Fiona out last night she turned her bright green and was happy free ranging. She is really good about letting us hold her staying green and everything.

They are both 6 months old and male/female

I am assuming you mean the Solar Glo bulb? That bulb emits both uva and uvb. I don't like the combo bulbs because I feel your chameleon should be able to bask under one light and then go under the uvb light separately when they feel like it. As far as the compact bulbs, many people use them with no problems. There has been much debate on here about the 10.0 and the 5.0. I know the 10.0's are not really advised for babies. I personally use the linear bulbs. I think you should be ok on the 10.0 but I would go with the linear as they cover much more area in your cage than the dome lights. It really is a personal preference. Most of us use the tubes, but there are many members who use the compact also.

I heard 10.0 are for dessert species

You would be better off getting a dual light setup that has a UVB linear bulb and a 6500k plant light for your live plants. Then use a common household incandescent bulb for your basking light.

www.lightyourreptiles.com is thebest place for the dual bulb setups.

Yes I did mean the solar glo so it looks like I would of been wrong also. I think is i will look into the bulbs suggested and maybe just save these for a back up situation.

Thanks

Henry66 said:

I heard 10.0 are for dessert species

Click to expand...

There are people that use the 10.0's for their chameleons without issue. Like I said, there has been a lot of debate on here over the years about the 5.0's vs the 10.0's. Kammerflage Kreations states on their website NOT to use the 10.0's but I know there are people that use them and their chameleons are ok.

i use the 10.0 but not linear(yet lol) i have the 4 foot tall cages and adult chams in them though and the 10 to me seemed to be a better choice being that the fine mesh screen cuts out alot of light so the full amount of the 10.0 isnt passing through..the male seems to chill under his uvb more than his basking(hes my rehab project though, been nursing him back to health for about a month now) the female is the total opposite.

on a cage that size (im gonna get smashed for this lol) i dont see why the large dome wouldnt work?..now im not veteran and still learning alot about chams specifically...linear fixtures are great, i have one on one of my cages and its works great,the other one has 3 of the large domes on it, 1 for basking one for the uvb and the other one is just for added light for the large cage and so far so good(fingers crossed lol) i am planning to upgrade the other cage to one as well and a good lighting system with good reflectors can be expensive especially when adding bulbs and im not handy enough to make one..

regulate

Was it warren g who said 'regulate'? I agree no combos and definitely no 10.0. 5.0 linear only. a lot of my female veils will turn a BRIGHT green when handled. On average it just means they are ok with being handled and happy to be in a new area for a change. think of them as prisoners. they are happy whether they are in the yard, conjugal visit, cafeteria, phone priveliges. they are just happy to get out for a few minutes.

junglefries said:

Was it warren g who said 'regulate'? I agree no combos and definitely no 10.0. 5.0 linear only. a lot of my female veils will turn a BRIGHT green when handled. On average it just means they are ok with being handled and happy to be in a new area for a change. think of them as prisoners. they are happy whether they are in the yard, conjugal visit, cafeteria, phone priveliges. they are just happy to get out for a few minutes.

Click to expand...

it was Warren G...and and the Tunstle boys in YOUNG GUNS lol

juice28 said:

it was Warren G...and and the Tunstle boys in YOUNG GUNS lol

Click to expand...

as for my luniz, I got 5. on it.

HAHA...i was bumpin that earlier today going to work

sorry OP for the tangent

5, 6, 10 12% ? -- IT IS all relative....

The amount of UV the Cham is actually getting off a UV bulb is relative to the distance the light fixture is from the cham.

The amount of UV the cham is ACTUALLY GETTING at any given moment
could be EXACTLY THE SAME from either a 5 or 6% bulb as 10 or 12% bulb....
IF
the stronger UV bulb is FARTHER AWAY and/or going through finer mesh screen.


The size of the cage and how much shading one gets from the screen (mesh size) and plants should be factored in.

In other words-
The farther away from a UV bulb, the weaker the UV striking a surface (or chams back!) becomes.

The closer to a UV bulb, the stronger the rays.

So hypothetically...

A 6% bulb is yielding the same strength UV striking the chameleon if he is sitting, say... 8" +/- inches under the 6%b bulb....
as a 12% bulb would deliver to him if he was sitting approx. 15-16 inches under that (12%) bulb.

It is all relative to how the lighting is applied.

Now this part is important for Newbies especially:

IF you do not have a Solarmeter,
if your cage is smaller (less than 3 or 4 feet tall and 2 feet square) ,
and it is sparsely planted (has only minimal shade)....
then you should stick with an Arcadia 6% bulb or Repti-sun 5.0 bulb.

That way you will be safe and not "zap" them with too much UV....
since you have NO WAY of knowing exactly how much UV they are getting "lit" with.

By using that bit of common sense, then all is well.
Because more UV is not always best.
YES!-There is such a thing as too much UV, and that is bad.

Now,
Some folks with *well planted* 48H x 24 x 24 set ups have started using the HO t5 12% Arcadia bulbs and are having great success!

But again, in those habitats,
the animal has plants to go into for shade, just as in nature!
And, as they move around in a big cage--
they can also can get farther away from the bulb if they choose to.

Something to consider:
The Chams *average distance* they spend through-out the day in relation to the UV bulb(s) is also a key factor.

It is a key factor in how much Vit. D they actually synthesize from the UV light that is striking them, and the strength of that light.

Cheers!
Todd

PS.

Here are a few random pics of UV testing I have taken lately.
No particular order.
They are just a few out of many.

It illustrates how different types of fixtures and different bulb configurations can create different UV levels.

I hope I can help others get ideas .....
and to inspire folks to see how they can determine how to supply / apply *correct* UV lighting.
If you click on these images to enlarge, I think you can see all the Solarmeter readings...
if not and you want to know one, just let me know.

so for the 2x2x4 enclosure i have not yet built and the chameleon i dont have yet. i was possible thinking double 24" t5 ho with a uv bulb and daytime bulb for live plants. I'm hoping to go with arcadia 6%. than have a dome for basking should that be okay?

question about basking, which bulb and wattage are suggested i need?

Venutus1 said:

The amount of UV the Cham is actually getting off a UV bulb is relative to the distance the light fixture is from the cham.

The amount of UV the cham is ACTUALLY GETTING at any given moment
could be EXACTLY THE SAME from either a 5 or 6% bulb as 10 or 12% bulb....
IF
the stronger UV bulb is FARTHER AWAY and/or going through finer mesh screen.


The size of the cage and how much shading one gets from the screen (mesh size) and plants should be factored in.

In other words-
The farther away from a UV bulb, the weaker the UV striking a surface (or chams back!) becomes.

The closer to a UV bulb, the stronger the rays.

So hypothetically...

A 6% bulb is yielding the same strength UV striking the chameleon if he is sitting, say... 8" +/- inches under the 6%b bulb....
as a 12% bulb would deliver to him if he was sitting approx. 15-16 inches under that (12%) bulb.

It is all relative to how the lighting is applied.

Now this part is important for Newbies especially:

IF you do not have a Solarmeter,
if your cage is smaller (less than 3 or 4 feet tall and 2 feet square) ,
and it is sparsely planted (has only minimal shade)....
then you should stick with an Arcadia 6% bulb or Repti-sun 5.0 bulb.

That way you will be safe and not "zap" them with too much UV....
since you have NO WAY of knowing exactly how much UV they are getting "lit" with.

By using that bit of common sense, then all is well.
Because more UV is not always best.
YES!-There is such a thing as too much UV, and that is bad.

Now,
Some folks with *well planted* 48H x 24 x 24 set ups have started using the HO t5 12% Arcadia bulbs and are having great success!

But again, in those habitats,
the animal has plants to go into for shade, just as in nature!
And, as they move around in a big cage--
they can also can get farther away from the bulb if they choose to.

Something to consider:
The Chams *average distance* they spend through-out the day in relation to the UV bulb(s) is also a key factor.

It is a key factor in how much Vit. D they actually synthesize from the UV light that is striking them, and the strength of that light.

Cheers!
Todd

PS.

Here are a few random pics of UV testing I have taken lately.
No particular order.
They are just a few out of many.

It illustrates how different types of fixtures and different bulb configurations can create different UV levels.

I hope I can help others get ideas .....
and to inspire folks to see how they can determine how to supply / apply *correct* UV lighting.
If you click on these images to enlarge, I think you can see all the Solarmeter readings...
if not and you want to know one, just let me know.

Click to expand...

HI I have four cages... all 18x18x36
currently I use the reptisun 5. (18") bulb sittind directly on top of their screen)
except one of them I use the reptisun and a 6500 tropisun, I see my cham hanging around in the shade a lot early morning then around nine am he moves to his basking spot for a few hours....

In your opinion based on this scenario... what would be the best setting?
Im willing to buy whatever you think its best for my two panthers and my two jacksons.

Yak said:

HI I have four cages... all 18x18x36
currently I use the reptisun 5. (18") bulb sittind directly on top of their screen)
except one of them I use the reptisun and a 6500 tropisun, I see my cham hanging around in the shade a lot early morning then around nine am he moves to his basking spot for a few hours....

In your opinion based on this scenario... what would be the best setting?
Im willing to buy whatever you think its best for my two panthers and my two jacksons.

Click to expand...

Hi Yak.

of course...
we probably would get in trouble with the mods if we talked business in a thread.

But hey,
when you get a chance ....
just e/m me a pic of your set-ups and remind me again of what you have in the e-mail...
since my old brain can't always make the "connection" between everyone's forum screen names and their real names and e-mail addresses... and I will get back to you in a day or less.

Cheers & Thank you~
Todd
[email protected]

Might help you since i have both the 6% and 12%

Mind you mine is with reflector and no screen.



https://www.chameleonforums.com/def...ally-need-know-80869/index11.html#post1038589

Just use the reptisun 5.0 to be safe, majority of people use it without issues including very successful chameleon breeders. People also use the 10.0 without problems
( I think the only difference is the distance they reach, not the amount of UVB their putting out, but I could be wrong, so i Just use the 5.0 lol)

I have my 5.0 diagonally across the top of the cage sitting right on the mesh.
I then use a PAR 20 halogen flood bulb (50 watt) in a clip light fixture coming in at an angle about 10 inches from him basking at about 87-91 degrees. My chams basking branch sits DIRECTLY under the 5.0 reptisun aout 4-5 inches, and he receives heat coming in from an angle. About them being seperate.. I feel like naturally if they are getting heat, they would be getting uvb too.. i'm obv not an expert this is just my thoughts

- I switched to this angle method because now my cham can be directly under the uvb while basking rather than it kinda being off to the side. My cham spends a lot of his day about 5 inches from the reptisun so I think hes getting enuff UV definitely.

here are some quick pics I just took

Venutus1 said:

Hi Yak.

of course...
we probably would get in trouble with the mods if we talked business in a thread.

But hey,
when you get a chance ....
just e/m me a pic of your set-ups and remind me again of what you have in the e-mail...
since my old brain can't always make the "connection" between everyone's forum screen names and their real names and e-mail addresses... and I will get back to you in a day or less.

Cheers & Thank you~
Todd
[email protected]

Click to expand...

correct and thank you