Hi everyone, I've had my Yemen chameleon Keith for about 10 months now and when I got him I was told to get a Trixie 160w Pro bulb and I shouldn't use anything less than that in a 4ft by 2ft reptibreeze, well the bulb broke today so I've temporarily put a plain 100w bulb in there until I order a replacement, but I've noticed a big difference in Keiths behaviour since I've done this. First of all he's come out of hiding and is basking under the bulb quite a lot plus he seems to be a lot brighter in colour, so now I'm a little confused!, do I get a replacement 160w bulb even though he never really came out of hiding before and very very rarely even basked with a 160w (thinking this wattage may have been to much for him) or do I get a 100w for him (is he just basking more because it's not enough wattage! ) what's making me sway more to the 100w is the fact his colours appear to be brighter, AARRHH!!! Help!
Bulb advice for reptibreeze
- Thread starter nade8285
- Start date
mr stroudy
New Member
I'm only using 100w bulb in mine and my temps are on the high side.
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
Is that just a uva(basking) or is that a uvb light also? Whoever told you that is wrongo!! There are many different types of lights that will work for chameleons as long as you have BOTH uva and uvb. Most of us 5.0's for uvb and ordinary white housebulbs for basking. You wattage will depend on your house temps and other variables. I use 60 watt housebulbs and it does the trick for me. Myhouse is always around 73-75 degrees. If your house is much colder, than you will probably need a higher wattage. What is your temp under the light?
Restricted E
New Member
They want to know what the temperature of the cage was when you were using the 160w bulb. Also the temperature now that you are using the 100w bulb. If you are not sure then you need to get some kind of temperature gage. Guessing can be harmful for your chameleon.
xcrystalx
New Member
i havent used a coil bulb myself.i prefer tubular bulbs better as they cover a wider area and are a better product.take a look at the arcadia range.
the older coil bulbs did have some bad outcomes on chams health but i believe the newer ones are ok although the rays are confined to a certain radius.
also its very important we know how are you measuring your temps in the viv?? do you have a thermometer??the wattage you need depends entirely on the temps its providing.
the older coil bulbs did have some bad outcomes on chams health but i believe the newer ones are ok although the rays are confined to a certain radius.
also its very important we know how are you measuring your temps in the viv?? do you have a thermometer??the wattage you need depends entirely on the temps its providing.
I'm using a digital thermometer, the temp with the 160 bulb was around 90-95f basking, now with just the 100w reflector bulb it's 84f, so a tube for uvb would be better than the compact? How about the arcadia d3 uvb 100w, that way it's all in one? I got him from a pet shop in my area that has a very good reputation, I went there when I first became interested in keeping reptile and spent a lot of time talking and getting advice from a guy who'd worked there for years and I've never had a problem with there advice before, unfortunately the day I went to inquire about a Yemen the guy wasn't there and I was left taking advice from a younger guy, i'm so annoyed as before today Keith hissed and ran away every time I opened the cage but today he happy sat on his branch gripping my finger with his back leg!
Psychobunny
Avid Member
Separate UVA and UVB lamps give me more control, but that's just me.
Your UVA wattage will depend on several things, but you want to have your
basking branch spot a good 10 or more inches away or your guy could get a burn.
Chams regulate by their core temp, so if too close to a uva bulb that is hot,
they will burn their top spine before their core temp is warm enough.
It's like putting a turkey in the oven and using a programed probe that you
stick in the middle. The oven will tell you when it's done inside, but if you have
the temp too high, it will burn on the surface way before the middle is cooked.
You can use a plain old incan house bulb for basking, I use a 60W, and my
cham's basking spot is about 10 or so inches away.
I have Arcadia 6% HO UVB with fixture very close the basking bulb, like right
against it.
I use a digital thermometer with a probe, and attach the probe to the basking
spot and at about the same height as my cham to make sure it's not too hot
on the top portions of their body.
I monitor the temp for several minutes because it can fluctuate, and use the
wattage needed to get the right temp. May have to experiment with different
ones, I keep 40 and 60W bulbs on hand, and have even used 25W.
Should also do a quick temp check every few weeks, it can fluctuate, esp when
there is a difference in room temps.
You would be surprised how much the temp can change, even though you
haven't changed the placement of anything.
Your 160W bulb sounds like overkill, unless you have a cold room, big cage,
a whole lot of foliage inside, and your cham is a good distance from it.
It could also start to add up on your electric bill
Your UVA wattage will depend on several things, but you want to have your
basking branch spot a good 10 or more inches away or your guy could get a burn.
Chams regulate by their core temp, so if too close to a uva bulb that is hot,
they will burn their top spine before their core temp is warm enough.
It's like putting a turkey in the oven and using a programed probe that you
stick in the middle. The oven will tell you when it's done inside, but if you have
the temp too high, it will burn on the surface way before the middle is cooked.
You can use a plain old incan house bulb for basking, I use a 60W, and my
cham's basking spot is about 10 or so inches away.
I have Arcadia 6% HO UVB with fixture very close the basking bulb, like right
against it.
I use a digital thermometer with a probe, and attach the probe to the basking
spot and at about the same height as my cham to make sure it's not too hot
on the top portions of their body.
I monitor the temp for several minutes because it can fluctuate, and use the
wattage needed to get the right temp. May have to experiment with different
ones, I keep 40 and 60W bulbs on hand, and have even used 25W.
Should also do a quick temp check every few weeks, it can fluctuate, esp when
there is a difference in room temps.
You would be surprised how much the temp can change, even though you
haven't changed the placement of anything.
Your 160W bulb sounds like overkill, unless you have a cold room, big cage,
a whole lot of foliage inside, and your cham is a good distance from it.
It could also start to add up on your electric bill
Thanks for all your help guys, I'm going to go with he arcadia d3 + uvflood with a separate 100w basking bulb, I have a mini stat that I used with a heat mate under my geckos that I no longer need and although it says it's a heatmat stat it also says it can be used with bulbs upto 100w, again I'm so angry as I asked about a stat for the setup and the guy said I didn't need one, I should have followed my instincts as I'm very strict and conscious about using stats for my beardys!
xcrystalx
New Member
many pet shops give out wrong info.the good thing is you have found the right info now.
regarding the thermostat you want a dimming thermostatstat not a mat-stat.it will just turn the bulb on/off.you just want the light to dim a little if it gets too warm and not to shut off.also with the light going on and off all the time it will disturb the cham.
personally i use the habistat dimming thermostat 600w.ive heard the microclimate dimming thermostats are also good.xx
regarding the thermostat you want a dimming thermostatstat not a mat-stat.it will just turn the bulb on/off.you just want the light to dim a little if it gets too warm and not to shut off.also with the light going on and off all the time it will disturb the cham.
personally i use the habistat dimming thermostat 600w.ive heard the microclimate dimming thermostats are also good.xx
xcrystalx
New Member
regarding the uv you either want 1 of these below.also if you plan on having it inside then a 6% will be fine but if you want it ontop then the mesh will be blocking some of the uv so you would do better getting a 12%.
take a look at these below for choices.
Arcadia Vivarium Canopy 24W/60cm T5 d3+ tube 12% uvb Desert tube
( i personally have this )
or
Arcadia Slimline Vivarium Canopy and 24w T5 d3+ tube 12% uvb Lamp
or
Arcadia Complete UV Light Kit: Desert T5 12% ubv 24w
sure you dont have to go with these but they all are great choices
they will emit top end quantities of UV for a full 12 months when most others only last 6 months.
take a look at these below for choices.
Arcadia Vivarium Canopy 24W/60cm T5 d3+ tube 12% uvb Desert tube
( i personally have this
)or
Arcadia Slimline Vivarium Canopy and 24w T5 d3+ tube 12% uvb Lamp
or
Arcadia Complete UV Light Kit: Desert T5 12% ubv 24w
sure you dont have to go with these but they all are great choices
they will emit top end quantities of UV for a full 12 months when most others only last 6 months.
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