Bulb fixtures and positioning

Dazlancs

New Member
Hi All,

I don't yet have any reptiles as I'm going to be setting up my cage over the next few days and will be looking to purchase my basking/heat source (still deciding on what to do on this one).

My lighting will be via the Zoo Med Reptisun Led UVB Terrarium Hood (positioned at the rear) which incorporates 6500k daylight LEDs and also a 10% UVB (swapped out the original 5% tube due to the various levels in the cage (4' tall)) but i'm still looking at getting the basking source. So here's my question:

What do people recommend to use as their basking/heat source and which cover. Also, how the hell do i set it up outside the tank without screwing to the wall? If you could supply any links for the equipment types (manufacturers websites would be perfect) then i can look in to ordering some stuff.

Also, would 14k LEDs be acceptable (white with 2 blue) as a lighting source as well or is this the wrong colour spectrum?

Thanks in advance,
Darren
 
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For basking you can use a simple dome fixture with a regular white incandescent house bulb. Play around with the wattage and basking branch height to get the desired basking temperature and cage temps.

LEDs are fairly new so there is not a lot of pros/cons. I would be careful with them since LEDs can be a lot brighter than the florescent lighting the chameleon is used to. This in turn may cause eye irritation if the cage does not have the proper foliage for the cham to escape from the light.

Also, if you are starting with a young chameleon, I would keep the 5% UVB tube in the fixture. You wont need the 10% unless your cage has a lot of plant cover high in the cage and need the extra UVB penetration. Others may have different opinions but this is just my recommendation.
 
If you want to save money to spend on your misting system you can get a clamp lamp at your local DIY store and a few incandescent bulbs of various wattages.
 
If you want to save money to spend on your misting system you can get a clamp lamp at your local DIY store and a few incandescent bulbs of various wattages.
I’ve purchased the Zoo Med ReptiRain which I’m going to using in conjunction with a Zoo Med Hygrotherm. It’s not about saving money, I want to do this right (and be aesthetically pleasing) before I buy the animal.

Aside from that, the reptisun hood is not being sold at the moment due o a lot being returned so I’m back to the drawing board lol
 
Try one of our site sponsors, lightyourreptiles.com. The fixtures are great and the arcadia brand bulbs are the best for UVB.

I also recommend a mistking misting systems due to is reliability, customization options, and programming options. I am currently running three enclosures off one pump with no issues other than having to refill a 5 gallon reservoir every night.
 
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