future Veiled Chameleon owner

[clairebear]

Hi everyone, so I have been reading up for a good while now and everyone here is so helpful, the info on this website is really helpful, it is getting closer to January when I will be starting to get my enclosure and lighting ect. for the veiled I will eventually choose but I am still a little confused by the lighting so excuse me if this post seems like im an idiot or clueless.
I need things to be simplified for me to fully understand, from what I understand 2 bulbs are required a basking/lighting bulb and a normal bulb to provide heat? what temperature does the basking spot have to be for a veiled? and what temperate should the rest of the enclosure be? what wattage bulbs will I need for both of these?
What is the humidity number that the enclosure should be?
Are both turned off on a night? , if so what time on a night? and what time should they be turned back on in the morning?
If my house is cold will I loose too much heat from my screened enclosure?
I've seen these double lamp fixtures in this link https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/p...5.8&ei=8tiyUqn5K4SrhQe84oHAAQ&ved=0CGYQqSswAQ
Is it ok to have this double fixture on top of the enclosure? one with the basking bulb in and one with the heat bulb in?
If someone could answer my mass of questions in those simple terms I would be extremely grateful p.s I live in the uk.
Please could anybody answer these questions

 

[windex]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

You will find everything you need right here. First thing off the top though is A basking bulb and a "normal" bulb are for the same thing, to provide heat.. You need a UV bulb and a basking bulb. The UV bulb provides UV radiation so that the chameleon can process calcium.

Baby/juvenile (<9 months): ambient 72-80F (22-26C), basking 85F (29C)
Adult males: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 90-95F (32-35C)
Adult females: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 85F (29C)

Humidity is an important aspect of chameleon husbandry. Veiled chameleons require levels around 40-70%

All lighting and heat bulbs should be outside and on top of the cage. There should be 12 hours of UVB light, along with 12 hours of darkness for proper rest. A UVB bulb is necessary to synthesize vitamin D3 in the skin and to facilitate absorption of dietary calcium. UVB bulbs only emit UVB rays for 6-8 months, even if they’re still shining, so they must be replaced at least twice a year. A basking bulb creates the heat gradient so that your cold-blooded chameleon can regulate its body temperature by moving into warmer or cooler zones as needed. When choosing a basking bulb start with a 60watt bulb and monitor temperature closely. Higher wattage bulbs are hotter in temperature and vice versa so choose the appropriate wattage bulb based on the temperatures achieved. A bulb that makes it too hot can burn your chameleon badly even from several inches away and through the screen. See Chameleon Lighting for more information.

 

[clairebear]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

You will find everything you need right here. First thing off the top though is A basking bulb and a "normal" bulb are for the same thing, to provide heat.. You need a UV bulb and a basking bulb. The UV bulb provides UV radiation so that the chameleon can process calcium.

Baby/juvenile (<9 months): ambient 72-80F (22-26C), basking 85F (29C)
Adult males: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 90-95F (32-35C)
Adult females: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 85F (29C)

Humidity is an important aspect of chameleon husbandry. Veiled chameleons require levels around 40-70%

All lighting and heat bulbs should be outside and on top of the cage. There should be 12 hours of UVB light, along with 12 hours of darkness for proper rest. A UVB bulb is necessary to synthesize vitamin D3 in the skin and to facilitate absorption of dietary calcium. UVB bulbs only emit UVB rays for 6-8 months, even if they’re still shining, so they must be replaced at least twice a year. A basking bulb creates the heat gradient so that your cold-blooded chameleon can regulate its body temperature by moving into warmer or cooler zones as needed. When choosing a basking bulb start with a 60watt bulb and monitor temperature closely. Higher wattage bulbs are hotter in temperature and vice versa so choose the appropriate wattage bulb based on the temperatures achieved. A bulb that makes it too hot can burn your chameleon badly even from several inches away and through the screen. See Chameleon Lighting for more information.

Thank you for your reply, I have read the care sheets and I still need it simplifying more, I am going to be getting an extra large zoo med screen enclosure, so there are just 2 bulbs needed overall? (obviously aside from buying more and trying out wattages) one UV for synthesising? and one for basking? does the basking create the heat for the entire enclosure ie. to bask in will be hottest at the top then as you move further away from the top the temp is lower? and the humidity comes from spraying and plants etc.?
Is the duple lamp fixture ok? the one in my link?
I am going to have the enclosure running before I get my chameleon but should i buy a couple of different wattage bulbs to begin with to play about with the basking temp?

 

[Mijah139]

As long as you can sufficiently meet the temperature requirements with one basking (heat) bulb, you should only need 2 bulbs altogether. Unless you are using a massive enclosure, you won't need 2 UV bulbs. You can also purchase 2-in-1 bulbs that produce heat and UVB

 

[fathertime79]

A couple answers

Hi!

Maybe I can help a little.

I have a 2'x2'x3' all screen enclosure and live in Illinois (US) where we have cold winters and hot summers.

To get my temperature right when it averages about 20 degrees F outside, I have to use a 100 watt heat bulb 24hr a day to keep the temperature right. My veiled chameleon simply moves to the area that he feels most comfortable at during the time of day/night. I use a regular UVA/UVB bulb 12hr a day.

To get the temperature right when it averages about 85 degrees F outside, U use a 40 watt heat bulb 12 hr a day to keep the temperature right and the UVA/UVB but 12hr a day as well.

For the humidity, I mist the cage several times a day and I have live plants in the enclosure but we generally have the correct humidity in our house already since Illinois can be rather humid at times.

It all depends on your location. I hope this helps you!


Jason

 

[FlChamMom]

I have 3 lights total in my 2x2x4 cage- a 5.0 Reptisun, a fluorescent tube grow light and a 60-75 watt (depending on the season) incandescent. I added the grow lights to my cages because I was noticing that my plants were dying off in the back of the cage, not needed, but it really made a difference in the plants.

 

[ridgebax1]

Hi!

To get my temperature right when it averages about 20 degrees F outside, I have to use a 100 watt heat bulb 24hr a day to keep the temperature right.

Jason

Are you using a ceramic heat emitter or a light bulb? The cham should have complete darkness at night to sleep so I hope it is a CHE.

I live in Pittsburgh PA and in my Veiled's enclosure I use a 150 watt incandescent light to maintain a basking spot of 85-90, just across the same room in my panther's house I have a 72 watt halogen bulb (its not a spot or flood, it looks like a regular bulb) to maintain the correct temp. It is a smaller cage too.

Unfortunately, it is going to take some trial and error to get the correct bulb to maintain your cham's correct basking temperature.

I have a heavily planted enclosure for my Veiled so I have a double dome with heat and UVB; I also have a single dome with a full spectrum daylight bulb and a three light hood with full spectrum daylight bulbs for the plants. Omar moves about the cage and will hang out under his heat/uvb for a while then will go to the other corner with the full spectrum bulb and sometimes he will move down into the foliage and hang out there for a while. Clouseau just has a heat and uvb but he is in a much smaller cage. Sometimes he hangs out upside down on the screen but the screen is fiberglass and does not get hot and the heat lamp is several inches above the cage. Most of the time he is upside down it is under the uvb, I think he is just trying to even out his tan.

At some point in the next few months I am going to upgrade to the Arcadia quad, that has UVB/plant lights. I had intended to do this already but Clouseau detoured my funds!

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums. This is how I have raised veileds successfully.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

 

[clairebear]

thankyou

Hi!

Maybe I can help a little.

I have a 2'x2'x3' all screen enclosure and live in Illinois (US) where we have cold winters and hot summers.

To get my temperature right when it averages about 20 degrees F outside, I have to use a 100 watt heat bulb 24hr a day to keep the temperature right. My veiled chameleon simply moves to the area that he feels most comfortable at during the time of day/night. I use a regular UVA/UVB bulb 12hr a day.

To get the temperature right when it averages about 85 degrees F outside, U use a 40 watt heat bulb 12 hr a day to keep the temperature right and the UVA/UVB but 12hr a day as well.

For the humidity, I mist the cage several times a day and I have live plants in the enclosure but we generally have the correct humidity in our house already since Illinois can be rather humid at times.

It all depends on your location. I hope this helps you!


Jason

it does help thanks, so il be getting two bulbs one for the heat/basking and a UVA/UVB bulb im thinking of getting zoo meds double dome light fixture then it just sits in top with heat bulb in one and UVB/UVA in the other? and il provide a spot to bask in beneath the heat lamp? obviously i will have checked my temps are not too hot before i get the chameleon.

 

[clairebear]

it does help thanks, so il be getting two bulbs one for the heat/basking and a UVA/UVB bulb im thinking of getting zoo meds double dome light fixture then it just sits in top with heat bulb in one and UVB/UVA in the other? and il provide a spot to bask in beneath the heat lamp? obviously i will have checked my temps are not too hot before i get the chameleon.

was meant to say sits on top

 

[ridgebax1]

it does help thanks, so il be getting two bulbs one for the heat/basking and a UVA/UVB bulb im thinking of getting zoo meds double dome light fixture then it just sits in top with heat bulb in one and UVB/UVA in the other? and il provide a spot to bask in beneath the heat lamp? obviously i will have checked my temps are not too hot before i get the chameleon.

You can sit it on top but you have to be careful that the chameleon cannot get burned. Especially babies as they like to hang upside down from the screen right under the heat. The metal screen can get very hot and burn them.

 

[clairebear]

You can sit it on top but you have to be careful that the chameleon cannot get burned. Especially babies as they like to hang upside down from the screen right under the heat. The metal screen can get very hot and burn them.

I think the zoo med light fixture are domes so that the screen doesn't get too hot and burn the chameleon. But before i get my chameleon i will make when ive done my set up first to make sure there no chance of my chameleon getting burned.thank you