Im looking to purchase a baby v.cham. And I kno most people are against it, but just for a month or two its gonna b in a 55gal aquarium. While I build a bigger screen enclousure. My question is, I have the basking light and the UVB florescent bulb. But the one end of the tank is still a little cool. (i have been working on the conditions before I make my purchase). I uses a dome fixture with a simple 40watt around the house bulb and it brought the temp up just right....is this ok?
Heating and lighting (question)
- Thread starter Janik416
- Start date
Triceros
New Member
Im not to sure about veilds but my jackson cant have a basking temp over 85 so you might be right about the temps for that species.
And i also found some links for you if they help
https://www.chameleonforums.com/heat-question-77856/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/low-energy-low-food-intake-77843/
And i also found some links for you if they help
https://www.chameleonforums.com/heat-question-77856/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/low-energy-low-food-intake-77843/
DekuScrub
Avid Member
thats for an adult, and even so i wouldnt risk 105 incase whatever thermometer youre using may be inaccurate.
when you test the temp you should have your probe or whatever it is at the top of where his back will be right under the light.
you also need to let it sit there a min or so so it can heat up completely.
i have an IR temp gun just because of my concern of accuracy.
between 90-95 should be fine. just make sure it isnt any higher.
i made the mistake of using 150 watt bulb about a foot away from the basking spot with my first chameleon ever. luckily he didnt get any burns, but burns can be pretty nasty as ive seen.
no matter what the thermometer says if you cant hold you hand under the light for 30 because its uncomfortably hot. its too hot for your chameleon.
Elizadolots
New Member
The tank is okay for a baby, but as noted, the basking temp should be considerably lower. Babies have thin skin! As has also been said, you want a temperature range. I think you should cluster your lights to one side. This will not only allow the other side to be cooler, it will create a "ventilation stream" as the heated air moves up and vents out near the lights, cooler air will be pulled in from the other side.
UrbanChameleon
New Member
Go with a 25 watt basking light.
I appreciate all the info, but I have been doin research for awhile, I'm not the type that says I want this and byys it. I have prob spent 10hrs reading n watching videos. The only thing new I learned was basking area for babies are cooler I know one end is to be cooler but right now its to cool, n I was wondering if a simple light bulb can be used to bring it from 65 degrees to about 70-75 degrees on the cool side.
fluxlizard
Avid Member
Yes it can.
I use them for the primary basking spot as well.
FWIW- I use same basking temps for my babies as my adults and the babies do great. They *must* be able to thermoregulate from day one in nature in order to survive, and are quite capable of it provided their enclosure is large enough to escape the heat and move in and out of it as they wish.
Another key is to provide multiple basking sites beneath and around the heat source. For babies- I simply grab a bunch of twiggy branches and fill the enclosures unceremoniously with these. This way you have a spot the baby can sit at and be 95 another a couple inches away might be 94.5 and another a few more inches away might be 93 and so on down to ambient. This provides a true thermal gradient so a chameleon can select exactly what temperature it desires at any given moment, and can avoid the hottest part when it wants to warm up if it so chooses. Forcing the lizard by giving it only one or a few basking opportunities on too few branches below the heat spot does invite burns and trouble, as it must select that location even if it is too warm for comfort. Or force it to be too cool for optimal system operation if the owner selects too cool of a light or puts the location too far away.
"Ventilation streams" or whatever you want to call them will happen no matter where the heat lamps are placed. Think about it- if the heat is in the middle it will simply pull air in from both sides. But I think you should have your primary heat source near one end regardless, because you want thermoregulatory opportunities available- and that is easiest to do with a hot and a cool end to the enclosure with a range of temperatures in between the two ends..
