Heating
- Thread starter iceman214
- Start date
roo_71
New Member
I am still a bit confused – you do have a separate basking bulb for heat – right? The only 2 things that come to mind in what I am going to assume are a drop ambient temps is that the bulb may need some time to heat up or that this new bulb is physically different then the last one even though the model and manufacturer are the same.
Maybe there is something off with the temp gauge or you are measuring temps differently. Could be a boatload of different things going on. Either way, if ambient temps are 78F then you MAY want to tone that down a bit depending on the species. For an ideal heat gradient, I like ambient around the low 70’s(F) for my veiled and carpets.
-roo
Maybe there is something off with the temp gauge or you are measuring temps differently. Could be a boatload of different things going on. Either way, if ambient temps are 78F then you MAY want to tone that down a bit depending on the species. For an ideal heat gradient, I like ambient around the low 70’s(F) for my veiled and carpets.
-roo
iceman214
New Member
i dont have a basking bulb do u you recomend i get 1 the only bulb i have the the 2ft repti-glo 5.0 and i have a heat rock in too and a heat mat on the bottom of the enclosure as a beginer id like the info but this is as i bought the enclosure from a friend i have only bought the heat rock since its a wooden enclosure too
roo_71
New Member
Remove the heat rock right away please - heat mat too. It will cause more problems then anything. It’s not natural for a chameleon to get heat from a rock and it can cause burns.
Get a basking bulb and dome fixture for it – how old is your veiled?
Either take some pics of your setup or in detail list everything about your setup and your daily routine.
-roo
Get a basking bulb and dome fixture for it – how old is your veiled?
Either take some pics of your setup or in detail list everything about your setup and your daily routine.
-roo
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
I agree with Roo.
Remove that mat and rock and get a basking light!
-Brad
Remove that mat and rock and get a basking light!
-Brad
iceman214
New Member
ok its a wooden setup with the repti-glo bulb mounted at the top a have some fake bushes in 1 side and a fountain in the other as you know i have the heat rock and heat mat at the bottom with bark chippings along the bottom of the tank
my veild is very young as the pet store had just got some in ther day before hes about 5 inch long from front of his head to the tip of his tail
at the moment im feeding him black crickets witch have been gutloaded with sweet potatoes/carrots and im dusting them with calcuim as and when needed but as hes not eating too much at moment im putting them in for him every other day im going to get some mealworm this weekend to try him with them but thats all im doing at the moment
if i remove the rock and mat the temp drops even more
my veild is very young as the pet store had just got some in ther day before hes about 5 inch long from front of his head to the tip of his tail
at the moment im feeding him black crickets witch have been gutloaded with sweet potatoes/carrots and im dusting them with calcuim as and when needed but as hes not eating too much at moment im putting them in for him every other day im going to get some mealworm this weekend to try him with them but thats all im doing at the moment
if i remove the rock and mat the temp drops even more
I don't recommend using a substrate or a fountain with veileds. Its too easy for substrates to cause impaction and some of the barks contain toxic oils. As for the fountain, they are hard to keep clean and germ free.
The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic.
Is the calcium powder you are using phosphorous-free? Insects generally have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous...so dusting with a phos.-free calcium powder helps to make up for it.
Although sweet potatos and carrots are two good things to be a part of the gutload, I would also add greens (dandelion, kale, collards, endive, ROMAINE letuce, etc.) and more veggies (squash, sweet red pepper, zucchini, white potato, celery leaves, etc.)
You can offer him small waxworms (but not too many because they are fatty) and small silkworms, small butterworms, phoenix worms, etc. to add variety to his diet.
The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic.
Is the calcium powder you are using phosphorous-free? Insects generally have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous...so dusting with a phos.-free calcium powder helps to make up for it.
Although sweet potatos and carrots are two good things to be a part of the gutload, I would also add greens (dandelion, kale, collards, endive, ROMAINE letuce, etc.) and more veggies (squash, sweet red pepper, zucchini, white potato, celery leaves, etc.)
You can offer him small waxworms (but not too many because they are fatty) and small silkworms, small butterworms, phoenix worms, etc. to add variety to his diet.
roo_71
New Member
Follow the advice from the others – get rid of the rock, heat mat, fountain and substrate. Some real plants in there will help too with him being comfortable and adding a bit of humidity. Get a good digital thermometer from Lowes or Home Depot to measure the basking temps – should be around 85(F) for a cham that small – for starters at least. You can get a “reptile basking bulb” or use a house hold bulb or a spot bulb such as a Philips Duramax 50w. Either way, get a basking bulb and dome for heat.
What are the sides of the enclosure made of and how big is it? I almost want to say for a cham that small it might be easier to house it in a 10g for now until you get the current setup up to snuff. I am a believer in small enclosure for baby chams – it’s easier for them to find food, easier to watch over them, and they may feel a bit more comfortable in a smaller enclosure.
If you are serious about this hobby and want to do the right thing for your critter then start reading through this site …
http://www.chameleonnews.com/
-roo
What are the sides of the enclosure made of and how big is it? I almost want to say for a cham that small it might be easier to house it in a 10g for now until you get the current setup up to snuff. I am a believer in small enclosure for baby chams – it’s easier for them to find food, easier to watch over them, and they may feel a bit more comfortable in a smaller enclosure.
If you are serious about this hobby and want to do the right thing for your critter then start reading through this site …
http://www.chameleonnews.com/
-roo
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
Does this enclosure have a screen top?
How are you managing ventilation?
I would not recommend having a basking light inside the enclosure, it needs to be on the outside above a screen top or along a screened wall.
The bulb can be a regular household one and the wattage is something you need to experiment with.
You want a basking temp for a veiled that age to be around 85 degrees.
Keep in mind this temp should be localized to the area around the basking branch only, the rest of the enclosure needs to be cooler. You need 2 thermometers.
Use a strong enough wattage to achieve this temp and have the light some distance away to prevent the animal burning itself.
If you can show us pictures of this enclosure the help could be more specific.
-Brad
How are you managing ventilation?
I would not recommend having a basking light inside the enclosure, it needs to be on the outside above a screen top or along a screened wall.
The bulb can be a regular household one and the wattage is something you need to experiment with.
You want a basking temp for a veiled that age to be around 85 degrees.
Keep in mind this temp should be localized to the area around the basking branch only, the rest of the enclosure needs to be cooler. You need 2 thermometers.
Use a strong enough wattage to achieve this temp and have the light some distance away to prevent the animal burning itself.
If you can show us pictures of this enclosure the help could be more specific.
-Brad
Jordan
New Member
Hit the new reply button. When you do so you will see a paper clip to the right of a smiley face. Once you hit this button a new screen will imerge called managing your attachments. You can then "browse" through and find the picture you want. It will have to be 250Kb or less. After you upload it you have two options. One you can click the paper clip again and select the name of the picture. It will place it wherever the line is located. The other way to do it is to just right what you want after you upload it and the picture just includes itself at the bottom of the post after you submit the reply.
Brian S
New Member
Something i learned in the aquarium trade is that when lights with high UV outputs age, their spectrum alters from UV to infrared. That is why when you have older bulbs in an aquarium, there is more algea growth. I know that Corrallife bulbs are notorius for this, but Reptisun i am unsure of. This could be a reason why your temps have dropped.
EDIT: Btw, you do need a basking bulb by all means. Chameleons need to thermoregulate, the only real way this is to duplicate the sun as a heat source. Chameleons can't escape ambiant temperature an can result in a very stressful environment. Would you enjoy being in overly hot temps and not being able to escape them? I think not.
EDIT: Btw, you do need a basking bulb by all means. Chameleons need to thermoregulate, the only real way this is to duplicate the sun as a heat source. Chameleons can't escape ambiant temperature an can result in a very stressful environment. Would you enjoy being in overly hot temps and not being able to escape them? I think not.
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