HELP! UVB 30 inch on SIDE?

apaetz

New Member
My vieled male is olny 3 months old.

I have a 30 inch long reptarium but it is olny 16.5*16.5 wide and deep.
My UVB reptisun light fixture is 30 inches long.

right now i have the cage on its side so it is OLNY 16 inches TALL but the light fixture fits perfectly on top of the 30 inch side. I know chameleons are arboral and it would be better if he could climb UP. Is it ok for me to change the setup so the cage is taller (30 inches) and put the UVB fixture so it shines in from the SIDE instead of from above. Will this freak him out?

Any advice would help me greatly!
thanks,
Aaron.

PS> i have a 75 watt basking lamp on top too.
 
Aron,

The cage needs to be taller; flip it over so there is more climbing room. Keep the uvb fixture ontop of the cage. I do realize that this will leave a considerable over-hang on both sides which may be unappealing, but mounting the bulb to the side will make it difficult, if not impossible, for the chameleon to escape the uvb rays when it needs to. It may not look great, but this setup will be hopefully be temporary. A veiled chameleon will need a much larger enclosure by adulthood, and they grow fast!

Best,
Eric
 
As said above. Stand the cage up, let the light over hang on the sides. It isnt a big deal for it to over hang. When you upgrade to his final cage, purchase a cage that the light will fit on. Minimum adult enclosure for a Veiled adult is 4 feet high, 2 feet wide, and 2 feet deep. You could probably go 4 feet high, 3 feet wide, and 2 feet deep and you light would fit fine.

Frank
 
Lighting from the side has worked fine for me. My female veil developed a black spot on her casque from where it got burnt under the heat lamp. I just mounted it off the side slightly angled down and check the temperature. She seems to spend less time basking then she did before. I went back to the top mount after I completed her adult cage. She was in there for a 6 month span with no ill effects. The spot cleared itself up after she shed the next. Glad I caught it early.
 
even if my cham has enough room in the cage? 16.5 inches wide. and the UVB light is on one side it is not a good idea? it said it olny effects 12 inches. cant he just go to one side to get away?
 
apaetz said:
even if my cham has enough room in the cage? 16.5 inches wide. and the UVB light is on one side it is not a good idea? it said it olny effects 12 inches. cant he just go to one side to get away?

giving him 4 inches....? I do not think its a terrible idea to have it on the side, it's just BETTER idea to mount it from the top. Only you can make the final call. Whats most important is that you make plans for a larger enclosure soon.
 
apaetz said:
My vieled male is olny 3 months old.

I have a 30 inch long reptarium but it is olny 16.5*16.5 wide and deep.
My UVB reptisun light fixture is 30 inches long.

right now i have the cage on its side so it is OLNY 16 inches TALL but the light fixture fits perfectly on top of the 30 inch side. I know chameleons are arboral and it would be better if he could climb UP. Is it ok for me to change the setup so the cage is taller (30 inches) and put the UVB fixture so it shines in from the SIDE instead of from above. Will this freak him out?

Any advice would help me greatly!
thanks,
Aaron.

PS> i have a 75 watt basking lamp on top too.


that would be a good light for a bigger cage
 
If it where me I would stick it on top for now and just make do with what I had for a little while. Take this time to plot out a bigger cage. I would get a set up and test it out a little bit. Wait tell his lights are off put it on the new cage and setup his basking area. Put in the plants you want and leave the lights on for a little while. Then check the humidity. Spray it check the humidity again. From this you should be able to make a plan of attack on how you want it. Planning ahead and knowing what you got will help him and you.
 
...

well i have a tall enclosure and i hung my light vertically on the wall behind it, so far so good...my cham stays at the very top anyways so hes not stuck in the uvb all day...
 
UVB type lights diminish at the length away you are and the material it is going through such as mesh. I wouldn't worry to much about him getting away from it just make sure he can get close enough to it.
 
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