HOW LONG DO I LEAVE MY BASKING LAMP ON?

[Gemeleon dude]

So I work, and I’m worried about the basking lamp, is it safe to leave on all day till I get off in the evening (9pm-10pm) I’ve been looking at timers but I double tomorrow, will he be okay for one day? And how long do I leave it on for in general?

 

[Mendez]

Generally, it is safe to leave your basking light on all day. But this is dependent on the foreseeable weather conditions that you face in your area. If you know that your room might get too hot, i.e. the weather in your area is expected to get warmer than usual, and you have no climate control such as an AC to cool down the room, you might want to have a plan to turn off that basking bulb if the basking area gets too hot.

Usually, the basking light can be left on during the normal 12-hour day/night cycle. Lots of people leave their basking lights on all day. And others, like myself, put the light on a timer to turn on/off multiple times a day for shorter intervals. A basking interval of 30 minutes multiple times throughout the day is a decent length that you can shoot for. I usually leave the basking light on constantly until the ambient temperature gets close to the acceptable range, then I will turn it off and on throughout the day.

In your situation, yes, leaving the basking light on for one day until you get back from work is alright. If this is a longer light schedule than usual for your chameleon, don't be surprised to see him sleeping with the lights on when you get back from work.

I should also note that not turning on the basking light for one day should also not pose an issue for a chameleon (assuming that the ambient temps are in the acceptable range). Heat kills reptiles far faster than the cold. If you are unsure about how hot the basking temperature will get, then it might be better to leave the light off. However, if you are confident that the basking temp won't get too hot, then leaving it on all day is perfectly fine.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

So I work, and I’m worried about the basking lamp, is it safe to leave on all day till I get off in the evening (9pm-10pm) I’ve been looking at timers but I double tomorrow, will he be okay for one day? And how long do I leave it on for in general?

Rather than leaving it on for that long (double shift = 16 hrs or more?) I would leave it off until you can limit it to 12/12 or get a timer. I use the $6 mechanicals from big-box stores, but whatever you prefer.

There are different basking strategies used; you can find much discussion in the archives.

What kind of basking light are you using, and does it provide a gradient?

 

[Gemeleon dude]

Rather than leaving it on for that long (double shift = 16 hrs or more?) I would leave it off until you can limit it to 12/12 or get a timer. I use the $6 mechanicals from big-box stores, but whatever you prefer.

There are different basking strategies used; you can find much discussion in the archives.

What kind of basking light are you using, and does it provide a gradient?

I’m using a 60w non led incandescent light for his basking lamp

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Perfect as long as it's not a 'spot'.

 

[Gemeleon dude]

Perfect as long as it's not a 'spot'.

What’s a ‘spot’

 

[Uri]

What’s a ‘spot’

Those are like the general basking bulbs people use for desert species that get really hot in only the center and cause burns a lot I personally would never use these even for my arid animals I only use incandescents and halogens usually the bulb will say if it’s a spot bulb on the box they direct all the heat into a small spot only really I also like floods but haven’t used them as much anymore they spread the heat in a cone shape after experimenting a regular incandescent and the Arcadia halogen bulbs are all my favorites the incandescents spread out the heat very well and don’t get TOO hot in just one spot and the halogens use less energy and make way more heat…I never as a kid thought I’d be so fascinated by light bulb heating output

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

What’s a ‘spot’

Spot lights can create hotspots, which may burn.
Flood lights create a gradient, so a reptile can choose the temperature it wants to bask at.

So for reptile basking lights, floods are safer & more versatile.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/blog/spotlights-vs-floodlights-whats-difference/3282/