how many lightings?

[frozensponge]

Hello,

i am new to chameleon and i want to know how many lights do i need to get my setup ready for a new guy that is coming in pretty soon. Thank you

 

[ghettomike]

Two possibly three. What type of cham are you getting? age? You will probably need 2 lights for sure. The first one will be a reptisun 5.0 fluorescent tube light ( length of tube depends on enclosure size but prob 18" or 24" will do) , this light provides your cham with the UV light it needs to live, this light also needs to be replaced approx every 9 months, make sure you have some vines/perch approx 6" under the UV light. For a basking bulb you can just use a normal household incandescent bulb in a dome ( wattage depends on desired temp but usually at 40-75 watt works good. you can adjust the heat by adjusting the height of the dome, it is not a good idea to keep the dome right on the screen cage because your cham could be burned by it. If you are keeping live plants in your enclosure you may want but don't need to provide a grow light (6500k fluorescent tube) for them to help them thrive. Hope this helps ya out a bit.

 

[frozensponge]

thanks. I am getting a Kinyongia multituberculata ‏ 6months old. I have a reptisun 5.0 and an exo terra sunglo tight beam for now. Do i need to use any other lighting since I heard that cham needs UVA?

 

[Ace]

i would ditch the sunglo and just get a regular hardware 60 watt light bulb....check out this forums more on that species you plan to get....i have no experience "yet" on that species....

Also good luck...but should seriously do research

mayb one of our members can help you that has worked on that species...

 

[Stephikins]

It also depends on your plants and and cage size. I have a 6ft tall terrarium with live plants so I have a 65k plant light next to my reptisun 10.0 and a plant light cfl pointed down just below the middle of the cage. So 4 lights total when you include the 60w basking light.

o and a light in his free range area for some other plants.

 

[VeiledOwner87]

thanks. I am getting a Kinyongia multituberculata ‏ 6months old. I have a reptisun 5.0 and an exo terra sunglo tight beam for now. Do i need to use any other lighting since I heard that cham needs UVA?

personally, i would stay away from montane species when first getting into chameleons. not saying you couldnt do it, but i would get and start with something more tolerable to improper husbandry. its good that you are doing your reaserch, but with research you will find that montanes are trickier than other chams. i would start with a panther or veiled.

like ghettomike said, 2-3 lights is what you will need, depending on if you want live plants or not, in which we all suggest you do. so 3 would be it. a uvb flourescent tube with a 6500k or 6700k the same size bulb, in a double fixture. 6700k works perfectly fine though, you will also need a basking light in an appropriate size lamp dome. usually 5.5''- 8.5'' for the cages most keepers use.

 

[frozensponge]

well i hope i can get a panther or veil but i just moved and downsizing so its kinda difficult to get the space required for the larger species. I understand your intentions though. That is exactly why I am doing extra research and careful planning. I really appreciate all the help really. Thank alot guys!