Is My Basking Temp Ok? Too low?

[natureboy86]

Hi everyone,

As you can see, I'm new to this board(1st post). I've been researching everything needed for chams the last few weeks, as I built a nice terrarium and ordered a BEAUTIFUL vieled from the Houdini bloodline.

The one thing that I've seen a variety of answers when researching is the necessary basking temp. I've read low 80's, and I've also read mid 90's.

I have a male Vieled, about 3 1/2 - 4 months old.

JUST GOT HIM TODAY. Took him home, put him in his new enclosure. Enclosure demensions: 2'x2'x3', aluminum screen.

His basking spot is about 12'' away from the heat lamp, which is laying ontop of the cage. It's a 100w bulb, but what's confusing me, is most people on here say they have a 40-60watt bulb, and obtain optimum basking temps. I have a 100w bulb, and I show only low 80's in the basking spot. Never past 85 degrees, and usually around 82. Is that sufficient, or will I be harming my little guy by not providing enough heat?


I also have the Reptisun 5.0 uvb, so I'm covered there. My primary concern is whether or not 80-85 degrees is sufficient for basking...

Thanks ahead of time for your advice. I've found this forum to be AMAZINGLY helpful and I feel well prepared for my new member of the family.

 

[buddy912]

Hi everyone,

As you can see, I'm new to this board(1st post). I've been researching everything needed for chams the last few weeks, as I built a nice terrarium and ordered a BEAUTIFUL vieled from the Houdini bloodline.

The one thing that I've seen a variety of answers when researching is the necessary basking temp. I've read low 80's, and I've also read mid 90's.

I have a male Vieled, about 3 1/2 - 4 months old.

JUST GOT HIM TODAY. Took him home, put him in his new enclosure. Enclosure demensions: 2'x2'x3', aluminum screen.

His basking spot is about 12'' away from the heat lamp, which is laying ontop of the cage. It's a 100w bulb, but what's confusing me, is most people on here say they have a 40-60watt bulb, and obtain optimum basking temps. I have a 100w bulb, and I show only low 80's in the basking spot. Never past 85 degrees, and usually around 82. Is that sufficient, or will I be harming my little guy by not providing enough heat?


I also have the Reptisun 5.0 uvb, so I'm covered there. My primary concern is whether or not 80-85 degrees is sufficient for basking...

Thanks ahead of time for your advice. I've found this forum to be AMAZINGLY helpful and I feel well prepared for my new member of the family.

Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information, you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.


Cage Info:

Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?


Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.


Pictures are helpful
this is a very helpfull form just fill it out n place it in the health clinic and u will get some good help with any questions u may have. i have a 1 yr old male veiled and i keep him at 85-90 i use a 60 watt house bulb n it works perfect, he may sit in his basking with his mouth open if he is too hot. mine was too hot at first n his color was real yucke but now he is beautiful teal n yellow. the cooler side is about 78-80 he seems very happy with these temps. humidity sits at about 60-70% most of the day n i have a humidifier running cause his viv is so open i have a hard time controlling the humidity but not nemore there r lots of tricks u can learn just ask lots of questions dont be afraid nothing is to silly believe me i asked alota silly questions in the start, thats how i learned and still am learning! everyday is a new lesson! enjoy n good luck to u both!!

 

[pssh]

I personally would raise it to 85 at 4 months. Just raise the basking branch a little.

I keep my adult male at about 93 degrees (any cooler and he just basks all day long!) I use a 100 watt too but he's in a free range. Use what you have to but make sure he cant burn himself.

 

[Kate]

Welcome. One thing worries me. You say you have a 100 watt bulb ( laying on top of cage ) you say it is 12 inches away from basking spot. Is there anyway he can climb ( and they do ) up and burn himself. I have aluminium screen on top of my viv and it can get hot. I have my lamp elevated about 4-5 inches above the top on viv. Just a thought. Hope you enjoy being here and I look forward to pics.

 

[natureboy86]

I personally would raise it to 85 at 4 months. Just raise the basking branch a little.

I keep my adult male at about 93 degrees (any cooler and he just basks all day long!) I use a 100 watt too but he's in a free range. Use what you have to but make sure he cant burn himself.

Ok ill try to raise his tallest vine. As far as burning, he hasn't tried to climb the cage at all yet. so far he's sticking completely to his money tree and his vines.

Ive been told its good to keep the basking light about 12" away from their basking spot, which is why I'm confused that its only reading 80-85 degrees despite the fact i have 100 watts. Most people on here say they have a 40-60 watt bulb, yet they reach higher temps. Does this mean people keep the basking spot closer to the bulb than 12"?

 

[natureboy86]

Welcome. One thing worries me. You say you have a 100 watt bulb ( laying on top of cage ) you say it is 12 inches away from basking spot. Is there anyway he can climb ( and they do ) up and burn himself. I have aluminium screen on top of my viv and it can get hot. I have my lamp elevated about 4-5 inches above the top on viv. Just a thought. Hope you enjoy being here and I look forward to pics.

Thanks i look.forward to posting pics and I really enjoy the forum. Extremely informative. Maybe he cab climb the cage but he hasn't attempted yet. The screen is rather tight and I don't.think could get his little grip in there.

One thing I should note, he's spending this whole evening on his money tree, which is quite lower than his basking spot. So I'm wondering if these temperatures are suitable and if the 80-82 degree basking area is sufficient.

He hasn't eaten much. I've threw about 6 calcium coated crickets in the cage around noon on my lunch break, had to take off back to work. When I came home, around 700pm, he ate a cricket from my hand which was AWESOME! After that though, he didn't want anymore. Hes about 4" in length, not including tail.

We'll see what tomorrow brings

 

[Kate]

Basking between 80-85 should be ok for your baby as long as the ambiant temp is lower so he can get away from heat if he wants to. I would still try to raise the bulb off the screen and put more vines in to raise basking area. Have you tried cup feeding? That way you will get a good idea as to how much he is eating. Try to make his last feed a good 4 hrs before lights out as he needs heat to digest them and your viv temp should drop a good 10 degrees at night.

 

[camimom]

Just because he isn't hanging from the cage walls now doesn't mean he never will. Babies have a tendency to hang upside down from the cage ceiling all the time.
I suggest utilizing your entire cage and placing lots of plants and vines in it, right up to the top, then hanging your baski light above cage, so that it doesn't actually touch it. This creates a basking spot without heating up the mesh so they don't burn themselves.


And no, they don't always move if things are too hot for them

 

[natureboy86]

Basking between 80-85 should be ok for your baby as long as the ambiant temp is lower so he can get away from heat if he wants to. I would still try to raise the bulb off the screen and put more vines in to raise basking area. Have you tried cup feeding? That way you will get a good idea as to how much he is eating. Try to make his last feed a good 4 hrs before lights out as he needs heat to digest them and your viv temp should drop a good 10 degrees at night.

Great. Glad to hear that 80-85 degrees is ideal for basking. Like I said, so far, he actually doesn't even spend a lot of time in his basking area, which tells me maybe he's confortable with the ambient temp. He's actually spending the majority of his time on his money tree, which is opposite side of his basking spot. He even slept there last night.

I have not tried cupfeeding yet. Yesterday was the day I got him. It was delivered to me here at work, I took an extra long lunch, took him home, introduced him to his new home, misted the cage, then threw some calcium-dusted crickets in there to free roam.

He actually at a cricket from my hand yesterday, and this morning as well! It's encredible to experience that. yesterday, i know he ate a few crickets (1 from my hand, and afew disappeared). This morning while getting ready for work, I turned his lights on, made some coffee, then threw about 4 crickets in his cage. He, AGAIN accepted a hand-fed cricket. Then, right after that, I tried to hand-feed him a meal worm. He starred at it for a bit, then out of the blue, a big cricket just happened to climb up the screen right next to his basking spot! He spotted it, and ambushed. That was my first time seeing him hunt it was awesome!

I'm so excited to have this little guy. Thinking about sneaking another long lunch in today just to go home and mist him and hand-feed him again.

Another thing I have a question on is: I mist him early in the morning while getting ready for work. Heavy mist until everything is soaked. Then, when I get home around 430-5pm later (about 9 hours), I mist again. Will this be sufficient, or am i depriving him of water? Yesterday, when I got home and misted him after work, he immediated climbed on his money tree and drank for a while. It's great that he was drinking, but I just want to make sure that misting twice a day is sufficient.

Thanks again for all your guys' advice

 

[Kate]

Have you thought of introducing a dripper? You can make your own by getting a plastic container and piercing a small hole on the bottom and placing it with water in it, on top of his cage. You might have drainage problems though. I have mine dripping into his ficus tree. A guide as to whether he is getting enough water is to keep an eye on his urate. ( the light part of his poo ) it should be white, if it is yellow or orange you might have to invest in an automated mister. I couldn't do without mine as I work shifts.

 

[natureboy86]

Have you thought of introducing a dripper? You can make your own by getting a plastic container and piercing a small hole on the bottom and placing it with water in it, on top of his cage. You might have drainage problems though. I have mine dripping into his ficus tree. A guide as to whether he is getting enough water is to keep an eye on his urate. ( the light part of his poo ) it should be white, if it is yellow or orange you might have to invest in an automated mister. I couldn't do without mine as I work shifts.

Actually, after I posted last, i went home during my lunch, hand fed him a cricket, then created a dripper. Only problem is, yes, it seems drainage may be an issue. The bottom of the cage was getting pretty wet. I had it dripping into his Money Tree. It looked perfect, on the tree, and he was waiting for me to back off so he can climb on it, but the bottom of the cage may be an issue. When I get home after work, I'll be able to tell if it was too much water or not. If so, maybe i'll give it one more shot and create a slightly smaller hole in the cup to make the drops a little slower.

Just to reiterate, you think the 80-82 degree basking temp is sufficient? Thanks again

 

[Kate]

For a baby I wouldn't go higher than 85 as long as he can cool down in another part of his cage. Older chams can bask at a higher temp. Females need lower.
If you find him with his mouth wide open it is too hot. The zoomed little dripper is not bad but I added a fishtank air valve which makes it easier to control. I have a wooden viv with no drainage and my mister goes off 4 times a day for 1.5 mins. And hand mist in between if I'm home. He also likes to drink from the hand mister if I dribble it in front of his mouth.

 

[natureboy86]

Nice. Points taken. thanks!

 

[Calypso]

The 12 inches is more of a suggestion than a rule. With a typical 100w 12'' has been bout the distance I needed to keep it to keep my adult veiled at about 90-95. Mine has never done a lot of climbing to where it's directly under the lamp. I think the bigger they get the less likely this is to happen or so I've seen. My younger Ambilobe sometimes does climb right below the light, but only for a brief moment. I've read they aren't able to feel getting burned, but they are able to regulate their temperature. So I've always wondered how these two principles interact in their bodies regulatory systems. I've always thought that if they were to get burned they would feel the over heating and move, but of course we've all seen thermal burns that would say otherwise. Simply, make sure the bask is about 85. If you notice he's constantly sitting under it, move the the branches up to where the bask is a couple degrees warmer. If he never sits under it, it may be because its too hot so try backing the branches down.

 

[natureboy86]

The 12 inches is more of a suggestion than a rule. With a typical 100w 12'' has been bout the distance I needed to keep it to keep my adult veiled at about 90-95. Mine has never done a lot of climbing to where it's directly under the lamp. I think the bigger they get the less likely this is to happen or so I've seen. My younger Ambilobe sometimes does climb right below the light, but only for a brief moment. I've read they aren't able to feel getting burned, but they are able to regulate their temperature. So I've always wondered how these two principles interact in their bodies regulatory systems. I've always thought that if they were to get burned they would feel the over heating and move, but of course we've all seen thermal burns that would say otherwise. Simply, make sure the bask is about 85. If you notice he's constantly sitting under it, move the the branches up to where the bask is a couple degrees warmer. If he never sits under it, it may be because its too hot so try backing the branches down.

Thanks. See, that's sort of why I'm confused - You say when you had a 100w, 12'' distance would give you 90-95 degrees basking. I have a 100w, and for some strange reason, the basking spot is only 80-82 degrees.. Very weird. Aside from that, he spends time there, but not all day. He actually spends a fair amount of time on his money tree, which is far away from the basking area, and I'm assuming a lot cooler as well. He even sleeps on his money tree.

One thing I noticed today, is he was kinda sleeping "standing up". I don't mean on his hind legs, but he's sleeping on a branch on his money tree that's pretty much entirely vertical, is that normal?

By the way, here's a pic of my setup so you guys can see the distance from his basking area to the light.. Any recommendations? Does this look ok for a 'newbie'? Again, i've only had him for two days now. He's eaten about 4 crickets from my hand between the last two days, and I haven't really seen him hunt near the ground. ALthough crickets have been disappearing when I come home from work (so I'm keeping my fingers crossed maybe he's just shy and likes to hunt when i'm gone).

 

[natureboy86]

Here's my little guy Haven't named him yet. Thinking Yoshi

 

[mcbdz]

Hello and welcome to the forums. I'm new also and haven't actually gotten our cham yet. He'll be ready first week in Oct. hopefully. Doing lots of research. en-closer looks good but, I'd put vine going horizontally across the top, a little higher then the plants. then maybe add some more leaves around the sides up higher. The feeders will go up top when loose in there and will make it easier for him to hunt. The wire I think is tough on their feet so give them plants, vines, branches that helps them get anywhere they want to go.

 

[Decadancin]

Just because he isn't hanging from the cage walls now doesn't mean he never will. Babies have a tendency to hang upside down from the cage ceiling all the time.
I suggest utilizing your entire cage and placing lots of plants and vines in it, right up to the top, then hanging your baski light above cage, so that it doesn't actually touch it. This creates a basking spot without heating up the mesh so they don't burn themselves.


And no, they don't always move if things are too hot for them

Couldn't have said it better myself!

 

[slinko9]

Ive got the same cage ready for when my little guy is a little older!!! been going thru drainage ideas myself,,,,and the other day,,,,while I was walking thru Lowe`s,,,,looking for a drip tray so i could make one similar to the one at LLLReptiles,,,,I seen a $30 wash tub,,,here`s what i was thinking,,,,drill a few holes in the bottom of the board at the floor of the cage,,,,get a grate like a BBQ grill,,,,put it on the top on the tub and place the cage on top,,,,and then put a bucket under the drain hole and worry about emptying that every week with a much drier cage bottom!!!

 

[natureboy86]

Hello and welcome to the forums. I'm new also and haven't actually gotten our cham yet. He'll be ready first week in Oct. hopefully. Doing lots of research. en-closer looks good but, I'd put vine going horizontally across the top, a little higher then the plants. then maybe add some more leaves around the sides up higher. The feeders will go up top when loose in there and will make it easier for him to hunt. The wire I think is tough on their feet so give them plants, vines, branches that helps them get anywhere they want to go.

Yea, I definitely think putting some more vines towards the top, and closer to the basking area is the next thing I'm going to do. I'm going to go by Michaels today, and maybe grab some sanitized petrified wood (thin stick). Maybe hang it from one top corner of the cage, then down diagnally via zip-tie.

Any other opinions of my setup (good and/or bad)? All opinions, critiques, or begginer's praises are welcome