light cycle

[Spags]

I have two lights, a basking bulb and a heat/uvb light i believe. I have the basking light on 12 hours a day 12am-12pm. but i have the uvb light on all day and night. Is this wrong. its what i do with my bearded drag, the night lamp is on all day and night but the day bulb turns off. tell me if I'm wrong. Should i turn them both off at night?

 

[Blink]

Yes. All lights should be turned off at night. Chameleons can only sleep in absolute darkness. Chameleons do not even need night lamps at night, as they can tolerate temperature drops below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

[mvad]

Absolute darkness is ideal but moonlight is natural light that chameleons experience. My house gets down to low 60's in winter. The temp change is actully very healthy for most chams. Mine is a veiled and it is common to have temps in the low 50s in their natural habitat.

 

[Rock75]

I have two lights, a basking bulb and a heat/uvb light i believe. I have the basking light on 12 hours a day 12am-12pm. but i have the uvb light on all day and night. Is this wrong. its what i do with my bearded drag, the night lamp is on all day and night but the day bulb turns off. tell me if I'm wrong. Should i turn them both off at night?

Definitely want to change the timing on the basking bulb as well. You will want that and the uvb bulb to come on in the morning at a time around 6 or 6:30 am and stay on for 12 hours until 6 or 6:30. Having the light come on at midnight might be waking him/her up (i hate it when my wife gets up at midnight and turns the lights on LOL)

 

[repdog]

Yes total darkness at night. Rock75 I agree with you, I can't even stand having a tv on at night. Must be total darkness for me.

 

[Dsignrguy]

turn all the lights on/off at the same time. reset your timers every couple months to match (withing a half hour or so) when the sun goes up/down where you live.

 

[Carlton]

turn all the lights on/off at the same time. reset your timers every couple months to match (withing a half hour or so) when the sun goes up/down where you live.

Actually I like to have the UV light come on first, about an hour before the basking light comes on. A more gradual wake up and cool down for the day that is less startling for the cham. It takes more timers, but I still think its a bit more natural for them.

 

[junglefries]

I do as Carlton, my basking lamps are 1hr later and before, except for the ones in the skylight room. They get an easy wake up from the sun.

 

[VincentChameleon]

Really glad I happened to skim through this thread! I was only shutting the UV bulb off at night but leaving the heat bulb on all day/all night. I will start shutting them both off now! Is there any set rule for # of hours of UV required for each individual cham? I was told ours is two months and, from my research, I've found that UV is vital during this age...is 12 hours/day sufficient?

 

[repdog]

Yes 12 hours is perfect. Mine is on from 5:55am to 7:30pm right now as it is summer. During winter lights are less and doesn't matter the age.

 

[VincentChameleon]

Yes 12 hours is perfect. Mine is on from 5:55am to 7:30pm right now as it is summer. During winter lights are less and doesn't matter the age.

Thanks!

 

[Spags]

Thanks