LigHt Wattage! HELP

[chameleons59]

Hi everyone, so I'm getting a chameleon in 3 days and I have all my information done except...... How much wattage I should be using for my basking light. So in my house the temperature is 23 in the summer and 25/26 in the winter. I also use a Zoo Med deep dome lamp. The chameleon I'm getting is a Veiled (Yemen) and I'm not exactly 100% sure the distance that the chameleon is gonna be away from the basking light. Thanks!

 

[chameleons59]

I'm not exactly sure how old it is but if anyone can tell me what age groups need what different wattages.

 

[sharp229]

The wattage depends on your enclosure and environment. You need to get the right wattage to reach the necessary temps. Here are the temps from the care sheet (https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/)

Baby/juvenile (<9 months): ambient 72-80F (22-26C), basking 85F (29C)
Adult males: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 90-95F (32-35C)
Adult females: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 85F (29C)

You will need a thermometer to measure the temps, and you can move the light closer or farther away to get the right basking temp. A 60-75W bulb is probably a good place to start.

 

[Psychobunny]

It's a good idea to have the cage all set up and ready for your new cham.

I like the reflective dome fixtures made by ExoTerra.
The mirror like reflector means I can use lower wattage bulbs.

You really need to experiment with what wattage and basking distance you need. A digital thermometer with a probe is what I use, and I get almost 90F with a 60W bulb at about 10'' away at the basking spot.

It depends on cage size, how much foliage you have inside, room temp, etc.