Lighting is giving me a headache…

NoahsArkMomma

New Member
I have a new 5 month old panther chameleon. I’ve done a ton of reading and was fairly confident that I had a good setup for him, but now I’m finding conflicting information on UVB lights. I ended up buying a T8 5.0 linear light. Now I’m reading that maybe it should be a T5 instead of T8?? Can anyone help? I just need to know if I need to change it or if the T8 is ok…
 
if its a popular model like a panther or veiled, you want a T5HO 5.0 or 6%

If you are in a pinch, a T8 10.0 or 12% will work

But a T8 5.0 is only for "tank lizards" since it's UVB is worthless past 6-8 inches, which is great for a tank that is 12-18" tall. You dont want to put a T5HO 5.0 on your anoles or you will cook the poor little guys :p
 
Darn…I got my info from Reddit and they said the T8 10 would be way too strong. They were very much on the side of recommending the T8 5.0 which is why I bought it. :(. These fixtures aren’t cheap and I want to get it right!!! Thanks for your help!
 
Darn…I got my info from Reddit and they said the T8 10 would be way too strong. They were very much on the side of recommending the T8 5.0 which is why I bought it. :(. These fixtures aren’t cheap and I want to get it right!!! Thanks for your help!


Lets say at the same distance:
A T8 5.0 puts out 1 unit of sun
A T8 10.0 puts out 2 units
A T5HO 5.0 puts out 5 units
And a T5HO 10.0 puts out 10 units

Your chameleon needs 1 minimum and 3 maximum. But getting a higher power means your chameleon can be farther away from the bulb and still get the 1 unit. Around 24" away, at T5HO stops putting out 1 unit. However your T8 5.0 stops putting out 1 unit around 6" away.
 
Darn…I got my info from Reddit and they said the T8 10 would be way too strong. They were very much on the side of recommending the T8 5.0 which is why I bought it. :(. These fixtures aren’t cheap and I want to get it right!!! Thanks for your help!
You'll want to get either an Arcadia 12% or Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 T8 bulb, and have it 5" away from your cham's basking branch for a UVI level of 3 (which is the recommended level for basking areas). Using a Solarmeter 6.5 is much more accurate though, if you can afford it.
 
Darn…I got my info from Reddit and they said the T8 10 would be way too strong. They were very much on the side of recommending the T8 5.0 which is why I bought it. :(. These fixtures aren’t cheap and I want to get it right!!! Thanks for your help!
Don't get me started on the chameleon subreddit, they also aggressively push chameleons drinking out of glasses instead of misting. It's insane and harmful to the entire community imo.
 
Lets say at the same distance:
A T8 5.0 puts out 1 unit of sun
A T8 10.0 puts out 2 units
A T5HO 5.0 puts out 5 units
And a T5HO 10.0 puts out 10 units

Your chameleon needs 1 minimum and 3 maximum. But getting a higher power means your chameleon can be farther away from the bulb and still get the 1 unit. Around 24" away, at T5HO stops putting out 1 unit. However your T8 5.0 stops putting out 1 unit around 6" away.
This makes a lot of sense, thank you!! So, does that mean that the T5HO might be too strong if he perches within 6”? Do I have to worry about it being too strong?
 
Don't get me started on the chameleon subreddit, they also aggressively push chameleons drinking out of glasses instead of misting. It's insane and harmful to the entire community imo.
Thanks for saying this! Makes me feel better about things. I just wasn’t really jiving with that community. IMO, they’re kind of aggressive to people who are just reaching out to learn and do things correctly!
#thanksfornotbeingmean
 
This makes a lot of sense, thank you!! So, does that mean that the T5HO might be too strong if he perches within 6”? Do I have to worry about it being too strong?
Does your panther screen climb in the ceiling of the cage? Also, what supplements do you use? The recommended bulbs are 10.0/12% for T8 5" away from the basking branch or 5.0/6% for T5 HO 8-9" away from the basking branch
 
Does your panther screen climb in the ceiling of the cage? Also, what supplements do you use? The recommended bulbs are 10.0/12% for T8 5" away from the basking branch or 5.0/6% for T5 HO 8-9" away from the basking branch
He has not been climbing on the ceiling screen that I have seen yet…he’s only been with us a couple days. His basking area is about 5-6” from the top of the screen. I have the repti-calcium (without D3) that I plan to use daily and the reptile-vite (with D3) that I plan to use 2-3 times per month.
So maybe I can get a T8 10.0, and then wouldn’t have to buy a new fixture?
 
He has not been climbing on the ceiling screen that I have seen yet…he’s only been with us a couple days. His basking area is about 5-6” from the top of the screen. I have the repti-calcium (without D3) that I plan to use daily and the reptile-vite (with D3) that I plan to use 2-3 times per month.
So maybe I can get a T8 10.0, and then wouldn’t have to buy a new fixture?
That'd work, but once you can afford it, upgrading to a T5 would be better. What brand of T8 fixture did you buy (some have plastic coverings that need to be removed)? For the Reptivite With D3, it'll be used once every two weeks with calcium without D3 at all other feeding
 
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