For my 9 month old panther chameleon, I have a heat lamp, an Arcadia 6% uvb light and an Arcadia jungledawn led light. Right now I turn off his led light at 6pm, his heat lamp off at 7pm and his uv light off at 8pm. Whenever I turn off the led light he kind of starts panicking and pacing/wanting out but then once the heat lamp turns off he eventually settles down. Should I change the schedule or is this normal?
Lighting schedule
- Thread starter goatmilk
- Start date
ehdee6
Chameleon Enthusiast
I run mine so that the UVB light turns on first (6:45am-pm), then my jungledawn (8:30am-6pm), and my basking light is on from 7 am until the ambient room temperature is 66f.
The reason in my mind for turning on the UVB first/last is that it's the one that most replicates the sun lol...
The reason in my mind for turning on the UVB first/last is that it's the one that most replicates the sun lol...
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
Generally its 12 hours on 12 hours off, and kinda matching mid day in your area. You really dont want to wake up at 5am turn on the lights before leaving for work, then turn off the lights at 8-9 in the evening when you goto bed.
I have ALL my lights come on in the morning around dawn. Durring the summer basking light(and some times all lights) is off from like 10 till 2 because its too high in general and everyone is cooling at the bottom of the cages.
Everyone is at their sleeping sticks 1-2 hours before lights out, so no one is upset when the lights are turned off and start walking around.
So the only abnormal is moving from the sleeping stick after lights are off. Im guessing hes going to the sleeping stick around 6-7, and doesnt like it that the lights are dimming at 6, when the uv isnt off for another two hours.
I have ALL my lights come on in the morning around dawn. Durring the summer basking light(and some times all lights) is off from like 10 till 2 because its too high in general and everyone is cooling at the bottom of the cages.
Everyone is at their sleeping sticks 1-2 hours before lights out, so no one is upset when the lights are turned off and start walking around.
So the only abnormal is moving from the sleeping stick after lights are off. Im guessing hes going to the sleeping stick around 6-7, and doesnt like it that the lights are dimming at 6, when the uv isnt off for another two hours.
Consider For AM: UVB Kicks on first then heat about 30 minutes to an hour later then LED about 30 minutes after that. Then PM: Heat should go off first. Your running your lighting pretty late at night so maybe turn it off at 4pm ( so cage temps can start dropping). Then LED would kick off about an hour later. Last one to turn off would be UVB. UVB should be a 11-12 hour on/off cycle. Gradual lights on and lights off mimics more of what they get in the wild.
So since all his lights are off at 8, I should turn off the heat at 4? Isn’t that kind of a long time for it to be off?
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
You assume he needs heat. Or is even using it. They normally only use it a few times per day. Warm up in the morning, walk around, come back and heat up again, repeat. But as long as air temp is above 65-70, they dont really "need" it. Take my summer case. When air temp gets above 75 nobody is basking. If air temp hits 80 everyone is at the bottom of the cages cooling down. Its why i turn my lights off for 4 hours during mid day.
Ok I’ll try changing it thank you
