Lighting

[QuinnieLeeBlu]

I’m getting a panther chameleon on the 3rd! And i’ve heard that you have to have the lights hanging above the cage. How high should i have it up? I also need to get a new basking light. I was watching Neptune the chameleon and she said that she has the eco smart 100wtt bulb and she showed the bulbs box so i got the same one and it only gets to 65 degrees. Any suggestions on basking light for like 5 month old panther chameloen.

 

[Mendez]

When getting a basking bulb, check the box for the word "equivalent." Many bulbs these days have something like "100 Watt" in big font and then in small font state "equivalent; only uses 15 watts" or something of the sort. So essentially you need to find something that actually uses 45 watts or 65 watts depending on ambient room temps. I'd probably go with a 65-watt bulb and hang it high up over your cage.

Oh, and the keyword is to find a bulb that is incandescent or a halogen. I'd reckon that none of the LEDs (in your local stores) will have enough watts to create significant heat. Though you can use grow lights or pool lights that are LEDs that get hot enough to be a Basking light, but those cost significantly more (but are a great investment because you can kill two birds with one stone by using the basking light as a grow light for your plants as well).

Additionally, after doing more research. I also cannot find the exact bulb that Neptune the Chameleon uses online. All the new eco-smart bulbs use less watts which makes sense if your basking spot only gets 65 degrees.

Since your cham will still be small and will easily be able to climb the screen top, you want to have your basking spot up higher in the cage, and then raise your bulbs even higher up off of the screen top, this way if your cham does climb the screen top, he/she won't get burned.

Also, if you live in California, it is getting harder to find good basking bulbs in hardware stores such as Home Depot or Lowe's. Lately, I haven't been able to find any there. But I did try target and the highest watt bulb I could find was a 45-watt bulb. This is due to California's bulb restriction of bulbs being 45 lumens per watt. One of my brightest incandescent bulbs is 65 watts at 580 Lumens. This is only 8.9 lumens per watt which is not even close to 45 lumens per watt requirement.

So if you are having a hard time getting a 65 watt incandescent, I might try going to a pet store and look for a reptile basking bulb that advertises daylight.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'm feeling loopy so I might not be making sense. I will gladly clarify if you have any questions.

 

[Mendez]

And to hang up my basking bulb, I created a pvc frame that acts kind of like a pully system. Here are some pics that may help you come up with ideas. I'm sure there are many other ways to do this.

Some might say that you don't need to lift up the bulb, but I think it is important to minimize the chance of burning your cham.

 

[QuinnieLeeBlu]

When getting a basking bulb, check the box for the word "equivalent." Many bulbs these days have something like "100 Watt" in big font and then in small font state "equivalent; only uses 15 watts" or something of the sort. So essentially you need to find something that actually uses 45 watts or 65 watts depending on ambient room temps. I'd probably go with a 65-watt bulb and hang it high up over your cage.

Oh, and the keyword is to find a bulb that is incandescent or a halogen. I'd reckon that none of the LEDs (in your local stores) will have enough watts to create significant heat. Though you can use grow lights or pool lights that are LEDs that get hot enough to be a Basking light, but those cost significantly more (but are a great investment because you can kill two birds with one stone by using the basking light as a grow light for your plants as well).

Additionally, after doing more research. I also cannot find the exact bulb that Neptune the Chameleon uses online. All the new eco-smart bulbs use less watts which makes sense if your basking spot only gets 65 degrees.

Since your cham will still be small and will easily be able to climb the screen top, you want to have your basking spot up higher in the cage, and then raise your bulbs even higher up off of the screen top, this way if your cham does climb the screen top, he/she won't get burned.

Also, if you live in California, it is getting harder to find good basking bulbs in hardware stores such as Home Depot or Lowe's. Lately, I haven't been able to find any there. But I did try target and the highest watt bulb I could find was a 45-watt bulb. This is due to California's bulb restriction of bulbs being 45 lumens per watt. One of my brightest incandescent bulbs is 65 watts at 580 Lumens. This is only 8.9 lumens per watt which is not even close to 45 lumens per watt requirement.

So if you are having a hard time getting a 65 watt incandescent, I might try going to a pet store and look for a reptile basking bulb that advertises daylight.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'm feeling loopy so I might not be making sense. I will gladly clarify if you have any questions.

thank you so much this cleared lots of stuff up!

 

[Vinesar21]

I’m getting a panther chameleon on the 3rd! And i’ve heard that you have to have the lights hanging above the cage. How high should i have it up? I also need to get a new basking light. I was watching Neptune the chameleon and she said that she has the eco smart 100wtt bulb and she showed the bulbs box so i got the same one and it only gets to 65 degrees. Any suggestions on basking light for like 5 month old panther chameloen.

65 watt incandescent bulb should be fine, and a basking spot around 80- 82° no more than 85°.and yes its preferred that the light sits higher off the screen in case the chameleon is a screen climber(which most likely will happen with panthers, especially males) to prevent thermo burns.
Also you need a uvb lamp and a certain distance between the basking branch and bulb

 

[QuinnieLeeBlu]

65 watt incandescent bulb should be fine, and a basking spot around 80- 82° no more than 85°.and yes its preferred that the light sits higher off the screen in case the chameleon is a screen climber(which most likely will happen with panthers, especially males) to prevent thermo burns.
Also you need a uvb lamp and a certain distance between the basking branch and bulb

Thank you

 

[Vinesar21]

Thank you

No problem

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I didn't "hang" anything. My lights—basking, UVB, and grow—are supported on wooden blocks, or slats running the width of the cage. The test is if you can keep your hand on the screen; if not, then the lights are too close or too hot. Basking lights (I use household incandescents or halogens—standard bulbs or floods, but no spots) are a trial & error process to figure out the ideal wattage & distance for your variables. Once determined, you know what to get the next time.

I also mount my basking lights at an angle to provide a gradient of basking temps, so the lizard can seek the level of heat s/he wants. Spot lights (vs. floods) are difficult to arrange gradients, and can sometimes burn.

 

[MissSkittles]

Some use these. You may have to get creative in making sure it’s secure to your enclosure. https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Ho...rds=Reptile+lamp+stand&qid=1609415138&sr=8-29
I don’t suspend my lights...just have them sitting on the top of the screen. However, with babies they can and will screen climb the top, which is why you’ll need to suspend at least your basking bulb.