lighting

[gabrielguy]

hey, im doing my research before i buy my chameleon and ive been reading that chameleons burn themselves when they get to close to the light, so people are saying to keep the plants that the chameleon is climbing on, about 6-8 inches or comething like that. that seems like a lot of space considering the chameleons being kept inside a cage, so i was thinking of like a stand or something that would go on top of the cage and hold the dome and light farther away, so then you can have your plant grow all the way to the top and your chameleon will have more space to climb around, also it will help seperate the cole and warm spots of the cage(higher being the hot spot) but anyways, does anybody have any ideas on how to make a stand that would do this? or does this already exist and i just didnt know? lol

 

[pssh]

Well, your chameleon needs room to perch on it's basking sticks/vines, so it does need at least 5 inches or so. Otherwise it would be smooshed against the screen trying to get warm. Yes, you can suspend the light above the screen, and it is actually recommended that you do that. It prevents burns.

If you are using an adequate sized cage, the animal doesn't need that extra few inches of plant cover in it's basking spot. The basking spot should be like a small clearing for the animal. Having plants there can just get in the way for the animal as some like to lean sideways and what not.

 

[ziggy222]

I just left petco and they had a stand just as you mentioned for hanging lamps from for $30 in the reptile lighting section.

 

[ghettomike]

for about 10cents you can hang a dome light by the cord (with a loose knot tied in it) from the ceiling with a drywall anchor and a hook that screws into it. Thats how I used to hang my basking light and it worked great because adjusting the temps is as easy as raising or lowering the light a bit. The UV light can be placed right on the cage as it does not get hot.

 

[summoner12]