New Bulb for a new Vivarium

[EmilyChameleon]

Well what an eventful three weeks! my "little boy" is a little girl!
but is still going by the name Merlin - Not that I mind its just hard to remember he's now a she haha.

Merlin has MBD which he had a slight case of when I bought her but has developed slightly but is still under control she still goes for her food + drinks plenty and has a good grip. just deformed front legs. She is generally very active and friendly - she likes her sides being rubbed in a circular movement haha.

She had a bulb that was too strong for her which i didnt know so both of her eyes kept shutting so i took her to the vets and they told me it was due to her not being humid enough in her house!
well I spray her 3 times a day, she has a mister on twice a day for 15 mins and she has a little moss hide she she sits in and it helps her shed.
So the vet pretty much gave me the wrong advice, but thankfully her light is going to be changed next week (payday) - I have covered around the light with paper with holes in - like a canopy in the jungle little sun beams coming through.

And now she has an abcess on her head from a cricket scratch poor lil girl.
so have to wait untill i get paid to take her - luckily its still small and i clean it 3 times a day with a reptile antibacterial cream which i put on it.


So after ALL of that - I decided to treat her to a new house its 3ft tall and 1.5ft wide (small chameleon). But i'll need a new bulb so what one do I buy? (remembering i'm in England not America)

Thanks in Advance

 

[kinyonga]

What brand and type (compact, spiral, long linear tube, etc.) of bulb did she have that was too strong for her??

You said..."I have covered around the light with paper with holes in - like a canopy in the jungle little sun beams coming through"....the idea is to have the foliage in the cage provide cover for the chameleon. The paper might catch on fire. Certain bulbs have caused eye and health problems and shouldn't be used.
You can find information about that here...
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

The most often recommended UVB bulb is the long linear fluorescent repti-sun 5.0 UVB tube light.

Here's some information I hope will help you with things like supplements, gutloading, etc.....since you've had other reptiles before, you may know some/most/all of it...
Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.

A wide variety of insects that have been well fed and gutloaded should be fed to it. At that size you only need to feed it every two or three days. Feed it enough that it doesn't get fat (and, of course, doesn't get thin either).

Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium). Not sure how to tell you to dust WC insects if that is what you will be doing.

If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).

Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.

Here are some good sites for you to read too...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.

 

[DavidBuchan]

Hello Emily, you have a sweet looking Chameleon, and a really nice setup for her........I had a male and female Veiled who suddenly decided they were both male! I got the one who kept running away swapped for a new little princess.......
My first one (years ago) was sold to me as a male, had mbd, and turned out to be female.......so I guess I know how you feel........
The best bulb, as kinyonga recommends, is the long linear fluorescent repti-sun 5.0 UVB tube light.
I just found out today, with statistics, how much worse my Reptiglo tubes are......

 

[EmilyChameleon]

Thanks for the replies feels good to talk to people in the know.
she has a repti sun 10.0 so definately wayy to strong!

Would it be suitable for her bigger house or should I get the repti sun 5.0?
The bulb i have is a compact bulb I think? its not a tube one.
where can I buy the light fitting from for a tube?

I was looking into getting the Arcadia D3 6% which is designed just for chams but i would have to buy the bulb the light fixture and then a reflector! and that would end up to be well over £50 just for a damn light.

Thankyou DavidBuchan, haha least i'm not the only one! haha i always had a niggling that Merlin was a she - as tarsal spurs are seen from birth and she never had any haha the vet said she would grow them! wha on earth?! obviously she has never studied chameleons.

 

[DavidBuchan]

The 10.0 is usable - make it at least a foot from where she can get to, have plenty of foliage, it'll be ok. Maybe give d3 supplement less often if you use this bulb......
As for the spurs, my first one I was a kid and had no idea, my recent one had no obvious spur at 6/7/8 weeks old (the shop said 8 weeks)......he 'grew' them......

 

[kinyonga]

Not all species of dilepis males have tarsal spurs.

 

[EmilyChameleon]

Oh no you must be joking lol! so i have a he she chameleon haha! i have an egg laying box in her enclosure so i guess i'll just have to wait and see if she lays eggs or not.
as for the light - i'll sell of it give it to a friend and buy a new one for her new house

Thank you for the replies guys much appreciated.