I need help and advice with my new ambilobe panther. Im getting a basking spot of 95-105f..the temp goes down to 75 80 ju a few inches away...ground temp of 65-70...at night it gets down to 60 with a basking spot of 80-90f...humidity ranges greatly in his cage..one spot says 35 40 percent then in a diff spot 50-80 percent???.......i have alot of other questions lol....if any want to help it is much appreciated!
PLEASE tell me what's right or wrong
- Thread starter Mlz825
- Start date
Neonchams1
New Member
Post this in the generall discussion part of the forums, not here
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
Hello and welcome to the forum! I moved the thread to a different area of the forum, so no worries.
For a young panther that is too hot. The idea temperature range will be a maximum basking spot of about 80-85F, and an ambient temperature of 70-75F. I would try getting a lower wattage bulb for heat to bring the basking spot down a bit.
At night, you don't really need a basking light. How old is your chameleon? Chameleons tolerate night-time temperatures of down to 50F, but 60-65F would be better for a younger chameleon. If it is too young you may want to get a ceramic heat emitter bulb, which produces heat but no light. As chameleons can see even a red bulb and it may keep them awake.
As far as the humidity, that sounds ok to me. It's not necessary for the humidity to stay at a perfect 60% all day long, it's fine if it fluctuates with mistings. Mine will go up to 80% during a good misting but drop down to about 30-40% in between, and this is ok. Do you have any live plants? Live plants hlelp keep humidity a little more stable better.
For a young panther that is too hot. The idea temperature range will be a maximum basking spot of about 80-85F, and an ambient temperature of 70-75F. I would try getting a lower wattage bulb for heat to bring the basking spot down a bit.
At night, you don't really need a basking light. How old is your chameleon? Chameleons tolerate night-time temperatures of down to 50F, but 60-65F would be better for a younger chameleon. If it is too young you may want to get a ceramic heat emitter bulb, which produces heat but no light. As chameleons can see even a red bulb and it may keep them awake.
As far as the humidity, that sounds ok to me. It's not necessary for the humidity to stay at a perfect 60% all day long, it's fine if it fluctuates with mistings. Mine will go up to 80% during a good misting but drop down to about 30-40% in between, and this is ok. Do you have any live plants? Live plants hlelp keep humidity a little more stable better.
ambilobe panther
sorry Im still new to this idk how to switch it to a diff area. Thanks for changing it tho. I haven't named him yet but I believe he is between 3 and 5 months old red bar based on his colors... thanks a lot for the info...i will get another Lower watt Basking bulb...it's a 150 w the stupid guy at the reptile shop recommended
liar lol....i only keep a night light my temp vwill go down to 50 55 but ima give it a try with out it. I think it is to hot because he's never in his basking spot. but he's never hard breathing look like he's hot?? I dont have live plants yet. I'm having a hard time finding live plants in the winter in my area. Chi IL...another thing the guy gave me 2 jars of supplement but idk wich 1 to give every day n every month as i heard...any comment on that?
sorry Im still new to this idk how to switch it to a diff area. Thanks for changing it tho. I haven't named him yet but I believe he is between 3 and 5 months old red bar based on his colors... thanks a lot for the info...i will get another Lower watt Basking bulb...it's a 150 w the stupid guy at the reptile shop recommended
liar lol....i only keep a night light my temp vwill go down to 50 55 but ima give it a try with out it. I think it is to hot because he's never in his basking spot. but he's never hard breathing look like he's hot?? I dont have live plants yet. I'm having a hard time finding live plants in the winter in my area. Chi IL...another thing the guy gave me 2 jars of supplement but idk wich 1 to give every day n every month as i heard...any comment on that?
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
I know, I just quit a job at a pet store and my life consisted of chasing my co-workers around and correcting the info they gave out to people! lol Most pet store employees are just sales people, not necessarily animal people.
Which supplements did you go home with? Hopefully you have one that is Calcium WITH vitamin D3, and one that is plain Calcium. The plain you want to use daily, while the other only about twice a month (so maybe every other Saturday, for example.)
Which supplements did you go home with? Hopefully you have one that is Calcium WITH vitamin D3, and one that is plain Calcium. The plain you want to use daily, while the other only about twice a month (so maybe every other Saturday, for example.)
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
Ok, you don't really have the calcium you need for daily use, unfortuantely.
You need a plain (no vitamins, no anything) calcium for daily supplementation and then one with vitamin D3 (the HyD) for about 2 times monthly. This is because chameleons need calcium for healthy bone growth, and while they need vitamin D3 to help metabolize calcium properly, he will make most of it in his skin from his UVB light so we only supplement via diet a couple times. Too much artificial D3 will actually interfere with calcium absorbtion and can start to calcify the organs and muscles if it is given too often and in high doses. This is something pet stores will not tell you, unfortunately.
So, I would either go back and pick up some plain calcium or return the HyD and exchange it for the plain calcium if you're in a tight budget. The vitamins you have are perfect, and those can be given on alternating weekends as well, so twice monthly.
You need a plain (no vitamins, no anything) calcium for daily supplementation and then one with vitamin D3 (the HyD) for about 2 times monthly. This is because chameleons need calcium for healthy bone growth, and while they need vitamin D3 to help metabolize calcium properly, he will make most of it in his skin from his UVB light so we only supplement via diet a couple times. Too much artificial D3 will actually interfere with calcium absorbtion and can start to calcify the organs and muscles if it is given too often and in high doses. This is something pet stores will not tell you, unfortunately.
So, I would either go back and pick up some plain calcium or return the HyD and exchange it for the plain calcium if you're in a tight budget. The vitamins you have are perfect, and those can be given on alternating weekends as well, so twice monthly.
Thanks alot..sounds like i got the vitamins n the hyd for biweekly use and all i need is plaim old cal sound rite?? And i put a 75w bulb and it's still a 95-100 in his basking area but 4-5 inches away it's down to 80 and 70_75 mid level of the cage and at the bottom 60-65?????? O could u possibly tell me if it's a blue or red bar?? But again he's not breathing Hard or with his mouth open??
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
Bi-MONTHLY 
So you can do (for example):
Saturday #1 - Calcium HyD
Saturday #2 - Multivitamin
Saturday #3 - Calcium HyD
Saturday #4 - Multivitamin
And then use a plain calcium every other day lightly.
As for the temps, can you get anything lower? I think perhaps a 60w would be perfect for you, but I wouldn't do a basking spot hotter than 90F, at the most. Or perhaps you can just raise the fixture off the top of the cage just a few inches, so you save yourself the money of buying another bulb. If he's not going up to his basking spot then he's avoiding the heat, and chameleons like to be as high as possible so if he's staying towards the middle where it's cooler is probably annoying to him.
We won't be able to tell what colors he has until he starts showing them! So wait a couple more months and it should be easy to tell what color the bars are. I am on my little tablet and can't really load the photos but it should be easier to tell in another month or so.
So you can do (for example):Saturday #1 - Calcium HyD
Saturday #2 - Multivitamin
Saturday #3 - Calcium HyD
Saturday #4 - Multivitamin
And then use a plain calcium every other day lightly.
As for the temps, can you get anything lower? I think perhaps a 60w would be perfect for you, but I wouldn't do a basking spot hotter than 90F, at the most. Or perhaps you can just raise the fixture off the top of the cage just a few inches, so you save yourself the money of buying another bulb. If he's not going up to his basking spot then he's avoiding the heat, and chameleons like to be as high as possible so if he's staying towards the middle where it's cooler is probably annoying to him.
We won't be able to tell what colors he has until he starts showing them! So wait a couple more months and it should be easy to tell what color the bars are. I am on my little tablet and can't really load the photos but it should be easier to tell in another month or so.
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
Any brand is more or less ok, I like Repashy brand calcium but others recommend Repcal, or Sticky Tongue calcium. Just make sure it says plain calcium or says "no Vitamin D/D3" so that you're sure it's just plain calcium.
You're very welcome! I'm here to help. You can always send me a private message too if you have questions, I usually check in a few times a day on my phone or tablet, so I tend to get those more or less quickly.
You're very welcome! I'm here to help. You can always send me a private message too if you have questions, I usually check in a few times a day on my phone or tablet, so I tend to get those more or less quickly.
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
Merry Christmas!
No I haven't heard of those lights. I personally don't use anything, since chameleons don't need any light at night. The only thing we recommend if you really think it's getting cold at night is to get one of those ceramic heat emitter bulbs, they just put out heat but not light.
No I haven't heard of those lights. I personally don't use anything, since chameleons don't need any light at night. The only thing we recommend if you really think it's getting cold at night is to get one of those ceramic heat emitter bulbs, they just put out heat but not light.
Umberlee168
New Member
Not trying to hijack, but I'm having similar heating issues with my Cham and I'm spending an inordinate amount of time/money thinking about and buying light bulbs. I got him a 100 watt daylight basking bulb when I first got him but before I had bought a thermometer. He loved it and was in his basking light all the time but I dropped and broke both the fixture and the bulb. I had noticed that the rest of the tank had felt cold and he never really left his basking spot, so when I went to get my next bulb, I mentioned it to the associate and she recommended an infrared bulb. For some reason she directed me to a 150 watt "intense heat" bulb, which didn't seem right but I figured she must know better than I did. Bought a thermometer too.
Anyway, I could tell right away the Cham HATED the light. Checked his basking spot and it was 110 degrees. Dc'd that light right away and put in a 100 W household bulb, thinking it would be comparable to the one I had broken. He still kept clinging to a corner and again, the basking temp was over 100 yet the rest of the tank was only around 70. Got a 60 watt household bulb and a 65 watt halogen floodlight, hoping that the "flood" would keep the beam better dispersed. Well, he loves the halogen light, but the temperatures all around the cage are still too cold, and his basking spot measures at over 100 still. I've got a screened cage coming any day so I'll have to rethink this all again anyway, and I'm sure it will be even worse in a much larger and fully ventilated cage.
Anyway, I could tell right away the Cham HATED the light. Checked his basking spot and it was 110 degrees. Dc'd that light right away and put in a 100 W household bulb, thinking it would be comparable to the one I had broken. He still kept clinging to a corner and again, the basking temp was over 100 yet the rest of the tank was only around 70. Got a 60 watt household bulb and a 65 watt halogen floodlight, hoping that the "flood" would keep the beam better dispersed. Well, he loves the halogen light, but the temperatures all around the cage are still too cold, and his basking spot measures at over 100 still. I've got a screened cage coming any day so I'll have to rethink this all again anyway, and I'm sure it will be even worse in a much larger and fully ventilated cage.
I had the same prob! My ambient temp is 60-65 on bottom of cage mid cage it's 65-75 and i got his basking spot around 80-85f....i first had a 100w and i had the same temp 100-110f so i return this 100 watt bulb n got a 75 watt bulb and it was still 95-100 BUT i raised the lamp prob about 5 inches above the screen and now it's stays at 80-85f in his basking spot...i believe basking lights direct heat straight down and dont spread the heat. That's y i think the rest of the cage is colder because of this. Mine is the same a bit colder every where else in the cage.. I was thinking of buying a diff light but i was thinking the temp im the jungle differ from the ground to an open area with sun penetrating thru..and is diff under the shade of trees so im not tooo worried bout it. Hope it helps
RPCV
Avid Member
I've been able to maintain a basking temp range between 80-85 degrees with a 75w and 100w bulb; just by adjusting the distance between the basking spot & the heat source. Appears you've done the same and got this dialed in. The lower part of my cage is in the mid-60s and my cham has been happy and healthy for years.
With regard to humidity - relative humidity is "relative" to temperature. Cooler temps = higher relative humidity and higher temps = lower relative humidity. So if you are taking readings throughout an enclosure with different temperatures you will also see different relative humidity levels. Nothing to worrry about.
With regard to humidity - relative humidity is "relative" to temperature. Cooler temps = higher relative humidity and higher temps = lower relative humidity. So if you are taking readings throughout an enclosure with different temperatures you will also see different relative humidity levels. Nothing to worrry about.
