Problem with lighting

jkm

New Member
I have just purchased a baby veiled. I am aware that the enclosure I have now is to small but i am building a cage within the month. My problem is that I bought a 125 watt uva/uvb light and yesterday it was registering at about 105 - 110. I moved it back a little and now it is saying anywhere from 120to 170. Is this a malfuction with the themometer or what? any advice?
 
125 watt!? No wonder why your temps are high. But that does seem way too high even for that. I would get two seperate lights... a Reptisun 5.0 UVB tube light and get yourself a 40watt housebulb and put it inone of the dome fixtures and you should be fine!
 
You say baby veild? How old? You want your cage temps around low to mid 70 and your basking temp around 80. Your gonna cook the little guy!
 
It is also confusing to me that the themometer that is registering so hot proabably way to close to the light and my themometer closer to the bottom is reading 80? Is this like a super emergency that I need to run out and get these immediately or can I make it until tommorrow?
 
Well I am sure it can wait til tomorrow. It has to be near night time whereever you live and you should be turning all the lights off for sleeping anyways. I cannot vouch for your thermometer. Are you using a digital or analog? What is your humidity reading in there? I would have to say 125 watt bulb of any kind is going to produce a great amount of heat, especially for a baby. Again, how old is your cham and what are you housing it in?
 
Ok i have heard so many different things i am confused. I have him in a 10 gallon tank. I know that isnt the best. I have a reptile carpet in the bottom on one side i have a hide and a water bowl plus a themometer. on the other side i have vines with live moss underneath for moisture with the light on top of that side. my humidity is at 60-80%. my cool side temp is 78-80 my hot side temp is obviously outrageous i just moved the light farther from the tank and the temp seems to be coming down. what should my humidity and temps be with lights on and off
 
A 10 gallon tank is not place for a chamelon and you are going to have a heck of a time not frying him in there. You still have not answered how old he is. You do not need a water bowl in there. If he is too little he can drown in there. He will not drink out of there so it serves no purpose. Get rid of the live moss. you chameleon may shoot at a cricket that is on the moss and injest some of the moss with it and choke to death. Your cage temps(light on) should be in the low 70's and your basking temp at around 80 but no higher if he is a baby. You really need to consider getting the proper housing for your cham.
 
I just realized I have a 50 watt incadescent day blue light. It says its full spectrum uva. so tommorrow when its time to turn the lights back on should i use this and put the 125 away? if so then all I need is a smaller UVB bulb and I am good correct?
 
I know i need different caging. I really appreciate my so called local pet expert told me I needed all this stuff.
 
50 watt is too much for a baby in a 10 gallon tank. Could you post a pic of your baby please so we can estimate how old he/she is? Get the Zoomed Reptisun 5.0 UVB. I would try like a 25 watt to get a basking temp around 80 but once again that is going to be hard to achieve in a small glass aquarium.
 
I am sorry for not answering the age. He is 6 weeks old. I am really upset and I am going to let the expert know. I will go get the 5.0 and the other light tomorrow but can i use the 50 watt at a distance for a few hours until i can get the other.
 
That is awfully young. So this "expert" told you to get a 10 gallon tank and use a 125 watt bulb you are saying?
 
Do you think I have done any permanent damage to my cham

no, you just got him but you probably would have killed him for sure with it that hot. We can help you get the right supplies and what you need to raise a healthy chameleon. Do you have the funds to buy a different set up?
 
I really am so gratefull. Yes he said i could get by with that tank until about august. I was planning on building a cage next month. If you will tell me exactly what i need I will get it. Could you also tell me exactly how the conditions need to be in the tank with lights on and off.
 
your cham would be almost 6 months old and that tank would not be sufficient. I would just get the Reptisun UVB and not put any basking light in there. I am afraid it will overheat your chamelon. there is not enough ventilation in a fish tank.
 
Thank you so much. I am going to buy all of this tomorrow.

I am so glad that you are going to get your cham on the right track to a happy and healthy life. I am so sorry that you were misinformed about how to care for him/her. You may not be able to see them yet, but male chameleons have little spurs on the back feet where their heels are. the females do not. If there is anything else we can help you with let us know. When you get your cage set up post a pic of it and we will see if there is anything that might need to be changed. You have come to the right place to learn about chameleons! Welcome to the Forums officially!
 
Back
Top Bottom