Sansi Plant Light Question

[Andrew1283]

I forgot to add the sunrise and sunset feature is so nice. In an aquarium, having lights come on full blast or shut off suddenly can cause fish to panic and jump or swim into rocks and hurt themselves. In a chameleon’s world, with their sensitivity to light, I think it’s best to give them a slow and natural wake up and the same for bed time. I see their pajama colors come out as the dimming begins

 

[Andrew1283]

Man that looks and sounds really nice. But the 34" version is like $150 that I see I'll add it to my list though. That's definitely nice. Thank you!

It’s $150.00 because it has all those features. Definitely not just a light.

 

[Steve A]

I forgot to add the sunrise and sunset feature is so nice. In an aquarium, having lights come on full blast or shut off suddenly can cause fish to panic and jump or swim into rocks and hurt themselves. In a chameleon’s world, with their sensitivity to light, I think it’s best to give them a slow and natural wake up and the same for bed time. I see their pajama colors come out as the dimming begins

I agree with you. This makes sense. Although we can never truly replicate their natural environment, this is something that makes perfect sense as just turning lights on out of nowhere can hurt anyones eyes. So a gradual process is definitely ideal.

 

[Andrew1283]

Imagine waking up every morning like the Griswolds in Christmas vacation.

 

[Steve A]

Imagine waking up every morning like the Griswolds in Christmas vacation.

Right

 

[dinomom]

Well I will have my t5 ho 6% UVB light already so you think that should be sufficient?

Agree with Multivitamins-UVB does not do anything for plants so you need a separate plant light.

 

[Steve A]

Agree with Multivitamins-UVB does not do anything for plants so you need a separate plant light.

I understand that for most plants but does this still apply to pothos and majesty palms, considering they both do well in low light? My enclosure is right on a window FWIW. And has another window nearby. I have no problem with getting a light but I was just becoming under the impression that based on the plants that I have, I may be better off with no plant light specifically.

 

[dinomom]

I understand that for most plants but does this still apply to pothos and majesty palms, considering they both do well in low light? My enclosure is right on a window FWIW. And has another window nearby. I have no problem with getting a light but I was just becoming under the impression that based on the plants that I have, I may be better off with no plant light specifically.

If you have tried growing the palms in that room you are good to go! It's just that even with low light plants they sometimes need more than we realize. And unlike chams which must have UVB from day one, having a plant light "immediately" is not critical; you could always try them for a couple of weeks and if you see them start to look peaked you'll know you need the light.

 

[Steve A]

If you have tried growing the palms in that room you are good to go! It's just that even with low light plants they sometimes need more than we realize. And unlike chams which must have UVB from day one, having a plant light "immediately" is not critical; you could always try them for a couple of weeks and if you see them start to look peaked you'll know you need the light.

Okay ty I will do that. They're outside right now because I am waiting for my Foxfarm happy frog soil to come in and then I will repot them first. I just got them yesterday so I am not sure how they'll react yet. But you're right with plants it's easier to wait and see and adjust. So I'll do that! ty

 

[Multivitamins]

I understand that for most plants but does this still apply to pothos and majesty palms, considering they both do well in low light? My enclosure is right on a window FWIW. And has another window nearby. I have no problem with getting a light but I was just becoming under the impression that based on the plants that I have, I may be better off with no plant light specifically.

Plants that tolerate low light might survive but never thrive.

Proximity to a window definitely helps pothos can tolerate a lower light and def can survive off just ambient light / t5 but if you want growth and lush foliage you'll likely need more.

The palms I don't have much experience with.

My houseplants do much better near the chameleon enclosure due to the spill off of the lights , pothos , monstera , Hoya all adjacent to the enclosure do better when they are near it vs other place in my apartment.

I always am thrilled to see new growth and shocked when I have to prune plants back the LEDs will give you noticably improved growth rates. Just cause they tolerate low light don't mean they like it. Common low light gems like spider and Snake plant and pothos thrive in bright indirect light. Soon you'll have a 8 ft pothos vine to take cuttings off and the led will pay itself off

 

[Multivitamins]

Okay ty I will do that. They're outside right now because I am waiting for my Foxfarm happy frog soil to come in and then I will repot them first. I just got them yesterday so I am not sure how they'll react yet. But you're right with plants it's easier to wait and see and adjust. So I'll do that! ty

The fox farms has great soil the hoppy frog has ribosomal mycelium so you may even see some fruit bodies aka mushrooms in time .... A good sign

 

[Steve A]

The fox farms has great soil the hoppy frog has ribosomal mycelium so you may even see some fruit bodies aka mushrooms in time .... A good sign

Yeah this is all I've used so far based on recommendations on here. I've only used it for my pothos and the ficus so far so we'll see how it goes with the Palms soon!

 

[Steve A]

Plants that tolerate low light might survive but never thrive.

Proximity to a window definitely helps pothos can tolerate a lower light and def can survive off just ambient light / t5 but if you want growth and lush foliage you'll likely need more.

The palms I don't have much experience with.

My houseplants do much better near the chameleon enclosure due to the spill off of the lights , pothos , monstera , Hoya all adjacent to the enclosure do better when they are near it vs other place in my apartment.

I always am thrilled to see new growth and shocked when I have to prune plants back the LEDs will give you noticably improved growth rates. Just cause they tolerate low light don't mean they like it. Common low light gems like spider and Snake plant and pothos thrive in bright indirect light. Soon you'll have a 8 ft pothos vine to take cuttings off and the led will pay itself off

Absolutely! FWIW I work at a tree nursery so I have an idea (although I work inside on a computer lol) but I was specifically under the impression they might do better without added plant lights. And I do want them to thrive of course, sod now you're pulling me back into a light

I mean they're palms..... I can't imagine the extra light would be doing harm right?

 

[Sir Reggie]

I do not I'm sorry. It's very basic though. If you get decent wood yours will end up better than mine lol The only thing I did that could be a tricky is do a 3 way joint with the wood. And my joints are terrible. It works though. I have some progress pics but IDK if that would help or not. If you'd like to see them I'll post them.

Your build look really good to me. Yes I would like to see any pictures you have.

 

[Steve A]

Your build look really good to me. Yes I would like to see any pictures you have.

Thank you! If you saw it closely you might think differently lol! But give me a moment. I'm about to leave work. When I get home I'll post what I have.

 

[yoteango]

I have a 100W one raised a few inches above the cage. It's warm enough that I also forgo a heat lamp.

 

[Steve A]

Your build look really good to me. Yes I would like to see any pictures you have.

These are all the pictures I have. If you have any questions let me know. I'll do my best to answer. Please keep in mind I put no plans to paper on this. I simply created it from the vision in my head.


I should have bought better wood (this wood has a ton of imperfections), and bought a flat saw blade for my table saw. It would have been much cleaner. But it's very sturdy and it works so that's all that matters for me for now haha

 

[MzLaurie11]

Please make sure you put a good sealant on that wood. Also the palms are ok to climb on when they are young but really cant handle the weight of a full grown cham such as a veiled. Also they dont offer much shade. Remember chams are tree dwelllers their entire bodies are geared for it. I suggest Flukers vines to create a jungle gym. Luv the build. Please keep us apprized of your progress

 

[elizaann2]

I forgot to add the sunrise and sunset feature is so nice. In an aquarium, having lights come on full blast or shut off suddenly can cause fish to panic and jump or swim into rocks and hurt themselves. In a chameleon’s world, with their sensitivity to light, I think it’s best to give them a slow and natural wake up and the same for bed time. I see their pajama colors come out as the dimming begins

I really love this idea! I manually create a 'sun rise' and 'sun set' for my chameleons by turning off/on lights one by one as the day goes on. It would be nice to have it be automatic!

 

[Steve A]

Please make sure you put a good sealant on that wood. Also the palms are ok to climb on when they are young but really cant handle the weight of a full grown cham such as a veiled. Also they dont offer much shade. Remember chams are tree dwelllers their entire bodies are geared for it. I suggest Flukers vines to create a jungle gym. Luv the build. Please keep us apprized of your progress

Thank you!

I believe I've sealed it pretty well. I painted on a full coat and I sprayed another coat on. Both were water based polyurathane.

The palms are really just for helping the cage be a bit more full.

I have a bunch of flukers branches, real branches, and a ton of pothos that will be the main plant in this setup. It's for a male panther this is him here. He ships on the 24th! Can't wait. Once the enclosure is finished airing out and everything is in I'll do a post on the whole thing