Staggered Lights ON/OFF?
- Thread starter Mesnik
- Start date
CHAMpion
New Member
Rocky is right, its considered a good thing when you stagger the UVA and UVB so they know when it's time to start looking for the sleeping post. I shut off my ubv 30 mins before my uva light and it works great. My chams got into a quick routine of finding a place to sleep as soon as that light goes off because they know whats coming
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blackbetty
Guest
Ive never staggered. Mother nature doesnt stagger.. I mean, she fades, but she doesnt turn the sun rays off before the sunlight. LOL..
Nope, rise and shine bright and early at my house!
Nope, rise and shine bright and early at my house!
Zen Reptiles
Avid Member
Every animal I keep gets in their sleeping spot about an hour before the lights go out....they are on timers and they all go on/off at once.
This summer, I am planning on elaborating my lighting with different lights going on and off at different times throughout the day, mimicing sunrise, noon, and sunset.
I'm also going to seasonally set up a misting system to go on a dozen times a day to mimic wet season, and then just twice a day for the dry season.
Though I haven't done all this yet (still planning cages), I think it is very beneficial.
I personally think that variety in lighting is as important as variety in diet.
Mother nature staggers like the village-drunk in Dublin!
This summer, I am planning on elaborating my lighting with different lights going on and off at different times throughout the day, mimicing sunrise, noon, and sunset.
I'm also going to seasonally set up a misting system to go on a dozen times a day to mimic wet season, and then just twice a day for the dry season.
Though I haven't done all this yet (still planning cages), I think it is very beneficial.
I personally think that variety in lighting is as important as variety in diet.
Mother nature staggers like the village-drunk in Dublin!
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blackbetty
Guest
How so? Just by timing from east to west? Clouds? Im curious.
Mesnik
New Member
Thanks for the replies so far...
I don't stagger but also in my case, it doesn't turn pitch black.
And also about 45/60 min before lights go off, he is already looking for his spot...
Interesting stuff, Brock! Maybe would be easier if you moved your bed outside?!! Just kidding!!!! Make sure to let us know the results!!
I don't stagger but also in my case, it doesn't turn pitch black.
And also about 45/60 min before lights go off, he is already looking for his spot...
Interesting stuff, Brock! Maybe would be easier if you moved your bed outside?!! Just kidding!!!! Make sure to let us know the results!!
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blackbetty
Guest
Mesnik, I agree. We have our reading lamp on besides the bed so there is a faint glow that I assume COULD resemble moonlight.
(Sorry, this is all WAS.. still habit however)
(Sorry, this is all WAS.. still habit however)
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blackbetty
Guest
Thanks, I didnt mean for that to be an issue.. Just habit to talk in present tense. Just didnt want to confuse anyone... But thanks again.
Miss Lily
Chameleon Enthusiast
I stagger my lights. The UV comes on half an hour before the heat lamp in the mornings, and vice versa in the evening. When the heat lamp goes off Lily makes her way to her roosting spot and prepares to sleep. If you turn all lights off together they are suddenly plunged into complete darkness and stop and sleep where they are, whereas the sun fades gradually (hence the staggering) - it gets cooler in the evening before the sun finally goes down, so it makes sense to me to turn the heat off first. I suppose you could replicate a more natural dusk with a dimmer stat for the UV.
jojackson
New Member
Mine does exactly the same, there is always some ambient light so he dosent get freaked out, not in the morning either since ambient light rises before the lights come on.
As far as Uv is concerned, in nature its most intense from 11am to 2pm (mid Day) but you cant 'Dim' a uv, the uv intensity dosent change, only the visible spectrum. But then its an artificial enviroment and I reccomend people get their animals outside, even for short periods, as often as possible. It makes a big difference in mine.
Lol, I agree with the diet, but wow, your really going into it with Sunrise noon and sunset lighting, None of it is the sun, thats the difference between even your similated (visible) lighting and sunlight in nature. It ought to be a cool experiment, but observe your cham regularly to catch negative effects.
I recently changed my brand od uv lighting and the intencity, It took just three days to upset him, I found him clinging to his branch with his eyes clamped shut, and he was spending alot of time on the floor hiding among the plants, much more than usual.
I changed it back the minute I noticed and He was back to his normal self within an hour or so.
I beleive this tube would have sent him blind or caused sever kerato photo blindness, had I not caught it early. And this was a linear uv tube.
I had recent experience of this UV blindness in bearded dragons, 3 of them rescued from the previous owner. She had not only had a uv 10 compact on 24 /7 (no night) but in a white melamine cage that reflects light, intensifiying the effects.
All three were blind (temporarily) the lining of the cornea was clouded and the eyes puffy.
Along with several constricting layers of shed from poor husbandry among other things.
Fortunately, after much intense care and TLC and a week or two without uv lighting, Their eyes are clear normal and alert and they are healthy again.
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panthercham
New Member
Mine are staggered exactly the same here. UV first in the am followed by the heat lamp and the opposite in the evening. Thats sort of what nature does. I was at one point turning them off together but one of my chams just never really got into the habit of getting ready for bed on time and used to end up sleeping in odd places in odd positions. When I started staggering the lights it stopped that problem.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Truth be told, ive done it several different ways.
Heat lamps on first, and UVB an hour afterwards, Heat lamp off first, UVB off afterwards.
UVB on first, heat lamp on second, UVB off first, heat second.
UVB on first, heat on second, heat off first, uvb off second.
Floor Lamp in the room coming on first, as if it was the first dim rays of dawn, then all the heat and UVB enclosure lights coming on an hour later.
Right now, half the cages (the boys) are Heat lamps on first, and UVB an hour afterwards, Heat lamp off first, UVB off afterwards. And the other cages (the girls) get everything on at once, everything off at once. the girls do get some ambient light prior to their cage lights going on, because the boys heat lamps go on earliest.
Frankly, It didnt seem to make a rats-behind of difference to the chameleons which light method I have used.
Heat lamps on first, and UVB an hour afterwards, Heat lamp off first, UVB off afterwards.
UVB on first, heat lamp on second, UVB off first, heat second.
UVB on first, heat on second, heat off first, uvb off second.
Floor Lamp in the room coming on first, as if it was the first dim rays of dawn, then all the heat and UVB enclosure lights coming on an hour later.
Right now, half the cages (the boys) are Heat lamps on first, and UVB an hour afterwards, Heat lamp off first, UVB off afterwards. And the other cages (the girls) get everything on at once, everything off at once. the girls do get some ambient light prior to their cage lights going on, because the boys heat lamps go on earliest.
Frankly, It didnt seem to make a rats-behind of difference to the chameleons which light method I have used.
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summoner12
Avid Member
I have my lights come on after the sun is up.... so they get a real sense of dawn. then I turn on the UVB and 15 minutes later the heat lamps come on. Then they get their morning mist a little after that.
WelshOneEmma
New Member
i do something similar. The basking light comes on first, and as it is on a dimmer is as low as possible. I then slowly increase it over 10 mins and then the UV light comes on. Hugo then gets misted, and an hour later his food bowl goes in.
