Too Much Light?

[lausnordah]

Hi All,

I started another thread about "Enough Light? ( https://www.chameleonforums.com/enough-light-89673)" and wanted to create a companion thread of Not Enough & Too Much to keep the topics separate. If there's a blog or a site that covers my questions, please let me know. I did read the "definitive lighting guide" and most of the references mentioned on page 4 by Sandra.

I placed an order for a 36" Tek-Light Elite last night (6 bulb fixture). It comes with an acrylic screen which I plan to remove since it blocks at least some percentage of the UVB that would be passing through it.

This fixture will be going over an 18x18x36 enclosure (mounting horizontally, NOT vertically) currently housing my baby Nosy Be panther. I realize there will be excess light but I plan to put a plant beneath the overhang until I can build the baby's 3x2x4 (WxDxH) enclosure (not for a while, since he's only 4 months old).

My plan was to buy 3 Arcadia D3 6% bulbs but I read that's probably a complete waste, as the extra UVB will not be used. I've also read that the extra UVB could cause eye problems among other things (which have hopefully been resolved, since those articles were from 2009). It's also possible that they were referring to the extra from the 10% bulbs?

I have two potential plans:
1) buy 3 D3 bulbs and use all 3 with some 5000-6500k lights
2) buy 1 D3 bulb and use with some 5000-6500k lights (should I get something other than 6500k?)

So now my questions:

• Are the extra D3 UVB lights a waste in general?
• Would all the 3 6% UVB bulbs be bad for the baby panther? With heavy foliage?
• From my reading, I could put 5 daylight bulbs (6500K) on top of the enclosure and do no harm. True?
• Is 6 bulbs too much? I LOVE light myself and if my chameleons won't be harmed by it I would love to have it in my room.

Thanks guys. I just want to make sure they're happy and taken care of. If I need to buy a Solarmeter 6.2 I can do that...and probably will, just to be sure.

References:
The definitive lighting thread! Everything you really need to know
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/index.htm
http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/produ...ile-t5-lamp-2/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/344-lighting-plants.html

 

[Venutus1]

Hi All,

I started another thread about "Enough Light? ( https://www.chameleonforums.com/enough-light-89673)" and wanted to create a companion thread of Not Enough & Too Much to keep the topics separate. If there's a blog or a site that covers my questions, please let me know. I did read the "definitive lighting guide" and most of the references mentioned on page 4 by Sandra.

I placed an order for a 36" Tek-Light Elite last night (6 bulb fixture). It comes with an acrylic screen which I plan to remove since it blocks at least some percentage of the UVB that would be passing through it.

This fixture will be going over an 18x18x36 enclosure (mounting horizontally, NOT vertically) currently housing my baby Nosy Be panther. I realize there will be excess light but I plan to put a plant beneath the overhang until I can build the baby's 3x2x4 (WxDxH) enclosure (not for a while, since he's only 4 months old).

My plan was to buy 3 Arcadia D3 6% bulbs but I read that's probably a complete waste, as the extra UVB will not be used. I've also read that the extra UVB could cause eye problems among other things (which have hopefully been resolved, since those articles were from 2009). It's also possible that they were referring to the extra from the 10% bulbs?

I have two potential plans:
1) buy 3 D3 bulbs and use all 3 with some 5000-6500k lights
2) buy 1 D3 bulb and use with some 5000-6500k lights (should I get something other than 6500k?)

So now my questions:

• Are the extra D3 UVB lights a waste in general?
• Would all the 3 6% UVB bulbs be bad for the baby panther? With heavy foliage?
• From my reading, I could put 5 daylight bulbs (6500K) on top of the enclosure and do no harm. True?
• Is 6 bulbs too much? I LOVE light myself and if my chameleons won't be harmed by it I would love to have it in my room.

Thanks guys. I just want to make sure they're happy and taken care of. If I need to buy a Solarmeter 6.2 I can do that...and probably will, just to be sure.

References:
The definitive lighting thread! Everything you really need to know
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/index.htm
http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/produ...ile-t5-lamp-2/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/344-lighting-plants.html

Hi Laus
ummm...
as much as I like light too...
That would be too much over an 18 x 18 x 36l exo terra.

and quite a bit on a 2 X 3 x 4H set up.

If you raised the fixture up a couple of FEET over the exo terra and cut silouette tree "branches" out of black poster board to set on top of the tank to create some "forest" shading. I would have it at least 30% - 40% shaded. Maybe the back corners fully shaded.
See how the cham reacts and go from there.

I also would use the shading method even when you transfer the cham to the large set-up.
And maybe incorporate some double screen shaded areas like Hoj did in a previous post.

With what you have to work with, your effect could be to create a naturally shaded forest set-up with "shafts of sunlight" coming into the set-up.
That would allow you to utilize the mega t5, but not create an enviroment that would overlight (or OVER UV ) the critter.

It actually would create a very natural enviroment if you exocute it correctly.

Remember too, t5's do give off quite a bit of heat. So please watch the temps.

I would only use one or two Arcadias to start and test them with a solarmeter to be safe.
T-5's are pretty darn bright.

Hope these suggestions help!
Cheers
Todd
www.lightyourreptiles.com

 

[Venutus1]

Addendum:

Heres a simple excerise to try and then re-create inside.

Little Chams stay hidden in the denser growth so they don't get eaten.

But that doesn't mean they don't get light or sun-light. But it is not "all over", it is in patches.

Walk outside on a sunny day and find some brush or shrubery and stick your hand in the greenery.
Notice the dappled sun-light on your hand or arm?
And notice the patterns of shade as well....and the partial shade.

Now...
the challenge is to try and re-create that scenario in a set up so the little cham can have areas of full shade, partial shade and spots of full sun and basking light.
This is easier to do in a large enclosure-- but can be done in smaller enclosures. .

You can accomplish it by using live plants as well as (double) screen areas and light blocking cut-outs on top of the set-up.

Hope this helps give some ideas!

Cheers!
Todd

 

[lausnordah]

THANKS!

That is a really awesome idea. I never thought of lighting that way.

Just to clarify - I was getting a fixture that has 6 lights total but they were divided among two switches. I still really like the idea of having so many lights but with heat being a concern in the room where I keep my chams, I think I will scale back to 4 bulbs and implement your shade/tree mimic idea.

Once I get a fixture and have the custom cage/shading built I will be sure to post pictures. I think cutting out twigs & branches (or maybe using the real deal!) to put on the top of the screen will add a whole new dimension to lighting my reptiles.

I'm excited to try this! I always like hearing from the experts and exchanging ideas and advice is why we're all here.

Thank you for the idea and the advice.