Uva light

[Ramrod]

I am increasing the size of my male veiled encloser. Going from a 24x48x36 to a 24x48x72. What type UVB lighting would be recommended for this size? Cham would probably spend most of the time in upper portion of encloser but just wondering about rays reaching the lower section.
He is about 8 mo old now. I do have a 160w mercury vapor available but think that is a little much. Advise welcome!

 

[Rlc1994]

Your probably going to want something of this size with a 12% Arcadia bulb and 3 6500k plant bulbs. This is for your UVB which is critical for your chameleons health.

https://www.amazon.com/Odyssea-Time...ocphy=9005964&hvtargid=pla-568719135582&psc=1

If you want light to reach down into the cage for plants lower in the cage your going to want something like this. This light is more for plant growth and lighting up your enclosure.

https://www.amazon.com/SANSI-Non-Di...ocphy=9005964&hvtargid=pla-464823024654&psc=1

You can also check out lightyourreptiles.com their fixtures and light bulbs are a little more pricey but you get great customer service and help from Todd if you have any questions about lighting.

 

[Ramrod]

That would be 12% Arcadia T8 correct? What would be the minimum distance from light to cham using this bulb?
Thanks for the recommendation as there are so many lights available it gets confusing and I would like to get it right the first time around. Oh,another question if you don't mind. Is it the uvb light that causes a burn or the basking light or both?
Thanks again

 

[Rlc1994]

T5HO is preferable. The T8 are not bad but don’t give off as much light uvb as the T5HO. For a cage that size your going to want the 48” 4 bulb T5HO fixture with a 12% Arcadia linear tube bulb and 3 6500k plant bulbs. Your going to want the basking branches to be about 7-8 inches from the uvb and basking bulb. The uvb fixture should sit right on the screen.

The basking bulb your going to want a dome light fixture with a incandescent bulb. The wattage of the bulb depends on what the temperature of your home is. I would raise this bulb off the screen if possible because if your chameleon is young he may climb the screen under the bulb and this can cause thermal burns.

 

[Rlc1994]

Sorry just saw your chameleon is 8 months. I’d still raise the basking fixture off the screen for precautionary reasons though just my opinion.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

@nightanole

 

[nightanole]

24x48x36 to a 24x48x72

Uhhhhh That is too random for me to guess. If you are just doubling the length, and its still 48" tall, then a T5 HO 6%/5.0 + a 6500k would give usable UVB for about half the cage height, if the T5's each had their own reflector.

If you are going from a 3ft tall cage to a 6ft tall cage, then i would go with again having each T5 having its own reflector. But switch to a 12%, so that you get usable to about 36", and keep the basking area at 12-18" instead of sub 10".

If it really is a 6ft tall cage, you may want to invest in some LED, as i had a hard time keeping everything lit. One thing i did do with my 7ft, was hanging the T5 in the cage about 1ft down. This had an unexpected benefit. It turns the entire top of the aluminum hood, into a 90F "heat rock". Once i found that out, i did it to all my cages. I routinely will have the cham, frilly, and beardy, sitting on the light


Im not telling you how to run your life, but a $250 UVI meter may pay for its self over the life of the cham. I could reduce my bulb changes down to every 2-3 years, vs changing yearly "because i didnt know the output".