UVB Bulbs - Strip light or Screw in?
- Thread starter Mommahen7
- Start date
DGray
Avid Member
strip
linear tubes give you more light, the light is distributed more evenly over a larger area, and they are usually less expensive to run for the light emitted.
There was a problem with some of the previous generation of screw-in compact florescent UV bulbs. Others will chime in with the details on how to ID the bad versions, I'm sure, or you can do a search. I just don't use the CF UV bulbs.
linear tubes give you more light, the light is distributed more evenly over a larger area, and they are usually less expensive to run for the light emitted.
There was a problem with some of the previous generation of screw-in compact florescent UV bulbs. Others will chime in with the details on how to ID the bad versions, I'm sure, or you can do a search. I just don't use the CF UV bulbs.
Mommahen7
New Member
I want to use whatever is best for our little guy 
So if that means a linear,then that's what we will get.
Can you use any other fixture other than a hood from a pet store, like one from a hardware store?
We will be using a bird cage until he gets bigger and my husband custom builds a bigger enclosure. My mom had a Jacksons and a Veiled several years ago and has lamp holder for his heat that you can adjust so that the little guy wont touch the bottom of the lamp and won't burn his little feet on the bars of the cage. I can adjust it so it provides warmth, but he can't get hurt.
His baby home is 26H X 17 1/2W X 17D. The bars are about a 1/2" apart. We are hoping to get one around 3-4 months old or so, but if it happens to be too small, we have back up enclosures that are smaller.
So if that means a linear,then that's what we will get.Can you use any other fixture other than a hood from a pet store, like one from a hardware store?
We will be using a bird cage until he gets bigger and my husband custom builds a bigger enclosure. My mom had a Jacksons and a Veiled several years ago and has lamp holder for his heat that you can adjust so that the little guy wont touch the bottom of the lamp and won't burn his little feet on the bars of the cage. I can adjust it so it provides warmth, but he can't get hurt.
His baby home is 26H X 17 1/2W X 17D. The bars are about a 1/2" apart. We are hoping to get one around 3-4 months old or so, but if it happens to be too small, we have back up enclosures that are smaller.
jojackson
New Member
Whatever you choose to use, beware that any artificial Uv source is best considered suplimentary and nothing beats exposure to unfiltered daylight/sunlight, as often as possible.
Edit: ALWAYS be aware of the enviroment and avoid overheating while 'sunning'. Always provide a suitable gradient, indoors and out.
Edit: ALWAYS be aware of the enviroment and avoid overheating while 'sunning'. Always provide a suitable gradient, indoors and out.
SpinyFranky
New Member
Looks to me like the UVB is coming through the screen at the top... which should be fine. Im not an expert on coil bulbs though.
My fear would be that your over heating your cham. Hot air rises, apparently right up to your heat lamp, Make sure your accurately checking the temps in there.
pssh
Avid Member
Adult male Veiled:
Basking: 90- 93 F Ambient: 70-75 F night: as low as 50 F but lower than 65 F
Adult female Veiled and Babies:
Basking: 80-83 F Ambient 70-75 F night: Same as above
Adult male Panther:
Basking: 85-90 F Ambient: 70-75 F Night: As low as 55 F but below 68 F, around 60 F preferred.
Female and baby Panthers:
basking: 80-83 F Ambient: 70-75 F Night: Same as above.
Basking: 90- 93 F Ambient: 70-75 F night: as low as 50 F but lower than 65 F
Adult female Veiled and Babies:
Basking: 80-83 F Ambient 70-75 F night: Same as above
Adult male Panther:
Basking: 85-90 F Ambient: 70-75 F Night: As low as 55 F but below 68 F, around 60 F preferred.
Female and baby Panthers:
basking: 80-83 F Ambient: 70-75 F Night: Same as above.
pssh
Avid Member
The basking temp is hotter than the rest of the cage so that they can warm up under it. It is usually directly under a baksing bulb at the top of the cage and acts as fake sun warmth. The abient temp is the temp of the rest of the cage, either in the middle or the bottom, but hopefully the middle it slightly warmer than the bottom.
SpinyFranky
New Member
a decent example of what PSSH is trying to say is :
Basking temp should be as if the cham is standing directly in the sunlight. Ambient temp should be everything except standing in direct sunlight.
As this applies to your husbandry, the basking spot should be in the low - mid 80's considering the age of your chameleon. Ambient temperature should be mid - high 70's with higher temps at the top of the enclosure and lower temps near the bottom.
This provides with an almost exact prototype of the chameleons natural habitat, in which to get warmer a chameleon would climb higher to reach the sun or to cool down would climb lower. This is also the reason people are advising against an under the tank heating pad - it would confuse the animal as to which is up and which is down as well as possibly provide no escape for it when it begins to over heat.
As PSSH said, purchase a digital thermometer from your local petshop. It should not run you more than five or so dollars. Yet it is vastly superior to the stick tape ones or the ones that look like little gauges.
Use the thermometer to measure the temperature under the basking spot you want this to be in the mid 80's.
Theory dictates that as long as your basking spot is in the mid 80's the rest of the enclosure should stay in adequate ambient temperatures for the animal. Especially since you are using a terrarium.
Basking temp should be as if the cham is standing directly in the sunlight. Ambient temp should be everything except standing in direct sunlight.
As this applies to your husbandry, the basking spot should be in the low - mid 80's considering the age of your chameleon. Ambient temperature should be mid - high 70's with higher temps at the top of the enclosure and lower temps near the bottom.
This provides with an almost exact prototype of the chameleons natural habitat, in which to get warmer a chameleon would climb higher to reach the sun or to cool down would climb lower. This is also the reason people are advising against an under the tank heating pad - it would confuse the animal as to which is up and which is down as well as possibly provide no escape for it when it begins to over heat.
As PSSH said, purchase a digital thermometer from your local petshop. It should not run you more than five or so dollars. Yet it is vastly superior to the stick tape ones or the ones that look like little gauges.
Use the thermometer to measure the temperature under the basking spot you want this to be in the mid 80's.
Theory dictates that as long as your basking spot is in the mid 80's the rest of the enclosure should stay in adequate ambient temperatures for the animal. Especially since you are using a terrarium.
