watering / misting ?

[sedecatur]

while the fixture you are using can what would be much better is the basking bulb (which you have) in a seperate fixture, and the UVB,(you do need both) How ever the UVB bulb you have I assume is a compact floresent bulb (looks like a spiral bulb and screws in like a regular bulb) These can cause severe eye problems including Blindness (i know this from research and first hand experience), what you should have is a tube type floresent bulb in a fixture ask at the pet store for a reptile 5.0 floresent bulb to fit what fixture you have. You can pick up the fixtures cheeper at places like home depot or lowes right around 15.00 rather than at pet stores.

 

[Momma Lauren]

while the fixture you are using can what would be much better is the basking bulb (which you have) in a seperate fixture, and the UVB,(you do need both) How ever the UVB bulb you have I assume is a compact floresent bulb (looks like a spiral bulb and screws in like a regular bulb) These can cause severe eye problems including Blindness (i know this from research and first hand experience), what you should have is a tube type floresent bulb in a fixture ask at the pet store for a reptile 5.0 floresent bulb to fit what fixture you have. You can pick up the fixtures cheeper at places like home depot or lowes right around 15.00 rather than at pet stores.

okay so 2 different fixtures: one with a basking bulb (and the basking bulb I have now is fine?) The other fixture for a 5.0 floresent bulb?
Yes, the UVB bulb I have now is spiral and screws in like a regular bulb.

If I find a 5.0 UVB bulb that will fit the fixture I have now could I still keep that bulb and basking bulb together in the fixture that I already have?

I see you are reccomending a tub type floresent bulb, obviously that won't fit in the fixture I already have. Since I already have the fixture I would like to use if if I could.

I'm so sorry. I'm having such a hard time following all of this.

 

[xVashtaNeradax]

I made the same mistake with my panther in buying a dual hood with a compact florescent bulb. Compact bulbs have been known to cause eye problems with chams, and it's better if the uvb can penetrate the length of the cage not just concentrated in one spot. You can use the fixture you have if you take the uvb bulb out and just keep the basking light in I would think...this is what you need:

The Bulb:

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/uvb-fluorescent-lights-mercury-vapor-bulbs/-/zoo-med-18-repti-sun-50-uvb-bulb/

The Hood:

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/light-fixtures/-/20-fluorescent-hood-fixture/

Just put the hood along the back of the cage (it's okay if the edges hang over a little) and put your basking fixture in front of it, just be sure that the cham can not get close enough to it to burn itself. It's also not good for the lights to be on all the time, most people on here turn them off at night so the cham can sleep. I have mine on a 9:15am to 9:15pm schedule and he is doing great.

 

[Momma Lauren]

I made the same mistake with my panther in buying a dual hood with a compact florescent bulb. Compact bulbs have been known to cause eye problems with chams, and it's better if the uvb can penetrate the length of the cage not just concentrated in one spot. You can use the fixture you have if you take the uvb bulb out and just keep the basking light in I would think...this is what you need:

The Bulb:

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/uvb-fluorescent-lights-mercury-vapor-bulbs/-/zoo-med-18-repti-sun-50-uvb-bulb/

The Hood:

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/light-fixtures/-/20-fluorescent-hood-fixture/

Just put the hood along the back of the cage (it's okay if the edges hang over a little) and put your basking fixture in front of it, just be sure that the cham can not get close enough to it to burn itself. It's also not good for the lights to be on all the time, most people on here turn them off at night so the cham can sleep. I have mine on a 9:15am to 9:15pm schedule and he is doing great.

You are awesome! Thank you so much for these links and information. I understand now and it's great to have visuals of what I need.

*edit to add* on that website (LLLReptile) which thermometer/humidifer indicator would you reccomend??

I turn my lights on around 7am and turn them off around 8pm.

 

[tyler]

You are awesome! Thank you so much for these links and information. I understand now and it's great to have visuals of what I need.

*edit to add* on that website (LLLReptile) which thermometer/humidifer indicator would you reccomend??

I turn my lights on around 7am and turn them off around 8pm.

I would recommend getting your humidity gauge from home depot or lowes. They have Outdoor gauges that hold up really well, they're around 10 bucks and monitor your humidty and temp, as well as the highs and lows for that day.

*edit: I also use probes that I got from petco (around $10) and I put the probe right at the basking spot so I can get an accurate reading there. They work pretty well unless they get wet, I measured the same spot with a temp gun and they both read the same.

 

[Momma Lauren]

I would recommend getting your humidity gauge from home depot or lowes. They have Outdoor gauges that hold up really well, they're around 10 bucks and monitor your humidty and temp, as well as the highs and lows for that day.

*edit: I also use probes that I got from petco (around $10) and I put the probe right at the basking spot so I can get an accurate reading there. They work pretty well unless they get wet, I measured the same spot with a temp gun and they both read the same.

Great! Thanks for the advice I was planning on dropping by Home Depot today for a live plant anyways.

 

[xVashtaNeradax]

You are awesome! Thank you so much for these links and information. I understand now and it's great to have visuals of what I need.

*edit to add* on that website (LLLReptile) which thermometer/humidifer indicator would you reccomend??

I turn my lights on around 7am and turn them off around 8pm.

Glad to help I also bought a digital thermometer, it has served me very well with keeping my basking spot temperatures where they need to be, you can buy a dual reader that will give you the humidity AND the temperature. But so far I've done well with my individual indicators.

The digital Thermometer I have:

http://www.petco.com/product/106227/Zoo-Med-Digital-Thermometer.aspx (I have got it completely soaked while misting and it has not failed me yet, though I wouldn't recommend a full submersion )

I believe you should be fine keeping the humidity up in your cage with 1. Live plants (I have an umbrella tree, a weeping fig, a bromlaid, some pothos, a very small arthurium) and 2. 4-6 mistings a day, lasting however long you find you need to spray, (you can either buy a spray bottle from petco if you need to) with the final one being about an hour to 2 hours before lights out.

The only thing that has made it difficult for me sometimes to keep the humidity up for longer than 30 minutes has been my ceiling fan. When it's going, it seems to keep the humidity down. So I try to keep it off for the first and last misting of the day.

Hope all this helps and you have success

 

[Momma Lauren]

Glad to help I also bought a digital thermometer, it has served me very well with keeping my basking spot temperatures where they need to be, you can buy a dual reader that will give you the humidity AND the temperature. But so far I've done well with my individual indicators.

The digital Thermometer I have:

http://www.petco.com/product/106227/Zoo-Med-Digital-Thermometer.aspx (I have got it completely soaked while misting and it has not failed me yet, though I wouldn't recommend a full submersion )

I believe you should be fine keeping the humidity up in your cage with 1. Live plants (I have an umbrella tree, a weeping fig, a bromlaid, some pothos, a very small arthurium) and 2. 4-6 mistings a day, lasting however long you find you need to spray, (you can either buy a spray bottle from petco if you need to) with the final one being about an hour to 2 hours before lights out.

The only thing that has made it difficult for me sometimes to keep the humidity up for longer than 30 minutes has been my ceiling fan. When it's going, it seems to keep the humidity down. So I try to keep it off for the first and last misting of the day.

Hope all this helps and you have success

Thank you I am so fortuante I have found this site. Everyone has been so helpful!!

I bought a live plant yesterday at home depot, re-potted it with organic soil and placed large rocks over the soil. It is now in his cage. He hasn't had much to do with it but I'm hoping he'll venture out.

I also took all the bedding out of his cage last night and I couldn't believe all the crickets that were hiding out!! Suckers!! Can't blame them though!

I work full-time so I am only able to mist twice a day during the week. Weekends I will be able to mist more. I also have the dripper dripping all day. I hope that is sufficient enough. My cham hates being misted I hope he learns to love it.

I ordered a new light and hood off of LLLReptiles yesterday as well. It should be here within 5-8 business days. I will get a temp and humidity gauge this weekend... after that I think we'll be set thank goodness because all of this stuff isn't cheap! LOL