what wattage with cfl UVB, 13w or 26w

[II Knucklez II]

I am going to be getting a panther soon and wanted to make sure I have everything on point. As for heat I'm using a metal hood I had for an iguana with a daylight heat blub 60w and for UVB I will be using one of these with 3 UVB CFL's

http://www.joshsfrogs.com/exo-terra-medium-compact-top-23-6-x-3-5-x-7-8.html

What wattage do you recommend, 13 w or 26w?
http://www.amazon.com/Repti-Glo-Compact-Fluorescent-Tropical-Terrarium/dp/B000YS06JI

 

[Venutus1]

I am going to be getting a panther soon and wanted to make sure I have everything on point. As for heat I'm using a metal hood I had for an iguana with a daylight heat blub 60w and for UVB I will be using one of these with 3 UVB CFL's

http://www.joshsfrogs.com/exo-terra-medium-compact-top-23-6-x-3-5-x-7-8.html

What wattage do you recommend, 13 w or 26w?
http://www.amazon.com/Repti-Glo-Compact-Fluorescent-Tropical-Terrarium/dp/B000YS06JI

You may want to check this out before you decide what light to use, especially if considering CFLs to supply UV.

Dr. Baines is one of the worlds top reptile lighting experts.

Many zoos consult with Dr. Baines in Europe and around the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUu24MNO2Ho

I have also personally tested CFLs (both Zoo Med and Exo Terra) with both solarmeters (6.2 and 6.5) and found the same thing as far as readings go.

They are OK for certain applications.

But you will have to be the one that has to judge if they are right for your set up ... or not.

Cheers!
Todd

 

[II Knucklez II]

wow thanks for that video!! great info.

I'm going to be using it in a free range in the corner of my room with about 6 to 10 inches away from the light.

Those T5's are great but i was worried about power consumption, I have 4 fish tanks already so trying to keep it down but I have to make sure my Cham gets what they need.

 

[Venutus1]

wow thanks for that video!! great info.

I'm going to be using it in a free range in the corner of my room with about 6 to 10 inches away from the light.

Those T5's are great but i was worried about power consumption, I have 4 fish tanks already so trying to keep it down but I have to make sure my Cham gets what they need.

Hi II Knucklez II

I have to be honest and tell you I do not believe any CFL will project the UV far enough for a free range set up.

(And please note: 22" (sometimes called 24") HO t5 bulb is only 24 watts.)

It is up to you---- but please choose carefully....

It is not cheap to treat MBD, as anyone here who has been through it would tell you.

Best of luck,
Sincerely,
Todd

 

[Video Master]

Welcome to the forum!

There is no need to a heat light bulb. Just use a standard house hold bulb. You will have to measure the temp to get the right bulb. I am just using a 25W house hold bulb to get my temp to 82 degrees for the basking spot.

As for the UVB, listen to Todd as he knows what he is talking about. I just got the 24" dual bulb T5-HO setup from him so it is a 6% Arcadia and a 6.5K plant light. They are low watt bulbs as they are florescent, but just in a linear format. They put out much better light than the others from what I have seen and now experienced. With the Arcadia you only need to change the bulb out 1 time per year instead of 2 with the other brands. Don't skimp on your lighting or any other part of owning a chameleon for that matter. They are not a cheap pet to own and if money is an issue then a chameleon is not a good choice.

Like Todd said treating MBD is an expensive thing to deal with and you can't reverse it.

Keep doing your research and ask lots of questions on here. This forum is a great resource and lots of knowledgeable people are on here. There are even vets that are on the forum as well.

 

[II Knucklez II]

Hi II Knucklez II

I have to be honest and tell you I do not believe any CFL will project the UV far enough for a free range set up.

(And please note: 22" (sometimes called 24") HO t5 bulb is only 24 watts.)

It is up to you---- but please choose carefully....

It is not cheap to treat MBD, as anyone here who has been through it would tell you.

Best of luck,
Sincerely,
Todd

Yes i saw that its not that much wattage with the HOT5! I'm just used to hearing about HOT5 and thinking of lots of wattage since I have have been keeping planted aquariums for 3 years. That's actually what I am going to be getting a 24"

Thank you so much for the info

Welcome to the forum!

There is no need to a heat light bulb. Just use a standard house hold bulb. You will have to measure the temp to get the right bulb. I am just using a 25W house hold bulb to get my temp to 82 degrees for the basking spot.

As for the UVB, listen to Todd as he knows what he is talking about. I just got the 24" dual bulb T5-HO setup from him so it is a 6% Arcadia and a 6.5K plant light. They are low watt bulbs as they are florescent, but just in a linear format. They put out much better light than the others from what I have seen and now experienced. With the Arcadia you only need to change the bulb out 1 time per year instead of 2 with the other brands. Don't skimp on your lighting or any other part of owning a chameleon for that matter. They are not a cheap pet to own and if money is an issue then a chameleon is not a good choice.

Like Todd said treating MBD is an expensive thing to deal with and you can't reverse it.

Keep doing your research and ask lots of questions on here. This forum is a great resource and lots of knowledgeable people are on here. There are even vets that are on the forum as well.

Thanks for the welcome! Is the house hold blub you are using the daylight ones, that come in the blue box? and is a CFL?

I have read about using a regular house blub but I happen to have a 75w daylight heat blub laying around from an iguana I had a long time ago. I will be trying that, also try with a few other blubs I have laying around as well to see if I dont have to use so much watts.

Def. I have been doing research on getting a cham for about 3 months now almost every day so I feel like I will be able to give a good home to a panther!

Thanks for your input!!!

 

[Video Master]

No, the household bulb is just a standard incondescent bulb. That is just for the basking. As for the wattage of it, you want to get the correct temperature so you might even need to go to a 15 or 25 watt bulb. You still need the UVB light above and beyond the basking light. Also if you have live plants, you will want a 6.5k daylight bulb.

This is why the 24" dual bulb setup from Light Your Reptiles is such a great item. It is a single hood with 2 bulbs in it. It has the UVB bulb and the 6.5k daylight bulb. Then just add the cheap household bulb in a ceramic socket with a done and you have your lighting all setup. You can get a timer from Menards, Home Depot, or Lowes for less than $10 as well so the lights turn on and off automatically.

 

[II Knucklez II]

And is the uvb bulb that comes with that dual fixture 5.0? I'm guessing that y it says 6%... looks like I might just get that since I do need 6500k for that plant .