Which Light Setup Should I Use?

[h22turbo]

I have a Jackson's Chameleon in ZooMed ReptiBreeze 16x16x30 cage.

I can't find any information on how much UVB a Jackson's actually need... like a good uw/cm (squared), and the max they should have.

Anyways... I have bearded dragons and I have plenty of UVB bulbs. I just dont know what is best for my little chameleon!

Here is the bulbs I have:

1) Exo-Terra Solar Glo 160w Mercury Vapor Bulb (8 months old). Always heard MVBs are bad for chams. They produce to much heat for the UVB they need to be at. If you raise the bulb to lower the heat, you lose UVB etc.

2) 36 inch Zoo Med T5 High Output fixture with ReptiSun 10.0 florescent tube (3-4 months old). I've noticed my chameleon keeping his eyes closed when I have it laying directly on top of his cage and he could get about 6 inches from the bulb....

Spike

• h22turbo
• Oct 15, 2016

Cage

I raised it up so he could get about 10-12 inches away at the closest point and added more fake plants for cover, but he would still close his eyes sometimes.

3) Two Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 MINI Compact Florescent (13 Watt) bulbs in a dual dome fixture. Im scared this isn't going to produce enough UVB for him. If I sit it directly on top of the cage, he can get 6 inches from the bulbs.

I am eventually going to buy a ReptiSun 5.0 for him... but I need to know which way I should do it until then!

The biggest problem is he is not eating. I bought him for a pet store 2 maybe 3 weeks ago and he has ate a total of 4 superworms. he wont touch crickets and wont touch dubia either.

Please help!

 

[Remkon]

Jax don't hava a very high demand for UVB, they are a montane species and mainly bask in the mornings and afternoons when sun isn't at full strenght...
A 5.0 lamp is plenty as a T5...
I'm using an Arcadia compact 7% in am horizontal fixture and I'm also very happy about it.

I would do 1 10.0 13W light bulb if it's temporary but definately switch over to a good 5.0 T5 asap ...

Jax are very picky eaters, I need to constantly switch feeders for him to keep him interested. I've noticed mine has a particular liking for flying insects so maybe you can get a bunch of flies to get his attention.

I would also put in more cover, life plants if you can. Jax demand high humidity and long and frequent mistings along with a lot of plants will help you achieve that.

Can you post a pic of your jax?

 

[dlegare]

I use a t-8 4 bulb 2ft x 18" fixture with 2 daylight bulbs and 2 5.0 reptisun t8s. I purchased the fixture from a greenhouse supply store along with the 2 daylight bulbs. I get the t-8 reptisuns from my LPS. The lights have worked very well for me for almost 4 years now. Of course I change my lamps about every 6 to 8 months or so.

 

[h22turbo]

Here is the old setup.... in this picture I have a 60 Watt incandescent bulb in the dual dome fixture for the basking spot and the 36" ReptiSun 10.0 T5 HO UVB bulb up top (raised up so chameleon can only get 10-12 inches away), but he would still close his eyes sometime.

.....and here is Spike!

I think the best lighting would be a 24" Zoo Mod ReptiSun 5.0 T5 HO, but I just need to know what would be best for him until I buy the new setup.

160w Solar Glo MVB is not a good idea..... so thats probably out

The ReptiSun 10.0 Mini Compact Florescent (13w) is probably not enough UVB???

and my 36" ReptiSun 10.0 T5 HO setup is probably way to much UVB for him!!!!!

I have one of the smallest (less producing UVB) lights on the market and one of the best (highest producing UVB) lights available! I kinda need to be in the middle..... lol

 

[nimax67]

µW/cm² and strength questions: hi all, sorry to jump in here, but this seems to be the most recent threat. I've just lost my little darling ultra friendly Freya, aged 10 months. After a few days intensive care at the vet's, the vet recommended putting her to sleep. She had MBD and was egg bound with her first infertile clutch. Now, yeah, usually poor husbandry is the cause. However I've followed all the guidelines, she was, I thought, thriving. She was in a 40x40x76cm reptibreeze viv (I'd actually already purchased the 46x46x92cm to transfer her to but she got ill before I could). Humidifier on for 5x1 hour a day with morning and evening misting. I use the daylight blue reptibreeze 100w light along with the reptisun 5.0 for 12 hours a day. Dusted mixed feeder insects. Big bin of mixed washed play sand and organic soil for egg laying which was in since she was 6 months (when I moved her from the small reptisun viv). The vet reckons my viv set up is good. thinks maybe renal failure compounded with the stress of egg laying. There were no broken bones but x rays showed some bowing of the legs bones. so I've gone out and purchased the solarmeter 6. UVB meter. I dont intend to get another female til I know I've got everything perfect in the set up. Trouble is, I don't have the degree is computer science required to interpret what the right readings are supposed to be (as good and all a site http://www.uvguide.co.uk/ is!). The solarmeter 6.2 measures UVB light in µW/cm². The vet reckons that some mesh vivs block a lot of the UVB light into the viv, plus how far away the light etc. My light is hung about 2-3"" above the top of the viv, with her perch 5-6" beneath the roof of the viv. UVB bulb gives off approx 45 µW/cm² at 3" and 5 µW/cm² at 9" unfiltered, and 23 µW/cm² (3") and 2 µW/cm² (9") through the mesh. Am I doing something wrong? I have sent off for arcadia 10 UVB bulbs. Can anyone please advise on use on the solarmeter 6.2 and what µW/cm² levels should be in a viv, (i.e. through the mesh, and at 6" and say, 9" perching levels?) help help help please??

 

[h22turbo]

nimax67 you may want to create your own thread and ask. you will get a lot more help that way!

 

[nimax67]

Will do thank you

 

[Remkon]

A 160watt lamp is out of tje question since it would be waaay to warm not even considering UVB.

I would probably do the 13w 10.0 if you can place it horizontal, otherwise use the 10.0 reptisun but provide foliage between the lamp and the baskingspot.

But I would still really get a 5.0 asap