60W vs. 100W

[Jakama]

So everyone says that a 60W house bulb should be used to heat a chameleon's enclosure, and I have been doing this for the past few weeks. It doesn't seem like this is hot enough, though! My chameleon spends her basking time within an inch of the roof of the enclosure. At the very top it's only 80 degrees. I thought I was shooting for 82 to 83 degrees about eight inches from the top of the enclosure. Would there be anything wrong with replacing my current bulb with a 100W heat bulb that would bring her basking spot, which is about eight inches from the top, up to about 80?

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

There's nothing wrong with using a 100W if the temps at her basking spot are too low. I upgrade the wattage of my bulb in the winter to keep temps up. But you should lower the basking branch if she can get that close because she can get burned from being too close to a bulb, especially if you're increasing the wattage.

 

[Julirs]

What kind of thermometer to you have? I have 100 watt lightbulbs on my beardies keeping the temps at 100 degrees 7" under the bulb.

 

[bradley]

cant you just use a thermostat? doesnt't anyone use these in the US

 

[Jakama]

I use a space heater to keep ambient temps at 70 degrees, but my impression was that you needed a temp gradient from about 70 to 80.
Also, I have an analog thermometer like this one: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/images/Categoryimages/normal/p_231638.jpg
Also, I just tested the 100W one, got the temperature up to a startling 110 degrees. Guess I'll use my 60W until I can get a 75W or something.

 

[Julirs]

You don't want to "heat the enclosure" but create a "basking spot" in one area leaving the rest of the cage in the 70's for most species. Yes-temp gradient.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Also, I just tested the 100W one, got the temperature up to a startling 110 degrees. Guess I'll use my 60W until I can get a 75W or something.

Yeah I'd steer clear of that wattage then!

 

[pennington]

Its a real science isn't it, and it's all so specific to your set up, the species, how warm your house is, what climate you live in etc... I am struggling to strike a balance.

Im using a basking lamp of 75w and a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat. The ceramic heat emitter I am using is 60w but this isn't getting the temperature up at all. Even under the basking light and heat emitter I am only getting 80F so I have ordered another ceramic heat emitter but I have gone for 100W and I will keep the 60w for the summer months. It must be so cold in my dinning room that the temperature can't get above 75 during the day with a 60w ceramic heat emitter and a 75w basking bulb!

 

[Oski]

Its a real science isn't it, and it's all so specific to your set up, the species, how warm your house is, what climate you live in etc... I am struggling to strike a balance.

Im using a basking lamp of 75w and a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat. The ceramic heat emitter I am using is 60w but this isn't getting the temperature up at all. Even under the basking light and heat emitter I am only getting 80F so I have ordered another ceramic heat emitter but I have gone for 100W and I will keep the 60w for the summer months. It must be so cold in my dinning room that the temperature can't get above 75 during the day with a 60w ceramic heat emitter and a 75w basking bulb!

What set up have you got? A screen cage?

 

[kongchi]

May I ask how big your lamp is? I had a flukers' 5 inch fixture, with a 60 watt bulb and upped it to a Zoomed 8.5 inch dome with the same 60 watt bulb and it had a much more dramatic effect.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...es/-/zoo-med-regular-black-ceramic-clip-lamp/

 

[pennington]

What set up have you got? A screen cage?

Glass exo-terra terrarium.

 

[Chris Jury]

A modest wattage halogen flood or spot bulb might also work well for you. For most chameleons, I'd shoot for a basking spot of at least 90 F (including for montane species, as many of them bask and maintain similar body temps as compared to lowland species), with temps down to perhaps the 70's F away from the basking spot. You want them to be able to get warm when they want (90's F) and cool when they want (70's F) with little effort. If they have access to cooler temps as well, a basking site that hits 100-110 F can be functional too, again provided the animal can easily move between hot and cooler areas.

 

[pennington]

A modest wattage halogen flood or spot bulb might also work well for you. For most chameleons, I'd shoot for a basking spot of at least 90 F (including for montane species, as many of them bask and maintain similar body temps as compared to lowland species), with temps down to perhaps the 70's F away from the basking spot. You want them to be able to get warm when they want (90's F) and cool when they want (70's F) with little effort. If they have access to cooler temps as well, a basking site that hits 100-110 F can be functional too, again provided the animal can easily move between hot and cooler areas.

Im really not sure why my thermostat isn't pushing the ceramic heat emitter up to temperature. I can only put it down to the cold ambient temperature of the room. The room is 56 or there abouts so getting the terrarium to 80 is probably the best it will achieve. Hopefully a higher watt ceramic heat emitter will reach the 90 I want. Thanks for commenting!

 

[Texas Panther Man]

56 degrees inside your home. You guys must freeze all winter. If my house gets below 65 Im cold.

 

[pennington]

Chilly UK

56 degrees inside your home. You guys must freeze all winter. If my house gets below 65 Im cold.

Sorry for my slow reply, it takes a while to scrape the ice from my computer screen!

I'm not complaining about our weather as we a spared the severe weather of some countries. Hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, etc etc. We just get cold and miserable generally all year. We win! ha ha, good old blighty!

 

[Lloyd Heilbrunn]

56 degrees inside your home. You guys must freeze all winter. If my house gets below 65 Im cold.

LOL, the heat goes on here when it hits 72!

 

[Chris Jury]

Sorry for my slow reply, it takes a while to scrape the ice from my computer screen!

I'm not complaining about our weather as we a spared the severe weather of some countries. Hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, etc etc. We just get cold and miserable generally all year. We win! ha ha, good old blighty!

I've always said that the greatest mistake humans ever made was leaving sub-Saharan Africa

 

[jojackson]

Im really not sure why my thermostat isn't pushing the ceramic heat emitter up to temperature. I can only put it down to the cold ambient temperature of the room. The room is 56 or there abouts so getting the terrarium to 80 is probably the best it will achieve. Hopefully a higher watt ceramic heat emitter will reach the 90 I want. Thanks for commenting!...

IMo Penn, it wont. ceramics are great in sealed enclosures, aka timbre for example, but for other applications, less so. A ceramic dosent 'focus' a hot spot, or radiate heat (except passively), itself gets very hot indeed, but the heat dissipates into the air around it, not well below it, since heat rises.
Id suggest hunting down a dark bulb for night heat instead. Just my humble op.

 

[pennington]

Sorry for my slow reply, it takes a while to scrape the ice from my computer screen!

I'm not complaining about our weather as we a spared the severe weather of some countries. Hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, etc etc. We just get cold and miserable generally all year. We win! ha ha, good old blighty!

Case in point proved! New Zealand hit by earthquake last night. I'll stick with wet and miserable. I have no wish to live in different country.

Jo, thanks for your response. I'll investigate that bulb too. I have enough bulbs now to heat a small continent.

 

[Sirny]

wish i could just use a 60 or 100w, got a 10" fixture and a 250w basking bulb just to get my temps to 85 >.< guess my house must be cold