Arcadia 12%

[AmazeMollz]

I just purchased a 12% arcadia bulb for a veiled chameleon to be used in a vivarium electronics fixture on a 2x2x4 enclosure. Is this wrong?

I also will have lives plants and have yet to find any straight forward recommendations on grow lights.

Please help.

 

[Lennoncham]

I would switch to a 6% you want the basking branch about 8-9 inches down from a 6%. For plant lights I use 6500k t5 bulbs.

 

[AmazeMollz]

Well shit...

 

[krikinit]

I have been using %12 for about 2 years in a heavily planted enclosures that is 4 feet tall. If you leave it sparse with no place to retreat from the uvb, then switch it out. I have 6 panthers but no veileds. No problems.

 

[Ramrod]

I use a 12% but it is in a quad system which reduces the uvb. A 12% in a single would be a bit too much.

 

[Beman]

The only way you want to keep a 12% with your single bulb fixture is to have a distance of 12 inches to the basking branch or your UVI at basking will be too high. Most enclosures are not heavily planted where the basking level is blocking the UVB with plants above it instead basking levels tend to be exposed to the light... This is where the difference is.

 

[AmazeMollz]

Ok. Everything I have read has told me 12%. Most facebook groups say 12% as well. I am building a new enclosure, still working on the layout. So any recommendations are great. Thank you all.

 

[Beman]

Ok. Everything I have read has told me 12%. Most facebook groups say 12% as well. I am building a new enclosure, still working on the layout. So any recommendations are great. Thank you all.

Yeah there are a few FB groups that are telling everyone no matter the species to use a 12%. This is really incorrect advice. If you have not found it yet this is a fantastic husbandry program... It will teach you the in's and out's of total enclosure set up as well. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

But using a single bulb T5HO fixture and a 12% would mean you would have to have a full 12 inches between the bottom of the fixture and the basking branch. This would give you roughly a 3-4 UVI level. Now if you use the 6% you would have an 8-9 inch drop to basking to get the same 3-4 UVI. You lose less of your enclosure space doing the 6% but achieve the same optimum UVI level at basking.

 

[AmazeMollz]

Lol reading that just confused me even more. I think what I gathered is that the stronger UVB output, the higher it needs to be off the screen top. 12% would need to be raised 4 to 6 inches where 6% can be rested on top.

 

[789]

Don't be confused and use these infographs.

 

[AmazeMollz]

https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/t5-uvb-light-fixture.html

This is the fixture I bought. I couldn't find any 2 bulb fixtures available at the time I ordered and the proT5 was out of stock every where.

 

[Beman]

Lol reading that just confused me even more. I think what I gathered is that the stronger UVB output, the higher it needs to be off the screen top. 12% would need to be raised 4 to 6 inches where 6% can be rested on top.

Ok, what age is the chameleon? Is it still screen climbing the top? If young and screen climbing the best thing to do is follow the graphic and lift off the top. Just look at if it is a single bulb T5 that is what your following and the percentage.

 

[AmazeMollz]

We bought him the end of August. He was pretty small. The picture of him in the hand is my 11 year old daughters hand. Yes... He was bought at petsmart. The last 3 pictures is him now. He doesn't climb the screen anymore though he did at first.

 

[Beman]

We bought him the end of August. He was pretty small. The picture of him in the hand is my 11 year old daughters hand. Yes... He was bought at petsmart. The last 3 pictures is him now. He doesn't climb the screen anymore though he did at first.

He looks to be roughly 6 months old based on his size... he is a handsome boy. Soooo If he is no longer climbing the top screen then you can lift the 12% off the top to make up for the distance you need. Honestly I feel it is easier to just get a 6% put it in your fixture and have an 8-9 inch drop to basking branches below it.

 

[AmazeMollz]

Haha I'm so dumb. They're all pictures of him "in a hand" oh boy... It's Saturday morning, don't mind my sleepy brain.

 

[Beman]

Haha I'm so dumb. They're all pictures of him "in a hand" oh boy... It's Saturday morning, don't mind my sleepy brain.