Best basking and UVB light for a veiled chameleon

[Cooper]

Hi, I was wondering what basking lights people here are using? I have a zoo med 75 watt light, but my chameleon never basks under it or even near it! I tried a blue coloured bulb in the same wattage, but she wouldn't go near that either.
I use a Reptisun T5 HO 5.0 tube for UVB. Is this OK? I'd just like to hear everyone's opinions on the different bulbs as this is my first chameleon and getting the correct advice is tough!
Here's Lizzie

 

[Balizar]

To be honest it really depends on your set up. I was curious so I bought a solarmeter. I use 10.0 in most of my setups but I do have a 5.0 in one of my smaller cages. I can tell you now that all my bulbs that are 10.0 give off differing amounts of UVB. But after doing research on using a solarmeter and the different lights, I settled on using 10.0 over the 5.0's due to the fact that it gets deeper down and at the top of their branches I am still getting safe readings. Most of my chams travel around the cage 75% of the day so that is good as well.

There should be some past research on this site about lights. This site led me to most of the research I did, if it was not already on here. I think this is debated almost as much as Glass VS Screen! LOL

 

[Balizar]

I have never used a blue light. Just flo's for UVB and plants and a regular 50 watt house light for heat. Dont buy in to all the different light gimmicks...

 

[carol5208]

The light you are using should be fine. Have you tried just a plain white housebulb? Also, do you have a laying bin in there for her. She looks kinda plump! She could have eggs and you need to be prepared. She is very beautiful by the way!

 

[Psychedelic Chams]

I use arcadia 6% uvb blows repti sun out of the water lasts twice as long and stronger than the 10.0. I use a 70w halogen flood light keeps at 84 for basking also your cam is absolutely gorgeous one of the better veilds i have seen

 

[Cooper]

Thanks for your suggestions, guys! I think I will probably get a solar meter and test my lights out as I have other reptiles too, and there's so much differing opinion about these things.
Carol, yes I made her a lay bin, especially as she looks a lot plumper than when I got her and that was just over a week ago!! Although they were only feeding her six crickets a day in the store, and she's eating a lot more than that with me, so maybe that's the reason? Do chameleons over-eat if you let them?
I put about 12 dubia a day in her cup (4 at a time 3 times a day) and she always eats them all, she also gets silk and pheonix worms sometimes. I think she would eat more if I gave them to her, but I don't want to over-feed her. The staff at the pet store told me she was about a year old, but weren't exactly sure.

 

[ir0k]

Just thought if post to say how beautiful she is. Very pretty cham. And she looks happy and healthy. Id say your doing fine.

 

[Cooper]

Thanks ir0k! I haven't had her long, but she's impossible not to fall in love with! I want her to have the best life she possibly can

 

[jannb]

What's Lizzie's temps under a 75 watt bulb? In my house a 40 to 60 watts keeps my males in the high 80's to low 90's. I rarely have to use a basking light at all on my females and when I do it's a 25 watt bulb. You are definitely over feeding her. What are her temps?

They can start laying eggs at a very young age if over fed and kept to warm. I recommend keeping a laying bin in the enclosure at all time after 5 months old. I have a few links for you below.
How to keep a young veiled: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html#comment2073
How to keep a female veiled:
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleo...le-veiled.html
Egg laying and the laying bin:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs...aying-bin.html
How to make a laying bin video: https://www.chameleonforums.com/laying-bin-set-up-educational-video-77225/
Receptive/gravid video: https://www.chameleonforums.com/receptive-female-chameleons-educational-video-62869/

 

[Psychobunny]

Same here, I have never had to use more then 60W Incan's at 10 to 12" basking distance to get 90F.

 

[Cooper]

my ambient temp is about 80-85 degrees, but she has a temp gradient all the way down to the mid 70s and her basking spot is between 90-95, but I will lower it a bit, maybe that's why she doesn't bask. I was worried it was because the light was too bright, but she loves sitting in the sun in the window. Her humidity stays around 50% during the day, but goes up to 60% at night.
I'll have to cut down on her feeding, I figured she would just stop eating when she was full, since I'd never heard of a fat chameleon!

 

[Tyaeda]

What a pretty girl. I don't think I've ever seen a female veiled with so much orange

If you go to a petsmart or reptile store you should be able to find a heat lamp with a dimmer switch on it. I love these, because no matter how high the wattage is in the bulb, you can lower it to the exact output you want. Doing this, I made two basking spots for my male veiled. One hot one, and one that's not as hot, while the other side of the cage has no heat lamps over it. The idea is to give a wide range of temps that your cham can choose from.

 

[Cooper]

Thanks Tyaeda! She is very pretty!! That is great advice, I'll definitely get a dimmer and then set her up with a couple of different basking areas so she can choose whatever suits her best.