Daylight Bulb went out!

Benny2202

New Member
Hey! The daylight bulb (the one that makes the basking spot warm) went out a little while ago and no one was able to get a new one for a few days. Is our little guy gonna be fine? He still had his UV and the apartment he lives in isn't too cool.. He was acting normal the whole time the light was out (3 days I think). Is he gonna be fine? Should we do something once we get a new light? ADVICE?
 
Hey! The daylight bulb (the one that makes the basking spot warm) went out a little while ago and no one was able to get a new one for a few days. Is our little guy gonna be fine? He still had his UV and the apartment he lives in isn't too cool.. He was acting normal the whole time the light was out (3 days I think). Is he gonna be fine? Should we do something once we get a new light? ADVICE?
I found a flood light and it kept mine in the eighties till I could get a new one.
 
Like LindsayG said, just use a regular lightbulb, 60W or so should be enough. Just make sure to keep an eye on your temperatures! A basking area is very important for proper digestion and metabolism.
 
HEY!
So since I posted this, the bulb had been replaced. Good to know about the other options for the future. Once we replaced it, we realized that the old one (that had come with the enclosure) was super shitty and definitely not warm enough. is there any signs for poor digestion. I'm now worried that he wasn't getting enough warmth earlier. His claws were getting longer so it seems like he was absorbing minerals/vitamins.
 
Claws getting longer is not a good indication of over all health or nutrition.

Poor digestion and metabolism can lead to slow gut- where they do not digest their food properly, quickly or completely. Watch for strange stools or the absence of stool. If he is a young cham, and being fed every day, he should be pooping pretty much every day. Check the stools to make sure they are properly digested; that there are no whole insects in the fecal matter. If he is active and awake, well-hydrated and doing normal cham things, and his bowel movements are fine, you are likely okay. One day of slightly cooler temps is not likely to cause a problem in a healthy adult cham- Madagascar had cool days too- but a series of cool temps could affect a cham, especially one that is growing quickly. Heat stress (either too high or too low) is stress, and if he were my cham I'd be a little careful with him over the next while- limiting handling, etc.

I always keep a spare bulb on hand (several, actually, since I have other herps besides my cham), just in case there is a problem :)

Keep an eye on your temperatures with a digital probe or heat gun for the next while: new bulbs can burn super hot, depending on the type and brand. I'd be checking the basking and the ambient temps every few hours... but I'm a bit of a worrywort!
 
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