Grow lights?

[summoner12]

Does anyone have the low down on "grow" lights? Tubes you see at Home Depot for indoor plants. I don't want this for my chams.... I want it for the cham's plants.

• Do you use them?
• Do they work?
• Do you feel they are worth it?
• What do you use it along side of? (i.e. 5.0, 10.0 ZooMed, Exo Terra)

 

[Jordan]

I use them. They seem to keep my plants in good condition, especially, in comparison how my plants where beforehand. I feel that they are worth it. Really if you don't want to spend the extra money for the specialty bulb just the addition of an extra flourscent bulb will help as well.

 

[ttshibby]

Hi! I use a florecent spectrum grow bulb, I believe its sylvania. I Have a Hibuscus under it and its doing great! I also use a reptisun 5.0 bulb along side it.

 

[KevinA]

for the most part, the typical t-40? florescent grow lights are just a certain color temp (kelvin temp). In my experience, there isn't much diferent from a similar color temp regualur flourescent.

They typically do have a nice color temp though that will probably make the chams colors look better than the typical flourescent bulb. If they are not much more than typical bulbs, I would say go for it. They will balance out the blue from a typical zoo med 5.0(they have a oranger/redder tint ime.

 

[summoner12]

for the most part, the typical t-40? florescent grow lights are just a certain color temp (kelvin temp). In my experience, there isn't much diferent from a similar color temp regualur flourescent.

They typically do have a nice color temp though that will probably make the chams colors look better than the typical flourescent bulb. If they are not much more than typical bulbs, I would say go for it. They will balance out the blue from a typical zoo med 5.0(they have a oranger/redder tint ime.

they are T12 lamps. in a dual lamp fixture that is 40 watts total. You are right, the color temp is different.. not sure what it is. It did make the cage brighter than just having two 5.0 or two 10.0 Reptisun's in the fixture. In the past my Ficus and Shefflera plants have died. The Pothos have grown like mad... this has to do with the fact that they are low light/high water type plants. Mine have gown like weeds. Itworks out now though. I have removed the main plants and just hung the vines of my over grown Pothos around the vines of the cage... Jake and Fred seem happy.

 

[ChaMeLeOnChaMeLeOn]

I have removed the main plants and just hung the vines of my over grown Pothos around the vines of the cage... Jake and Fred seem happy.

Does this mean Jake and Fred are housed together in the same cage? Im getting a 260 Gallon Reptarium and want to get 2 female chameleons and im wondering if this will be ok as this is alot of room for them to move a round in!! Thanks

 

[SoCaliSon]

Kevin...or Kevins...

I have been using one of these "Full Spectrum Plant grow" Fluorecents made by GE, in one of my 4 foot double fixtures... And along with the extra light... I have found that my Hibiscus, which I used to kill like crazy...are doing a lot better... I have a Hibiscus that has been cycling flowers for the last 3 weeks, which was unheardof in any of my cages. It seems to give my plants the little extra light they need.

 

[Fidel]

I have one and I don't notice any difference in plant growth. I only buy the regular daylight bulbs now. They actually look brighter and better to me, the plant light also has more of a warm tint to it, which I don't like.

 

[PINki]

Sorry for offtopic,

but I wanna know if 6-8" is too far for UV tube? Should I move spot for cham closer or is it enough?

 

[Dean Pulcini]

That's to far for a mv bulb no less a standered florescent tube. A 10.0 tube is 21'' and a 5.0 is way less then that not to mention the screen. You can move the branch within effective range and the chameleon will do the rest.

 

[summoner12]

That's to far for a mv bulb no less a standered florescent tube. A 10.0 tube is 21'' and a 5.0 is way less then that not to mention the screen. You can move the branch within effective range and the chameleon will do the rest.

chameleons don't regulate UVB intake by moving closer or farther. If you have a 5.0 lamp over your screen cage put the branch about 6-8" from the top and he should get the amount he needs, I would do 6". a 10.0 is a bit much if you don't have a lot of plant coverage at the top of the cage.

 

[Dean Pulcini]

Taking readings with my solar meter the uvb is greater at the top of the enclosure then it is at the bottom and the chameleon moving in and out and up and down will regulate his uvb intake.

 

[summoner12]

Taking readings with my solar meter the uvb is greater at the top of the enclosure then it is at the bottom and the chameleon moving in and out and up and down will regulate his uvb intake.

Yes but he isn't sensing the UVB and saying to himself "ok, got enough for today im gonna head to lower levels of the cage' I know they can see light different than us, but I don't think they meter it like your UV meter does.

 

[PINki]

I use repti-glo 5.0

It's 6-8 inches far when cham comes to his closest spot. Is it too far?
Mesh isn't blocking the rays.

 

[summoner12]

I use repti-glo 5.0

It's 6-8 inches far when cham comes to his closest spot. Is it too far?
Mesh isn't blocking the rays.

How is mesh not blocking the rays?

If the light is above the cage on the other side of screen or plastic mesh the UVB is being blocked a little.

 

[PINki]

I've got lights in a cage on a safe distance

 

[summoner12]

I've got lights in a cage on a safe distance

You can place the lamps on top of the cage.. how come they are inside?

 

[Sepioteuthis]

Yes but he isn't sensing the UVB and saying to himself "ok, got enough for today im gonna head to lower levels of the cage' I know they can see light different than us, but I don't think they meter it like your UV meter does.

Actually they may be sensing just that, according to an article by Gary Ferguson (study on female panther chams):
"Depending on dietary intake of vitamin D3, chameleons adjusted their exposure time to UV-B irradiation as if regulating their endogenous production of this vital hormone. When dietary intake was low (1–3 IU/g), they exposed themselves to significantly more UV-producing light; when intake was high (9–129 IU/g), they exposed themselves to less."

The abstract of this article is here. I remember reading the whole thing online at some point, but now I can't find it again.

 

[summoner12]

Actually they may be sensing just that, according to an article by Gary Ferguson (study on female panther chams):
"Depending on dietary intake of vitamin D3, chameleons adjusted their exposure time to UV-B irradiation as if regulating their endogenous production of this vital hormone. When dietary intake was low (1–3 IU/g), they exposed themselves to significantly more UV-producing light; when intake was high (9–129 IU/g), they exposed themselves to less."

The abstract of this article is here. I remember reading the whole thing online at some point, but now I can't find it again.

I know that iguanas have a 'third' eye that can meter light... or so I've heard..... But I have never heard of chameleons having this... I figured they just could see light differently and determine the type of light they want to sit under by how objects appear in the light they see.