Heating issues

[Rango220]

Hey guys, Recently my chameleon burnt his back pretty badly due to the temperature in my new bedroom I moved into a couple of weeks ago and being the biggest bedroom in the house it's difficult to get the heat up in his cage, so when he had his accident I quickly moved the basking bulb off the cage and now it's hovering over the mesh cage he's in now, but now it's hovering I can't get the correct heat for him. So then what I did is brought some Perspex sheets what fit snugly over each panel on his cage one on each side and one on the back, I haven't put any on the front so he still gets plenty of ventilation, I did this thinking it would lock in more heat but I've been defeated once again so I put the bulb back on top of his cage and the temp I can get now is only 81 F when it should be a lot higher especially in the winter months I'm out of options guys and I was hoping some of you anyone of you would know how I can fix this problem. Much appreciated thanks

 

[JamesBryan]

What wattage bulb is it? Now that it's raised off the cage you might need a higher wattage to compensate.

 

[frikitiki]

What are you actually using to measure the temp with?

 

[Rango220]

The bulb I'm using now is a 100 watt basking bulb I brought yesterday from the pet shop, because the bulb I had before blew it was a 150 watt basking bulb and I use just a cheap thermostat with a probe that goes inside the cage and and it displays the temp on a little screen on top of his cage

 

[frikitiki]

That is just recording the air temp in that area. It would be wise to invest in some kind of laser temp reader. Place something in the basking area and measure the temp of that object several times over a period of time. Mass will build up heat. then you can a adjust bulb wattage or bulb height to achieve correct temps. Hope this helps.

Alex

 

[Rango220]

The probe is under his basking spot but if it's wise to get one of those temprature things you're on about I'll buy one thanks for the help much appreciated

 

[repdog]

Yes get one. They are great. I have the probes in all my cages as well. But I also have the temp gun. If for some reason I think someone is just not right or they are climbing where they normally don't I use the temp gun and start measuring all over the place.

 

[Rango220]

I've just purchased one off the internet thanks for the help guys

 

[fluxlizard]

Burns usually happen because the spot is hot and the cage is cold.

You want a thermal gradient- a gradual change of temperature through the cage, rather than a sudden one.

If your house is cool and you require a basking light that strong (150 or 100 watts) you might want to consider using a few lower watt bulbs placed near each other rather than 1 strong one. That way you have a greater area of warm air than a hot spot and cool cage.

Also consider carefully how many different temperature options are available to the lizard- are there several branches near the basking site, with a range of slightly different temperatures, or only a single basking branch?

Chameleons regulate by warming their core, not their surface temp. In a cool cage with a "hot spot" the chameleon may sit and burn its surface waiting for its core to warm. I call this a "digital" method of keeping a lizard- it's all heat or no heat, on or off the basking site. Lizards are analogue- they need to adjust a little bit at a time, and to do that, they need lots of temperature options- a thermal gradient. If you cannot provide that you are better off going with lower basking temperatures.

 

[junglefries]

I recommend fluxlizards two bulb trick. Easy to find double bulb fixtures now. The bulbs don't even have to be the same wattage. You can use one slightly higher (25w) on one side. That way, you offer a gradient to basking.

 

[Rango220]

That's not a bad idea, I've got a spare light dome lying about ill give that a whirl

 

[rkruse3]

I like the brooder bulbs they use for chickens. They provide warmth over a larger area, and provide a nice basking spot that doesn't get insanely hot. As mentioned earlier in this post, objects will gain heat while sitting under a heat source. Kind of like a pot on the stove.