I need specific help finding a heat bulb

[VisionaryTrance]

My 1 year old cham experienced some thermal burns on his side because I had a basking spot too high and I was using a 75 watt exo terra bulb from the pet store.

I cut his basking spot down 3-5 inches and do not want to use the exo terra bulb any more because the light is wayyy too concentrated.

Ive had people on here tell me that I need "any white incandescent bulb" around 30-60 watts. So I went to home depot and bought a 4 pack of the soft white incandescent bulbs and they were labeled 43W=60W....and the price tag said 60 watts. I purchased these and upon returning home I found that it wasn't providing enough heat at all.

I am very confused as to what wattage bulb I need to produce a safe amount of heat for my cham (and I can not use more than one heat bulb).

I have a dual dome enclosure holding a 5.0 uvb bulb and the heating bulb on top of the cage.

After cutting down the basking spot a few inches I would say that it is now 6-7 inches from the lights.

If someone could just tell me a specific kind of bulb and what specs should be exactly on that bulb it would save me a lot of time, thank you.

 

[Montium]

A great investment would be a temp gun. They range in price from under $20 to as much as you want to pay lol. It's the best way to find out if your enclosure has any spots that will be hot enough for a burn. Bulb wattage will not matter at that point ( other than your electric bill ) as you can raise or lower the light fixture to get the basking spot at the temp you desire.

 

[werecat]

What you purchased sounds like an LED bulb or maybe a CFL bulb. Those will not provide enough heat. What you need is an incandescent bulb or a halogen bulb. Incandescent bulbs are no longer sold in 60 or 100 watt at most stores because they are not considered "energy efficient". It is therefore more difficult to source these. Try halogen bulbs. They will also be labeled as lower wattages with a 60 or higher equivalent, but will actually produce heat unlike LED bulbs. If you get the style that looks like a regular light bulb you will just have to make sure it says "halogen" somewhere on the package. You can also look for a par 20 halogen "flood". This will also work well. Just make sure you are not using a "spot" of any sort as this is concentrating the heat and will be more likely to cause burns. The "flood" will distribute the heat more widely and be less concentrated. The standard looking bulb should also have a wider distribution of heat.

Here's some examples:
http://genet.gelighting.com/LightProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=CONSUMERSPECPAGE&PRODUCTCODE=63007

http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-14700-50-watt-PAR20-halogen/dp/B000KKJXP8

I use this one. It's the only "reptile-specific" bulb I've found that is not a spot. It is pretty much a glorified overpriced household incandescent of the type you used to be able to buy for your lamps, but since it is branded for reptiles it will cost more than the house bulbs used to. I believe they are still allowed to sell this because it is considered a "specialty" bulb. I use 100 watt on a dimmer, but I recommend you try the 60 watt since your guy has a burn.
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/daytime_heat_lamp.php

You may need to try a couple of different bulbs to get the right temp dialed in.

 

[mhfan305]

Just make sure you are not using a "spot" of any sort as this is concentrating the heat and will be more likely to cause burns.

I just purchased an exo terra daylight basking spot bulb, its the mushroom shape. I have the 50 watt, so youre telling me this will cause burns? What if I have it higher up, not touching the screen?

 

[werecat]

I just purchased an exo terra daylight basking spot bulb, its the mushroom shape. I have the 50 watt, so youre telling me this will cause burns? What if I have it higher up, not touching the screen?

The bulb you bought is designed for desert dwelling reptiles. It can cause burns in chameleons because a spot bulb focuses the beam of light and heat. This is fine for many desert dwelling reptiles, but chameleons are jungle dwellers and don't encounter strong patches of intense heat in their habitats. A flood light is better because it distributes the heat and light in a wider area, providing a soft gradient from warmer to cooler areas. This allows the cham to choose the temperature it needs without a hot spot that could cause a burn. Though a spot does not guarantee a burn, it is definitely a risk. If you have it raised higher above the cage you are minimizing this risk, but the focused beam still will create a hot spot.

Since the OP's chameleon already has a burn (I'm guessing possibly from using a spot), I strongly suggest they use a flood to avoid any further damage.

 

[FlChamMom]

I am currently using 75 watt incandescent bulbs on my males cages and a 60 watt bulb on my females cage. Males basking temp is currently 85-88 and the females is 79-83.

 

[VisionaryTrance]

What you purchased sounds like an LED bulb or maybe a CFL bulb. Those will not provide enough heat. What you need is an incandescent bulb or a halogen bulb. Incandescent bulbs are no longer sold in 60 or 100 watt at most stores because they are not considered "energy efficient". It is therefore more difficult to source these. Try halogen bulbs. They will also be labeled as lower wattages with a 60 or higher equivalent, but will actually produce heat unlike LED bulbs. If you get the style that looks like a regular light bulb you will just have to make sure it says "halogen" somewhere on the package. You can also look for a par 20 halogen "flood". This will also work well. Just make sure you are not using a "spot" of any sort as this is concentrating the heat and will be more likely to cause burns. The "flood" will distribute the heat more widely and be less concentrated. The standard looking bulb should also have a wider distribution of heat.

Here's some examples:
http://genet.gelighting.com/LightProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=CONSUMERSPECPAGE&PRODUCTCODE=63007

http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-14700-50-watt-PAR20-halogen/dp/B000KKJXP8

I use this one. It's the only "reptile-specific" bulb I've found that is not a spot. It is pretty much a glorified overpriced household incandescent of the type you used to be able to buy for your lamps, but since it is branded for reptiles it will cost more than the house bulbs used to. I believe they are still allowed to sell this because it is considered a "specialty" bulb. I use 100 watt on a dimmer, but I recommend you try the 60 watt since your guy has a burn.
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/daytime_heat_lamp.php

You may need to try a couple of different bulbs to get the right temp dialed in.

I remember seeing the GE branded one in Lowes but I wasn't sure if it would be bright or hot enough because the bulb looked blue-ish. So I plan on going out tomorrow morning and getting the GE bulb. I should get the one that says 60W INCANDESCENT REPLACEMENT right? When his burns heal should I get a higher wattage version of the same bulb or keep using the 60W one?

I've been putting polysporin on his burns everyday and I want to get his new bulb ASAP because I am still using that same one that gave him these thermal burns (I lowered the basking spot in the meantime).

 

[jannb]

A great investment would be a temp gun. They range in price from under $20 to as much as you want to pay lol. It's the best way to find out if your enclosure has any spots that will be hot enough for a burn. Bulb wattage will not matter at that point ( other than your electric bill ) as you can raise or lower the light fixture to get the basking spot at the temp you desire.

I totally agree. Get a digital temp gun and raise the light up off the top of the cage. The type of bulb really doesn't matter. What matters is that you get the correct temp and that's why you need a good temp gun. Personally I've always used a regular household bulb.

 

[mhfan305]

The bulb you bought is designed for desert dwelling reptiles. It can cause burns in chameleons because a spot bulb focuses the beam of light and heat. This is fine for many desert dwelling reptiles, but chameleons are jungle dwellers and don't encounter strong patches of intense heat in their habitats. A flood light is better because it distributes the heat and light in a wider area, providing a soft gradient from warmer to cooler areas. This allows the cham to choose the temperature it needs without a hot spot that could cause a burn. Though a spot does not guarantee a burn, it is definitely a risk. If you have it raised higher above the cage you are minimizing this risk, but the focused beam still will create a hot spot.

Since the OP's chameleon already has a burn (I'm guessing possibly from using a spot), I strongly suggest they use a flood to avoid any further damage.

I also have a 25W exo terra daylight bulb, I'll use that, because if I put the basking perch 4-6 inches away from the bulb its should give me around 83-85F. Im not sure yet, I have to test it out. What do you think? Will this 25W be too low a wattage?

 

[werecat]

I remember seeing the GE branded one in Lowes but I wasn't sure if it would be bright or hot enough because the bulb looked blue-ish. So I plan on going out tomorrow morning and getting the GE bulb. I should get the one that says 60W INCANDESCENT REPLACEMENT right? When his burns heal should I get a higher wattage version of the same bulb or keep using the 60W one?

I've been putting polysporin on his burns everyday and I want to get his new bulb ASAP because I am still using that same one that gave him these thermal burns (I lowered the basking spot in the meantime).

The GE Reveal bulbs have a bluish tint because the color temperature of the light is closer to daylight (which is about 5600 degrees Kelvin). It will definatly give enough light. You could also get one called "soft white" which is what most people are used to in their house lamps, but this light will be much warmer in color temperature. I prefer closer to daylight color temps for chams since daylight is what they would experience in the wild. I don't think color temperature has much bearing on the actual amount of heat emitted. It's mainly a visual thing.

As far as wattage, I'd say try the 60 watt incandescent replacement, but as others have stated, a temp gun will help you measure the amount of heat you are actually getting. This can vary depending on the temp of your room and the distance of the light from the basking spot. You may need to make further adjustments even with the 60.

Once he heals, you can continue using the 60 as long as temps remain in the right zone. For instance, during winter my room is cooler and so I use a slightly higher wattage. In the summer the room can get quite warm and I will lower the wattage or even turn the basking light off for a short time. The only way I know to gauge this is by measuring my temps regularly with a probe thermometer and a temp gun.

 

[werecat]

I also have a 25W exo terra daylight bulb, I'll use that, because if I put the basking perch 4-6 inches away from the bulb its should give me around 83-85F. Im not sure yet, I have to test it out. What do you think? Will this 25W be too low a wattage?

If it's for a panther I think 25 watts will not be enough. I wouldn't want my basking spot to be that close to the light. This really depends on what species chameleon you have. Without knowing I can't really give you advice. My advice has been specifically for the OP, and the info they have given. If you have questions about bulbs and temps for your situation I'd suggest starting a thread of your own and specifying the type of cham and current setup.

 

[VisionaryTrance]

The GE Reveal bulbs have a bluish tint because the color temperature of the light is closer to daylight (which is about 5600 degrees Kelvin). It will definatly give enough light. You could also get one called "soft white" which is what most people are used to in their house lamps, but this light will be much warmer in color temperature. I prefer closer to daylight color temps for chams since daylight is what they would experience in the wild. I don't think color temperature has much bearing on the actual amount of heat emitted. It's mainly a visual thing.

As far as wattage, I'd say try the 60 watt incandescent replacement, but as others have stated, a temp gun will help you measure the amount of heat you are actually getting. This can vary depending on the temp of your room and the distance of the light from the basking spot. You may need to make further adjustments even with the 60.

Once he heals, you can continue using the 60 as long as temps remain in the right zone. For instance, during winter my room is cooler and so I use a slightly higher wattage. In the summer the room can get quite warm and I will lower the wattage or even turn the basking light off for a short time. The only way I know to gauge this is by measuring my temps regularly with a probe thermometer and a temp gun.

I just purchased the GE one that you suggested, for future reference, do these bulbs need to be halogen to work best for my cham? and how often should I change the bulbs out? Every 6 months?

 

[Carlton]

I just purchased the GE one that you suggested, for future reference, do these bulbs need to be halogen to work best for my cham? and how often should I change the bulbs out? Every 6 months?

I think "halogen" is suggested because that's what is available these days as an incandescent bulb. Again, all this bulb needs to do is provide heat, not a specific part of the UV spectrum. You can use it until the filament fails and it won't light up. These exterior lights are tough and last a long time. A couple of tips...don't get spray water on the bulb while its lit, and use a ceramic fixture, not plastic.

 

[werecat]

Halogens or regular incandescents will give off light and heat. Halogens are just the most easy type to find. Just steer clear of LED as they will not give off enough heat. I think CFLs also have this problem.

As Carlton said, you can use this bulb for the life of the bulb. Use it until it burns out. Only the UVB bulb needs to be changed every 6 months since the amount of UV it puts out will diminish over time.