Light fixtures, Sansi grow light and cage placement. Am I risking burning my house down?

[PlanetRemulak]

I’ve attached pictures of the room I’ll be keeping my cham‘s cage in (not really sure how to go about explaining the way the ceiling is lowered close to where the cage will be).

So, long story short, I’ll be keeping my cham’s cage toward the front of my office/computer room. I’m not concerned about the proximity of the windows; the shutters pictured are thick and do an excellent job at blocking out sunlight. I have concerns about the height of the ceiling above the windows in relation to where the top of my cage will be (I’ve got a cage wall propped up beneath the lowered ceiling to get an idea of just how close - or far away - the cage top will sit below It). When everything is fully set up, the cage will sit about 2 or so inches higher than pictured. I’m thinking my UVB fixture will be fine as I intend to place it across the top diagonally. My primary concern is heat coming off the top of my basking lamp and eventual Sansi LED grow lights. For what it’s worth.. I have a ceiling fan in this same room that I run non-stop.

I know, logic would dictate that I just find a different spot for the cage. This 2 foot wide cranny is the best spot I’ve found for the cage (for now) becaaaauuuuse.. I’m a visual artist. I do freelance art for a living (or rather, when I come across an opportunity to make a living at it), and one of my wired graphics tablets is set up to the desktop computer at the desk near the cage. I don’t do the bulk of my work on this tablet anymore (in other words, I won’t be forcing my new chameleon to put up with me sitting right next to him while I work on drawings on a daily basis/for hours at a time), but it is still a necessity as the wired tablet and Photoshop continue to offer editing features that Procreate on my iPad Pro currently does not. Completely unrelated art/work junk aside.. In order to move the desk closer to the windows so I can put my chameleon on the opposite end, I’ll have to completely unplug my desktop and graphics tablet, pull out all my desk drawers and pray I can move that massive desk over. Can’t ask the fiancé to do it just yet as he’s nursing a back injury at the moment.

TLDR; Ceiling above cham cage is kind of closed in, not entirely. I’m worried about boxing in my light fixtures, creating too much heat, having something explode and burning my house down. How likely is this scenario based on your experience with Sansi LED grow lights and your own enclosure placement? lol

 

[MissSkittles]

I’ve attached pictures of the room I’ll be keeping my cham‘s cage in (not really sure how to go about explaining the way the ceiling is lowered close to where the cage will be).

So, long story short, I’ll be keeping my cham’s cage toward the front of my office/computer room. I’m not concerned about the proximity of the windows; the shutters pictured are thick and do an excellent job at blocking out sunlight. I have concerns about the height of the ceiling above the windows in relation to where the top of my cage will be (I’ve got a cage wall propped up beneath the lowered ceiling to get an idea of just how close - or far away - the cage top will sit below It). When everything is fully set up, the cage will sit about 2 or so inches higher than pictured. I’m thinking my UVB fixture will be fine as I intend to place it across the top diagonally. My primary concern is heat coming off the top of my basking lamp and eventual Sansi LED grow lights. For what it’s worth.. I have a ceiling fan in this same room that I run non-stop.

I know, logic would dictate that I just find a different spot for the cage. This 2 foot wide cranny is the best spot I’ve found for the cage (for now) becaaaauuuuse.. I’m a visual artist. I do freelance art for a living (or rather, when I come across an opportunity to make a living at it), and one of my wired graphics tablets is set up to the desktop computer at the desk near the cage. I don’t do the bulk of my work on this tablet anymore (in other words, I won’t be forcing my new chameleon to put up with me sitting right next to him while I work on drawings on a daily basis/for hours at a time), but it is still a necessity as the wired tablet and Photoshop continue to offer editing features that Procreate on my iPad Pro currently does not. Completely unrelated art/work junk aside.. In order to move the desk closer to the windows so I can put my chameleon on the opposite end, I’ll have to completely unplug my desktop and graphics tablet, pull out all my desk drawers and pray I can move that massive desk over. Can’t ask the fiancé to do it just yet as he’s nursing a back injury at the moment.

TLDR; Ceiling above cham cage is kind of closed in, not entirely. I’m worried about boxing in my light fixtures, creating too much heat, having something explode and burning my house down. How likely is this scenario based on your experience with Sansi LED grow lights and your own enclosure placement? lol

I just measured and there is 15.25” from the top of my enclosures (where the Sansi lights sit) to my ceiling. I have 4 enclosures all lined up and 3 of them have been in the same spot for over a year. I haven’t burned my house down, my ceilings aren’t scorched and my chameleons aren’t suffering any vision loss. Hopefully very soon I’ll be moving my chameleons and I plan on suspending the lights a few inches above their enclosures and I have no concerns about having the lights be even closer to the ceiling.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I’ve attached pictures of the room I’ll be keeping my cham‘s cage in (not really sure how to go about explaining the way the ceiling is lowered close to where the cage will be).

So, long story short, I’ll be keeping my cham’s cage toward the front of my office/computer room. I’m not concerned about the proximity of the windows; the shutters pictured are thick and do an excellent job at blocking out sunlight. I have concerns about the height of the ceiling above the windows in relation to where the top of my cage will be (I’ve got a cage wall propped up beneath the lowered ceiling to get an idea of just how close - or far away - the cage top will sit below It). When everything is fully set up, the cage will sit about 2 or so inches higher than pictured. I’m thinking my UVB fixture will be fine as I intend to place it across the top diagonally. My primary concern is heat coming off the top of my basking lamp and eventual Sansi LED grow lights. For what it’s worth.. I have a ceiling fan in this same room that I run non-stop.

I know, logic would dictate that I just find a different spot for the cage. This 2 foot wide cranny is the best spot I’ve found for the cage (for now) becaaaauuuuse.. I’m a visual artist. I do freelance art for a living (or rather, when I come across an opportunity to make a living at it), and one of my wired graphics tablets is set up to the desktop computer at the desk near the cage. I don’t do the bulk of my work on this tablet anymore (in other words, I won’t be forcing my new chameleon to put up with me sitting right next to him while I work on drawings on a daily basis/for hours at a time), but it is still a necessity as the wired tablet and Photoshop continue to offer editing features that Procreate on my iPad Pro currently does not. Completely unrelated art/work junk aside.. In order to move the desk closer to the windows so I can put my chameleon on the opposite end, I’ll have to completely unplug my desktop and graphics tablet, pull out all my desk drawers and pray I can move that massive desk over. Can’t ask the fiancé to do it just yet as he’s nursing a back injury at the moment.

TLDR; Ceiling above cham cage is kind of closed in, not entirely. I’m worried about boxing in my light fixtures, creating too much heat, having something explode and burning my house down. How likely is this scenario based on your experience with Sansi LED grow lights and your own enclosure placement? lol

I'm befused. [sic]

Are you saying the enclosure will go in front of that window and under the fascia, or will it go in the main part of the room (can't see the ceiling height)?

IMO, the chair is too low. Basking site should be at or above your eye level.

Perch Height

One of the most effective ways to give security to a chameleon is to arrange it so they can perch high up. If you are able to set their cage on a platform where their perch is at or, better, above eye level of the humans walking around, your chameleon will feel much more secure. Even with a perfect cage interior, resting the cage on the floor is the quickest way to have a nervous chameleon.
https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-cage-placement/

 

[PlanetRemulak]

I'm befused. [sic]

Are you saying the enclosure will go in front of that window and under the fascia, or will it go in the main part of the room (can't see the ceiling height)?

IMO, the chair is too low. Basking site should be at or above your eye level.

My apologies - your first guess was correct cage will be going in front of window under the fascia (is that what it’s called??). The fascia will not cover the entirety of the top of the cage. For the side of the cage that will be sitting beneath it, there is a distance from the ceiling to where the top of the cage will be of just over 14 1/2 inches. There will probably only be about a foot and a half distance between the fascia ceiling and top of the cage by the time everything is assembled (the cage will be on risers).

In all honesty, I didn’t provide the best pictures. The basking light will definitely be above my eye level.

 

[PlanetRemulak]

I just measured and there is 15.25” from the top of my enclosures (where the Sansi lights sit) to my ceiling. I have 4 enclosures all lined up and 3 of them have been in the same spot for over a year. I haven’t burned my house down, my ceilings aren’t scorched and my chameleons aren’t suffering any vision loss. Hopefully very soon I’ll be moving my chameleons and I plan on suspending the lights a few inches above their enclosures and I have no concerns about having the lights be even closer to the ceiling.

Thank you for this! Leave it to me to assume the worst.

 

[Beman]

I would put the heat lamp on the left side where the ceiling is higher. Just so the heat can escape farther up. Also this will allow you to raise the heat fixture off the top if needed. LED lighting does not produce the same heat that your heat fixture will. You should be good with those. Uvb will be fine as well.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

My apologies - your first guess was correct cage will be going in front of window under the fascia (is that what it’s called??).

No, Mea culpa. It could be called a fascia, soffit, or lintel, depending on what's under the drywall.
I have one over a box window.

In all honesty, I didn’t provide the best pictures. The basking light will definitely be above my eye level.

Not the basking light—the basking SITE (the perch where he'll bask). The basking light will likely be above the enclosure entirely, and possibly/probably produce more heat than the LED plant light.

Looking again, the more space you can manage between the enclosure and those shutters, the better for a number of reasons. If you've got 6" between enclosure top and soffit, I don't see a problem.

I have those lights. They've been on for 4½ hours, and I just put my hand on top of each to test.
They're warm, but not hot. kept my hand up there for at least 5 minutes. Having the ceiling fan circulating room air in the correct direction (up during hot weather, down during cold weather) should help immensely.

In any case I don't expect the LED is going to cause a fire.

 

[PlanetRemulak]

No, Mea culpa. It could be called a fascia, soffit, or lintel, depending on what's under the drywall.
I have one over a box window.


Not the basking light—the basking SITE (the perch where he'll bask). The basking light will likely be above the enclosure entirely, and possibly/probably produce more heat than the LED plant light.

Looking again, the more space you can manage between the enclosure and those shutters, the better for a number of reasons. If you've got 6" between enclosure top and soffit, I don't see a problem.

I have those lights. They've been on for 4½ hours, and I just put my hand on top of each to test.
They're warm, but not hot. kept my hand up there for at least 5 minutes. Having the ceiling fan circulating room air in the correct direction (up during hot weather, down during cold weather) should help immensely.

In any case I don't expect the LED is going to cause a fire.

Ah, I gotcha! So, I actually have a different end table I can use that’s a bit higher up. I don’t disagree that the cage should be moved a bit further away from the window shutters. Aside from the number one obvious answer being “to still be able to open and close your shutters,” can I ask why else you’d recommend moving the cage further away?

You’ve all been so helpful. I really appreciate it!

 

[PlanetRemulak]

I would put the heat lamp on the left side where the ceiling is higher. Just so the heat can escape farther up. Also this will allow you to raise the heat fixture off the top if needed. LED lighting does not produce the same heat that your heat fixture will. You should be good with those. Uvb will be fine as well.

Thank you, Beman! I‘m feeling lot better about this now. I’ll definitely keep the basking lamp on the end with the higher up ceiling.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Ah, I gotcha! So, I actually have a different end table I can use that’s a bit higher up. I don’t disagree that the cage should be moved a bit further away from the window shutters. Aside from the number one obvious answer being “to still be able to open and close your shutters,” can I ask why else you’d recommend moving the cage further away?

You’ve all been so helpful. I really appreciate it!

That's the big one. If you'll be using a mister in an all-screen enclosure, there can sometimes be a little overspray. General air-flow to help the ceiling fan work best. Access to that outlet & any registers. Access to wiring & switches, which I'm guessing may run down that side to get to that outlet...

 

[PlanetRemulak]

That's the big one. If you'll be using a mister in an all-screen enclosure, there can sometimes be a little overspray. General air-flow to help the ceiling fan work best. Access to that outlet & any registers. Access to wiring & switches, which I'm guessing may run down that side to get to that outlet...

Ah, right. You’d think I’d have common sense enough to work that out on my own! I’ll do some rearranging and see about moving the enclosure away from the wall outlet.

In regards to lighting, I’ve got a whole new concern. I’ve been pretty mindlessly buying LED bulbs for the house as needed without realizing that incandescent bulbs are no longer a thing in CA. Even halogen flood lights have been weirdly difficult to find. I really don’t want to have to rely on basking bulbs marketed toward reptiles.. they’re so overpriced for one. I say that, but my cham is actually ready to and I’ll need a basking bulb as soon as possible. I’m about to just bite the bullet and get these: https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Bask...ywords=flukers+60w&qid=1625372613&sr=8-2&th=1

Soooo I guess my next question is this (I hate to start yet ANOTHER thread): If anyone in California happens to see this, what are you using for a basking bulb?

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I’m about to just bite the bullet and get these: https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Basking-Spotlight-Bulbs-Reptiles/dp/B0981Y6T3J/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=flukers+60w&qid=1625372613&sr=8-2&th=1

That's not a lot more (maybe the same) as I just paid for some incandescent floods.

Soooo I guess my next question is this (I hate to start yet ANOTHER thread): If anyone in California happens to see this, what are you using for a basking bulb?

I don't live in Cali, but I read others' posts, and this question comes up quite often.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/search/1254517/?q=basking+bulb+in+california&o=relevance

 

[MissSkittles]

Ah, right. You’d think I’d have common sense enough to work that out on my own! I’ll do some rearranging and see about moving the enclosure away from the wall outlet.

In regards to lighting, I’ve got a whole new concern. I’ve been pretty mindlessly buying LED bulbs for the house as needed without realizing that incandescent bulbs are no longer a thing in CA. Even halogen flood lights have been weirdly difficult to find. I really don’t want to have to rely on basking bulbs marketed toward reptiles.. they’re so overpriced for one. I say that, but my cham is actually ready to and I’ll need a basking bulb as soon as possible. I’m about to just bite the bullet and get these: https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Basking-Spotlight-Bulbs-Reptiles/dp/B0981Y6T3J/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=flukers+60w&qid=1625372613&sr=8-2&th=1

Soooo I guess my next question is this (I hate to start yet ANOTHER thread): If anyone in California happens to see this, what are you using for a basking bulb?

Not in Cali, but I finally gave up out of frustration searching for incandescent and use those same bulbs. They do the job and save me from spending 30+ minutes carefully inspecting and reading every light bulb box at the store.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I’m about to just bite the bullet and get these: https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Basking-Spotlight-Bulbs-Reptiles/dp/B0981Y6T3J/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=flukers+60w&qid=1625372613&sr=8-2&th=1

I guess my only concern is that those are spots—not floods. Why these companies settled on spots in lieu of floods in the first place, I'll never fathom.

I find these, but IDK if there's some rule/reg that prevents them from shipping to Cali.

 

[Beman]

Ah, right. You’d think I’d have common sense enough to work that out on my own! I’ll do some rearranging and see about moving the enclosure away from the wall outlet.

In regards to lighting, I’ve got a whole new concern. I’ve been pretty mindlessly buying LED bulbs for the house as needed without realizing that incandescent bulbs are no longer a thing in CA. Even halogen flood lights have been weirdly difficult to find. I really don’t want to have to rely on basking bulbs marketed toward reptiles.. they’re so overpriced for one. I say that, but my cham is actually ready to and I’ll need a basking bulb as soon as possible. I’m about to just bite the bullet and get these: https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Basking-Spotlight-Bulbs-Reptiles/dp/B0981Y6T3J/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=flukers+60w&qid=1625372613&sr=8-2&th=1

Soooo I guess my next question is this (I hate to start yet ANOTHER thread): If anyone in California happens to see this, what are you using for a basking bulb?

I always have bought these. You can get them at petco too. I have only had one burn out in 2 years. https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Su...ra+daytime+heat+60+watt&qid=1625411020&sr=8-3

I do not like the focused basking bulbs. I have tried them. It creates more of a hot spot instead of an area of heat.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Yeah, those are much better than the spots.

 

[PlanetRemulak]

Not in Cali, but I finally gave up out of frustration searching for incandescent and use those same bulbs. They do the job and save me from spending 30+ minutes carefully inspecting and reading every light bulb box at the store.

I guess my only concern is that those are spots—not floods. Why these companies settled on spots in lieu of floods in the first place, I'll never fathom.

I find these, but IDK if there's some rule/reg that prevents them from shipping to Cali.

I always have bought these. You can get them at petco too. I have only had one burn out in 2 years. https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Su...ra+daytime+heat+60+watt&qid=1625411020&sr=8-3

I do not like the focused basking bulbs. I have tried them. It creates more of a hot spot instead of an area of heat.

Yeah, those are much better than the spots.

Again you guys come through with thoroughly helpful links and info. Thank you so much @Beman and to you all! I bought a 4 pack of bulbs on Amazon, but we have a petco in town (booo ) and it’s great knowing what you use so that I have options. I swear I’d be a nervous wreck without this forum

 

[PlanetRemulak]

I guess my only concern is that those are spots—not floods. Why these companies settled on spots in lieu of floods in the first place, I'll never fathom.

I find these, but IDK if there's some rule/reg that prevents them from shipping to Cali.

What I find really interesting about these bulbs is that I came across them on the Home Depot website, but there was a disclaimer at the bottom of the item description that said ”shipping to California unavailable.” Not so on Amazon!

At any rate, I bought a four pack lol. Thank you once again, @Klyde O'Scope!