Lighting and Heat

[RcManChild]

I have a 8 month old panther chameleon.

He is maybe only 5-6 long. Seems awfully low for a chameleon his age (if it is a male). Will try to post pics tonight.

Anyways breeder has recomeneded changing to Arcadia bulbs. Which I'm not against. However I am currently using the Exo terra sun ray fixture. I have troubles believing that that is the issue..

So question is:

Do I add a uvb bulb temporarily to see if that helps?
Do I get a uvb bulb and a separate heat source... if this is what you recommend what setup would you go with?

The baby male is in a 2'x2'x3' exo terra. So there's not a lot of room on the top of the cage to start mixing different bulbs.

I would like to use Arcadia bulbs, 1 6% uvb and a plant growth bulb.
Then I still have the issue of providing heat.

Anyone else here use the sunray and have any suggestions.

I have the 35 watt bulb about 8" away from the basking spot.

I think I answered my own question and will try a single uvb bulb to see if that helps.

 

[Carlton]

I doubt any particular brand of UV bulb stunted this baby's growth. First, remember that size/length can be an inherited trait and a breeder selecting for color, markings, temperament, etc. may unintentionally end up selecting for smaller young. The baby could have a congenital defect that stunted growth but allowed it to survive. There is size variation between individual chams too. Also, chams tend to grow in spurts. Maybe yours is due for one and he could make up some length if he's healthy otherwise. A good varied diet, proper temps, and using the UV lighting properly will probably do more.

 

[RcManChild]

Anyone know much about the exo terra sun ray fixture then??? yay or nay

 

[Abram]

I do not know anything about the sunray other than what I just googled. Seems a bit expensive. I use the exo terra solar glo 125w. Keep it a little over a foot away from a top basking spot. At around $50 a piece, and needing to be replaced every 6 months, its a bit pricey, but I think they work great. Ive had chams look bummed out, switched to that bulb, and they brightened and perked right up.

 

[kinyonga]

For years I have used the long linear Repti-sun 5.0 as a UVB source and a regular white incandescent household bulb in a hood for a baski g light. Having the basking light separate from the UVB gives the chameleon the option of basking without having to be in the UVB and the long UVB gives it more area to sit in to get UVB. Just my opinion.

 

[RcManChild]

@Abram, the rating on the UVB look way lower than the sunray which is good/bad... my sunray is about 8" away from basking spot.

@kinyonga I dont disagree with that train of thought. However if you look at nature, when would the chameleon have access to UVB without heat? I guess it is slightly different as the sun rises and lowers during the day....

I did also find that someone (probably me) left the little slots at the back of the terrarium where the wires can go for temp and humidity open... Which meant crickets kept escaping... I was wondering where they were coming from.... I think he wasn't getting all his food like he was supposed too...

All I ever see my 8 month old chameleon do is bask.... does that mean its not warm enough for him??

depending on how he sits my temperature gauge read 86 at the highest point, down to 83 if he sits sideways on it..

 

[Graves923]

If you want to eliminate food intake as a cause of slow growth, you can try cup feeding. It'll allow you to monitor how much he eats.

 

[kinyonga]

Panther chameleons have been shown to regulate their exposure to the UVB to control their D3 levels...they aren't looking for heat at that time but UVB....right now I don't have time to discuss it further but here's one link that talks about it..
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19335229
Another...
http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/597525?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

 

[JacksJill]

I have heard that panthers grow larger faster in larger cages. I can't imagine the science behind that. I suppose it's possible that if they sense they have a small territory they stay small. Take that with a grain of salt.
I'm not recommending putting a neonate or young juvenile in a 2x2x4. Might be worth a try for a 7-12 mos. old male if that's not what you already have while you are closing up the holes.

 

[RcManChild]

I am in the midst of building his new "territory"

36Wx36Tx18D... I should be done next weekend... unfortunately I travel alot and needed all the chemicals to settle in before adding the cham to the cage...