Lightning a big enclosure

[nightanole]

@jamest0o0 , absolutely T5s are appropriate, here, but it is more cost conscious and will do more for the plants and cut down on electricity use, humidity reduction, and it will be better to keep things cooler. It depends on the OP's environment. T5's generate a lot of heat and the spectrum degrades over time. LED retrofits last true to spectrum until the bulbs die and run very much cooler, with less energy consumption. If you were keeping in a cold, damp, basement, than T5s would give you more overall heat and not dry the air out too much. Buying fixtures for T5s, when he already has T8 fixtures costs more than buying MV bulbs and porcelain/ceramic dome fixtures for them.
You are not wrong, I'm just saying that there is more than one good option in this case and that's a great thing to have, but only if the OP knows the options and can weigh the pros and cons.

Dumb question, but cant you grow partial sun plants with LED retrofits? I just redid the garage with them and they look great. However im not sure if the plants will grow with just the led, and no IR(heat) or uv light. I know my plants LOVE the halogen basking light and will crowd out the perch its under.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

The LED retrofits for T5 and T8 are favored by plants over any other bulb I've used, including T5s with higher output.

 

[Longhorn1234]

Unrelated to uvb but does anybody here use the blue lights to simulate dawn/dusk? Does it really benefit chameleons? I've read that when lights go off they fall asleep where they are but the blue light gives them a chance to find a "better" spot to sleep if needed, before lights go completely off. I know this isn't essential as uvb or basking, but was wondering if someone here has any experience with it.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

The approach above would be the only acceptable use for blue bulbs and serves no harm, though is wholly optional. I think it is wise to taper lighting down and. It have it all come on and off at once.

 

[jamest0o0]

@Extensionofgreen I appreciate that informative response. Most of those things haven't crossed my mind or I was unaware of them. I'll be doing the t8s for my parsonii. Have the t5s in my downstairs panther room(where it's cold and humid). Anxious to see the difference, I would definitely prefer to use the LEDs where possible.

 

[Nursemaia]

I know this isn't a response to lighting but since you were talking about building a huge enclosure, check out this aviary on ebay. I'm getting one for my melleri. http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Huge-He...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

 

[Longhorn1234]

That aviary is huge! Your melleri is definitely going to be in paradise. Unfortunately it's way too big for my apartment. I would need to get rid of the tv in the living room haha. I appreciate you took the time to send me that link though
Are you using it as an indoor or outdoor enclosure?

 

[jamest0o0]

Damnnnn I need to get one of those

 

[Nursemaia]

Damnnnn I need to get one of those

I was thinking of you too when I posted that and then I was thinking about how could I fit that into my tiny little house and then I was thinking it would take up most of my living room and then I was thinking that wouldn't be normal and I should probably get a man first before I break out that level of crazy and turn the entire house into a cham paradise. It's bad enough I breed roaches. Work informed me last week they now have a term called "pulling a Maia" which means you leak out the crazy slowly over time rather than letting it all out at once because I've been there for awhile, they knew I had chams but they only recently found out I breed roaches and keep maggots and other bugs in the fridge. Apparently, that's weird.

That aviary is huge! Your melleri is definitely going to be in paradise. Unfortunately it's way too big for my apartment. I would need to get rid of the tv in the living room haha. I appreciate you took the time to send me that link though
Are you using it as an indoor or outdoor enclosure?

I'm going to use it outside. Mel the melleri, can live about 6 months outside here, I'm in DE, and inside he has a decent size setup but not the size he deserves. Inside he has an old parrot cage and it's big but the room he is in has multiple other chams in it so his cage is a little bit smaller than what he should be in so there's room for the others. Since he can stand much cooler temps, he can live outside much longer, he's still outside right now. I'm pushing it and he's going to have to come back inside in the next week or two but I'm pushing it to about where the temps overnight are getting close to 40 degrees because during the day it's warming up to the mid 70's and that is perfect for him. Midsummer is really hot for him but with fans and lots of water, he should be able to handle it as I am able to rig up my automatic mister outside. All my chams live outside in the summer but the other ones can't stay out as long as him and consider the size he will grow to, he needs a huge aviary. Plus, they can live communally and if I can get a 2nd one, I'd love to try breeding to help cut down on the horrors they go through when they are WC. James, that could be cham #8 for you.

 

[jamest0o0]

@Nursemaia well hang in there. If a guy doesn't accept you for putting a bird cage-housed by a chameleon in your living room, then he's not worth it. We're all crazy for something.

And now you have me brainstorming on how I can mod one of those things to have solid sides and a substrate bin for my Parsons.