Measure Temp. for Basking

[originalgangle]

Hello! I am a new keeper and I am setting up my incoming Veiled's enclosure. I am incredibly worried that his basking spot will be too hot. He is a juvenile of 3 months. How do I measure the temperature on the basking area effectively? I have a 100W halogen bulb in a flukers dome lamp. I have set up hooks so I can easily adjust the height of the lamp, changing the temperature/intensity of light. lease let me know if this bulb is actually too high of wattage. I have multiple thermometers. Do I just hold the probe where he will sit to bask and see what temperature is reaches? For how long? Please help me out

 

[NAUSEATE]

@originalgangle best way to monitor temps is a temp gun for surface temps. A thermometer with a wire probe can be zip-tied under the basking lamp to good temperature reading where your chameleons back will be while basking

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I think he meant the probe can be zip-tied to the basking perch (it read a little confusing). Place the main thermometer where convenient to read it.

 

[Thompson]

A 100w bulb seems a bit high. You would simply have to rise it above the cage high enough where basking spot temps reach optimal range, and so that the lamp does not burn your baby. As long as you can get basking temps within the range of 85F-95F, with the rest of his cage a cooler ambient 70-80F so that he may cool down in-between trips.

 

[cham girl]

also put you hand there for a minute and feel the heat level where he sits and see if it feels to hot

 

[Beman]

100 watt is too much.. Temps should not exceed 80 at basking. Most will rely on a wired probe zip tied at the basking branch below the fixture.

For a Veiled you will never exceed 85 at basking. Most keep theirs at 80-82 as adults... Hotter temps at basking shorten lifespans.

This would be a good resource for you https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/

and this one. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

A 100w bulb seems a bit high.

Every installation may be different. My household ambients run in the low 70s, and a 100W wasn't enough to get my basking perch to 85F (as per breeders instructions). I had to go to a 75W halogen flood just to reach 84.5 (and lower—it's a gradient).

Oddly, the babe has never basked there. He prefers the tops of a ficus and/or mass cane, where the temps are lower but the UVI is 6-7.

 

[originalgangle]

A 100w bulb seems a bit high. You would simply have to rise it above the cage high enough where basking spot temps reach optimal range, and so that the lamp does not burn your baby. As long as you can get basking temps within the range of 85F-95F, with the rest of his cage a cooler ambient 70-80F so that he may cool down in-between trips.

I do have the basking lamp quite high! over a foot from the tank

 

[originalgangle]

100 watt is too much.. Temps should not exceed 80 at basking. Most will rely on a wired probe zip tied at the basking branch below the fixture.

For a Veiled you will never exceed 85 at basking. Most keep theirs at 80-82 as adults... Hotter temps at basking shorten lifespans.

This would be a good resource for you https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/

and this one. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

I have the basking spot at 29 degrees (84.2 degrees f), as thats what this caresheet says (https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/) for juvenile Chams.

Based on your advice here, I will raise the lamp even higher from the basking spot. Will that be sufficient, the 100 watts raised at a height to have basking spot at 78-80 F?

oh and Yes, I fastened my probe to the highest basking spot! I feel much better about my temp measurement with that there and giving consistent reading.

Thank you for the resources!

 

[originalgangle]

Overall, most people here are saying 100W is too much. Should I obtain a 75W bulb, or am I okay having the lamp high enough to have the correct basking temp (78-80 F)? The rest of the tank has a nice ambient temp of 72F. He also has options for shade

Thanks in advance!

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Overall, most people here are saying 100W is too much. Should I obtain a 75W bulb, or am I okay having the lamp high enough to have the correct basking temp (78-80 F)? The rest of the tank has a nice ambient temp of 72F. He also has options for shade

Thanks in advance!

You can do either. The end result (basking temp) is what's important. This is often a trial & error process.

I had to use a 100W household bulb to get to the recommended basking temp, but I was able to cut that back to a 75W halogen flood (not spot).

 

[Beman]

I have the basking spot at 29 degrees (84.2 degrees f), as thats what this caresheet says (https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/) for juvenile Chams.

Based on your advice here, I will raise the lamp even higher from the basking spot. Will that be sufficient, the 100 watts raised at a height to have basking spot at 78-80 F?

oh and Yes, I fastened my probe to the highest basking spot! I feel much better about my temp measurement with that there and giving consistent reading.

Thank you for the resources!

As long as your temp at basking is correct you can use the 100 watt. It is all about the distance in between hun to achieve the correct temp. 100 watt sitting directly on a cage top poses thermal burn risk and much too high temps.

So higher temps at basking is older thinking. This has been found to reduce lifespan. Babies should be lower in temp. So 85 max would be an adult male. I keep my adult male no hotter then about 82 at basking. So my younger male is also kept within this range of 78-82 max end. For a 3 month old I would drop it back to the 78-80 at basking. And since they screen climb you have to take that into account as well. Make sure you can sit and hold your hand to the screen. If it is not uncomfortable for you then it will be fine for baby. If it is uncomfortable for you then it could harm baby.