Need help please respond!!!

[stormn1999]

Hello!!! My chameleon will be here tomorrow and I have a problem!! My basking light is a 50 watt and I had it set up for him. My thermometer says the basking spot is 120 degrees!! So I went put and bought a 40 watt daylight blue bulb to try and lower the temps... They are still in the 100s... What should I do?!

 

[luvbug237]

Move your basking spot lower inside the enclosure

 

[stormn1999]

Thanks so much for the reply! I have quite a small cage for my new juvi for now. And I did move the cage a few more inches downward but anymore would make the his main foliage apart of the lower half of the cage..

 

[Carlton]

Hello!!! My chameleon will be here tomorrow and I have a problem!! My basking light is a 50 watt and I had it set up for him. My thermometer says the basking spot is 120 degrees!! So I went put and bought a 40 watt daylight blue bulb to try and lower the temps... They are still in the 100s... What should I do?!

What type of thermometer are you using and how far away from the bulb did you put it? Some types of thermometers give inaccurate readings because their own covering gets overheated. Put the thermometer where the cham would sit to bask. If those are the resulting temps, you need to either raise the bulb higher above the cage top or lower the basking perch.

 

[craig90]

Move your basking spot lower inside the enclosure

I would raise the light as well because chameleons sometimes crawl on the screen at the top.

 

[stormn1999]

How can I raise the light above his cage??
Thanks for the replies everyone!

 

[stormn1999]

Here's a pic of his cage!! The little circle under the black basking done is the thermometer just so I could get some readings!!

 

[craig90]

How can I raise the light above his cage??
Thanks for the replies everyone!

Put something under the sides to prop it up a bit (until the temperature is more reasonable). You don't want it to get burnt if it hangs upside down right under the light.

 

[stormn1999]

Thanks everyone!! I have placed a few sticky note pads under the light to prop it up about an inch! I now have a steady basking temp of approximately 82 degrees!!

 

[Saldarya]

Get a 25W light bulb......

 

[broderp]

You can try this:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_70717-539-T...Ntt=lamp+dimmer&page=1&facetInfo=Slide|Dimmer

I bought this and was able to use a 150W bulb and dim it down to get a 95 degree temp for my veiled. That way you can use the bulbs you have any any you may have that are too much for your cham.

If your getting your new little guy tomorrow, you could still do a quick search local to you and see if any place has this (or similar) in stock and get it before you get your cham.

May still be quicker/ cheaper to get a few smaller bulbs to try and have.

 

[Jordyt]

Hello!!! My chameleon will be here tomorrow and I have a problem!! My basking light is a 50 watt and I had it set up for him. My thermometer says the basking spot is 120 degrees!! So I went put and bought a 40 watt daylight blue bulb to try and lower the temps... They are still in the 100s... What should I do?!

Get a fixture with a dimmer switch. It makes it easy to adjust you temps. This is especially useful if your room temp fluctuates.

 

[SRTtoZ]

You have 4 options.

1) Lower watt bulb

2) Move the lamp higher

3) Move the basking branch/area lower

4) All or a combination of the above

 

[Big Gulp]

How warm is the room the cage is in. A 50W bulb reading 120 degrees seems quite high to me. Are you using a digital or analog thermometer?

 

[nj011908]

exactly, i have a basking lamp from Pets mart made by ALL living Things and it only cost 15$ and get a 40w INCANDESCENT FROM home depot, you can adjust your temp from down around 80 up to cooked

 

[infernored16]

Hello!!! My chameleon will be here tomorrow and I have a problem!! My basking light is a 50 watt and I had it set up for him. My thermometer says the basking spot is 120 degrees!! So I went put and bought a 40 watt daylight blue bulb to try and lower the temps... They are still in the 100s... What should I do?!

Everyone already gave you the options you have, but I just wanted to say that you need to make sure that your cham does not have a way to get too close to the bulb. Many times they climb around the mesh and will get directly under the bulb. That is one of the main ways how chams get burned bc the area directly under the bulb can get really hot. I would raise the lamp over the mesh by using a stand or holder.