Plant lighting + other questions.

[Crusader14]

I know there's like a bunch of topics relating to this, but I had other questions that weren't relevant to the topic so i just decided to make my own thread. So I was considering getting this grow light fixture, but would that provide adaquete lighting for a small ficus tree? I got it from lllreptiles in menifee (i dont live very far from there). i got a bigger enclosure, one that i could keep my male veiled in for the rest of his life, and the plant is very small in comparison to the cage so it isnt exposed to as much light as it was when i had it in the smaller cage. do i need to repot it, put it somewhere so the entire plant is exposed to the light and not just the leaves, get a light fixture that will ensure the entire enclosure has uvb exposure? or should i just get a bigger ficus tree? right now i am using zoomed's tropical uvb and heat lighting kit + an incandescent bulb for added heat because its winter rn and it can get really cold here.

another question i have is about drippers. i got zoo meds big dripper recently, and most people said they just put theres on top of their cage, but i have a reptibreeze xl, and when i put it on top of the cage, it felt like the aluminium was going to break and i didnt want to wake up and find my cham crushed by the dripper because it fell through the screen mesh :/// so i was wondering if there was any other way to place it, or if im just worrying for nothing about it crashing through the aluminum.

 

[MissSkittles]

I know there's like a bunch of topics relating to this, but I had other questions that weren't relevant to the topic so i just decided to make my own thread. So I was considering getting this grow light fixture, but would that provide adaquete lighting for a small ficus tree? I got it from lllreptiles in menifee (i dont live very far from there). i got a bigger enclosure, one that i could keep my male veiled in for the rest of his life, and the plant is very small in comparison to the cage so it isnt exposed to as much light as it was when i had it in the smaller cage. do i need to repot it, put it somewhere so the entire plant is exposed to the light and not just the leaves, get a light fixture that will ensure the entire enclosure has uvb exposure? or should i just get a bigger ficus tree? right now i am using zoomed's tropical uvb and heat lighting kit + an incandescent bulb for added heat because its winter rn and it can get really cold here.

another question i have is about drippers. i got zoo meds big dripper recently, and most people said they just put theres on top of their cage, but i have a reptibreeze xl, and when i put it on top of the cage, it felt like the aluminium was going to break and i didnt want to wake up and find my cham crushed by the dripper because it fell through the screen mesh :/// so i was wondering if there was any other way to place it, or if im just worrying for nothing about it crashing through the aluminum.

I can’t help you with the lighting, but for the dripper you’ll have to place some support across the top of the enclosure, spanning from side to side so the frame supports the weight.

 

[Crusader14]

I can’t help you with the lighting, but for the dripper you’ll have to place some support across the top of the enclosure, spanning from side to side so the frame supports the weight.

like a metal frame or something thats over the enclosure?

 

[MissSkittles]

like a metal frame or something thats over the enclosure?

Yes, but doesn’t have to be fancy (unless you want). I used scrap wood...was all I had laying around at the time.

 

[MissSkittles]

I didn’t like the scrap wood and then my dripper broke. I’m a nurse so I thought of medical supplies lol. Bought an enteral feeding bag and an IV pole. It worked.

 

[MissSkittles]

Just checked out the light you linked. I’ve no knowledge of that fixture/light, but for that price I’m pretty sure you could do much better. Do you already have a T5HO fixture with uvb bulb? If so, you could just add a separate grow bulb, either linear or screw in type in it’s own fixture. Or you could get a dual or quad linear T5 ho fixture and have your uvb in one slot and grow lights in the other. Hopefully someone who knows more than I (just about everyone!) about lighting will better advise you.

 

[Crusader14]

no I don’t. This is currently what I have: https://zoomed.com/tropical-uvb-heat-lighting-kit/

i also have a Flukers clamp lamp and a incandescent light bulb for additional heat I got from the dollar tree.

i understand what these uh t5ho fixtures are, but I’m not sure what kind of bulbs I would need, and if it would be appropriate for my situation. But Ik you don’t have much knowledge on the subject so

 

[Hashtag ChamLife]

no I don’t. This is currently what I have: https://zoomed.com/tropical-uvb-heat-lighting-kit/

i also have a Flukers clamp lamp and a incandescent light bulb for additional heat I got from the dollar tree.

i understand what these uh t5ho fixtures are, but I’m not sure what kind of bulbs I would need, and if it would be appropriate for my situation. But Ik you don’t have much knowledge on the subject so

You have domes - if you need plant lights, these are what I use....

SANSI 24W LED https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BRKT56T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WZy9DbGACMAQQ

I also use the 36W version. Little pricey, but they're pretty good quality and dont put off extra heat. I got mine on the lighting deal... but normal price isn't terrible.

 

[skoram]

I know there's like a bunch of topics relating to this, but I had other questions that weren't relevant to the topic so i just decided to make my own thread. So I was considering getting this grow light fixture, but would that provide adaquete lighting for a small ficus tree? I got it from lllreptiles in menifee (i dont live very far from there). i got a bigger enclosure, one that i could keep my male veiled in for the rest of his life, and the plant is very small in comparison to the cage so it isnt exposed to as much light as it was when i had it in the smaller cage. do i need to repot it, put it somewhere so the entire plant is exposed to the light and not just the leaves, get a light fixture that will ensure the entire enclosure has uvb exposure? or should i just get a bigger ficus tree? right now i am using zoomed's tropical uvb and heat lighting kit + an incandescent bulb for added heat because its winter rn and it can get really cold here.

another question i have is about drippers. i got zoo meds big dripper recently, and most people said they just put theres on top of their cage, but i have a reptibreeze xl, and when i put it on top of the cage, it felt like the aluminium was going to break and i didnt want to wake up and find my cham crushed by the dripper because it fell through the screen mesh :/// so i was wondering if there was any other way to place it, or if im just worrying for nothing about it crashing through the aluminum.

I purchased that exact fixture for a 24 x 18 x 24 gecko enclosure. The LEDs were not bad but not spectacular - which I expected given the listed wattage. The plants thrived but I assume part of that is because the enclosure was not very tall. Like UVB, PAR (photosynthetic active radiation) drops off sharply the further away you get from the light source.

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

YU MEIL 45W LED off Amazon $40 a piece is what I use. I use to use a dripper before I got an auto mister. Will never use a dripper again after that

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/the-new-arcadia-jungle-dawn-led-bars-whose-gotem.172151/

 

[Crusader14]

You have domes - if you need plant lights, these are what I use....

SANSI 24W LED https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BRKT56T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WZy9DbGACMAQQ

I also use the 36W version. Little pricey, but they're pretty good quality and dont put off extra heat. I got mine on the lighting deal... but normal price isn't terrible.

and Would these reach the plant all the way at the bottom? My tank is 4 ft high and the plant is like maybe a foot long...

 

[Hashtag ChamLife]

and Would these reach the plant all the way at the bottom? My tank is 4 ft high and the plant is like maybe a foot long...

For sure. My hutch is 44" and pretty dense. [Houses my male]

And this is 1 of each [24W and 36W]. Don't mind the mess, it's an experiment as we're moving. As you can see I have everything from bromeliads to literal grass.



It's a mess as I'm always adding/removing plants and starting new projects. My wife isn't happy that I stole the dinning room, but as stated, we're moving next month anyway.

 

[Crusader14]

okay and as far as the dripper goes, should I just return it because it’s useless to have it and get a auto mister? I mean even with the dripper I still misted him twice a day because I live in the desert and it’s dry af out here.

 

[Hashtag ChamLife]

okay and as far as the dripper goes, should I just return it because it’s useless to have it and get a auto mister? I mean even with the dripper I still misted him twice a day because I live in the desert and it’s dry af out here.

I would... but depends. I still use a dripper for my WC... but like @MissSkittles ,I also use the "IV bag" type deal. It's nice because you can control the drip rate a TON better. (Slower mostly)

At the very least, I'd switch to the smaller one and just run it less often.

 

[Crusader14]

another question I have is regarding springtails. Do I need to feed them when I put them in the cage? If so do I need to worry about my Cham trying to eat their food or is there no risk? And how do I keep my dubia roaches from burrowing out of sight so my Cham will eat them? I put them in a small glass bowl and prop it on his stick but he doesn’t seem to be very interested so I was just wondering if there’s a way to make him more interested in eating them or like if there’s better ways to keep them in the cage.

 

[Hashtag ChamLife]

another question I have is regarding springtails. Do I need to feed them when I put them in the cage? If so do I need to worry about my Cham trying to eat their food or is there no risk? And how do I keep my dubia roaches from burrowing out of sight so my Cham will eat them? I put them in a small glass bowl and prop it on his stick but he doesn’t seem to be very interested so I was just wondering if there’s a way to make him more interested in eating them or like if there’s better ways to keep them in the cage.

For the roaches get a feeder. The shooting gallery is a nice one by all accounts.

Springtails don't NEED food... they'll eat waste. Cham poop, dead feeders, plant matter, etc. Just keep them moist [tropical spring tails]. You CAN get some sort of springtail food, but it's not required unless you're trying to culture them by themselves. (They will propagate in the cage based on resource availability)

 

[Crusader14]

so just to make sure, i dont have to repot my ficus or anything? are there any other plants that i could put in the cage besides ficus and pothos?

also for the roaches i was thinking of something like this so they wouldnt burrow under the substrate and hide. would that be effective or no?

 

[MissSkittles]

no I don’t. This is currently what I have: https://zoomed.com/tropical-uvb-heat-lighting-kit/

i also have a Flukers clamp lamp and a incandescent light bulb for additional heat I got from the dollar tree.

i understand what these uh t5ho fixtures are, but I’m not sure what kind of bulbs I would need, and if it would be appropriate for my situation. But Ik you don’t have much knowledge on the subject so

You do need to get a T5HO fixture with a 5.0 uvb bulb. The coil type that you have is not able to provide adequate uvb. This is what I and many other keepers use.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AQU8F2O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[MissSkittles]

so just to make sure, i dont have to repot my ficus or anything? are there any other plants that i could put in the cage besides ficus and pothos?

also for the roaches i was thinking of something like this so they wouldnt burrow under the substrate and hide. would that be effective or no?

I’m a little confused...some of your questions allude to a more advanced set up and others are cham keeping 101. Do you have a bioactive enclosure? Are you new to keeping a cham? Can you post a pic of your cham and it’s enclosure?

 

[Crusader14]

I’m honestly not sure what bioactive even means so idk. I mostly use substrate from biodude and springtails for eating the poop. If that counts as bio active, then yes. And yes I’m new to keeping a cham. I have a baby veiled; not sure about his age but I’m positive he’s a dude because when I bought him I specifically asked for a male.