Pleaqse help me, Compact UVB

[stinky pinky]

First thing I'll say is I'm still just setting up and don't own a chameleon yet, but will be getting a male Veiled at christmas. And I know that I really should use a linnear tube. But I have bought an Exo Terra 18x18x24 with a compact hood, so I have to use compact untill I upgrade his home And a compact UVB must be better than nothing. Now I know everyone says 5% but the shop keep saying for a baby (3 months+) I need 10% as there will be mesh between the bulb and viv. What is everyones thoughts on this?

And I've looked everywhere (here and elsewhere) for a few weeks before asking this one. But Ive found so many answers that I don't know who to believe.
13w v 26w, Ive been told, No differance but brightness and maybe a bit of heat. I was told in a shop today that the 26w's UVB would travel twice the distance of a 13w, but they also said they had a chameleon without UVB . I asked if it was a Veiled and she said no a Yemin (so I don't wan't to listen to them). And I also read somewhere that a 26w 5% and a 13w 10% are basically the same (which I dont believe). Which UVB 5% or 10% should I use on this viv? and what wattage?

And finally I want to buy live plants to help with humidity, but mainly to keep him happy. So Im going to the garden centre next week to buy a habiscus/ficus/pothos (I'll see what they have). And so will have to buy a 2% uvb to help them grow indoors. So again 13w or 26w?

Sorry if I've rambbled, but somebody please help me. Christmas is getting closer, and I am starting to panic that I dont know what to buy. Thanx Dave

 

[okiroo]

First thing I'll say is I'm still just setting up and don't own a chameleon yet, but will be getting a male Veiled at christmas. And I know that I really should use a linnear tube. But I have bought an Exo Terra 18x18x24 with a compact hood, so I have to use compact untill I upgrade his home And a compact UVB must be better than nothing. Now I know everyone says 5% but the shop keep saying for a baby (3 months+) I need 10% as there will be mesh between the bulb and viv. What is everyones thoughts on this?

And I've looked everywhere (here and elsewhere) for a few weeks before asking this one. But Ive found so many answers that I don't know who to believe.
13w v 26w, Ive been told, No differance but brightness and maybe a bit of heat. I was told in a shop today that the 26w's UVB would travel twice the distance of a 13w, but they also said they had a chameleon without UVB . I asked if it was a Veiled and she said no a Yemin (so I don't wan't to listen to them). And I also read somewhere that a 26w 5% and a 13w 10% are basically the same (which I dont believe). Which UVB 5% or 10% should I use on this viv? and what wattage?

And finally I want to buy live plants to help with humidity, but mainly to keep him happy. So Im going to the garden centre next week to buy a habiscus/ficus/pothos (I'll see what they have). And so will have to buy a 2% uvb to help them grow indoors. So again 13w or 26w?

Sorry if I've rambbled, but somebody please help me. Christmas is getting closer, and I am starting to panic that I dont know what to buy. Thanx Dave

thats extro terra will get hot so get a low watt (13) and a 5.0. no babies dont need a 10.0. she/he cant stay in their long at all. id get a screen asap. dont feel bad tho. i bought all kinda random crap for clair when i got her that was wrong. now im useing the terra for pygmys !

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

There's no appreciable difference in the 26w and 13w IMO besides the size of the bulb. I've used both. The 26w was a bigger diameter and length so it didn't fit in my clamp lamp without sticking out the bottom. But it didn't seem much warmer and the amount of light was maybe just a little more because it was a bigger bulb. I do not believe that the higher wattage correlates to more distance. That sounds made up to me...

The plants need a 6500k bulb to do best so skip the extra UVB for the plants and get one of this instead. An additional UVB bulb isn't going to add anything for the plants since there will already be UVB present for your Cham.

Lots of people use 5.0 with mesh between it and the cham with success. I have all 5.0 bulbs on my cages that are 3 feet tall and everyone is doing great for the years I've had them! It is best to line the light hood with aluminum foil (dull side showing) to reflect more of the light down into the cage. Someone posted the numbers using a UV meter a long time ago to prove that. A 2.0 is not enough, and I personally think a 10.0 is too much as they are designed for desert animals and chams are not usually in full sunlight. They are in dappled sunlight in the forest canopy. But I know some people use 10.0 bulbs without problems, they just put them higher up off the cage to offset it.

In summary, my suggestions:
5.0 UVB, 13w fits better for me but 26w is fine too.
No UVB light for the plants, get a 6500k bulb.
Don't get hibiscus as they don't do well indoors.

 

[stinky pinky]

Thanks, but it says on the exo terra website that the 2.0 works well with the 5.0/10.0 and that plants thrive under it?

 

[okiroo]

There's no appreciable difference in the 26w and 13w IMO besides the size of the bulb. I've used both. The 26w was a bigger diameter and length so it didn't fit in my clamp lamp without sticking out the bottom. But it didn't seem much warmer and the amount of light was maybe just a little more because it was a bigger bulb. I do not believe that the higher wattage correlates to more distance. That sounds made up to me...

The plants need a 6500k bulb to do best so skip the extra UVB for the plants and get one of this instead. An additional UVB bulb isn't going to add anything for the plants since there will already be UVB present for your Cham.

Lots of people use 5.0 with mesh between it and the cham with success. I have all 5.0 bulbs on my cages that are 3 feet tall and everyone is doing great for the years I've had them! It is best to line the light hood with aluminum foil (dull side showing) to reflect more of the light down into the cage. Someone posted the numbers using a UV meter a long time ago to prove that. A 2.0 is not enough, and I personally think a 10.0 is too much as they are designed for desert animals and chams are not usually in full sunlight. They are in dappled sunlight in the forest canopy. But I know some people use 10.0 bulbs without problems, they just put them higher up off the cage to offset it.

In summary, my suggestions:
5.0 UVB, 13w fits better for me but 26w is fine too.
No UVB light for the plants, get a 6500k bulb.
Don't get hibiscus as they don't do well indoors.

i do use a 10.0 for chloes cage(free range with black mesh on 4 sides) beacuse of the high amount of black mesh and its a few inches above the encloser. for what OP has said i think a 5.0 would be perfect tho. i agree the plants will need a grow light. i probally should go get one myself. the plants i've done well with are pothos. you just cant kill them!(knock on wood) i agree hibiscus are usually a mistake but i did have one that didnt die i guess its just luck. my trees have also been doing good but need direct sunlight or they will brown and die. corn plant also works good although they die the quickist form what i've seen. get big ones. little ones die quick

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Thanks, but it says on the exo terra website that the 2.0 works well with the 5.0/10.0 and that plants thrive under it?

Best success by many has been with a 6500k bulb, which provides a better spectrum for plants to use. You can try it but based on many people's experiences you will have better results with a 6500k bulb. I haven't tried it personally...but all my plants have died multiple times with only UVB, so I'm inclined to believe them!

 

[okiroo]

Best success by many has been with a 6500k bulb, which provides a better spectrum for plants to use. You can try it but based on many people's experiences you will have better results with a 6500k bulb. I haven't tried it personally...but all my plants have died multiple times with only UVB, so I'm inclined to believe them!

i agree, i dont use a 6500 and have had alot of die off. it's really based off stronger plants that just happend to live. i tend to buy ones that do well inside aswell. if i were you i'd just get one. better than haveing to keep buying plants; it really adds up.

 

[stinky pinky]

Ok so I've just been looking online for compact 6500k bulbs, and they all seem to be LED. Will LED promote plant growth?

 

[PaulTB]

i had a similar question about the uvb bulb recently and i was told that the 10.0 is actually not good for chams no matter what age size since they usually dwell at the highest point for instance tree tops and highest plant in your cage iit can cause the chameleon to obtain eye damage and a couple other things i cant think of off the top of my head

 

[stinky pinky]

does anybody else have any advice to give here?

 

[stinky pinky]

please all opinions are appreciated

 

[summoner12]

You shouldn't have eye issues when looking at 5.0 vs. 10.0 with exo terra or zoo med. The number does not indicate how bright the light is. It is indicating the % of UVB that is produced by the light.

The lamps overall spectra will determine it's quality... as in the old zoo med lamps used to produce bad light, because it had very low spectra UVB, close to UVC spectra. This is where the quality of light is bad for your animal. UVC is used in water filtration to kill bacteria. That isn't the type of light you want over your animals. It is the type of light that gives the animals eye issues.

There might still be brands out there that do produce UVC or UVB close to the UVC spectrum. The Zoo Med CFLs used to do this but have been reformulated.

Here is how you can tell old from new:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/repti-sun-cfl-old-vs-new-31927/

This link is also provided in the thread. It is a write up by Dave Weldon:

http://www.chameleonnews.com/10JulWeldon.html

 

[stinky pinky]

Thanks, well I will check mine are as new as I can get then

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Here's some more reading on this topic if you haven't seen it yet: https://www.chameleonforums.com/lighting-habitat-plants-70798/index2.html

 

[Venutus1]

does anybody else have any advice to give here?

If you could get an Arcadia 6.0 CFL, I think that would be good.

I have and sell the Exo Terra UV CFLs in the states and they are ok.
And the Repti Sun 5.0 CFL would be good, but if I were you... I'd see if you couldn't come up with an Arcadia D3 CFL.
We don't have them here yet because they only come in 220v right now.

Now, full disclosure...even though I don't do Chams...
(Yes all.. its true. I really like them but don't have any right now.)
I do do thumbnail dart frogs that have similar UV requirements.

You know, you have a fellow Britt that we all know as a true expert on UV. If it hasn't been stated already, you really must check out Ms. Frances Baines website: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/index.htm

Cheers and lock stock two smoking barrels...
Todd
LightYourReptiles.com

 

[Kamillion]

does anybody else have any advice to give here?

Yes...... Wash your pinky