Recommendations on your fav products

Char.claugh

Char.claugh

Member
I’m in the process of building a big new tank for my growing baby and I’ve decided I’m gonna but everything new based on your recommendations so that I get the best of the best :)

the tank will be 3ftx2ftx5ft.

what I need :
1) linear uvb light
2) heat bulb that will give the right temperatures throughout the large tank.
3) what type of mesh I will need (a link would be appreciated.
4) live plants recommendations that are easy to care for.
5) marine sealant
6) misting system.
7) dripping system.

appreciate any help :)
 
Char.claugh said:
I’m in the process of building a big new tank for my growing baby and I’ve decided I’m gonna but everything new based on your recommendations so that I get the best of the best :)

the tank will be 3ftx2ftx5ft.

what I need :
1) linear uvb light
2) heat bulb that will give the right temperatures throughout the large tank.
3) what type of mesh I will need (a link would be appreciated.
4) live plants recommendations that are easy to care for.
5) marine sealant
6) misting system.
7) dripping system.

appreciate any help :)
Click to expand...
A T5 linear fixture. I was using Repti Sun 5% uvb, but have switched to Arcadia 6% as they last longer.
I use a regular old fashioned incandescent light bulb for basking.
I have veileds, so Pothos is my go to plant. I also have wandering Jew, parlor palm and will be adding polka dot plant in soon.
Mist King is an awesome system. I haven’t tried any other as I heard Mist King is better.
 
MissSkittles said:
A T5 linear fixture. I was using Repti Sun 5% uvb, but have switched to Arcadia 6% as they last longer.
I use a regular old fashioned incandescent light bulb for basking.
I have veileds, so Pothos is my go to plant. I also have wandering Jew, parlor palm and will be adding polka dot plant in soon.
Mist King is an awesome system. I haven’t tried any other as I heard Mist King is better.
Click to expand...
Thankyou so much :)
 
This might better have been posted to the Enclosures forum. ;)
That said... My answers in red below.
Char.claugh said:
I’m in the process of building a big new tank for my growing baby and I’ve decided I’m gonna but everything new based on your recommendations so that I get the best of the best :)

the tank will be 3ftx2ftx5ft.
Nice size; wish I had that much space available.

what I need :
1) linear uvb light
T5 Reptisun 5.0 or Arcadia 6%; AFAIK, both should last a year.

2) heat bulb that will give the right temperatures throughout the large tank.
Incandescent household or flood (NOT spot). You want a temperature gradient in the tank—not same temperature throughout.

3) what type of mesh I will need (a link would be appreciated.
Good question. There are many discussions of this in the archives, and I was going to ask similar.

4) live plants recommendations that are easy to care for.
chameleon safe plants
Plants

5) marine sealant
Marine? :unsure:
reptile safe sealer

6) misting system.
7) dripping system.

appreciate any help :)
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
A linear t5 fixture to consider
https://www.amazon.com/Odyssea-Time...t5+fixture&qid=1590810954&sprefix=t5+&sr=8-26

I'd suppliment your plants with the led options you've got a big ol enclosure and don't want it to be a dark cave
people seem to love jungle dawn and sansi

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082MBRJ2R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_lr1fEbFYJ6G8A

I have some plants listed on a comment on this post you can check out I break it down pretty well if I do say so.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/enclosure-check.175270/

No clue on what mesh / screen to use sorry.

I'd agree go with mist king it's great the remote is so nice to program. Also deli cup with pin hole works well enough for me for dripping easy to clean and refill.

The heat bulb I use and see other keepers use is a size of flood lamp called br30 you can adjust the height and wattage to meet your heat needs. Hope it helps dig in on the search for bio active and diy builds I'm sure you'll find some good info thats been discussed on other people's build threads. Good luck
 
Re: marine sealant...some use GE silicone #1, others use Flex Seal. Doing backgrounds with Great Stuff foam, I’ve used both silicone & Flex Seal...I prefer Flex Seal. Easier to spread & odor goes away quicker. It is expensive, but I think for the amount of silicone I would have needed, the cost would be equivalent. Both are messy and old clothes and gloves are a must.
 
Char.claugh said:
I’m in the process of building a big new tank for my growing baby and I’ve decided I’m gonna but everything new based on your recommendations so that I get the best of the best :)

the tank will be 3ftx2ftx5ft.

what I need :
1) linear uvb light
2) heat bulb that will give the right temperatures throughout the large tank.
3) what type of mesh I will need (a link would be appreciated.
4) live plants recommendations that are easy to care for.
5) marine sealant
6) misting system.
7) dripping system.

appreciate any help :)
Click to expand...
the monsoon solo by exo-terra is a great little mister if you don’t wanna break the bank. in the same boat as you though! just set up my enclosure just waiting for the hatchling to grow until 2-3 months old then i’ll pick him up :)
 

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My plants are loving the Arcadia Jungle Dawn LED bar. Pothos (hung with zip ties as it is a trailing plant), schefflera, dracaena and croton plants are doing well. I have a small bromeliad growing on a piece of driftwood. My little cham looks so cute hiding underneath the schefflera like it is an umbrella. I found a flatter half moon shape plastic planter at Lowe's yesterday and am thinking about trying to replant the pothos in that so it is a little more flush to the side of the enclosure.
https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
 
CrisBruns said:
My plants are loving the Arcadia Jungle Dawn LED bar. Pothos (hung with zip ties as it is a trailing plant), schefflera, dracaena and croton plants are doing well. I have a small bromeliad growing on a piece of driftwood. My little cham looks so cute hiding underneath the schefflera like it is an umbrella. I found a flatter half moon shape plastic planter at Lowe's yesterday and am thinking about trying to replant the pothos in that so it is a little more flush to the side of the enclosure.
https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
Click to expand...
how do you feel about the grow lights that screw into a dome light? do they work? or are linear grow lights better
 
1) linear uvb light
  • ZooMed Reptisun T5 HO (High Output)
  • or
  • Arcadia D3 6% UVB T5
2) heat bulb that will give the right temperatures throughout the large tank.
  • Household bulbs work fine. For wattage it depends on the distance between bulb and branch. The goal is to have the temperature correct on the branch. So for example if it's close, 40-60W, if its far, 80-100W. You need to take temperatures and feel it out.
3) what type of mesh I will need (a link would be appreciated.
  • Fiberglass window screen should work. Did you consider getting a Reptibreeze XL?
4) live plants recommendations that are easy to care for.
  • Umbrella tree, schefflera arboricola, works well . You can also add some pothos
5) marine sealant
  • Not sure on this one.
6) misting system.
  • Mist King starter kit works well for a single setup
7) dripping system.
  • Big and Little drippers are popular. I recommend getting a IV valve so you can control the water flow. The valve the comes with it is not great. I personally stopped using my dripper, the chameleon gets his water from mist droplets on the mesh and/or plants.
 
CrisBruns said:
I haven't tried that type of grow light. We have a 36" wide enclosure that is heavily planted so the linear works better for our set up.
Click to expand...
gotcha, mine is 24” wide and it’s sort of planted. lucky bamboo, pothos, art dracaena and a braided hibiscus tree
 
emilhayek said:
how do you feel about the grow lights that screw into a dome light? do they work? or are linear grow lights better
Click to expand...
IME, linear provide better coverage because they get most plants from 2 sides, rather than the spotlight effect (even though the bulb may not technically be a spot) of a dome fixture. They also produce less shadow effects.

I'm considering getting a dual T5 fixture with UVB as one tube, and grow light as the other. ;)
 
emilhayek said:
how do you feel about the grow lights that screw into a dome light? do they work? or are linear grow lights better
Click to expand...

I'm sure you could find/make a good linear fixture, but the spotlight grow bulbs are much better than their linear equivalents usually. Especially in a tall cham enclosure where you want light to reach far down. My spot bulbs were able to grow red cryptanthus, nepenthes, high light bromeliads, and ground cover at the bottom of the enclosure. I don't know of any normally available fixtures that could do that. Probably are some, maybe expensive though. I'll admit, I'm not a light expert, just have decent experience using different bulbs/leds from reptiles to aquariums. @cyberlocc whatcha think?
 
jamest0o0 said:
I'm sure you could find/make a good linear fixture, but the spotlight grow bulbs are much better than their linear equivalents usually. Especially in a tall cham enclosure where you want light to reach far down. My spot bulbs were able to grow red cryptanthus, nepenthes, high light bromeliads, and ground cover at the bottom of the enclosure. I don't know of any normally available fixtures that could do that. Probably are some, maybe expensive though. I'll admit, I'm not a light expert, just have decent experience using different bulbs/leds from reptiles to aquariums. @cyberlocc whatcha think?
Click to expand...
so something like this? in my enclosure i have a braided hibiscus tree, lucky bamboo, art dracaena and a pothos

https://www.target.com/p/general-electric-par38-grow-light-with-balanced-spectrum-seeds-38-greens-led-light-bulb-clear/-/A-75666528?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Home+Improvement+Shopping_Local&adgroup=SC_Home+Improvement&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=m&location=9027276&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1247068&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIstLYtfLb6QIVEdbACh3OvAZyEAQYASABEgJXlPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
 
This is going to be a very situational and opinion based question.

To easily Penetrate the canopy, your going to want spots. However some non spot lights, up there as well are helpful for the higher plants and basking area light.

You can still overpower it, and get decent lower light if you plant correctly.

The issue with that, alot of folks want plants where they dont belong, which I don't mean as bad or an insult, just that when placed out of their natural zone, changes have to happen to support it.

So lets take a Nepthenes, most Nepthenes (all p much) are from bogs. They are not use to being in the bottom of a canopy. In the bog they native, they get alot of light all day. So they need alot of light to do well.

So if you were to plant the Nep in the floor (semi natural) its going to need a spot to grow well.

However if you hung the nep on the wall, In a potter close to the light (unnatural) then the high powered non spot lighting would work.

Basically either method works fine, you just have to plant accordingly, or choose plants accordingly.

If your high light plants are canopy toppers, high light ephipythes and trees, and the tops reach high and the epiphytes are planted high. Then you fill in your bottom with low light canopy plants, like Ferns. Then high powered non spot light source will work great. Same if you will have wall pots for high light.


If you want short high light plants on the bottom of fhe canopy, or just a better lit undercanopy then spots are a must.
 
cyberlocc said:
This is going to be a very situational and opinion based question.

To easily Penetrate the canopy, your going to want spots. However some non spot lights, up there as well are helpful for the higher plants and basking area light.

You can still overpower it, and get decent lower light if you plant correctly.

The issue with that, alot of folks want plants where they dont belong, which I don't mean as bad or an insult, just that when placed out of their natural zone, changes have to happen to support it.

So lets take a Nepthenes, most Nepthenes (all p much) are from bogs. They are not use to being in the bottom of a canopy. In the bog they native, they get alot of light all day. So they need alot of light to do well.

So if you were to plant the Nep in the floor (semi natural) its going to need a spot to grow well.

However if you hung the nep on the wall, I'm a potter close to the light (unnatural) then thw high powered non spot lighting would work.

Basically either method works fine, you just have to plant accordingly, or choose plants accordingly. If your high light plants are canopy toppers, high light ephipythes and trees, and the tops reach high and the epiphytes are planted high. Then you fill in your bottom with low light canopy plants, like Ferns. Then high powered non spot light source will work great.
Click to expand...
So for my set up what would you recommend? pothos is in between art dracaena and hibiscus tree
 

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