MzLaurie11
Avid Member
Take temp at new basking spot. If still too high, remove the alumanum cover on the light till you get the right bulb
Too hot?
- Thread starter Gemeleon dude
- Start date
MzLaurie11
Avid Member
It was nice chatting with you. Dont let your girl burn. A burn starts out looking like an abrasion.a scrape that turns into a painful nightmare!
distance for bulb to cage is totally dependent on the bulb type. If your getting temps that high with it raised then you need to look at the exact bulb type your using. Something is off. Sounds more like a mercury vapor bulb which are dangerous.
A female panther should be kept at 78-80max at basking.
A female panther should be kept at 78-80max at basking.
Gemeleon dude
Member
I just bought the arciadia 75W hologen from pet smart today
Gemeleon dude
Member
I even held the back of my hand above her spine and it wasn’t burning my hand nor felt aggressively hot..
Gemeleon dude
Member
Could it be the aluminum dome I bought? I got it at Lowe’s , maybe that’s just making it hotter for her? Let me know
No, it is the bulb... You should be using a 60 watt regular incandescent household bulb. Do you have a picture of the bulb you bought?
I have a total distance of 11 inches to the actual branch and I am using a 75 watt regular bulb. Your looking at distance to branch. And even with a lower wattage bulb you want it off the top especially with how close her basking branch is to the screen top.
How were you measuring your temps?
Gemeleon dude
Member
Heat gun and I have humidity/temp gauges in the cage
If your temp gun is picking up temps that hot then I am betting they are hotter. Get a gauge with a wired probe to put in at the basking branch. This will give you an accurate reading.
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
"If you don’t know where to start, go back to the beginning." —Alfonse Soady
What's your household/room ambient temperature where the chameleon lives? If it runs as high as 80°F, you may not need a basking light. A basking light is only needed if/when temperature at the basking site goes below recommended basking temperature.That said, finding the best basking bulb type, wattage, and distance are always a matter of trial & error. Every situation is different.
If the 75W halogen is too hot/powerful, you may need to step down to an incandescent flood, incandescent household bulb, or lower wattages.
I would not remove the reflector from the clamp light; it doesn't actually do a lot reflectively (at that distance), but it does help protect the bulb from... accidents.
For basking lights, I like/use (in order of preference):
- Household incandescent
- Incandescent flood (not a spot)
- Halogen flood (not a spot)
In your current situation, and assuming your ambient temp is ~70-ish, I would start with a weaker bulb—lower wattage or one of the first two types (above). 60W or maybe even 40W.
HOWEVER, before running out and buying up your state's inventory of non-LED lightbulbs, I would try mounting the basking light at an angle instead of straight down—angling it will produce a gradient rather than a 'hot spot' and give the chameleon a choice of basking temps. (Temps in the diagram are just examples.)
In either case (above), angling will automatically increase the distance from basking light to basking perch.
Hygrometers/Thermometers should (IMO) all have probes. I like & use these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Y6CYVT9/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
They're inexpensive enough that they can be placed top, middle, & bottom (if necessary) of the enclosure, at the basking site, and within the canopy.
Some folks like Govees for their connectivity; if that's appealing, be sure to get probes for them.
Gemeleon dude
Member
Thank you for all the info, I just really only needed help with getting the lights in the right position, and I took done her higher basking branch that was way too close to the top and but in a new thicker vine for her feet and be comfortable to bask on, and I’m purchasing a 60W household incandescent bulb, and I already have 2 humidity/ temp prove in my cage that’s near the bottom mid, and one that’s right below her basking branch"If you don’t know where to start, go back to the beginning." —Alfonse Soady
What's your household/room ambient temperature where the chameleon lives? If it runs as high as 80°F, you may not need a basking light. A basking light is only needed if/when temperature at the basking site goes below recommended basking temperature.
That said, finding the best basking bulb type, wattage, and distance are always a matter of trial & error. Every situation is different.
If the 75W halogen is too hot/powerful, you may need to step down to an incandescent flood, incandescent household bulb, or lower wattages.
I would not remove the reflector from the clamp light; it doesn't actually do a lot reflectively (at that distance), but it does help protect the bulb from... accidents.
For basking lights, I like/use (in order of preference):
I don't recommend 'basking bulbs'. IME, they're generally overpriced, inferior quality household bulbs or spots. I recommend against spots because they're more likely to cause burns than floods or households.
- Household incandescent
- Incandescent flood (not a spot)
- Halogen flood (not a spot)
In your current situation, and assuming your ambient temp is ~70-ish, I would start with a weaker bulb—lower wattage or one of the first two types (above). 60W or maybe even 40W.
HOWEVER, before running out and buying up your state's inventory of non-LED lightbulbs, I would try mounting the basking light at an angle instead of straight down—angling it will produce a gradient rather than a 'hot spot' and give the chameleon a choice of basking temps. (Temps in the diagram are just examples.)
In the event that your chameleon basks under the plant light instead of under the basking light, you can take the angling a step further, and angle it to shine on a basking perch directly beneath the plant light.
In either case (above), angling will automatically increase the distance from basking light to basking perch.
Hygrometers/Thermometers should (IMO) all have probes. I like & use these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Y6CYVT9/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
They're inexpensive enough that they can be placed top, middle, & bottom (if necessary) of the enclosure, at the basking site, and within the canopy.
Some folks like Govees for their connectivity; if that's appealing, be sure to get probes for them.
also gonna invest in a room humidifier to keep that up at night, slowly improving, learning new tricks a d how to actually take care of a chameleon, it’s definitely become a hobby of mine that I found and I’m blessed for the experienceGemeleon dude
Member
Probes*Thank you for all the info, I just really only needed help with getting the lights in the right position, and I took done her higher basking branch that was way too close to the top and but in a new thicker vine for her feet and be comfortable to bask on, and I’m purchasing a 60W household incandescent bulb, and I already have 2 humidity/ temp prove in my cage that’s near the bottom mid, and one that’s right below her basking branch
Gemeleon dude
Member
Basking bulbs like from pet smart ? Or is there something at home depo or lowes ?
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
You can usually still find a few household incandescents, floods and/or halogens (DO NOT get a 'spot'—they can burn) at the big-box home improvement stores (HD or L—not Pet— chains), or order them through their websites.
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