UV for panthers

[FayLeanne]

I bought a new UV light for my chameleon but I threw the old one away and iv have a horrible feeling that I got the wrong one. Its 12% UVB but its on the outside of a mesh cage ? He's got plenty foliage as shade? Did I need the 6% one?

 

[summoner12]

How far is the basking branch from the lamp and how old and what type of chameleon is it? 6% might be better if the lamp is close to the basking spot and the animal is young and still climbing on the top of the cage. If it is an adult, and you have say 8-10" between basking spot and the lamp, you are fine. Even with a young chameleon you can just raise the light up higher and lower it a little each month as the lamp wares out and UV is less intense.

 

[FayLeanne]

How far is the basking branch from the lamp and how old and what type of chameleon is it? 6% might be better if the lamp is close to the basking spot and the animal is young and still climbing on the top of the cage. If it is an adult, and you have say 8-10" between basking spot and the lamp, you are fine. Even with a young chameleon you can just raise the light up higher and lower it a little each month as the lamp wares out and UV is less intense.

He's a 10month old panther and there is about 9 inches between the basking spot. He's in a large reptibreeze cage so should I not have the UV bulb so close to the basking light so he's not directly under UV as well?

 

[Lathelia]

I'm not an expert, but I think that is fine. Mesh blocks around 50% so your cham is getting around 6%, not 12%.