UVB light and heating lamp setup during summer, including their distance from the basking spot

[NickBr]

Hello dear friends,
I have a few questions even after doing my research, and I'd love to hear opinions from experienced individuals.

To start, I'm a first-time veiled chameleon owner for the past 7 months and I've built my own chameleon enclosure measuring 160x60x60 cm (63"x23"x23") , with 130 cm (51") dedicated to a living area full of plants.

I recently bought a new UVB light and heating lamp. The UVB light is a LUCKY HERP T5, 24W, 10.0 22" Amazon link
I installed it on top of the enclosure, about 35-40 cm (13-15") from the basking spot, with a thin plastic mesh barrier in between.

Regarding the heating lamp, I think it produces too much heat, and I'm unsure if I should use these bulbs: LUCKY HERP Intense Heat Lamp Bulbs for Reptiles 100W Amazon Link
When tested, it produced an excessive amount of heat. The heating lamp is positioned 30cm (12in) away from the basking spot, also on top of the mesh.

Additionally, I would like to know about heating during the summer, as the outdoor temperature here can reach up to 35°C (95°F). Is it still needed if the temperature in the enclosure naturally would be around 24-26 °C (75-77 °F )?

Every source I’ve seen says something different about UVB lighting. If anyone here is an expert and has had similar experiences, please help me improve my setup

 

[Beman]

Hey there welcome to the forum. Ok I see you blocked the fixtures with screen. Can you tell me if you used aluminum window screen?

For your bulbs. I would not use the heat bulbs. Those are focused bulbs and are going to produce areas of intense heat. I would use regular incandescent white bulbs. For summer you can reduce your wattage to still create a warmer side. If you have a female your max temp would be 78-80 at basking and if you have a male it would be a range of 80-85 at basking.

Now for the UVB. I would not trust the brand you purchased. Reptisun and Arcadia are the only two bulbs on the market that are actually reliable and have been tested to be so over the years. Now my concern would also involve the fixture. With UVB a few major things play into your UVI that you can achieve.
The reflector in the fixture because if it is a low quality it is not going to reflect the UVI down to its full potential.
The bulb. Low quality bulbs with off brands we keep finding that when tested do not have the same ability to provide a UVI level that is comparable of those like arcadia or reptisun.
And then there is the material that is in between the bulb and the enclosure. Aluminum screen will reduce a bulbs UVI output by approximately 40%. Now larger gauge metal screen allows more UVI to pass through. Then you have things like fiberglass window screen which reduce a UVI far too much blocking most of the usable UVI.

Note when I say UVI this is the actual index level measured at different distances. You are looking for a UVI of 3 at basking branches.

Now this is where we go into even more detail. With a 12% arcadia T5HO in their ProT5 fixture and Aluminum window screen as the divider below the light. You can get a UVI of 3 at 12 inches below the light. What I can see from your image is you have a measured 13-15 inches between. Now what you will want to do is have a measured distance from bottom of the fixture where the bulb sits to the screen and then measure from the screen to the branches below it. You need the exact and it needs to be the branches that are parallel and below the UVB fixture. If this number is in fact more of the 13 inch then your set up is fine. Now this is using a 12% arcadia T5HO in their ProT5 fixture and Aluminum window screen as the divider below the light only. Not what you currently have.

So with what you are currently using and what I have seen from these off brand bulbs is that they simply can not compare to arcadia or reptisun. Not only that but they do not push the UVI far enough down. So I would recommend switching what you have for the ProT5 with 12% bulb Arcadia kit. And make sure you double check distances and you have to be using aluminum window screen as your divider for your UVI to be correct as a 3.


May I see a few pics of the cage up close? Trying to see what plants you are using with your Veiled. Since Veileds eat their plants you have to be really careful what you use. Also have you confirmed gender of your cham? If not I would be happy to do that. Just post some pics of the cham.

 

[Steve A]

Hello dear friends,
I have a few questions even after doing my research, and I'd love to hear opinions from experienced individuals.

To start, I'm a first-time veiled chameleon owner for the past 7 months and I've built my own chameleon enclosure measuring 160x60x60 cm (63"x23"x23") , with 130 cm (51") dedicated to a living area full of plants.

View attachment 355942

I recently bought a new UVB light and heating lamp. The UVB light is a LUCKY HERP T5, 24W, 10.0 22" Amazon link
I installed it on top of the enclosure, about 35-40 cm (13-15") from the basking spot, with a thin plastic mesh barrier in between.

Regarding the heating lamp, I think it produces too much heat, and I'm unsure if I should use these bulbs: LUCKY HERP Intense Heat Lamp Bulbs for Reptiles 100W Amazon Link
When tested, it produced an excessive amount of heat. The heating lamp is positioned 30cm (12in) away from the basking spot, also on top of the mesh.

Additionally, I would like to know about heating during the summer, as the outdoor temperature here can reach up to 35°C (95°F). Is it still needed if the temperature in the enclosure naturally would be around 24-26 °C (75-77 °F )?

Every source I’ve seen says something different about UVB lighting. If anyone here is an expert and has had similar experiences, please help me improve my setup

I personally use an automatic dimming thermostat for the heat lamp so his basking area is at the right temperature no matter what. As long as the bulb us strong enough, it'll heat to 80f (what I have it set at) regardless of how cool the room is. And if it's too hot, it'll automatically dim/shut off the heat lamp unless the temp drops under 80f.

My lamp is raised (I forget how far away) to avoid burn at the top of the enclosure since Spike loves to climb on the ceiling of his enclosure.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BGS517FT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm going to refrain from diving into your UVB situation, as I am not familiar with the equipment you are using, but I am sure one of the more experienced keepers will assist you shortly! Hope this helps.

 

[NickBr]

Thanks @Beman for the detailed explanation.
Unfortunately, I can't change the lights at the moment. I recently got them and will have to make do for now. Next time, I will definitely upgrade to Reptisun.

As for my enclosure, it's built with wood, with normal glass on all sides and mesh chambers on the top and bottom. The mesh isn't aluminum; it's a flexible plastic material with a super-thin layer. All the plants inside are fake because I don't have enough knowledge to care for real ones and want to ensure my boy doesn't get a fungal infection or any other kind of bacteria. To be safe, I've opted for fake plants. The branches he uses to climb are all natural dried wood.

I'm attaching additional images so you can have a closer look.

Thanks again for your time!

 

[NickBr]

I personally use an automatic dimming thermostat for the heat lamp so his basking area is at the right temperature no matter what. As long as the bulb us strong enough, it'll heat to 80f (what I have it set at) regardless of how cool the room is. And if it's too hot, it'll automatically dim/shut off the heat lamp unless the temp drops under 80f.

My lamp is raised (I forget how far away) to avoid burn at the top of the enclosure since Spike loves to climb on the ceiling of his enclosure.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BGS517FT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm going to refrain from diving into your UVB situation, as I am not familiar with the equipment you are using, but I am sure one of the more experienced keepers will assist you shortly! Hope this helps.

Thank you for the suggestion! I had never heard of a dimming thermostat before. I will definitely consider this as an option for regulating the temperature

 

[Steve A]

Thank you for the suggestion! I had never heard of a dimming thermostat before. I will definitely consider this as an option for regulating the temperature

It's a no brainer for me. At first I was trying to find the right wattage..... and I always felt uneasy about not being able to control it. I saw this got it right away and now I just have to make sure the bult I get is the right type and high enough wattage, not "too high or too low wattage".

I don't go too excessive with the wattage though. No need

 

[Beman]

Thanks @Beman for the detailed explanation.
Unfortunately, I can't change the lights at the moment. I recently got them and will have to make do for now. Next time, I will definitely upgrade to Reptisun.

As for my enclosure, it's built with wood, with normal glass on all sides and mesh chambers on the top and bottom. The mesh isn't aluminum; it's a flexible plastic material with a super-thin layer. All the plants inside are fake because I don't have enough knowledge to care for real ones and want to ensure my boy doesn't get a fungal infection or any other kind of bacteria. To be safe, I've opted for fake plants. The branches he uses to climb are all natural dried wood.

I'm attaching additional images so you can have a closer look.

Thanks again for your time!

Ok so here is the thing since the mesh is not something that is widely used I will not be able to give exacts on info for distance. But you could buy a solarmeter 6.5 and this will tell you your exact UVI with what you are using now and the materials you have. This is going to be the only way to guarantee that your little man is getting the correct UVI levels to prevent things like MBD (metabolic bone disease). You do have a young male Veiled.

Per the plants in the cage. This is where he is at a very high risk. Veileds and fake plants simply do not mix. They are like toddlers and literally will try to eat anything and everything. The concern with fake plants is when they pull off pieces these can become impacted and they are not able to pass them. Fake plants also hold and grow bacteria. Live plants honestly are not hard at all to take care of. Most of the ones that are Veiled tested do not require high light with the exception of Hibiscus. See attached plants list and the veiled tested ones are those you can use.

All real branches are great. These dry out and do not cause foot issues.

So good resources for you to learn proper husbandry would be https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
and Neptune the Chameleon on Youtube.

Then ask your questions here and we can help you.

 

[Delef3]

I personally use an automatic dimming thermostat for the heat lamp so his basking area is at the right temperature no matter what. As long as the bulb us strong enough, it'll heat to 80f (what I have it set at) regardless of how cool the room is. And if it's too hot, it'll automatically dim/shut off the heat lamp unless the temp drops under 80f.

My lamp is raised (I forget how far away) to avoid burn at the top of the enclosure since Spike loves to climb on the ceiling of his enclosure.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BGS517FT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm going to refrain from diving into your UVB situation, as I am not familiar with the equipment you are using, but I am sure one of the more experienced keepers will assist you shortly! Hope this helps.

This dimming thermostat works awesome! I was initially skeptical due to the cheap price tag, and was going to go with a more popular and MUCH more expensive unit, but I have been very happy with it. At least in my case (and with only 4 weeks of use), it is working flawlessly.

 

[Steve A]

This dimming thermostat works awesome! I was initially skeptical due to the cheap price tag, and was going to go with a more popular and MUCH more expensive unit, but I have been very happy with it. At least in my case (and with only 4 weeks of use), it is working flawlessly.

I want to say I've had mine for almost a year now and it's worked flawlessly!