UVB Light and it's distance

[knauzeris]

Hello.

I am new here - and going to have my first cham.
I was not sure to go with vieled or panther - but decided to get panther. They are expensive here - about 240 USD... that's a bit crazzy but no other option.

So about the lightining. I am reading many posts about lightining but nobody exactly explains what is this difference between Reptisum 5.0 and 10.0
Can someone explain it to me - and which would suit me - my custom cage is ~ 1 meter high... should i get 5.0 or 10.0 and why?

+ What should be the distance from the lamp to animal. Nobody is asking it and does it realey matter. Let's say is there a limit that chameleon should not go closer to it? OR it does not matter?

 

[Chameleonguy5756]

I use 5.0 24" bulbs and dome fixtures for basking bulbs. They do great. One of my custom cages is 4ft high. Every cham I have prefers to be high up in their cage so distance has never been an issue. I would be worried that 10.0 may be a little overkill.

 

[Chameleonguy5756]

5.0 and 10.0 describe the UVB ray strength. Chams do fine with 5.0

 

[knauzeris]

Thanx forn the idea!
It is so sad that people in reptile stores dont know sh*** about chameleons...
I went there to check for my panther - and saw - 6 o 7 small panthers in super small cage - noticed humidity gauge even not close to 20% - and 10.0 reptisun above them - and shopkeeper told that i have to use 2 of these lights and were about to put second in their cage. Poor animals!
We were discussing about females laying eggs - they thoat i am an idiot by thinking that they lay eggs with or without male - but this is true right? they do lay eggs - only matters they are fertilized or not...
OK - thanx for the light info - will share some pics of my cage later!

 

[pssh]

Yes, they do lay eggs regardless of if they are mated. You may want to try and find a breeder as most pet stores mark up animals by 2-3x.

A 5.0 would be fine if the cage does not have very dense mesh, if it is very thick mesh (like a reptarium) then a 10.0 would be better. Just make sure the animal has a spot under the UVB that is 6-8 inches away.

 

[draetish]

Hello.

I am new here - and going to have my first cham.
I was not sure to go with vieled or panther - but decided to get panther. They are expensive here - about 240 USD... that's a bit crazzy but no other option.

So about the lightining. I am reading many posts about lightining but nobody exactly explains what is this difference between Reptisum 5.0 and 10.0
Can someone explain it to me - and which would suit me - my custom cage is ~ 1 meter high... should i get 5.0 or 10.0 and why?

+ What should be the distance from the lamp to animal. Nobody is asking it and does it realey matter. Let's say is there a limit that chameleon should not go closer to it? OR it does not matter?

The UVB light will reach 8-12 inches so you want to put a verticle branch within that range directly under. The cham knows when they need UVB and will bask under it as well as the basking light. I don't know if you know this or not, but spiral UVB lights are known to cause eye problems so don't let them talk you into one. The UVB which is where natural Vit D comes from is needed to absorb calcium.

 

[kicsylany]

Hi, I just had this conversation about 3 days ago with a reptile shop owner and breeder, bec. my boy (Bubi, 1 yrs old) has some problem with his eyes , a kinda 'cross eyes' effect, can't perfectly catch his food , miss it about 1- 2 cm. I blamed the place I bought my setup bec. I thought 10.0 reptisun was too high and that why he got eye problem, now I'm using 5.0 reptisun . but Phil said in the wild they realy like to be on the sun when they get much higher uv and if they not on the middle of the cage the 5.0 will not be nearly enough for them. I'm not sure who is right. pls if anyone can help will be great not to do same mistake. thanks

 

[draetish]

Hi, I just had this conversation about 3 days ago with a reptile shop owner and breeder, bec. my boy (Bubi, 1 yrs old) has some problem with his eyes , a kinda 'cross eyes' effect, can't perfectly catch his food , miss it about 1- 2 cm. I blamed the place I bought my setup bec. I thought 10.0 reptisun was too high and that why he got eye problem, now I'm using 5.0 reptisun . but Phil said in the wild they realy like to be on the sun when they get much higher uv and if they not on the middle of the cage the 5.0 will not be nearly enough for them. I'm not sure who is right. pls if anyone can help will be great not to do same mistake. thanks

I've read on this forum of members that keep their chams outside and they note that they do not bask "in the sun" all day. They get their UVB and they're done. Google ReptiSun and do some research, that way you know for sure. The 10.0 is used if you have dense mesh screen on top. 5.0 is used if you use 1/4" to 1/2" screen. The denser the mesh the harder for the UVB to pass through. Generally, you will find info that says the UVB reaches 8-12 inches. Maybe put limbs at different levels so your cham can decide.

Eye issues can be caused by more than lighting. If you want start a thread, fill out the "how to ask for help" questions and post some pictures. Then members can address your concerns.