UVB light, and vegetables

[Dori]

Just a few questions.
I bought a tube UVB light, which cost $30, and the fixture would have been 50.. so I didn't buy it.

I bought this instead:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/tanalu/BULB.jpg
I saw some users posting about how these types of bulbs are bad? Any examples or stories or such? Thanks.

ALSO, has anybody's chameleon ever eaten fruits/vegetables? I know I read in many places that they eat them, but mine only eats things that move, or dead crickets, so I have never given her vegetables/fruits. Should I?

 

[Dunnigan]

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm

I put the wrong link up....try this one.

And yes some species of chameleon will eat veggies and fruits, mainly Veileds.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Just a few questions.
I bought a tube UVB light, which cost $30, and the fixture would have been 50.. so I didn't buy it.

I bought this instead:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/tanalu/BULB.jpg
I saw some users posting about how these types of bulbs are bad? Any examples or stories or such? Thanks.

ALSO, has anybody's chameleon ever eaten fruits/vegetables? I know I read in many places that they eat them, but mine only eats things that move, or dead crickets, so I have never given her vegetables/fruits. Should I?

take the CFL back or send it for recycling. Buy a linear tube, and you can get a fixture at a hardware or similar store for cheap. Although really $50 isnt very much.

Dont try to feed your chameleon dead crickets. Live, gutloaded insects only please!
Yes some types of chameleons eat fruit and veg, but not all types.

 

[Dori]

take the CFL back or send it for recycling. Buy a linear tube, and you can get a fixture at a hardware or similar store for cheap. Although really $50 isnt very much.

Dont try to feed your chameleon dead crickets. Live, gutloaded insects only please!
Yes some types of chameleons eat fruit and veg, but not all types.

No no, I looked at a few places.. it's never below $50 and I can't afford that.
I'm willing to take the risk. if anything, I just won't leave the light on for too long.

 

[vindicatedornot]

No no, I looked at a few places.. it's never below $50 and I can't afford that.
I'm willing to take the risk. if anything, I just won't leave the light on for too long.

oh my, please for your chameleons health you can not do that.

They need UVB like they need sunlight. The sun is up about 8 hours a day so they need about 8 hours of UVB. The coiled bulbs cause a lot of pain in many reptiles and there's no sense in buying a pet to torture it.

You can get a 24" fixture for 20 dollars at home depot. If you can't find one i seriously don't think you are looking hard enough maybe you can buy one online. I know they have them on the ace, lowes, and home depot websites for way less than 50$.

Chameleons are an expensive pet. There are a few things you can cheap out on like a dripper or a thermometer but lighting is not one of these things.

-Andrea


:edit:

also, dead crickets really don't stimulate the chams enough. I'm not sure about their nutritional value but I don't feel like they would like it much. Crickets and roaches are SUPER easy to take care of. It'd be better for the little dude in the long run for sure.

 

[Dunnigan]

What size light are we shopping for? you can get an 18" fixture at walmart for 8$ and like it was said earlier you can get larger ones at home depot for a few more dollars.

 

[Dori]

oh my, please for your chameleons health you can not do that.

They need UVB like they need sunlight. The sun is up about 8 hours a day so they need about 8 hours of UVB. The coiled bulbs cause a lot of pain in many reptiles and there's no sense in buying a pet to torture it.

You can get a 24" fixture for 20 dollars at home depot. If you can't find one i seriously don't think you are looking hard enough maybe you can buy one online. I know they have them on the ace, lowes, and home depot websites for way less than 50$.

Chameleons are an expensive pet. There are a few things you can cheap out on like a dripper or a thermometer but lighting is not one of these things.

-Andrea


:edit:

also, dead crickets really don't stimulate the chams enough. I'm not sure about their nutritional value but I don't feel like they would like it much. Crickets and roaches are SUPER easy to take care of. It'd be better for the little dude in the long run for sure.

I checked Home Depot. It was over $50.

 

[vindicatedornot]

I checked Home Depot. It was over $50.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...3&productId=100652902&N=10000003+90401+502059

http://www.acehardware.com/product/...&cp=2568454.2632231.1259231&parentPage=family

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=163707-337-SN-120-PH-120V-U&lpage=none


there are 3 choices for you.

 

[Dunnigan]

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...3&productId=100654395&N=10000003+90401+502059'


she beat me to it

 

[vindicatedornot]

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...3&productId=100654395&N=10000003+90401+502059'


she beat me to it

=P slowpoke!

jk. maybe you just need to ask someone at your local home depot for help or to order it for you. You can put foil on top of the bulb to reflect UV light back into the cage. You really have no option when it comes to UVB lighting for the chameleons. They're extremely delicate. and as a reminder you want a reptisun 5.0 bulb.

-Andrea

 

[Malicious]

No no, I looked at a few places.. it's never below $50 and I can't afford that.
I'm willing to take the risk. if anything, I just won't leave the light on for too long.

Dori,

I'm not trying to grill you, but I must ask this.

If you can't afford the extra cost between lights, what are you going to do if your chameleon gets sick and needs vet care?


All things need to be considdered before taking on a living breathing responsibility. Kids, chams, dogs...etc

 

[summoner12]

You could order you light and fixture from LLL Reptile. They don't have crazy prices...

as far as CFL lamps like the Exo Terra you purchased... I will not use them.

I had a Zoo Med CFL bake and blind my 3 month old panther, he stopped eating because he couldn't see and he was dead 3 weeks later.

I wasn't using the lamp correctly but I didn't know any better and there wasn't a warning on the box. I just thought 'more is better' and that is dead wrong when it comes to UV lighting.

I would encourage you to read the UV Guide

Check out this article