UVB Lights

[shelbylee1994]

I am currently building an outdoor enclosure for my panther and veiled chameleons. Was wondering if I need to change my UVB light requirement now that they will be outside.
They are going to be in a wood/screen enclosure on my screened in porch.

 

[Tkrd69]

I will tag the lighting expert hey @Beman Mine mainly stays on a screened in porch and I still use a Pro T5 6% Arcadia bulb for my veiled

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. Will they be eating any natural unfiltered sunlight? It’s not the uvb light I’d worry about as much as still using a vitamin D3. There’s no way to get too much D3 from sunlight/uvb, but there is from dietary supplement.

 

[Beman]

You would still want to use UVB lighting. Most screen used for porches are uv resistant so hardly anything comes through it also it will have a roof. If you show pics of how you are setting it up we can assist more. But a T5HO fixture and a 6% bulb will need a 11-12 inch distance to the branches below it. This is if you hang the fixture inside the enclosure and it is not sitting on a screen top.

 

[nightanole]

Id just buy a UVI meter. That will tell you if your porch screen is the fancy one with built in sun block. But normally you use zero UVB and zero D suppliment. Sticky tongue farms even sells an outdoor formula(calcium with trace elements).

Its kinda like folks that buy green houses, but the plastic used could filter just about anything, from just UVB but advertises "UV for plants" or could be letting 100% of the UV spectrum in, and all your plastic disintegrates lol.

 

[RobertSopko]

Hello to everyone , i would ask you about my uvb arcadia 6% t5 24w. What is the best distance between chameleon and uvb and also how long should I let light on?

 

[RobertSopko]

Hello to everyone , i would ask you about my uvb arcadia 6% t5 24w. What is the best distance between chameleon and uvb and also how long should I let light on?

 

[Tkrd69]

6% bulb 8-9 inches from branch. 12 hours @Beman is our current expert on lighting.

 

[Beman]

^^^ correct so with a single bulb T5HO fixture and a 6% bulb your looking at a measured distance of 8-9 inches to the branches below it for an approximate 3 UVI where they rise up off the branch. UVB 12 hours on. If the LED is running hotter you can run it for a shorter time period during the day. Say your schedules is 7am-7pm then you could have your LED run 9-4pm. This will help with a gradual heat up and cool down as well.