Veiled obsessed with reflection in Arcadia T5 reflector

[Ashleyg]

Hi Guys,

My Veiled seems to find his reflection on any surface, he's attacked Govee temperature monitors, and now is finding himself in my Arcadia reflector, anyone else experience this?
He climbs and goes to great lengths to get to it. I've tried it everywhere, might have to raise it up off of the mesh. Branches are locked in, so there's no adjusting those, plus he will climb to get to it.

Thanks!

 

[Beman]

Do you have a solarmeter?

 

[Ashleyg]

Yes

 

[Beman]

Yes

Ok... how easily does the reflector come off? Idea here because your branches seem higher anyways is to remove the reflector and test the UVI output at the branch. See if it is at least a 2.5 there without the reflector.

If he stops doing it then the reflector was the issue. If he does not then he is just at that age where nothing makes them happy and he is trying to explore everything and get as high up off the ground as possible.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

My Arcadia T5 is less than an inch above the mesh, and while as a baby he was always traversing the ceiling—even directly under the bulb—IDT he was trying to get to it or anything; it was just the easiest/fastest way for him to get around. He rarely does it anymore.

So I'm thinking it may be a "phase" too.

 

[AmandaS]

Yes, my chameleon saw itself in the reflector. Someone told me to tilt it, ever so slightly, so the reflection isnt straight down. I did that about 3 months and then put it back.....it was never an issue again.
Idk if that will work for you, but it did for me.

 

[Ashleyg]

Ok... how easily does the reflector come off? Idea here because your branches seem higher anyways is to remove the reflector and test the UVI output at the branch. See if it is at least a 2.5 there without the reflector.

If he stops doing it then the reflector was the issue. If he does not then he is just at that age where nothing makes them happy and he is trying to explore everything and get as high up off the ground as possible.

Just moved him into this enclosure, he is definitely exploring, i'm going to try that, may try raising or angling somehow....

 

[Ashleyg]

Yes, my chameleon saw itself in the reflector. Someone told me to tilt it, ever so slightly, so the reflection isnt straight down. I did that about 3 months and then put it back.....it was never an issue again.
Idk if that will work for you, but it did for me.

How did you tilt it, is it on an arm or something? Thanks

 

[AmandaS]

How did you tilt it, is it on an arm or something? Thanks

I have new ones that hang now, but at the time I just wedged something under one side so it propped that side up.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

How did you tilt it, is it on an arm or something? Thanks

I have mine supported up on small blocks on top of the enclosure so the weight is transferred to the frame instead of sitting on the mesh.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/simple-uvb-fixture-supports.177896/

At a later point, I did tilt the UVB slightly toward the back of the enclosure by placing small shims under each block. This combined with being raised up slightly and being behind the piece of molding in the thread above, the UV doesn't hit us in the eyes when we need to get in there to do something.