What lights should I be using?

[chap]

So I got my veiled chameleon at the end of January, 2015. He was about 2 inches w/o his tail then (my profile picture) and now he is about 6 in. no tail. He obviously grew with the lights that I have but I'm not sure if I should change them out for a different bulb. Here are the names/watts of the lights:
The ReptiSun 5.0 uvb 13W tropical mini compact fluorescent bulb by Zoo Med
and the 100W Intense Basking Spot by Exo Terra and I put these bulbs in the Mini Combo Deep Dome Dual Lamp Fixture by Zoo Med.
Can someone please tell me if these lights are alright to use for my juvenile veiled cham? I'm gonna have to change these out pretty soon so I'm just making sure these are the right ones before I buy another.

Thanks!

 

[stephen]

lights!

No offense, but there is tons of info on this forum about proper lighting. Time to get reading. These are docile awesome creatures, but there is a certain responsibility that comes with parenting them. That involves research. You'll b happy u did. And so will ur cham!!

 

[Blink]

You definitely need a UVB light. You also need a basking light. 100 watts seems far to intense for a chameleon. I wouldn't use any higher wattage than 75 watts. 60W is recommended as a starter point and you can increase and decrease the wattage as necessary to maintain an appropriate basking and cage temp. You can use a regular household incandescent bulb as a basing light.

 

[chap]

I thought that the ReptiSun 5.0 UVB was a UVB? And when I go in to get new bulbs I will pick up a 60W basking bulb.

 

[Blink]

I thought that the ReptiSun 5.0 UVB was a UVB? And when I go in to get new bulbs I will pick up a 60W basking bulb.

Yes it is... Sorry if I was confusing. I was basically just stating the things that you need, even if you already have it. UVB bulbs must be changed every 6 months, though.

 

[chap]

Yes it is... Sorry if I was confusing. I was basically just stating the things that you need, even if you already have it. UVB bulbs must be changed every 6 months, though.

Thank you for your help. And yes I'm going to change it at the end of this month. I think I will go for a 75W basking lamp only because I have left about 10 inchies from one of his vines to the top of the mesh where his baking bulb is.

 

[junglefries]

You want a linear T5 HO Reptisun bulb across his cage. A 25-40w heat bulb should be just fine in a 75-78°f house. Veils can suffer from MBD pretty quickly, so the compact UVB will have to be replaced.

 

[chap]

Okay great. Which lamp fixture do you recommend for that? Like I said I only have a dome right now so that means I'll have to get a different lamp fixture for the T5. One more question, do you recommend a night heat lamp? My house is usually 70-67 f at night and I read that they are used to heat drops like that? Summer is right around the corner meaning it will get warmer so I'm not sure on investing in a night heat bulb.
*During the spring days my house is 70-72 as well but he has his heat on then...

 

[Blink]

Okay great. Which lamp fixture do you recommend for that? Like I said I only have a dome right now so that means I'll have to get a different lamp fixture for the T5. One more question, do you recommend a night heat lamp? My house is usually 70-67 f at night and I read that they are used to heat drops like that? Summer is right around the corner meaning it will get warmer so I'm not sure on investing in a night heat bulb.
*During the spring days my house is 70-72 as well but he has his heat on then...

Chameleons can tolerate a night temperature drop as low as 50 degrees. A temperature drop is good for them to cool down. So unless the temperature in your house is lower than 50, you don't need any kind of night heat source. If your house does get that cold at night, never use a night "light". Chameleons cannot sleep without complete darkness. A ceramic heat emitter would be preferred, but again you would only need that if the temps were under 50 degrees.

 

[Decadancin]

Definitely no heat lamp at night. (You shouldn't need any heat source until temps are below 40 to 50 degrees, and I still wouldn't use a light.) As for UVB, if you can do a linear bulb I would recommend it. I personally have an Arcadia 12% T5 High Output for my adult male, but for your little guy I would start with a 6%. I'm not sure where you are located, but if you are in the states I would check out Todd at Light Your Reptiles (forum sponsor). Shoot him an email if you have any questions about setups and he'll give great advice! http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/
I could not believe the difference when I switched from a T8 to the T5's. The bulbs are more expensive, but you don't have to change them every 6 months, but once a year, so it basically evens out.
Speaking of bulbs, if you are going to have any live plants (which for a veiled is a great idea since they will often eat some leaves) you'll need a plant bulb (such as a 6500K tube). Just make sure its a safe plant for them. And for basking, remember it isn't the wattage that matters, but the desired temperature at the basking site. A general guide:
Juvenile (<9 months): ambient 72-80F (22-26C), basking 85F (29C)
Adult males: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 90-95F (32-35C)
Adult females: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 85F (29C)
As light bulbs go, your standard household incandescent bulb is great for this purpose, but remember to check them carefully! The wattages are sometimes misleading. Occasionally they will say things like "Same as 60 watt" when they are actually less. Hope this gives you the info you needed!

 

[chap]

Thankyou!! Im just not all the way sure about the T5 lamp fixture? Im planning on getting the Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 T5 HO lamp in the 22" length and my cage is only 18x18x36... What should I do about that?

 

[jajeanpierre]

You want a linear T5 HO Reptisun bulb across his cage. A 25-40w heat bulb should be just fine in a 75-78°f house. Veils can suffer from MBD pretty quickly, so the compact UVB will have to be replaced.

Don't be so sure the Reptisun tube is any better than the compact bulb. My compact UVB Reptisun bulb throws out a lot more UVB than my Reptisun tube. (Tested with a light meter.) I use Arcadia bulbs on most of my cages but have the Reptisuns for the small glass enclosures.

I believe the problems associated with the compact bulbs (don't know what manufacturer) was that they produced UVC, which kills everything. That problem has been fixed yet the prejudice against the bulbs continues.

Your veiled does not need a 100w basking light unless you have a really, really cold house and probably only in the winter. I believe babies should have lower temps than adults.