Zoo Med Tropical Uvb/heat light kit??

[LexiV]

Does anyone use this kit and does it work well? Mine doesn't seem bright enough to me. it only lights up the top half of the cage and bottom is completely dark? Haven't tested the temps out yet...


http://www.petmountain.com/product/...d-zoo-med-tropical-uvb-heat-lighting-kit.html

Thanks!

 

[Calval24]

I have used it before but I didn't like it. The compact UVB in my opinion isn't enough as it limits to just that area. I now use the t5 tube bulb along with LED's. I use the combo fixture to house the basking light and a ceramic heat emitter for night time temps.

 

[Calval24]

Here is a pic of my enclosure with all the lights. Hope this helps

 

[Virgil1972]

I have one but with two heat lamps instead of a UVB bulb. I have two so on extra hot days I can turn one bulb off so my cham don't get to hot.

 

[LexiV]

I have used it before but I didn't like it. The compact UVB in my opinion isn't enough as it limits to just that area. I now use the t5 tube bulb along with LED's. I use the combo fixture to house the basking light and a ceramic heat emitter for night time temps.

ok thanks. ya I'm probably going to have to get a tube lamp light. I have the xlarge reptibreeze screen cage and I just don't think that system is bright enough.

 

[Calval24]

ok thanks. ya I'm probably going to have to get a tube lamp light. I have the xlarge reptibreeze screen cage and I just don't think that system is bright enough.

Yea! If you have the 24x24x48 cage I would recommend getting a t5 bulb. That's a big cage for just a compact style bulb. Everyone has their opinions that's just what I think and what has worked for me.

 

[KapitalJ]

I use this fixture with a house bulb for heat and a UVB on the other side. I also have a little dome light set up at the front of my enclosure with a Compact fluorescent bulb for additional light. Although you would like the entire enclosure to be nice and bright, there is nothing wrong with a nice shady spot for your cha, to hang out in if he/she needs to cool down.

Tube lighting is probably better as stated above. But Im sure you are fine for now as long as you are hitting required basking temps.

 

[Kboz1991]

I would use a 10.0 or 12% for a 48"cage if you have adequate Foliage for him to get out of the light

 

[Dirtydominican77]

Hello lexiV, ok so you got the xl reptibreeze enclosure, now you'll need a double bulb fixture. 1 bulb must be uvb (you know that already, lol)depending on species the minimum in my opinion 10% and the other should be 65k bulb to recreate daylight. Then of course heat lamp/bulb. Which a regular light bulb will do the trick.

Now this all depends on where in the world you live and type of chameleon you intend to husband.

Hope that helps a bit.

 

[trickedoutbiker]

I have one but with two heat lamps instead of a UVB bulb. I have two so on extra hot days I can turn one bulb off so my cham don't get to hot.

I have the dual dome fixture housing two heating bulbs as well, although my reason is a little different.... One of the bulbs is a 60 watt incandescent, and the other side is a 100 watt incandescent plugged into a dimmer switch so I can manually adjust it up or down to make the combined temps of the two bulbs at 90 degrees +/- 2. Now, the reason I have two bulbs instead of one to achieve this, is because I used to only have one heat bulb on my cage but I've came home from work in the past, twice, to a heat bulb that stopped working at some point during the day and a cold chameleon. I mean he was fine, he was just not able to bask how he wanted ya know?

So now I use the two heat bulbs, in case one of them ever goes out, there is at least SOMETHING putting some heat onto his basking spot for him and he won't be cold. The 60 watt alone does not achieve the temps I want but it gets a little close, and I leave it on full blast, all the time. I didn't want a stronger bulb because on days the room temp fluctuates by 5 or 6 degrees, that basking spot temp will also rise or fall with the ambient room temp, and with a stronger bulb, that might make for a hotter-than-wanted basking spot at times. So I use the 60 watt on full blast to get the temps close to what I want, within about 8-10 degrees. The other bulb is my 100 watt and it's on a dimmer switch. I use it to make the basking spot a perfect 90 degrees, give or take a degree or two. The temps at my place fluctuate by about 5 degrees from morning lights on to evening lights out, depending on how warm it is outside during the day and how cold it got at night to let the place cool down. Never higher than 74 inside though during the day because my central air will kick on. So on colder days where my room temp is going to be a bit cooler, I just adjust the dimmer up a bit and make that 100 watt bulb a little hotter. On warmer days where my room temp might be a little more towards 74 degrees, I adjust the dimmer down a bit and make the 100 watt a little cooler. Works like a charm, and I can always have my basking spot within a couple degrees of where I want it, at all times, no matter how cool or hot the ambient room temps get. That, and I found that, with only one heat bulb, you could have a bulb that was the "perfect" basking temp, but if you opened a window or turned the heat or AC down/up 5 degrees... the ambient room temp changes, which in turn affects the basking spot temp... so you could never have that "perfect" basking spot temp.

Not that it has to be "perfect" at all times because in the wild, the temps from day to day fluctuate. I have two heat bulbs simply for the fact I stated that - I don't want to come home to a cold chameleon again. It happened twice, and it actually happened again, but not even to my own chameleon. I was cham-watching Kaliko the panther chameleon for my buddy Nick a couple weeks ago, when Nick was gone for a week or so... and one day I went to his house to check on it like normal and the heat bulb was blown out. Little dude looked cold, just like how my own cham looked when it happened to me. And you have no idea of telling how long that heat bulb has been out either unless you were there to watch it blow out. Cold is not particularly a good thing when you are wanting to feed them or when they are wanting to digest. 2 heat bulbs fixed that problem.

As for UVB... I use a quad fixture with a 22" UVB and other bulbs in it as well.

 

[Fricker04]

Sorry to jump on your post. But I need help. My boyfriend bought me a veiled chameleon. He knew I liked them but didn’t know anything about it. Everyone I get a pet I always do a bunch of research because I want them to live the best life. But I’ve only had this little guy/ girl for a day and I know he’s not happy. He bought the same kit and I put a little desk lamp on top to keep it a little warmer. But it’s just not doing it for him. I bought a water dripper thingy and waiting for that to come in. I bought coconut soil. But saw that it’s not for the best. But I want to have live plants in there for him but I feel like having a potted plant is the same as having the ground of the terrarium soil. I have a zoo med thermometer and at the top where he sits by the lamps and it’s at 87F. But if I move it down just a few inches to the second mark on my picture the temp drops to about 71F. I have a big heat lamp for chickens but don’t want it to bet to close or to get to hot during the day where it burns him.

 

[Fricker04]

 

[Beman]

Sorry to jump on your post. But I need help. My boyfriend bought me a veiled chameleon. He knew I liked them but didn’t know anything about it. Everyone I get a pet I always do a bunch of research because I want them to live the best life. But I’ve only had this little guy/ girl for a day and I know he’s not happy. He bought the same kit and I put a little desk lamp on top to keep it a little warmer. But it’s just not doing it for him. I bought a water dripper thingy and waiting for that to come in. I bought coconut soil. But saw that it’s not for the best. But I want to have live plants in there for him but I feel like having a potted plant is the same as having the ground of the terrarium soil.

This is a very old thread you more then likely will not hear from the people in this thread. It would be better for you to start your own so the community can help you and direct you to the correct sources for info.

Go here and click post thread: https://www.chameleonforums.com/forums/general-discussion.6/

This is the husbandry I recommend for accurate info. It will teach you a ton and you can ask any question in your thread. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

 

[AmandaS]

Sorry to jump on your post. But I need help. My boyfriend bought me a veiled chameleon. He knew I liked them but didn’t know anything about it. Everyone I get a pet I always do a bunch of research because I want them to live the best life. But I’ve only had this little guy/ girl for a day and I know he’s not happy. He bought the same kit and I put a little desk lamp on top to keep it a little warmer. But it’s just not doing it for him. I bought a water dripper thingy and waiting for that to come in. I bought coconut soil. But saw that it’s not for the best. But I want to have live plants in there for him but I feel like having a potted plant is the same as having the ground of the terrarium soil. I have a zoo med thermometer and at the top where he sits by the lamps and it’s at 87F. But if I move it down just a few inches to the second mark on my picture the temp drops to about 71F. I have a big heat lamp for chickens but don’t want it to bet to close or to get to hot during the day where it burns him.

Hey, @Fricker04 , I am so excited for your new adventure with your chameleon. You have come to a wonderful place for help! This thread is from 2016, and the lighting used by the OP in this thread is outdated. You will want a T5HO (long, linear, tube) 5.0 or 6% bulb and fixture.
If you fill out the help form in your own thread, you will get very wonderful, and very detailed, species specific feedback to help give your chameleon the best life possible.

Let me find that form, then you just start a new thread. and copy and paste this form. And fill it in with as much details as you can. Brands of items you use, exact schedules you plan on...as much info as you can provide.
Hope this helps.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

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Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.