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How long should i leave my UVB bulb on?

B

Beeker

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I normally leave it on for about 7 hours a day. Iv'e heard that too much time under UVB will tan/cook the pigment in chameleons thus making them not able to change color. I'm just worried that 7 hours is either too much or to little. If anyone could tell me how much UVB they give their chameleon or what works for them it would be greatly appreciated. I have one panther cham and a reptisun 5.0 40 watt florescent bulb that i use plus a day(heat bulb) i know that during the winter days are 10 hours and 12 during the summer. If anyone has any info on how much UVB i should be giving him it would be greatly appreciated.

thanks a lot
kyle
 
Howdy Kyle,

I believe that I've read that closer to 12 hours of proper UVB would be better than 7 hours. I have mine set for about 11-12 hours. A minimum amount would be no less than the current local daytime hours. Remember, with a typical new Repti-sun 5.0 you will get a reasonable dose of UVB at about 12" distance. What you are looking for is around 5-15uW/cm2 of UVB energy for a panther. I've never heard of a "tanning effect" with chameleons in general. If you provide basking access of 6" to 12" from the Reptisun 5.0 and then lots of other places far away, you will have provided what they need. Panthers (and other chameleons?) have been experimentally studied and are known to self-regulate their UVB intake.

See: http://www.reptileuvinfo.com/scientificstudies.htm
Do Panther Chameleons Bask to Regulate Endogenous Vitamin D3 Production?
 
Howdy Kyle,

Wanda's right. There is nothing better than KNOWING how much UVB you are delivering AT the UVB basking spot. That's why I bought a Solarmeter 6.2 for about $160 delivered. You can try http://www.beardeddragons.biz/solarmeter_6.2.htm or join the UVB_METER_Owners group (another free forum) and they do bulk buys for a little cheaper price. I bought mine from the .biz guy with no problems. The meter is great for keeping an eye on the aging process of your UVB source as well as setting the proper distance for the light-to-perch position. Mega-Ray UVB lamps are top notch for critters that need a bunch of UVB. I think that they are the preferred lamp for Iguanas, bearded dragons etc. If I remember correctly, you could easily get 100uW/cm2 at a std basking distance. The recommended energy level for a panther is closer to 5-15uW/cm2 which is why the Reptisun 5.0 is the preferred source for panthers. It has a super reputation for delivering UVB1/UVB2 in the proper ratios to produce the proper D3 action. Some other reptile UVB tubes have a shift in their spectrum causing the UVB2 levels to cancel the good effects of the important UVB1 levels. (See my posting about an "Important UVB Study" that I posted a week or two ago.) The Mega-Ray would work if you set its distance far enough away to get 5-15uW/cm2 at the perch location. You're good-to-go with your Reptisun 5.0 if it isn't too old yet. Generally, it is recommended to replace it at 6 months UNLESS you have a meter to verify its output level at the perch!
 
yeah i read the UVB post. But i have read on other sites that too much UVB is just as bad as too little UVB. He normally is about 6 inches from the light at his basking spot. The light is towards the front of the cage so if he wanted to move to the back he would recieve non or less UVB. i have the heat light set-up for 10 hours and the UVB bulb set-up for 7 hours. but i think i will change it back to 10 i just didn't want to tan or cook his pigment.

thanks for your help.
kyle
 
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