Reptile & Amphibian Forums

...I have read and been told (here) about the limited UVB when the light has to travel thru screen. Just how much is blocked? I use this cage for my lep rearing and once I get Luna into a bigger cage I will use this one again next season so I don't want to cut any of it out. It is a cham cage (not a lep cage) so I am assuming it is what everyone else here has (with the exception of outdoor and reptariums).

A friend is going to help me build a cage so I can certainly create an opening on that one but curious about current setup but that won;t be for awhile - winter project

as always - thanks!
lele

I wouldn't worry about a screen blocking UV rays unless the screen is for some reason very heavy. Standard aluminum screen or hardware wire mesh is used on the tops of 95% of chameleon cages, and I think everyone takes that into consideration when saying that you're supposed to be within 12 inches of the bulb or whatever. I made a cage once that had a solid plywood top with pieces of it cut out for screen, and where the florescent light sat on top of the plywood, it was open, so the chameleon could directly be under the light (no screen in between) but it became more of a pain because if the light moved a little bit then there was a gap where insects could get out and even without that gap, it created an easy way to escape for insects and chameleons if they moved it a little, and I would think a big cham could. Kinda hard to explain what I mean. Just keep a basking spot close to the bulb and don't worry about the sceen blocking a little bit of it.
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Tyler Stewart
Las Vegas NV
1.2 Nosy Be Panthers
2.2 Sambava Panthers
1.0 Tamatave Panther
1.0 Nosy Be X Unknown Cross
1.1 Veiled Chameleons
0.0.2 CBB Desert Tortoises
0.0.1 Sulcatta Tortoise