Reptile & Amphibian Forums

When preparing for my upcoming jump back into chameleons...I found myself debating the lighting issue. Since I last kept chameleons, those new mercury vapor bulbs have come around. I'll be having two 4'x2'x2' cages for a pair of veileds right next to each other and I figured why not just have one 48" fluoresent fixture for the both of them so I won't have to buy TWO fixtures and TWO bulbs. Then buy some heat bulbs to do the job two. Here's where I run into a wall, as I don't know too awful much about the mercury vapor bulbs. I know they're very expensive and it'll cost me nearly 70 bucks for two of them. Do they provide adequate light for the live plants as well? Do they put out more UVB rays? And how much heat are we talking here? I don't wanna roast my chameleons. Tell me what you all think...I'm open to suggestions.
-Cory

You could save some electricity and number of bulbs by using the MVB bulbs as they put out heat and UVB. That way you only have 2 lights.
I don't know how much UVB or how hot they actually get (never tested) but if you hang a few inches above the cage you will be fine.
My Pothos did great and had to be trimmed constantly..
Someone may try and tell you UVB isn't needed but do yourself a favor and pass on the advice..

The safe play is to go with a 48" Reptisun 4.0 and 2 plain old incandescent bulbs (or halogen bulbs) for basking. The MV bulbs give out too much UVB according to a recent study by Gary Ferguson (published in Zoo Biology). You need to hang them fairly high about the cage and at that height they're not much good for heat.

I use the MV bulbs but I cover most of the cage top with clear Plexiglass so only a tiny part of the vage gets UVB from these lihts. And my cahes are heavily planted for shade. As for the plantsL: I don't think either bulb is adequate for plant lighting unless your cages (like mine) all sit in windows.
Ed