Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello as all of u can probably tell I'm new to this forum... as such let me plz ask for some knowledgeable advice... I am a regular user of kingsnake as a source of reference for care regarding my snakes, and for some time now i have been wanting to adopt a cham... So being responsible I've been doing my research on their care, ie. food, caging, lighting, handling and supplementing... and have decided on a vieled as is the best for a beginner in chams, so now im on to how i want to not only present my cham; but at the same time make sure that his specific requirements were met.

That being said, I am not only a herp fan, but i also have a few years experience with salt aquariums... I currently have a 60 galn reef aquarium set up with apropriate uva/uvb lighting, stocked with fish and invertebrates that is in my living room.

now my questions...

1.are the uva/uvb bulbs i use for my aquarium suitable for a vield's lighting requirements?

2. I have seen open terrarium designs with the use of a hood, hanging plats, vines, other various ledges and such... by using house plants, vines, etc. in the space around my aquarium would the cham receive sufficient light from the bulbs?

3. i also plan on creating an out door basking area wear he can also eat is this reasonable, or would i have to create a way for him to eat in his indoor environment as well?

thanks

ps. i live in florida...

1.0 50/50 cali king...
0.1 anry het ablino b.c. imperator...
1.0 norm het albin ball python ...
0.1 100% tiger bld lne brendal/fawn apbt...

I am pretty sure the UV bulbs you have for your aquarium do not produce the correct part of the spectrum for a cham, so no, I would not use them. Also, a cham needs to get within 18" of fluorescent bulbs to get the correct amount of UVB radiation, so putting his cage close to the aquarium will not work. Teh safest bulbs most of us use are the ReptiSun 5.0 linear tubes. Many aquarium hood fixtures will take them as they have heavier duty ballasts.

As you live in FL, there may be a lot of the year when you could put his entire cage outdoors to get some direct sun, but make sure it doesn't get too hot for him and that the cage has enough foliage cover so he can cool off if need be.

thank you... that makes things a little simpler, i have a sun room where i think i will set up a nice ceiling to floor hanging open air enclosure.