# VivExotic AX36 set up for yemens chams. A little advice please.



## pinktoetarantula (Nov 11, 2008)

Does anyone keep yemens chams in a vivexotic ax36? I have just bought 2 vivs for my growing chams. 

I will be using a megaray bulb (not sure which size I should go for yet, still researching) to provide a heat spot and UVB. 

This will only be on during the day, so I was thinking to have a second bulb red heat bulb (about 60w) to keep a night temp?? Or can put heat mats in vivs to warm nights a little?? Or do they need it at night at all?

The chams at the moment are in a heated room where the temp doesn't drop below 21deg. They currently live in all glass vivs and have a UVB strip and 60w spot each, so going for total upgrade, want to give them the best and me less wires and easy maintenance.

Any suggestions or ideas welcome.


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## white (May 16, 2009)

you could use that viv if you replace the glass with mesh.also do not use megarays,chams need a seperate uv and basking spot


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## dris (Dec 7, 2009)

yea replace the glass!! an all mesh viv is usually better as yemens dont need as much humidity as panthers, i use mercury vapour bulbs with my chams personally i think they are awesme,but you need to have very big enclosures to justify it as they are really powerful, so i would go for seperate uv and basking spot if its jusy a 3 footer!! terry thatcher makes some really nice cham vivariums


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## pinktoetarantula (Nov 11, 2008)

I've looked at Terry Thatcher vivs and they look awesome (a little out of my budget though), I haven't recieved the vivs yet but was thinking about meshing the lower area. 

The viv is 4' high and 3' long by 1 1/2' wide. 

Excuse my ignorance: Why do chameleons need separate basking and UVB? They don't get that when they bask in sun.


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## pinktoetarantula (Nov 11, 2008)

Anyone???????


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## pinktoetarantula (Nov 11, 2008)

white said:


> also do not use megarays,chams need a seperate uv and basking spot


Lots of Cham keepers say this but when asked 'why?', they don't even know themselves why they do it!

Why do they need separate basking and UVB?? Nature doesn't do this, so what is the reason for us doing it in captivity?

I'm not being an a~se, If there is a good reason for this I will provide my chams with separate UVB and heat.


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## dris (Dec 7, 2009)

like i said man, i use mercury vapours and i love em, as long as you have lots of hiding spots so ur cham can get outta it if needs be it should be fine!! yea terry thatchers are quite expensive but they really are great chameleon vivs!!


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## pinktoetarantula (Nov 11, 2008)

dris said:


> like i said man, i use mercury vapours and i love em, as long as you have lots of hiding spots so ur cham can get outta it if needs be it should be fine!! yea terry thatchers are quite expensive but they really are great chameleon vivs!!


Thanks dris, I just don't understand why some people are so adamant about having to provide the 2 separate energies. Do you use megaray or some other MV bulbs?


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## dris (Dec 7, 2009)

yea me neither doesnt really make sense as like you said in their natural habitat they would get their uv from their het source??, i use power sun, iv been told that exo terras tend to break alot.


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## xwillowx (Mar 30, 2008)

Hi. I have two chams and i have only ever used the viv ex range. however my two do come out of the viv a lot and at times i leave the door open so that they can climb out onto a house plant positioned right next to them.... air flow isnt a prob then, but meshing the bottom would be a great idea. i use sep uv & heat but i know others who use just the one. i dont think it really matters how as long as they get all that they need. when my chams were young i regulated the night time heat but when i upgraded and enlarged the vivs i now turn the heat & light off at night. this allows for a 7-10 drop, just what they need to get a full nights sleep & they do. your night time temp is fine, no real need for added heat or light. ive put mine on a timmer so that the heat & uv go of at a set time.... my chams heat comes on half hour before the uv, just my own preference, like it to warm up just a bit before the sun comes on full & they get up for breakie! you know you chams.... work with them, keep a close eye on temp etc, tweek it if & as needed and enjoy........
hope this helps, sorry for the waffle!


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## Chrisal1973 (Oct 7, 2009)

xwillowx said:


> Hi. I have two chams and i have only ever used the viv ex range. however my two do come out of the viv a lot and at times i leave the door open so that they can climb out onto a house plant positioned right next to them.... air flow isnt a prob then, but meshing the bottom would be a great idea. i use sep uv & heat but i know others who use just the one. i dont think it really matters how as long as they get all that they need. when my chams were young i regulated the night time heat but when i upgraded and enlarged the vivs i now turn the heat & light off at night. this allows for a 7-10 drop, just what they need to get a full nights sleep & they do. your night time temp is fine, no real need for added heat or light. ive put mine on a timmer so that the heat & uv go of at a set time.... my chams heat comes on half hour before the uv, just my own preference, like it to warm up just a bit before the sun comes on full & they get up for breakie! you know you chams.... work with them, keep a close eye on temp etc, tweek it if & as needed and enjoy........
> hope this helps, sorry for the waffle!


Megaray do a bulb that they recommend for rep species, such as Chams, that have a daily UVB dose of less strength than say a semi-arid species. They recommend their 60W external ballasted low UV bulb. TYou would require an additional heat source when using this as the bulb doesn't give off that much heat.

Depending on the viv size, self-ballasted MVB that provide both UVB and heat can be used with no issues for Chams, provided the rep has sufficient access to shade so it can move out of the area exposed to the MVB's beam (like a Cham hidden in heavy tree foliage, for example).

As many people on here have stated, Chams get their UVA, UVB and infrared all from the same source in nature (as does everything). It is simply a matter of preference for the individual keeping them in captivity and using a bit of common sense, based on the environment the rep is housed in.


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