T8, T5, T5HO Which One ?

First of all, not all domes are the same. The difference is in things like reflectiveness of interior and the depth of dome. Standard 5.5” domes may leave the bulb touching anything it sits on. The deeper 8.5” dome will keep the hot bulb safely away from surfaces, especially in setups where the lamp is sitting directly on the screen.

*Personal preference for deep dome fixtures when using the cheaper plant bulbs. Some may have glare, be longer than normal bulbs, and can be visually unappealing. A deep dome hides all this nicely.

For the bulbs themselves, any incandescent bulb 40w to 75w is all we need. There are specialty reptile bulbs and plant bulbs that can be used.

The lights listed above are for heat. Full spectrum LED lights will be for the benefit of your plants. There are many options, but let’s keep it simple. We will call our two options Strip Light and Focused Light. Strip light just means a strip of led lights, and focused light is going to be a spotlight type bulb, (also in led). For our needs, a good set of strip lights is plenty. If you have bioactive or lower plants, below 21", you may want to add a spot bulb to get enough light to the lower plants.

Are They Too Bright ?

It is definitely possible to overdo it. Keep in mind, chameleons eyes would have to deal with sunlight, which would mainly be bright in one direction. They can simply not look directly at it. Since we will be covering the top of a cage, it is good to take into consideration. The simple test is, Is it too bright for you? Most plants can get sufficient amounts of light at visually comfortable levels.

Do Colors Matter ?

In short yes. You want full spectrum white. Not the reds, pinks, or blues, which are specialized towards plant growth periods.

How much light do I need?

For most of our need as chameleon keepers 32watts to 72watts of LED will work.