Before purchasing a best UVB bulb for chameleons, you must first think about the tight amount of wattage of UVB bulb for chameleons. There are some factosr that will affect wattage of bulb that you’ll need for your pet are the size of the cage, your bulb location, the room temperature, etc.

Unlike iguanas or bearded dragons, who live in the forest and desert, chameleons need moderate amounts of UVB. This is why you need to know the right wattage and the bulb that is needed for your setup.

#1 Cage Size

The size of the cage is an important factor when choosing the UVB bulb. Generally speaking, the larger the cage, the more UVB bulb wattage you will need to cover more ground space. I would like to recommend the bulb with 100 watts and above for large cages and terrarium. With any under 100 watts bulbs are for small to medium size cage and terrarium.

However, this is just a basic guide line. Most manufacturers will show you the wattage of the bulb and the size of the cage it can be used for in the packet of the UVB bulb. It more correctly and important to follow their recommendation or you can risk getting your chameleon overheat.

#2 UVB Rating

Many bulbs are rated for the percentage of overall radiation that is emitted in the UVB range. UVB. 2.0 bulbs are designed for reptiles that receive little amount of UVB, who live in the lower layers of thick forests like Iguanas. 10.0 bulbs are designed for animals that receive high levels and need to basking under the heat bulb all the day such as Beareded dragons.

Chameleons prefer to receive moderate amounts of sunlight and 5.0 uvb bulb are seem to idea for them. Either a 5.0 or 10.0 can be used for chameleons but a 2.0 is not enough. It is important to read the packaging carefully before buying.

#3 Location of the UVB bulb

The location where the UVB bulb will be placed in the chameleon’s cage is also important as if you get the right wattage and UVB rating but you place the bulb further from your pets, they cannot receive enough UVB lights daily.

On top of the cage is usually the best location to mount the UVB lamp. And never mounting the bulb further from your pet about more than 12 inches