EllenD":2cavgtkv said:Peep18":2cavgtkv said:sorry to post on this topic (im not a expert but it dosent look like blood) but for ellen you seem to stress about the uvb which is know is important. i have thisEllenD":2cavgtkv said:First off, that doesn't at all look like blood to me, but rather the remnants of blueberries or raspberries, whatever it was that he ate, and it does look like poop, as AHBD already mentioned, not vomit, as it looks like a small bit of urate present in it. When they either vomit blood or pass it in their stools, it either shows up as being extremely dark in color (almost black), or if it's from active, internal bleeding it shows up as extremely bright red, oxygenated blood. This doesn't at all look like blood, it's pinkish/purple. And if he recently ate either blueberries or raspberries, I'd bet that he had a bowel movement and passed them in his stool/urate, especially if he's acting "normally".
That being said, your dragon is extremely small for being 2.5 years old, and if you've had him under a compact Reptisun 10.0 UVB bulb his entire life, and that is most likely on top of a mesh lid that is blocking 40% of the already far too weak UVB/UVA light for any Desert Reptile, let along a Bearded Dragon, that means that he has pretty much gotten no UVB or UVA light at all his entire life. This is the explanation for his stunted size and what is most likely a severe calcium deficiency and MBD. It's also most likely why he's not properly digesting his food, resulting in what you're seeing here. I'd ask you how old the compact Reptisun 10.0 UVB bulb you have is (they stop emitting any UVB light at all at 6 months old and must be replaced) or how far away it is from his Basking Spot/Platform (they must be within about 4" unobstructed by the mesh or anything else to emit adequate UVB or UVA light to a Bearded Dragon), but just using a compact Reptisun 10.0 UVB light that is only 13 watts and is probably being blocked by a mesh lid means he's gotten no UVB or UVA light anyway, so the details of it's set-up or age don't really matter anyway. Also, you must dust his live insects in a Reptile-Grade calcium powder at least 4-5 times a week and in a Reptile-Grade Multivitamin at least 3 times a week for a Bearded Dragon's entire life; once a week is not nearly enough for either, but again, unless he's under a strong, adequate UVB tube that is unobstructed by a mesh lid/plastic safety cover on the tube fixture, is within the correct distance from his Basking Spot/Platform (T8 UVB tube needs to be within at least 6" and a much stronger T5 UVB tube, which is absolutely what you must buy him immediately, along with a matching length, T5-rated tube fixture with a metal reflector inside it, must be within at least 11" of his Basking Spot/Platform), and is replaced every 6 months for a weaker T8 tube and every 12 months for a much stronger T5 tube, then it doesn't matter how often you dust his insects in either powder, as he cannot absorb nor process/use any of it, it's simply being excreted in his bowel movements, along with most all of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrition he's eating in his food and supplements.
You really need to go onto Amazon.com (cheapest place by far) and order at least a 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVB tube or a 24" Arcadia 12% T5 UVB tube, along with a 24" (for either brand) T5-rated tube fixture for it immediately, as this is surely the start of the signs/symptoms of a severe calcium deficiency and MBD showing up, and he'll only get worse and worse. I don't know exactly how much the 24" Arcadia 12% T5 UVB tube costs, but on Amazon.com you can buy a 22" (shortest you should buy, don't bother with the 16" because the wattage is actually lower and he needs a very strong UVB tube to try to reverse any damage possible) a 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVB tube for around $24 and then the cheapest 24" tube fixture that is rated for a 24 watt, T5 tube that has a Metal Reflector included in it costs $28 on Amazon.com. So you can order both for around $50 shipped and have them within the week. For comparison, they don't sell the Reptisun 10.0 T5HO tubes in Petco or Petsmart, all they sell is either a package deal that includes a T5 rated light hood and a 5.0 T5HO UVB tube, which is only a 5% UVB tube and not much better than what you're using now, for $60, and then both Petco and Petsmart sell just an 18" Reptisun 10.0 T8 UVB tube for $37.99 just for the tube without a fixture, and honestly, not only would it be silly to order a T8 UVB tube that is weaker and needs to be replaced every 6 months for almost as much money as the stronger, longer T5 10.0 tube and a fixture for it cost, but your Dragon really needs the stronger T5 UVB tube ASAP.
In the meantime, again I don't know how old the compact 10.0 UVB bulb you have is, but if it's less than 6 months old and it's not causing him any eye or neurological issues, you need to remove the mesh lid and get the bulb within at least 6" of him for the time being, until the adequate T5 UVB tube is shipped to you. If the compact 10.0 UVB bulb is over 6 months old then it's not emitting any UVB or UVA light anyway...
Please get him a T5 UVB tube and fixture ordered ASAP and get it set up over the Hot Side of his tank, right alongside his bright-white colored Basking Bulb (not end-to-end but both right alongside each other sharing the Hot Side of the tank), and then get his Basking Spot/Platform set up directly underneath both lights so that he gets both at the same time while he basks, this is replicating natural sunlight as closely as possible.
https://www.chewy.com/exo-terra-solar-glo-all-in-one/dp/124025?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Exo%20Terra&utm_term=&gclid=Cj0KCQiAp8fSBRCUARIsABPL6JZlFKP4pxQBP-Io_4RBhKZKiBOS4vGTtfgP3dlUiulMEY1IruWL6YIaAjnbEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
is that enough uvb for a 40gallon tank & young bearded dragon. i also have a little uvb bulb that came with the tank kit i dont use. should i double up or is the all in one solar glo fine?
Your SolarGlo is a Mercury Vapor Bulb, so it's an all-in-one bulb that emits both UVB/UVA and heat/basking light, but unfortunately, of all the MVB lights on the market, the SolarGlo is rated by far the weakest of them all, and in my opinion and in the opinion of a lot of others on this forum (based on the Solarmeter tests done on the bulb) the SolarGlo is not at all adequate for a Bearded Dragon in the amount of UVB or UVA that it emits. It's fine for a Tropical Reptile that doesn't need strong, intense UVB light, but for a Bearded Dragon they are not at all recommended.
If you want to stick to a Mercury Vapor Bulb and not go to a long UVB tube and a separate bright-white colored Basking Bulb for the heat and basking light, I very highly recommend that you purchase a MegaRay MVB light that is the same wattage that you're using now (Assuming that all 3 of your temperature zones are being kept within the correct ranges by the wattage of SolarGlo you're currently using). For a 40 Gallon Breeder tank you want the 100 watt MegaRay, as the other option is the 160 watt MegaRay, and it will be way too hot for a 40 Gallon Breeder tank. The MegaRay will fit in the current light fixture you're using for the SolarGlo, and it needs to be within about the same distance of his Basking Spot/Platform as the SolarGlo does, I believe most people keep their MVB bulbs between 12"-16" away from the Basking Spot/Platform, depending on the Basking Spot Surface Temperature readings you get after you set the MegaRay up.
The other really good (more expensive though) MVB light for Dragons is the Arcadia MVB light, so that's another option. I'm honestly not very familiar with the PowerSun MVB light, though I know people who use it without any issues, but I've heard nothing but excellent reviews and seen wonderful results from the MegaRay, so that's the one I recommend as far as MVB lights go. Either way, I'd seriously get rid of the SolarGlo ASAP, as I've personally seen severe calcium deficiency and MBD in Bearded Dragons that have been under the SolarGlo since they were babies.
dang alright. right now i just have the solarglo and its 160watt in my 40 gallon tank at first i got the 125 watt or 100 watt cant remember and it wasnt near hot enough right now i have the basking rock at 107 but normal he is on the little wood branches which are about 100-106. cold side is about 81 (he rarley goes on that side though) ill look into getting a better uvb light for him as soon as possible.. if i do change to the tube setup which one is best? that not too expensive. and does the basking bulb matter? or its jsut good if i find the right tempature?
