Not drinking and long term effects with no uvb?

Hi there im new here and im also new to bearded dragons and have a couple of questions im hoping someone can help me with. To start with im not new to reptiles having owned many crested and leopard geckos but i recently rescued a beardie from a family who were bored with him, he is about 6-7 months old i have been told and i have done a lot of research and trying to make the best home i can for him so i went out and bought him all new bulbs, i bought the arcadia 12% bulb as i heard these were great and here is the problem, he wasnt very active when we got him and when renoving his bulb i noticed it was a komodo 5.0 bulb which i am sure is not good enough for a beardie i was also told he has had this bulb since the previous owners got him after replacing to the arcadia he picked up loads and became much more active hes also basking a lot more now his temps have been corrected and looks healthy but he looks small for his age at about 11inched long is there any health issues with have the wrong bulb for 6 months or so like stunted growth etc? He also doesnt drink water or atleast ive never seen him drink water, he gets bathed a few times a week he wont drink in the bath and doesnt seem dehydrated is this an issue as i have heard they get enough fluid through fresh food although he will not eat any greens and i have tried everything to get him to eat them but the previous owners had never offered him greens, but i do gut load all his live foods with fresh greens and veg everyday and he is eating live food with no problems and doing regular poos every other day. He is very friendly and seems overall healthy his basking temps are around 105 using a 75w bulb and his cool side is fine also. Any advice would be great as im a little concerned he hasnt drank for about a month, thank you.

Hi there!

Thanks for saving him! He already sounds like he's doing better The Arcadia is pretty much the best UVB (next to reptisun) so that's great! Yes, they do get a lot of their water from fresh fruit and veg, but another way to hydrate him is to take a syringe or small spray bottle and put a couple drops on his nose to see if he'll lick it up. That's how I give my beardie water, and she'll usually lap it up. As for the veggies, a dragon at this age, especially this small, should get lots and lots of staple insects, such as crickets, Dubia roaches, Phoenix worms, etc 2-3 times a day dusted with calcium 5 times a week. Depending on the bugs you feed, you could always get him interested in his salad by putting a couple worms in them and in attempt to catch them he'll end up with a mouthful of veggies (haha!) Hopefully this helps, good luck!

Rizla":3b7am95k said:

Hi there im new here and im also new to bearded dragons and have a couple of questions im hoping someone can help me with. To start with im not new to reptiles having owned many crested and leopard geckos but i recently rescued a beardie from a family who were bored with him, he is about 6-7 months old i have been told and i have done a lot of research and trying to make the best home i can for him so i went out and bought him all new bulbs, i bought the arcadia 12% bulb as i heard these were great
<<< good choice , how are you using it and Is it in a relfctor hood ?
<<< is it a T8 or T5HO version ?
<<< above / under a mesh lid ?
<<< how far from the basking spot ?
<<< on how many hours each day ?
and here is the problem, he wasnt very active when we got him and when renoving his bulb i noticed it was a komodo 5.0 bulb
<<<< this will be the cause , Komodo tubes ( he came with a Komodo 5% tube ) are really bad (quality , very poor phosphors, poor quality quartz used in the glass tube) + it's only a 5% UVB rated tube + you have no idea how old it is .
<<<< inadequate UVA over a few months is enough to cause lethargy , poor appetite , neurological issue and other problems
<<<< inadequate UVB over a few months will have a dramatic effect on his bones , at 6 months old he should be on strong growth & development period , this will be compromised as will the bone density because he will be unable to produce sufficient vitD3 using the calcium in/on his food
<<< chances are the prior keeper didn't bother giving a good diet or calcium and vitamins either , but even if they did , VitD3 fortified calcium will not be enough for a growing juvenile dragon.

which i am sure is not good enough for a beardie i was also told he has had this bulb since the previous owners got him after replacing to the arcadia he picked up loads and became much more active hes also basking a lot more now his temps have been corrected and looks healthy but he looks small for his age at about 11inched long
<<< I recommend
<< 3 meals of high quality life insects per day for now , I usually cut back to two at about 6 months but this is for thriving healthy juveniles
<< 15-16 hr per day photoperiod
<< check this viewtopic.php?f=34&t=235611
* if the Arcadia 12% UVB tube is a T8 in a reflector hood , you need 180-200 microW UVB / sq.cm @ the basking spot , half that elsewhere , so about 6 inches to the basking spot)
* if a T5HO in a reflector hood , about 12 inches to the basking spot
<< if is a T5HO tube .
is there any health issues with have the wrong bulb for 6 months or so like stunted growth etc?
<<< yes , see above .

He also doesnt drink water or atleast ive never seen him drink water,
<<< very common , ordinarily if on a good diet (lots of high quality live prey insects & leafy greens and veg should be enough to hydrate a bearded dragon (evolved to live in tropical/subtropical arid zones where for 8 - 10 month of the year it's dry an not).
<<< show some photos of the dragon so we can see his condition

he gets bathed a few times a week he wont drink in the bath and doesnt seem dehydrated is this an issue
<<< frequent bathing is counter productive if the dragon wont drink in the bath and is stressed by the experience, of cause if he enjoys the bath it's fine to endugdge him
as i have heard they get enough fluid through fresh food although he will not eat any greens and i have tried everything to get him to eat them but the previous owners had never offered him greens,
<<< continue offering the greens , but if he is not interested just give then to his insects as gut loading
but i do gut load all his live foods with fresh greens and veg everyday and he is eating live food with no problems and doing regular poos every other day. He is very friendly and seems overall healthy his basking temps are around 105 using a 75w bulb and his cool side is fine also. Any advice would be great as im a little concerned he hasnt drank for about a month, thank you.

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I'd say you are doing fine.

Apart from legacy issues due to the prior owners neglect he will be fine and hopefully hasn't been greatly stunted and has not developed MBD or fatty liver desease and maybe some malnutrition and dehydration. All fixable.