Something in my bearded eye

Hi.. I just got my baby almost 2 weeks ago and she has some stuff on her eye that kind of looks like when we get eye boogers... I don't know what it is. Anybody know? Also... I'm using a reptisun 5.0 uvb.... is that okay? I just want everything to be okay for her.

It does look like a bit of mucous buildup. Perhaps there is a piece of shed or something irritating her eye. Does she live on a loose substrate like sand that could get in there? You can get some plain saline solution (not for contacts) and rinse her eye out and that should help. Using a curved plastic syringe helps get a bit more pressure going but be careful not to put too much pressure.

The 5.0 UVB isn't enough for a bearded dragon but I can help you find a good fit for your enclosure. What are the dimensions? How far is it from the top of the tank where the light would sit to the main basking area?

Hello CooperDragon,
Thank you for your help. I tried to clean it with a were q-tip.. and I got some of it. It kinda looked like an eye booger. But I will be on the look out for that.

I'm not too sure on the dimensions. I threw the box out. It was a starter kit that came with everything though. Here is a picture. Sorry I don't have any info on that :/ btw, I'm using carpet for her.

That looks like maybe a 20g or 40g tank. If it's a 20g tank then I would replace the 5.0 compact bulb with a UVB200 26w and then move that UVB fixture over the basking area next to the basking light. That will provide a combination of heat and UVB over the basking area to better imitate sunlight. It looks like about 6'' from the top of the tank to the basking area which is about right for that bulb. If it's further away then you will need a stronger bulb and a different type.

I would pay close attention to the temperatures too. You want the basking surface (top of that rock) to be between about 100-110 somewhere and the cool side surface near the dishes to be around 75-80 or so. It's important to have accurate readings so I suggest using an IR temp gun like this https://www.amazon.com/Nubee-Temperature-Non-contact-Infrared-Thermometer/dp/B00CVHIJDK or a couple of digital thermometers with probes like these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017N8W90/

You can raise/lower the basking light to change the temperatures or you can switch to a halogen flood light and set it up on a lamp dimmer or even better a dimming thermostat to fine tune the temp range. This gets easier to do in larger enclosures than smaller ones and takes a bit of fuss at first but once it's dialed in it stays pretty steady until seasonal changes knock the house temps out of whack.

Yes you're right it's a 20 gallon. Ok I'll go ahead and switch the bulbs. I turned the dual lamp around switching the basking light from the right to the left and I moved that terrarium hood light closer to it. I hope that's ok. The temp for the basking side is rising to 100 so that's good. Thank you so much for the info!!!

Sorry. Another quick question. Is that log in my tank dangerous for her? She seems to be trying to eat it.

Don't trust that stick on thermometer for the surface temp. It isn't very accurate. It's good you moved the hood light fixture closer. Switching to the 26w UVB200 should work nicely with that tank. Keep in mind you'll need a larger tank in a few months so I'd start planning on a 4'x2'x2' enclosure minimum. It's most economical to build your own like this https://beardies.dreamwidth.org/2145.html but I would do a few things differently especially with lighting. I'll be glad to help you with the details on that when the time comes.

The log should be fine. If it's shedding pieces then I would give it a good rinse and scrub. You can bake it in the oven on low (~250ish) for 45 min or so to sanitize it after cleaning. You don't want her to ingest the bark from it. Otherwise it's a nice perch.

Ok I definitely will get a different thermometer. They actually have one at my work that i LOVE and I'm just gonna save for it. It's a 40 gallon tho. I heard you should just skip the 40 and go to 75 but I'm not too sure about that. But anyway thank you so much

If it's a 40g you may want to consider using a T5 UVB light like this one http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/ because it is much more powerful and has an excellent output between 10-12'' above the basking spot when mounted on top of a mesh screen top while the UVB200 has an OK output at about 6-8''.

Ok thanks a lot ☺ will definitely be coming to you to make sure everything is ok when I upgrade!