Supplements

Hi my beardie, SJ, is 4 years old now and for the first time I've seen him experience some muscle spasms. Naturally, I freaked out, knowing the early signs of MBD. I believe it's due to the fact that I didn't realize how long the same ReptiSun UVB light was in place. I believe I left the same one in the tank for about 10 months and I know I'm supposed to change it out every 6. I just changed the light; however, it got me thinking that maybe I need to be doing more for his health. I never gave him supplements because he always ate his veggies and roaches, plus sometimes I think the synthetic supplements on the market aren't effective. This is why I'm here. I came across these two links (one a whole food multivitamin for beardies and a calcium-only supplement with the thought that all D3 should come from the UVB bulb). Would love some advice on whether the multivitamin is worth it and if the levels/percentage of vitamins/minerals are adequate. Also, thoughts on the calcium supplement in addition to the multivitamin (or vice versa)? Feel free to let me know if I'm naive and should just use the standard Rep-Cal supplements.

https://www.beardeddragon.co/index.php?route=product/product&path=61&product_id=257
https://store.beautifuldragons.com/Calcium_Carbonate_5_oz/p6073015_19482677.aspx


Thank you!!

A 4 year old should be able to get most of his nutrients from a variety of veges. If he is good about eating his salads and you are offering enough variety, including things like collards and other dark greens, bell pepper, squash, green beans, among others, he should be OK on the vitamin front.

I only feed my adult (he is 5) bugs once or twice a week while he gets a big salad every day. I usually dust roaches in plain calcium (as long as it's plain calcium the brand doesn't much matter in my opinion). A light even coat does the trick. I will sometimes remember to dust other bugs that I offer like hornworms or silks. I don't usually bother dusting black soldier fly larvae. I think diet in general comes down more to offering variety rather than focusing too much on supplements. That said, I do like Repashy products. Depending on the type of UVB light you're using (strength) you may want to use calcium with D3. It's still a gray area but the thinking is that they can produce D3 on their own given a strong light source. T8 tubes and compact bulbs are weaker and I suggest calcium with D3. T5 and some mercury vapor bulbs may not need the D3 supplement.

If you can provide details on the UVB bulb you're using and the distance from the bulb to the main basking area I can get a better idea for how strong the UVB output is and advise further if you'd like.

As far as the 6 month rule goes, that's usually for T8 bulbs. A good quality T5 can often last for over a year. My Arcadia T5 has been going strong for over 3 years now. I measure output with a Solarmeter to be sure, so if you don't have a Solarmeter to check the output of an individual bulb it's best to go with the general rule (on the safe side) of replace a T5 after a year.

Thank you for the response, CooperDragon! That all makes sense to me. Right now I'm using a ReptiSun T5 UVB long bulb that's about 8-10" from the basking spot. I ordered RepCal Calcium with D3 so I'll see how SJ responds to that. He's been loving butternut squash too, but hasn't been attracted to the collard or dandelion greens recently. He seems to go on binges with liking different leafy vegetables.

The T5 should be great at that distance. Go ahead and use the supplement with D3 but next order I'd probably just use plain calcium. It's common for them to get bored and want a different offering. Sometimes mustard greens or bok choy or turnip greens or kale are popular. Just keep switching things in and out as they become available to you and as he appears to respond to different offerings.

Awesome, thank you for the help! He ate some escarole the other day so maybe I’ll introduce some more of that.