Beardie climbing too close to light on wall!

Hi,
I got a 4 month old Beardie two days ago and yesterday he discovered he can climb the polystyrene wall in his viv and had stayed there through the night last night, from 4pm until 8am!!! He looked perfectly comfortable but my only concern is he climbs very close to the mercury vapour bulb I have above his tank. I have created a basking spot for him that stays at around 109 Fahrenheit but he never uses that, just climbs much higher on the wall, will he burn himself or is this okay?
Thanks!

EDIT : Just noticed he has stress marks too, really worried about him

What are the temps under the bulb where he likes to sit? Also, what is the rest of your setup like?

It’s a bit hard to make a call on this without seeing your setup, particularly the bulb’s proximity to the wall (as well as the basking spot). There are bulb protectors some reptile owners buy (think a little cage that goes around the bulb). As far as the basking spot temperature, are you measuring this with a digital thermometer (temp gun)? This is crucial, as many new beardie owners assume the stick on thermometer in the back of their cage is also reflecting the basking site temperature. But these stick on thermometers (which are known to be up to 25 degrees off) are only taking general air temperature into account. A stick on thermometer that says 100 degrees on the warm end of the cage may be reading accurately, but your basking site temperature could be in the lethal range if you’re not using a temp gun to measure it. On another thread a woman recently mentioned that her baby beardie wasn’t basking and was growing increasingly lethargic. Through a series of questions it was discovered that the temperature in her cage was literally killing him and that he’d developed severe heatstroke. While the temperature of your basking site may not be boil-a-lizard-alive hot, sometimes just being a couple degrees too hot can be off putting to a beardie and he’ll hide away or climb as far away as he can to avoid it. So if you haven’t measured the basking temps with a temp gun, you’ll want to do so immediately and be absolutely certain they’re in the desired range. If you’ve already done that, it may be a question of fine tuning the temps a little to suit his preference (try lowering by just a few degrees and see if that draws him back). Regarding the stress marks, if you haven’t had him long it could just be relocation stress, which is common in the first week. I’d keep handling to a minimum as he adjusts to the new environment. Has his appetite been healthy? If you have pictures of his setup there are a lot of people here that can give really good feedback/offer their perspective on his current behavior.

This is the setup I am using, I use a digital thermometer and the actual stick is on top of the log in the far corner, that stays around 105-110, however he has never (that I’ve seen) climbed up there alone, instead he sits just behind that on the polystyrene wall. He is eating regularly and seems happy and perky. I use a Solar Glo mercury vapour bulb and it’s on for 14 hours during the day, the ambient temps in the hot side is 90 and the cool side is 80 consistently. When he is on the wall he does look happy, he stayed on the wall overnight the other day and seems fairly comfortable up there

Looking at that picture your setup seems pretty spot on (no loose substrate, elevated basking spot, hide so he can feel secure/have privacy when he wants it). The fact that he’s got a good appetite is a great sign—a lot of people on the forums write threads that begin with “new baby beardie not eating” and the culprit is often a temperature or stress issue. If all bulbs are outside of his cage then it’s okay if your dragon is convinced he’s Spider-Man. My youngest is like a marmoset and will attempt to climb/scale any object higher than two inches. I’ve always used either 10.0 ReptiSun or Arcadia tube lights mounted inside my vivs, so I don’t have much familiarity with mercury vapor bulbs. Hopefully someone in the MVB camp can give some commentary. Since you do have a digital thermometer (good job—a lot of people forgo that purchase and it leads to heating issues) are you able to measure the highest wall spot temperature? If it’s a safe temperature then his rock climbing hobby shouldn’t be an issue (if there are spots that are way too warm you can always remove it). Sounds like he’s got a fun/adventurous persona. Oh, and if you think some of the climbing stuff is weird, wait until you see all the fun Linda Blair in The Exorcist contortions they like to sleep in.

I would recommend switching out the Solar Glo for a more reliable brand of MVB like Zoo Med's PowerSun or (better) Mega Ray. They provide powerful UVB output, but personally I prefer using a fluorescent UVB source like the Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 HO or Arcadia Desert 14%. These bulbs provide a wider range of UVB and seem to be more beneficial overall for bearded dragons that are already healthy.

HylianHealeys":2jv4dt6y said:

I would recommend switching out the Solar Glo for a more reliable brand of MVB like Zoo Med's PowerSun or (better) Mega Ray. They provide powerful UVB output, but personally I prefer using a fluorescent UVB source like the Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 HO or Arcadia Desert 14%. These bulbs provide a wider range of UVB and seem to be more beneficial overall for bearded dragons that are already healthy.

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The data on Solar Glo MVBs seems to be pretty reliable and the UVB output is quite good at that. I'm not defending Exo-Terra out of the goodness of my heart but just stating that people here seem to unfairly bash them when they're an otherwise a seemingly decent brand. I use Solar Glo myself and seem to have no issues (eyes closing, eye irritation, etc.

EDIT: I also use a ReptiSun hood with a 14% Arcadia tube.

phobosdthorga":1zo2l5x6 said:

The data on Solar Glo MVBs seems to be pretty reliable and the UVB output is quite good at that. I'm not defending Exo-Terra out of the goodness of my heart but just stating that people here seem to unfairly bash them when they're an otherwise a seemingly decent brand. I use Solar Glo myself and seem to have no issues (eyes closing, eye irritation, etc.

EDIT: I also use a ReptiSun hood with a 14% Arcadia tube.

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I would like to see the data on the Solar Glos — did you find something put out by someone other than Exo Terra? I just haven't seen much of any mention, and when Exo Terra does come up in the context of UVB, it's usually negative. Otherwise I like Exo Terra too, but like other main brands, they have their strengths and weaknesses.

By the way I checked out the posts mentioned in your signature. Very informative. Thanks for sharing!

HylianHealeys":24ih7hut said:

I would like to see the data on the Solar Glos — did you find something put out by someone other than Exo Terra? I just haven't seen much of any mention, and when Exo Terra does come up in the context of UVB, it's usually negative. Otherwise I like Exo Terra too, but like other main brands, they have their strengths and weaknesses.

By the way I checked out the posts mentioned in your signature. Very informative. Thanks for sharing!

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Do you mind sharing what you know on Solar Glo, please? I honestly haven't heard anything specifically bad on them up and until now, just others saying to 'avoid them' in general without any context.

There was one site who did a lot of testing on a few UVB light brands but for the life of me, I cannot find it right now. I'm pretty sure it mentioned Solar Glo in the lineup and it didn't do too badly. I could be just pulling stuff out of my arse though.

I've been much in the same boat as you for the last 3 years, so I looked it up specifically on UVGuide (if you haven't checked them out yet, their info is phenomenal).

As it turns out, researchers Jukka Lindgren and William Gehrmann have been working on determining which UVB lamps are best at stimulating vitamin D3 production. Lindgren developed an "D3 Yield Index," and with it determined that the Exo Terra and Zoo Med fluorescent tubes are comparable in effectiveness. You can read Lindgren's findings here. Keep in mind that this was published back in 2004.

I stand corrected there. But I would still like to know how much the Exo Terra's UVB output decreases over time — I have not yet found any sources comparing output over time between major brands. So personally I'll probably be sticking with Zoo Med minimum, since they consistently last to the 6-month mark.

In my experience, when they climb the wall like that to get right under a light, it's usually the UVB light that they are actually "craving", quite literally. I've actually seen my year old girl do that twice, both times she went right up the polystyrene right under the UVB tube, and both times it was due to be replaced, and as soon as I changed out the UVB tube she went back to her normal basking spot.

The Solar Glo is the least recommended of the 3 big MVB bulbs, the MegaRay seems to be the best by everyone I've spoken to and every article and review I've read, and the Powersun would be next in line. The Solar Glo just doesn't put out enough UVB for dragons. The problem is just as you stated, she could possibly burn herself in this situation since the MVb puts out both her UVB and her heat.

I truly think she is just wanting to get as close to the UVB output as she can because the light is too weak and is not getting enough adequate UVB/UVA light to her while on her basking spot at the normal distance away that a basking spot should be from an MVB. The main issue besides the lack of UVB light, which is obviously the biggest issue and could be very detrimental, is that you can't lower an MVB closer to her like you can a dedicated UVB tube because the temps will go up too much. I'd either order her a new MegaRay if you want to stick to an MVB (don't bother with the Powersun, I've heard nothing but good things about the MegaRay and not one complaint), or you need to order a T5 strength UVB tube and matching T5-rated fixture, either the Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVb tube or the Arcadia 12% T5 UVB tube...

Just an FYI, Arcadia also makes an MVB, I don't know much about it but I'm just going to assume that it's a very good MVB. But as I said the MegaRay is a great MVB bulb. I'm going to bet that once you replace her UVB light she'll stop climbing the wall completely.

EllenD":16n1ikc0 said:

In my experience, when they climb the wall like that to get right under a light, it's usually the UVB light that they are actually "craving", quite literally. I've actually seen my year old girl do that twice, both times she went right up the polystyrene right under the UVB tube, and both times it was due to be replaced, and as soon as I changed out the UVB tube she went back to her normal basking spot.

The Solar Glo is the least recommended of the 3 big MVB bulbs, the MegaRay seems to be the best by everyone I've spoken to and every article and review I've read, and the Powersun would be next in line. The Solar Glo just doesn't put out enough UVB for dragons. The problem is just as you stated, she could possibly burn herself in this situation since the MVb puts out both her UVB and her heat.

I truly think she is just wanting to get as close to the UVB output as she can because the light is too weak and is not getting enough adequate UVB/UVA light to her while on her basking spot at the normal distance away that a basking spot should be from an MVB. The main issue besides the lack of UVB light, which is obviously the biggest issue and could be very detrimental, is that you can't lower an MVB closer to her like you can a dedicated UVB tube because the temps will go up too much. I'd either order her a new MegaRay if you want to stick to an MVB (don't bother with the Powersun, I've heard nothing but good things about the MegaRay and not one complaint), or you need to order a T5 strength UVB tube and matching T5-rated fixture, either the Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVb tube or the Arcadia 12% T5 UVB tube...

Just an FYI, Arcadia also makes an MVB, I don't know much about it but I'm just going to assume that it's a very good MVB. But as I said the MegaRay is a great MVB bulb. I'm going to bet that once you replace her UVB light she'll stop climbing the wall completely.

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Who and what states that the Solar Glo is the least recommended of the supposed 'big three'? Sorry, but I honestly wish to know. You yourself? HylianHealeys just posted some very informative facts showing that Exo-Terra and Zoo Med are comparable in effectiveness. It is questionable that some of the findings were posted back in 2004, but it is hard to find information on this sort of thing.

Dragons, especially the young ones are semi-arboreal. This means given the opportunity they spend just as much time climbing about in trees and shrubs as they do on the ground. It could very well be that your little one is just happier higher up with a commanding view. You could try adjusting the position of the MVB so that it doesn't expose the high place that he likes to sit at as much or move it so that that spot is the basking spot and have another heat lamp adjacent to it to keep the original basking spot warm still.

For folks looking for recent data about UV lamps check out the reptile lighting group on facebook. it is run by the same folks who made the UV guide, but is currently active and has the test reports for lamps under their files section https://www.facebook.com/groups/ReptileLighting . As tested by Dr. Baines, the solarglow appear to have a rapid decay rate and an already low UV output. As other posters have suggested T5 lighting is typically a better choice over ANY MVB for UVA/UVA and visible color, more effective gradient and independent heat control.

Ooh thank you!

Taterbug":r9cxfbfl said:

Dragons, especially the young ones are semi-arboreal. This means given the opportunity they spend just as much time climbing about in trees and shrubs as they do on the ground. It could very well be that your little one is just happier higher up with a commanding view. You could try adjusting the position of the MVB so that it doesn't expose the high place that he likes to sit at as much or move it so that that spot is the basking spot and have another heat lamp adjacent to it to keep the original basking spot warm still.

For folks looking for recent data about UV lamps check out the reptile lighting group on facebook. it is run by the same folks who made the UV guide, but is currently active and has the test reports for lamps under their files section https://www.facebook.com/groups/ReptileLighting . As tested by Dr. Baines, the solarglow appear to have a rapid decay rate and an already low UV output. As other posters have suggested T5 lighting is typically a better choice over ANY MVB for UVA/UVA and visible color, more effective gradient and independent heat control.

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No, not "Me Myself", LOL. It has been common knowledge for quite a while that the SolarGlo, though a beautiful MVB light and appropriate for some reptiles, is not appropriate for desert reptiles that need strong UVB/UVA light. I've read numerous articles and reviews on several reptile lighting and general equipment sites comparing all 3 major MVB lights (not the Arcadia, I've not yet seen any data on it yet, I just assume it's a good MVB since their lighting is generally excellent) as well as most of the common/popular UVB bulbs and tubes, and the SolarGlo has ranked third in every review or study I've seen of the 3, the reasons being #1) It's UVB output is the lowest from the start to begin with and is below the output of any of the dedicated T5 strength tubes, and #2, as mentioned already, it's UVB "decay rate" is extremely fast...

So no, I didn't say it, I didn't test the SolarGlo myself or any other MVB bulb for that matter, and honestly I don't have any reason to make something like this up or lie to a member who has a problem. Had he said he had a MegaRay or a Powersun I would never had made the comment I did, but because he has a SolarGlo his issue sounded like a common one. I have no vested interest in this topic at all, I use Reptisun 10.0 T5HO tubes and have never used an MVB light, I don't have stock in competing MVB companies, and have no reason to chime in to this post other than to try to help the OP with his issue. So get off my back. You have a problem with me because I recommend Probiotics and Bee Pollen, I get that, but get over it. You don't have to use Probiotics or Bee Pollen, and you can use a SolarGlo MVB until your heart's content. But don't do these things just despite me because you dislike me since I recommended Probiotics instead of putting a dragon with a secondary yeast infection on yet another round of prescription meds. I said nothing to you at all, ever, not one word, let alone something that was rude, defensive, nasty, mean, or otherwise, in fact, you got all bent out of shape and are now on a mission to be nothing but nasty and immature to me over a post that had nothing at all to do with you, and where I simply made a suggestion based on my own positive experiences as well as the positive experiences of others.

I'm trying to help this OP. If you aren't trying to help but rather pick a fight with me, then please knock it off. You are only making a fool of yourself as you're purposely picking a fight with me when the information I gave in this post was totally correct and backed up by your precious "Empirical Data". Try Google and take a look at the reviews and trials for yourself like I have.