My Beardies head is shaking

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Richy

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so i have a about 3 year old bearded dragon names pringles. he has been twitching his head not like bobbing but twitching. its been happening for a couple of weeks and when i look online the symptoms look like MBD but i feed him his vitamins and salads regularly and he has a UV light i replaced about 4 months ago. He also has been shedding for a while now but i dont know its thats connected

i use Rep-Cal Calcium with Vitamin D3 for dusting his super worms i feed him usually collard greens and kale but i stopped the kale because it may block calcium absorption or something i read and i use the reptisun UVB 10.0 for my light ( i also have a heat lamp that sits at about 100f) other than the head twitching and the shedding he seems healthy. he is pooping almost every day and its not runny, he still always wants his food, and he still sits it his water bowl a couple hours a day.
please respond i am kinda worried.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Sorry to hear your dragon is having some trouble.
The Reptisun 10 tube is a good bulb, but how is it mounted? Is it on top of or underneath of
the screen top & how far away from your dragon is it?
If you can, please post some pictures of your tank setup just so we can see the lighting & the
placement of it. You can post some pictures of your dragon too if you would like or a video so
we can see his physical condition.
How often do you dust the superworms with D3?

Tracie
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
I strongly suspect this due to lack of UVA from a dodgey Zoo Med tube (whose output has decays too fast).

My advise is upgrade and replace the UV tube with a t5ho 12% UVB tube .
 

Richy

Member
Original Poster
Hey thanks for responding. I built a cage and the bulb is mounted on the inside of it and I think he sits about a foot away from it. I dust my worms a couple times a week with the D3/calcium powder.
I m new to this and don’t know how to post photos if I figure it out I’ll post the pics but in the mean time can you tell me how to post pictures.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Sure, click on the XIMG icon here in the message box, to upload your pictures to the Image
gallery. Then, copy/paste your IMG to here & they should easily post.
How is your dragon doing this evening?
The Reptisun 10 tube bulb is a good bulb, & that's great you have it mounted on the inside
but it probably needs to be closer to him. It can be within a 6-8 inch distance from him. Is it
mounted directly overhead?

Tracie
 

Richy

Member
Original Poster
103212-6680207611.jpg
103212-8203045241.jpg
103212-9780031158.jpg

Here is my guy
I’m sorry the pics are so bead I was running late this morning and this is what I was able to snap before I left

(He likes to rip up his salads a lot)
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
I don't see any reflector above the UVB (?) tube and can't tell from the picture if it's a T8 or a T5HO tube.

If it's a T8, these don't seem to be effected by the issue of rapid phosphor decay the recent Zoo Med T5HO tubes have been suffering BUT
>> it's way too far away to give sufficient UVA (which will causing the head shivers/shakes) or sufficient UVB (which likely means there is risk of him developing MBD)
He'd have to be able to inside 4 inches of T8 10%UVB tube with no reflector.
>> again too far away is it's a T5HO 10%UVB tube and band new, would need to be able to get inside 8 inches of this tube with no reflector.
See this for more information : viewtopic.php?f=34&t=235611

This is easily fixed
>>> Arcadia produce slip on curved reflectors that are made to go on T8 and T5HO tubes of different lengths, these essentially double the UV where you need it (at the basking spot).
http://www.arcadia-aquatic.com/product/reflectors/
 

Richy

Member
Original Poster
Ok I will invest in one of the visors for my UVB tube. I’m wondering should i get a stronger bulb too? If so what type?
I know Kingofnobby recommended a t5ho 12% UVB tube. Should I get one of those, another type of bulb, or should I keep the bulb I have(reptisun 10)

Again thank you guys so much for helping me and responding.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
How far will the tube be from the basking spot ?

If about 12 inches , the T5HO 12%UVB tube from Arcadia is the go to tube (with a reflector).

If 16 inches or so , I'd recommend their T5HO 14%UVB tube (with a reflector). .
 

Richy

Member
Original Poster
His basking spot about 8 inches from the bulb and he is a little taller so I would say his head is 6 inches from the bulb
 
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