HELP! New Owner Freaking Over MBD

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Selkie1993

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Drogon <3 RIP 2019- March 11, 2024 Lily: new girl in the house/ 5 months old
Hi guys,

I'm a new beardie owner and did tons of research on BDs before owning one. It's been less than a week that I've owned Drogon, and please see my post on his previous living conditions compared to what I fixed:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=251767

I was just reading on some preventative measures against MBD and I seem to be doing everything correctly, especially with providing calcium and a nutritious diet. I came across a post that discussed when a beardie's feet point backward, it's an early sign of MBD.

Here is a pic of Drogon from 2 minutes ago. He's getting ready to go to sleep since the light and heater turn off at 8 pm(10 minutes). Notice his front foot position.

106408-6382977776.jpg


Also, this is him during the day. Yes, the UVB is on top, but it's a reptisun 10.0, 24 inch. I was told since his basking spot is high up and close, it should be fine. I'm not comfortable putting it inside his cage yet because he loves to climb all over everything. See bulb here:
https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/environmental-control-and-lighting/bulbs-and-lamps/zoo-medandtrade-reptisun-10.0-uvb-reptile-lamp-14822.html


My question is, is it possible that some beardies just sit a certain way to get comfortable? Like I mentioned, I've only had him for less than a week so I'm unsure how the previous owner handled his nutrition/vitamin needs.

Please ease my heart or tell me what needs to be fixed! :(

Selkie
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Is the UVB a T 5 or T 8 I cant make out the number on box? The hammock is it directly under the UVB ? If so does he sit in that hammock or on the log under it to bask ? It looks like a normal sleeping position --- I wouldnt be concerned unless hes not using that front leg --
Karrie
 

Selkie1993

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Drogon <3 RIP 2019- March 11, 2024 Lily: new girl in the house/ 5 months old
Hi Karrie,

Thanks for reaching out. To be honest, I am unsure of the T5 T8 size :( with bearded dragon care books, there was an emphasis on heat and wattage, so I tossed the box before looking at that.

The hammock is directly under the UVB and heating lamp, so he can adjust accordingly. He can move more toward a UVB spot or the heat, which he does.
There are times when I believe he's thermoregulating and will go on the hammock, log underneath, or a stone hideaway. However, he loves going onto the log and resting his head on that knob of wood :)

During the day, he's super agile! Loves to climb, explore, and jump too. No problems at all with mobility.

Selkie
 

KarrieRee

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Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Look on your bulb it will say T 5 or T 8
if its a T 8 it should be in the tank --- 6-8 inches away --- the screen filters out about 30% of the UVB rays --- if its the T 5 and its 6-8 inches away your ok - the T 5 is a stronger bulb so please check what bulb it is
Karrie
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
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Hi there,

I wouldn't worry about the feet positioning. They like to sleep and lay in really odd positions.

As far as your uvb, what you can do is turn it off, take a picture of it, and post it. We will be able to tell the difference.

There should also be the logo and brand and type printed on the bulb too, it's near the end of the bulb so you should be able to see that too. If you don't, you might just need to rotate that bulb in the fixture.

-Brandon
 

Selkie1993

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Drogon <3 RIP 2019- March 11, 2024 Lily: new girl in the house/ 5 months old
Hi Everyone!

From what I could see, there were a few numbers before it but i saw T8. Even if the hammock is close to the top of the screen should I still put it inside the tank?
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
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If you mount it inside the tank you will just want to make sure your dragon doesn't bask closer than 5 or 6 inches from it. So if you need to move your hammock down to do that, that's what you will have to do.

-Brandon
 

Selkie1993

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Drogon <3 RIP 2019- March 11, 2024 Lily: new girl in the house/ 5 months old
Ok sounds good!

I'm getting married and going away on my honeymoon, so I will try to fix that by then. If not, I'm sure my dad can help me out :)

In the future, do you recommend a T5 over an 8?
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Depends on how you plan to do your setup.

Remember what I told you in the other thread. The goal is a UVI of around 3-5, and both bulbs can achieve that. The only difference is the t5 can achieve that from a further distance than the t8 can. So the T5 is nice to have in bigger (taller) tanks.

I use t5's in my 4x2x2s

-Brandon
 

Selkie1993

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Beardie name(s)
Drogon <3 RIP 2019- March 11, 2024 Lily: new girl in the house/ 5 months old
Hi there!

I appreciate your patience and thanks for reminding me. I will keep this in mind for the future. Just paranoid about MBD because I've seen some horrendous photos :/ don't know how people let it get that bad.

I'll post some cute pics of my baby Drogon soon so we can actually have a lighter conversation ^_^ :lol:

Selkie
 
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