Beardie cage
- Thread starter AKrozay
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AKrozay, is the thermometer in this picture the only one you're using? If so, since it's a round gauge dial, it is reading the temp of the glass since it is on the glass. The round gauge (dial) thermometers can be off as much as 20 degrees. The only 2 ways to get accurate readings are with either an infrared temp gun or digital with a long wire & probe end. To get the basking SURFACE temp with a probe thermometer, you would place the probe on (touching) the basking log or rock & then wait about 45 min for the temp to stop rising before getting the final reading.
They don't always hide when they are avoiding the heat from a basking bulb, they find an area that is cooler instead which it is on the opposite side of the tank under just the UVB. Unfortunately, you can't get an accurate reading from an oven thermometer, waiting only 5 minutes wouldn't really be doing any good at all.
By looking at the picture, it appears that the high log would be too close to the basking light as well as too close to the UVB unless the picture is deceiving.
Regarding the Zilla UVB you have now, watch for any signs of eye issues, loss of appetite, etc as they have been known to cause because if the light doesn't emit the correct wavelength frequency to help with D3 synthesis while they are rapidly growing then they can develop metabolic bone issues. He won't be able to absorb his calcium & or other vitamins without the proper UVB wavelength so MVB can develop. If he closes one or both eyes a lot, it would be a good idea to turn off the UVB for a few days and see if things improve. Temps and UVB really affect their appetites.
I have had beardies for about 14 years and have raised 8 of them from little babies into adulthood. So, I only want what is best for your little one. We are here to help in any way we can. :wink:
They don't always hide when they are avoiding the heat from a basking bulb, they find an area that is cooler instead which it is on the opposite side of the tank under just the UVB. Unfortunately, you can't get an accurate reading from an oven thermometer, waiting only 5 minutes wouldn't really be doing any good at all.
By looking at the picture, it appears that the high log would be too close to the basking light as well as too close to the UVB unless the picture is deceiving.
Regarding the Zilla UVB you have now, watch for any signs of eye issues, loss of appetite, etc as they have been known to cause because if the light doesn't emit the correct wavelength frequency to help with D3 synthesis while they are rapidly growing then they can develop metabolic bone issues. He won't be able to absorb his calcium & or other vitamins without the proper UVB wavelength so MVB can develop. If he closes one or both eyes a lot, it would be a good idea to turn off the UVB for a few days and see if things improve. Temps and UVB really affect their appetites.
I have had beardies for about 14 years and have raised 8 of them from little babies into adulthood. So, I only want what is best for your little one. We are here to help in any way we can. :wink:
You didn't read the rest of the posts.diamc":21ibyfcu said:
- she's getting a gun
- he was fine b4 the change
I understand that we're all just trying to help her but the only difference btwn him acting normal and him not eating as much is the tank set up. So I feel bad that everyone is now nitpicking her entire setup.
Dial/analog thermometers work by using a coil that expands or retracts depending on the temperature of the air around it. I'm not saying it's accurate, I'm just trying to say that it's not reading glass temp like a stick strip would.
I rescued and fostered reptiles for years. I'm not new to this either. I'm glad u are knowledgeable. Im glad u are here to help. I'm not trying to undermine u. But a temporary fix until she has a chance to get a gun is not "oh, use a gun".
-Thank you for editing your post to remove the comments u had previously directed at me. I appreciate that.
(Sorry AK) I won't post to this thread anymore as I've already answered your question to the best of my ability. But please feel free to PM me. I'd love to know if his underside is looking a bit lighter today, and how he's adjusting to the new place. Hope everything works out with his new digs. =)
That is good that you will be getting a temp gun soon. They give a quick reading and it does take longer for the probes to give the final readings. Here's a thread that one of our members wrote that other members have felt to be very useful, thought I would share it: viewtopic.php?f=34&t=167279
There are a lot of informational threads here that have helped out new and older members. Thought I would share this one too, it shows the best foods to feed in green print and most of us refer to it a lot.
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
AKrozay, please update us on your beardie when you can. And, in case you'd like to share more pictures, here's an easy way to download them directly to this forum. Our Administrator just got that all set up. viewtopic.php?f=8&t=213367
There are a lot of informational threads here that have helped out new and older members. Thought I would share this one too, it shows the best foods to feed in green print and most of us refer to it a lot.
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.htmlAKrozay, please update us on your beardie when you can. And, in case you'd like to share more pictures, here's an easy way to download them directly to this forum. Our Administrator just got that all set up.
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=213367
May I offer my personal experiences (labeled "P.E.") to some of the issues you're having with your baby beardie?
First and foremost, by having the wrong type of UVB, especially the ones that causes more harm than good, is extremely detrimental to your baby's overall well being. And the longer the bulb is being used, the more harm it is causing your baby.
P.E.: When Pookie came into my life, I was not in any way prepared to have him, meaning that I had no tank, no lights, nothing at all. I scrambled to buy whatever resources I could afford at the time (was thousands in debt due to a recent divorce), even if it wasn't what I truly wanted for him. In doing so, I purchased a Zilla Slimline hood and UVB bulb. Everything was fine for the first few weeks, but then suddenly he stopped eating, wouldn't move from his tree branch, and eventually would only open his eyes about an hour a day. I even started to notice a gray ring around his eyes. After seeing the gray ring, I immediately knew that the UV bulb was the culprit for all of his other symptoms, that he was in the early stages of photokeratoconjunctivitis (Source: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/uvinviv.htm). At this point, I decided that by having no UV for even 1 week (while the new hood and bulb was being ordered) was far better than continuing the awful Slimline one. At the 1.5-week mark of not being under the Zilla UV, Pookie perked up and started to open his eyes again, and he even got his appetite back.
What did your baby's previous tank setup look like? Was it fairly empty? Was it brightly lit or somewhat dark?
P.E.: When I still had my former boys Felix and Oscar (then step-son's beardies), any changes we made to their tank would set Oscar into a complete tizzy, meaning that he would be upset for nearly a week. When we changed from calci-sand (didn't know any better then) to non-adhesive clear shelf liner, Oscar refused to get down from his basking perch and had a 24/7 black beard for more than 4 days. I had to place his food bowl on the perch so he would eat; otherwise, he was ready to starve himself in protest. It wasn't until Felix "assured" his brother that he wouldn't die if he walked on the bottom of the tank did Oscar finally move. He wouldn't stay on the bottom for very long though, acting like his feet would be mysteriously burned by the shelf liner. :roll:
In order to properly gauge the basking temps, you must wait for the thermostat (whatever contraption you decide to use) to register for at least 10 minutes, as the surface could continue to get hotter prior to that time.
P.E.: When I brought Zoey (may she rest in peace) home at only 1 month old, I had the darnest time in getting the right basking temp. Because she was only an itty bitty baby, she was housed in a 20-gallon tank, with a ReptiSun 10.0 tube and a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) for heat. It took me nearly an hour to get the temp to be steady at 103°F, with the probe positioned at the same spot on the tree branch.
Please feel free to read through the stickied post in the Enclosures forum entitled "Thermometer Accuracy: Why Not To Use Dial Thermometers" for more information.
First and foremost, by having the wrong type of UVB, especially the ones that causes more harm than good, is extremely detrimental to your baby's overall well being. And the longer the bulb is being used, the more harm it is causing your baby.
P.E.: When Pookie came into my life, I was not in any way prepared to have him, meaning that I had no tank, no lights, nothing at all. I scrambled to buy whatever resources I could afford at the time (was thousands in debt due to a recent divorce), even if it wasn't what I truly wanted for him. In doing so, I purchased a Zilla Slimline hood and UVB bulb. Everything was fine for the first few weeks, but then suddenly he stopped eating, wouldn't move from his tree branch, and eventually would only open his eyes about an hour a day. I even started to notice a gray ring around his eyes. After seeing the gray ring, I immediately knew that the UV bulb was the culprit for all of his other symptoms, that he was in the early stages of photokeratoconjunctivitis (Source: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/uvinviv.htm). At this point, I decided that by having no UV for even 1 week (while the new hood and bulb was being ordered) was far better than continuing the awful Slimline one. At the 1.5-week mark of not being under the Zilla UV, Pookie perked up and started to open his eyes again, and he even got his appetite back.
What did your baby's previous tank setup look like? Was it fairly empty? Was it brightly lit or somewhat dark?
P.E.: When I still had my former boys Felix and Oscar (then step-son's beardies), any changes we made to their tank would set Oscar into a complete tizzy, meaning that he would be upset for nearly a week. When we changed from calci-sand (didn't know any better then) to non-adhesive clear shelf liner, Oscar refused to get down from his basking perch and had a 24/7 black beard for more than 4 days. I had to place his food bowl on the perch so he would eat; otherwise, he was ready to starve himself in protest. It wasn't until Felix "assured" his brother that he wouldn't die if he walked on the bottom of the tank did Oscar finally move. He wouldn't stay on the bottom for very long though, acting like his feet would be mysteriously burned by the shelf liner. :roll:
In order to properly gauge the basking temps, you must wait for the thermostat (whatever contraption you decide to use) to register for at least 10 minutes, as the surface could continue to get hotter prior to that time.
P.E.: When I brought Zoey (may she rest in peace) home at only 1 month old, I had the darnest time in getting the right basking temp. Because she was only an itty bitty baby, she was housed in a 20-gallon tank, with a ReptiSun 10.0 tube and a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) for heat. It took me nearly an hour to get the temp to be steady at 103°F, with the probe positioned at the same spot on the tree branch.
The reason why most people do not recommend using the dial thermometers is because it is measuring ambient (definition: 1) of the surrounding area or environment; 2) completely surrounding, encompassing [Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ambient?s=t]) temperature, not true basking spot temps, which could vary as much as 15°F. If the ambient temps are reading 95°F, then the basking spot temps could be as high as 115°F, which is way too high even for a baby. Furthermore, an oven thermometer would also only be measuring the ambient temp, not a specific or direct spot.Jettum":1h81ho5j said:
Please feel free to read through the stickied post in the Enclosures forum entitled "Thermometer Accuracy: Why Not To Use Dial Thermometers" for more information.
I played with him for about an hour today. No stress marks. As soon as I put bim back in the cage the stress marks immediately came back. I've read nothing but bad reviews about the slime line light I have. The guy at petco recommended it. Figures! I should've never listened to him. I'll be purchasing a reptisun 10.0 online tonihht and hopefully that does the trick. Everything seems to be fine. Just can't quite figure out the Lightning and temperature. Everyone seems to be everywhere with that.
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