m7ak":e44b4 said:
The day bulb i have is a Daylight Blue Reptile Bulb mgfd by Zoo Med Labratories, Inc. 150 watt incandescent, Full spectrum daylight bulb. Also says on box provides UVA wavelenght that stimulates normal feeding behavior in reptiles.
Indeed, some reptiles can use blue bulbs, however beardies require BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT for basking. You can use a simple household incandescent so long as it provides bright white light and proper temps (105-110 basking, 95-90 mid, 80 cool side). Pet stores of course carry specific basking type bulbs which can also be used, but they tend to be a bit more pricey. I find a good household flood puts out more heat per watt than a regular incandescent.
The
UVB bulb reads on the bulb "Desert Reptile 7% UVB" dose not state a mfg. I just discovered last night after really looking at the UVB tube that in the fine print on the plastic housing it states " for UVB and UVA light remove lens" I did that so hopefully that will help. Maybe she wasnt getting the correct amount of UVB.
As to wattage, what is the SIZE of your tank? A 150w bright white incandescent will put out a ton of heat, and so I'm thinking when you switch, you would be able to use a smaller wattage bulb unless your tank is very large (75 gallons or more).
The Desert Reptile 7% is made by ESU, and it has been linked to poor UVB emissions, which fail to stimulate proper appetite in beardies. Typically what happens is that beardie does ok for awhile and the bulb then runs down VERY quickly and fail to offer proper D3 synthesis/calcium procressing. Even more important to note at present is that it has been linked to EYE ISSUES, and in removing the plastic covering this condition can hasten. My best advice is to
turn off the UVB light immediately, and
permanently. The ESU fixture (I believe) will house a ReptiSun 10.0 tube which is a much more preferable and most importantly SAFE bulb for your dragon. Here is a link to a ReptiSUN 10.0 tube at a VERY good price:
http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/504983/zoo-med-reptisun-10.0-uvb-bulb.html. Beardie is better off withOUT UVB (temporarily) rather than having poor UVB. Just keep a good basking light going (see above). This is a very common scenario I'm afraid as there are simply way too many UVB lights out there that are not only poor in quality, but that can actually harm beardies. We went through a similar time with our beardie, having used a Zilla Desert Series compact light. Out of curiosity, how old is your
UVB light? You will need to replace the ReptiSun 10.0 tube, every 5-6 months.
The Night bulb doesnt have any info on it and i threw away the box a while ago. I got it at Petco and it is 60 watt night bulb. Thats all i know abuot it right now. It stays on 24/7.
Ideally, for nighttime heat you would be using ceramic heat emitter (CHE) as it produces heat, but not kind of light, red, black or otherwise. That said, if your room temps do not go below 65 degrees at night, no supplemental heat is needed. If you need extra heat/light during the day, a smaller wattage white bulb is best.
The Temp on her log is 109 deg. She has no signs of burns or anything. Is it to hot? She normally dosent sit directly under the lamp. She has another log that is about 6 inches off to the side of the direct light that she lays on. As of the last week she has been laying under her rock that is no where near the warm temps. Could she be going into dormancy?
At 7 months, she is too young for brumation, and additionally, it's not the time of year for it (you're in the states, no?) so it's important to look to husbandry and see what can be done there.
So you took the temp directly under the lamp then and it was 109? 109 is fine (basking should run 105-110 for juveniles), but being that she tends to stray from it, the heat could probably come down a notch, but not much more. Typically the basking surface would offer a "range" of temps... a large enough surface that she can move around from hot to less hot temps but still being within the range of proper basking temps (100-110).
However, my strongest feeling here is that she is avoiding the UVB, with good reason. Our beardie did the very same thing when we were using the compact, hiding most of the day. When we swapped it out for a ReptiSun tube, she was out and about within HOURS of switching the bulb, and her appetite came up incrementally as well. In the meantime, by just turning off the 7% UVB for now, you might very well see her perk up a bit. Keep me posted.
Also, are you using calcium and vitamin supplements?
I did the belly message and there is a spot about half way down her belly that is sowewhat solid. I gave her a
bath and messged her belly on the right side. I will keep doing that.
Sounds like a good plan. In any case, as she is struggling in general, the extra
hydration should be helpful to her.
The last thing she ate before last night was a few crickets. I think she is eating a couple everyday. She doesnt eat them immediatly it has been taking her awhile to become interested in them. She wont chase them imediatly like she used to, and it is only a couple. She did eat two superworms last night. I know you said i should stay away from the worms but it was the only thing that sparked her interest. I figured some protein is better than none???
Ideally superworms are better suited for dragons over 16 inches. Have you tried placing the chicken baby food on her nose? Being that she WILL eat some, but is sluggish about it, I again would look to the UVB source. It's a rather typical reaction to poor UVB, but of course other things may be at play here. By turning off the
UVB light, she may perk up some and then with a new light (the ReptiSun 10.0 tube), you will likely see a turn around. Just keep a good bright white basking bulb burning in the meantime.
Lastly, it's never a bad idea to have a fecal done, to rule out parasites. If you can
get her to poop, it might be a good opportunity to take a sample to the vet.
Please keep me posted on your dragon, and how the changes affect her behavior.
The best,
Em
