Help! My Bearded Dragon Questions

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Nasubi77

Sub-Adult Member
I noticed one thing that I don't think anyone mentioned yet. You should have your UVB on the same side as your basking light. One reason, so he can soak up the UVB rays as he basks, and another reasons is because the basking light protects his eyes from the UVB rays by constricting his pupils. Ideally, your UVB should be as long as your tank, but if it is shorter than the tank, put it as close to the basking light as possible.
 

HuberNS92

Member
Original Poster
Nasubi77":27z6op04 said:
I noticed one thing that I don't think anyone mentioned yet. You should have your UVB on the same side as your basking light. One reason, so he can soak up the UVB rays as he basks, and another reasons is because the basking light protects his eyes from the UVB rays by constricting his pupils. Ideally, your UVB should be as long as your tank, but if it is shorter than the tank, put it as close to the basking light as possible.

Great tip thank you! I had one on each side. I'll move it now. Any other advice would be appreciated.
 

Nasubi77

Sub-Adult Member
He'll probably be okay but that's not really normal. Are you feeding him bugs and greens every day now? And letting him eat as much as he wants every day?
 

HuberNS92

Member
Original Poster
Nasubi77":djnlnw50 said:
He'll probably be okay but that's not really normal. Are you feeding him bugs and greens every day now? And letting him eat as much as he wants every day?

Yeah I am maybe he isn't just the smartest. He went for a cricket near it and then ate it. It was sickening. He seems okay now though. You think he is okay if it isn't normal?
 

Nasubi77

Sub-Adult Member
Oh, so it was accidental? He'll be fine..I just wondered why he would want to eat it, but since it was unintentional, then I guess there's no issue. It's best to clean the feces as soon as they happen, though. I know you can't be there every second to do that, but at least clean them up before feeding time to prevent this from happening again. The biggest problem with it is that it could put him at a higher risk for developing parasites.
 

Fuzzyviper

Hatchling Member
You want to have a pet nail trimmer (reptile/bird if possible) to cut the nails since human clippers can cause animal claws to splinter. When you look at the nail, you'll see that the tip is clear inside while there's a dark/red line running from the toe. This line is the quick and is the nail's blood supply. Make sure not to cut too closely to the quick or cut it itself, since the nail will bleed. Only cut the area before the quick, leaving enough nail so that the quick isn't exposed. If you do cut too close and the nail bleeds, you can use powdered cornstarch to stop the bleeding. Just lightly wrap the lizard in a towel so that it's restrained but you can still move the towel to get the feet. The towel will help calm it down a bit since nail clipping scares most animals. Doing this when they are very sleepy works well too, since they are less likely to struggle and are calmer.

igclaw.jpg

Diagram of a lizard claw so you can see what I was trying to explain. Hopefully this helps. :D
 

Mrkngpen

Juvie Member
I read through this thread and I didn't see anywhere that you said what specific BRAND of UV light you were using. Many/most sold at petstores or in the "starter kits" are really bad UV lights, which could be another reasons that you aren't seeing growth. One of the only reliable UV lights on the market right now is the Reptisun 10.0. I have found the best place to buy just one is at amazon but if you are buying more than one, you can get a good deal at petmountain. Here is the bulb:
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun%C2%AE-Fluorescent-24-Inch/dp/B0009YHSWK

Also, have you worked out the basking temps? The stick on thermometers are useless. You need to measure this with a digital thermometer with a probe. You can get one at Walmart. Or a laser temperature gun, which is under $20:
http://www.amazon.com/Temperature-Infrared-Thermometer-Laser-Sight/dp/B002YE3FS4
 

HuberNS92

Member
Original Poster
Fuzzyviper":384ip655 said:
You want to have a pet nail trimmer (reptile/bird if possible) to cut the nails since human clippers can cause animal claws to splinter. When you look at the nail, you'll see that the tip is clear inside while there's a dark/red line running from the toe. This line is the quick and is the nail's blood supply. Make sure not to cut too closely to the quick or cut it itself, since the nail will bleed. Only cut the area before the quick, leaving enough nail so that the quick isn't exposed. If you do cut too close and the nail bleeds, you can use powdered cornstarch to stop the bleeding. Just lightly wrap the lizard in a towel so that it's restrained but you can still move the towel to get the feet. The towel will help calm it down a bit since nail clipping scares most animals. Doing this when they are very sleepy works well too, since they are less likely to struggle and are calmer.

igclaw.jpg

Diagram of a lizard claw so you can see what I was trying to explain. Hopefully this helps. :D

Thanks for the detailed response! Any other tips for calming him down? My guy is just a nut, and i'm afraid he will have a fit when I trim his nails.
 

HuberNS92

Member
Original Poster
Mrkngpen":32gjmd1t said:
I read through this thread and I didn't see anywhere that you said what specific BRAND of UV light you were using. Many/most sold at petstores or in the "starter kits" are really bad UV lights, which could be another reasons that you aren't seeing growth. One of the only reliable UV lights on the market right now is the Reptisun 10.0. I have found the best place to buy just one is at amazon but if you are buying more than one, you can get a good deal at petmountain. Here is the bulb:
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun%C2%AE-Fluorescent-24-Inch/dp/B0009YHSWK

Also, have you worked out the basking temps? The stick on thermometers are useless. You need to measure this with a digital thermometer with a probe. You can get one at Walmart. Or a laser temperature gun, which is under $20:
http://www.amazon.com/Temperature-Infrared-Thermometer-Laser-Sight/dp/B002YE3FS4

Hmm Rept-isun 10.0 I will keep that in mind, thank you. I'm not certain anymore what UVB bulb I have in place. It is either a Repti-sun or Repti-glow.

I haven't gotten around to getting a thermometer. I will be buying one soon, and what in the world? A laser temperature gun? How does that work, and how could it possibly be accurate?
 

Mrkngpen

Juvie Member
I don't know the physics behind the laser temp guns but trust me, they are accurate. Many people on the site use them.

Also, keep in mind that no matter what UVB tube bulb you use, they need to be replaced every six months. So, most likely you need to get a new one soon. The reptisun 10.0 can usually not be found in local stores, only online.
 

Mrkngpen

Juvie Member
Did you look at the link? You point it at what you want to take the temperature of, push the button, and the readout shows the temperature. There is a little red light that shows you where you are pointing it at, for accuracy.
 

HuberNS92

Member
Original Poster
Mrkngpen":w22k5w9w said:
Did you look at the link? You point it at what you want to take the temperature of, push the button, and the readout shows the temperature. There is a little red light that shows you where you are pointing it at, for accuracy.

I figured that much. Just how does it know what distance to take the temperature at? I don't see how that could be accurate.
 
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