Help with General Care

[MitchMitch]

Topic split to help in more detail and to avoid hijacking previous thread.
Ive been reading this entire post... and i also replaced my coil for a new one... i got the ZooMed MVB 160Watt. I am so new at all this and try so hard to read as much as possible - but does that also stay on 12-14 hrs a day? I dont have any other lighting but that since it offers heat and the uvb. Well.... i do have a 60watt bulb on the cool side to keep it around 75 degrees. Wasnt sure if i should add more Flourecent lighting on that side.? The closest he can get to the MVB is about 10inches. Wasnt even sure if that is close enough......... ugh............. i need asprin....

 

[jeLcoke]

Welcome to the club dude..

To be honest I'm just guessing on my answer from what I've gathered on this site..

8" would be better for him..but I imagine 10" is fine....as far as temps go as long as you have a cool side 75-85 and a basking side 90-110 you should be good to go.

I"m 100% on keeping it on for the 12-14 hours though...you have to think in the wild they get that much a day right!!

I don't know if you know this either but you're gonna wanna make sure that you have some sort of heat source for night..whether it be an infrared bulb(which everyone says is bad) or a heat pad or heat rock...something just to make sure the heat doesn't drop too low at night right....below 65 at night is bad news!

 

[vickson420]

Mitch
What size tank are you housing your beardie in?With a 160 watt MVB the MINIMUM distance requirement is 18 inches.At 10 inches he could be exposed to harmful amounts of UV.What are the temps?How are you measuring them?

 

[jeLcoke]

New topic split to avoid hijacking the other OP's thread
hahaha See I told you I was guessing...****** vickson...trumping me and making me look dumb hahaha...jokes! Vickie is but the all knowing beardie expert. ALL HAIL!!

 

[vickson420]

hahaha See I told you I was guessing...****** vickson...trumping me and making me look dumb hahaha...jokes! Vickie is but the all knowing beardie expert. ALL HAIL!!

:lol: Sorry I didnt mean to trump you.If we were talking about LINEAR fluorescents you would have been very correct but mercury vapor bulbs are very different.They are the best form of uvb you can use for your beardies however they run at a very high uvb and heat output so depending on the wattage the distance for these is 12-24 inches and they require a minimum of a 40 breeder tank to use them correctly.Excellent try anyway :wink:

 

[jeLcoke]

Well at least I should get an A for effort hahaha

 

[vickson420]

you get an A+ for sure

 

[MitchMitch]

I wish i could figure out how to post a pic. Its a 40gallon and he is about 8months old.
The MVB is on a stand cased in a ceramic 250watt hood. I can always raise it so it is 12 - 15 iches away from his highest spot.
Its a zoomed powersun mvb and i was told they didnt put out as much uvb... ugh.

The powersun (brand of MVB) puts out around 75 uW/cm2 at 12 inches.

At night it usually does not drop below 65 in his tank.
We have been trying to get rid of parasites as well. Its been an uphill battle for 1 month. But he is eating and gaining weight. He is on new meds for the parasites. I sometimes feel like i am at my whits end.

Michelle (Mitch)

 

[vickson420]

Hi Mitch
Yes the powersun is probably the weakest of the MVB bulbs currently available but that quoted comment was in regards to the 100 watt not the 160 they give out a stronger output.Is there a screen between the bulb and the beardie?If so you could get away with 14-16 inches but I wouldnt get too much closer then that.Could answer the question in regards to the basking temps?Sorry you are having a hard time with him but it will get easier I promise.

 

[MitchMitch]

i can switch the tank top around so there is screen... i removed the screen from that section - LOL...
i always heard that with the screen they do not get all the lighting/and stuff they need. so i removed alot of the screen from the lid on his tank. i just want to pull my hair out. I will try to raise the light a good 15 to 18iches away from his high spot. The stand is adjustable. so that wont be a big deal... and if it wont put out the heat he needs, i can just put the screen back and then lower it. I try to keep the hot side no lower than 95. and i use a digital temp reader. and here i thought i did research on most of this stuff! LOL :lol:
I sometimes just want to cry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I dont want to hurt the lil guy.

 

[vickson420]

Ok first let me say I think we should go over everything with you and try to help you because of this I dont want to hijack this thread so I would like to split off this topic and create a new thread just for you.Are you ok with that?
To answer your last question yes the screen does block uvb which was way I said you could get away with 16 inches on that MVB if you had one however it would be best to keep it off and use it at the correct distance of 18 inches.If that does affect your temps all you need to do is add an additional household bulb beside it to boost the heat.Now when you say you are keeping the hot side above 95F are you referring to the basking SURFACE or air temp?Your digital temp reader is it an infared temp gun or a digital with a probe?

 

[MitchMitch]

We can branch it off to a diff forum. I am ok with that.
And it is a digital with the probe.
Just lemme know what you would like me to do. I appreciate any help i can get.

 

[vickson420]

Ok new topic started now you can get the specific help you need.

 

[wincar12]

well i know that you have to feed then greens and crieckets. the bad part is talking them out but they are really cute but when the male is mad :evil: well then go to a care sheet daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa :?: well thats all my advise p.s MY BEARDIE IS PREGNANT OH AH

 

[MitchMitch]

So... i raised the MVB to 18inches... and i did have to add another heat source... i had a 50watt basking bulb that i am now using in his basking spot as well. Temps are good at 95 - 100 - i use a digital probe therm. I actually moved it to the highest spot on his rock today to make sure my temps were in good range. Checked every hour.
He eats like a champ... greens an hour after he wakes up.... then crix... more greens... and then more crix. I feed him collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, butternut squash, acorn squash, and cactus pears (if anyone knows if they can eat the seeds... man.. that would sure help) endive, once in a while he will get half a strawberry, a grape, loves blueberries, fresh raw green beans, snap peas. I have read the list and bring it to the store with me 2wice a month. He has GREAT eating habits... i never have to force him to eat. He will eat from my hand.
I bathe him at least once a day - since he has parasites and is being treated... i try to bathe him and make him poop in the tub. Then disinfect. I spray him daily as well.. since he is now shedding.
We use newspaper as substrate with papertowel underneath. I leave water in a shallow bowl in his tank. Lights go on at 0700CT and go off between 2030 and 2100CT. Lights out.. he goes right to sleep. (wish i could train my kids to do this :lol: )

But i still worry it is all wrong and hate the fact that he has parasites... i dont want the meds to hurt him
He had a dose of Pyrantal Pamoate for the Strongyles and i give him .17mls of Trimethoprim Sulfa Suspension 2xs a day... he weighs 176grams. I got rid of everything porous in his tank and now just have slate and a fake (plastic) rock. I dont like to use bleach so i boil his feeding bowls and bought a steamer to steam his rocks and tank.

Man... i hope i am doing all of this right!!!!!!!