**Mega Ray Issues** / Megaray RECALL

[danny662boy]

ok he's basking now... hopefully this makes a difference, bc i noticed him alot more active and hungrier on the reptisun uvb tube

 

[acwood04]

My beardie Crupi is quite large, around 17 inches and fat. She was adopted from a friend and I have had her for about 4 months or so.
I have a 4x2x2 viv that I recently built, and am using a replacement Mega-ray. I got the first megaray in November and due to the problems, it was replaced by reptileuv. I am not sure what is going on now, but the bulb seemed fine for a while. After a week or so I started noticing a decline in appetite, and rare, small poops. My beardie is also in her hide a lot and when I move her to her basking spot she sits there to warm up but closes her left eye on and off. She is not interested in her hornworms, wax worms, or salad. The cage is clean and I have a slate substrate. Her main basking spot is about 14 inches from the bulb, and the temps are good, taken with a probe thermometer and temp gun. I have a 35 watt halogen bulb next to the megaray to keep the temp where it needs to be. I dont know what to do she hasnt eaten or pooped in a couple of days. I also am always finding her in her hide with her eyes closed in a sleeping position all day. Could it be that she is in brumation and just tired?

 

[JMWolff12]

Hey everyone,

I wanted to come in here and just let you guys know that I HAVE had one report of a bad reaction to the new bulb. So far everyone else seems to be doing great under it, but I am still going to caution you all: PLEASE keep a close eye on your pets, even under the new bulbs. I am testing everything, and I believe it all to be safe, but I don't want any of you to risk your pets health. Danny, I have to say that I am really not that familiar with Beardies, I have worked alot more closely with Iguanas. I don't know if that is a normal basking pose for a beardie, or if he is just enjoying the light, or what. Just keep a close eye on him, and if you notice anything like his eyes closing more than usual, or his appetite decreases take the light out. DO NOT wait to contact me before you remove the light if you see adverse effects please. I have had several people decide to wait until they heard from me, and that is completely unnecessary. If your pet is having a problem, and the only thing you have changed about their environment is to put our bulb in, then remove the bulb, and then let me know what is going on so I can make it right. I will have a post early next week with some more information about what we are doing on our end to ensure the problem does not continue.

John

 

[beardie parents]

I've never used a mega ray. We just got our first t-rex's in the middle of last March. I would email or call Reptileuv and ask them. You won't know for sure unless you turn it off and see how he reacts.

 

[GoFast]

ya know acwood, I seem to be having kind of the same issues. I think the small poops could be the lack of appetite thought. The less you take in, the less you *eject* Elliott is closing one eye still. I took a look at the eye and didnt see any type of build up though. he still basking in it and around and is not hiding like yours.

Elliott's lack of appetite could be the switch to crickets too. he is used to supers but getting entirely too fat so I am trying to get him to switch. I'm going to grab some supers tonight and see if he'll take them. If he doesn't, the megaray is coming out and I'll get another trex I think.

 

[GoFast]

Hey John,

I wanted to call your attention to this thread: viewtopic.php?f=45&t=122780&p=976488#p976488

Have you done any longer term tests on the new replacement bulbs yet? I know you tested the first batch over the weekend but what about a week or two week test?

 

[acwood04]

You have a replacement too? She is hiding a lot, but when I take her out and put her on the basking spot she stays there. She has been basking for a while but is still closing the left eye a lot. She sometimes will stay there a little while and go back. I've seen her go to sleep on the basking rocks and in the morning she goes to her hide...I had a hornworm in the viv I tried to feed her about half an hour ago, and she ran after it and got it.. She is eating, but not much i guess.

 

[acwood04]

 

[beardieluv]

I'm having the same problems, too. Charlie is having small poops but that is probably due to eating alot less. I'm using a replacement mega and it was great for the first few days. Today he is right back to the eye closing and not eating just like last time. I don't know what to do anymore :dontknow:

 

[GoFast]

OK I have unplugged the new megaray. His right eye is closing constantly now. Even outside of the cage. Not sure what the next step will be now....

 

[beardieluv]

nick, was yours a replacement? it just doesn't seem possible to have another bad bulb. ugh. i wonder if it's possible that some beardies don't like the high uv output of the megaray, just like how some like basking at 115, some like basking at 95 :dontknow: i think the only thing for me to do at this point is to return the bulb and just get another reptisun, or maybe i'll try a trex. i just don't know, today has not been a good one.

 

[lilacdragon]

Hi, everyone.

If your beardie starts closing his eyes and walking around, or huddling in a corner with his eyes closed; or the eyelids swell up, and you have just put in any new bulb in the last 2 - 3 days (whether it's a MegaRay, a replacement MegaRay, a T-Rex Active UV Heat, a Powersun, or any bulb at all in fact.... please don't wait to see if it gets better. Photo-kerato-conjunctivitis feels like sand in your eyes, it's very painful.

But if you act quick, it almost always heals in 48 - 72 hours. So just turn off that new lamp (don't simply move it a bit further away) make sure the basking temperature is still good by using an incandescent basking bulb (no UVB) instead as a temporary measure..... and if it's a MegaRay, because of this known issue right now, contact John at ReptileUV.

GoFast - your beardie will recover on his own now the source of the problem is probably removed. Try not to worry. There is no need to do anything else except make sure his temps are ok and he's got all he needs in the way of food and water and your care and attention. If it was photo-kerato-conjunctivitis from the short-wavelength UVB from the lamp, it will only take 48 - 72 hours for the natural healing process to repair the thin layer of damaged cellls on the front of the cornea.

All the best

Frances

 

[GoFast]

Thanks Frances. I figured his eye would heal from past studies I have read. This was the first I have ever directly dealt with it and it was very clear one eye, his right, was really irritating him.

I would also like to reiterate your statement to NOT WAIT TO TURN THE LIGHT OFF as soon as you notice any change in behavior, especially related to closing one or both eyes.

At this point, I think I will just get a refund and go back to the T-Rex and hopefully megaray will have all the issues sorted out shortly and back to being the best bulb on the market.

 

[GoFast]

nick, was yours a replacement? it just doesn't seem possible to have another bad bulb. ugh. i wonder if it's possible that some beardies don't like the high uv output of the megaray, just like how some like basking at 115, some like basking at 95 :dontknow: i think the only thing for me to do at this point is to return the bulb and just get another reptisun, or maybe i'll try a trex. i just don't know, today has not been a good one.

Hey Alyssa,

Yeah it is a replacement. I don't think the problem is in the amount of uvb that it is putting out. Previous to the megaray(s) I had a trex and Elliott was problem free. The trex puts out just as much in terms of levels. The problem is coming from the wavelength of uvb. I wonder if it's bordering on uvc.

I would highly recommend the trex if you have a problem with your megaray. To be quite frank, I would still recommend megaray a bit down the road once this is sorted out a bit more. There is a reason they were considered the best for a long time and I have little doubt that they WILL get this worked out; I just don't want it to be at the expense of my dragon.

 

[beardieluv]

Yeah, my next though was either a trex or just go back to the reptisun cause I know how he reacts to that. Do you know of a cheap place to get the trex? I can't find it online.