Muscle spasms! So worried!!!

[laineyhowe]

It's a mercury vapor buld. They are all in ones

Ohhh ok. So the one I have is wrong? I’m so upset. I thought I was getting the right thing. I will switch it to what was suggested immediately.

 

[KarrieRee]

I think they are using a mvb for uvb

If they are using a MVB do you know the brand? These are good for heat but not really good for giving adequate UVB--- you need to get a long tube fixture if this is the case -- the MVB's need back up

 

[AHBD]

Karrie is right, that is a 150 coil by Exo terra pictured, not a Mercury vapor bulb. The exo terra MVB is a 160 and is a big thick bulb. Lainey, can you show your heat bulb ?

As for the twitching, that may or may not be serious and can probably be remedied with proper uvb and calcium WITH D3. Is your dragon able to walk O.K and have no visible deformities ? If so, that's great and he should be O.K.
Even healthy dragons can have on + off muscle spasms , this shouldn't be a serious health problem.

 

[laineyhowe]

If they are using a MVB do you know the brand? These are good for heat but not really good for giving adequate UVB--- you need to get a long tube fixture if this is the case -- the MVB's need back up

Ok great! I’ll switch. We had one at one point but it broke and was difficult with the screen. I’ll try a different one than what we had before. Thank you!

 

[laineyhowe]

Karrie is right, that is a 150 coil by Exo terra pictured, not a Mercury vapor bulb. The exo terra MVB is a 160 and is a big thick bulb. Lainey, can you show your heat bulb ?

As for the twitching, that may or may not be serious and can probably be remedied with proper uvb and calcium WITH D3. Is your dragon able to walk O.K and have no visible deformities ? If so, that's great and he should be O.K.
Even healthy dragons can have on + off muscle spasms , this shouldn't be a serious health problem.

Sure. This is my

 

[laineyhowe]

Karrie is right, that is a 150 coil by Exo terra pictured, not a Mercury vapor bulb. The exo terra MVB is a 160 and is a big thick bulb. Lainey, can you show your heat bulb ?

As for the twitching, that may or may not be serious and can probably be remedied with proper uvb and calcium WITH D3. Is your dragon able to walk O.K and have no visible deformities ? If so, that's great and he should be O.K.
Even healthy dragons can have on + off muscle spasms , this shouldn't be a serious health problem.

 

[AHBD]

Did you mean to post something Lainey ? Looks like you said " this is my .....

 

[laineyhowe]

Ok thank you. I’ll switch to the bulb recommended.

In answer to your other questions. Yes, he can walk well, granted he isn’t an active guy. He’s always been on the lazy side. His color is bright. No black bearding. The vet told me not to use the calcium with the Vit D3. She said they don’t need it and they can overdose easily.

Here’s a picture of the heat lap I use.

 

[AHBD]

O.K, are you sure that your temps. are good ? Just checking because it would be difficult to hear an entire tank with a screen top with only a 50 watt bulb. And yes they do need calcium with D3 , twice a week just very lightly on her food when they have a weak uvb bulb like the coil one.

 

[laineyhowe]

O.K, are you sure that your temps. are good ? Just checking because it would be difficult to hear an entire tank with a screen top with only a 50 watt bulb. And yes they do need calcium with D3 , twice a week just very lightly on her food when they have a weak uvb bulb like the coil one.

His temps are usually in the mid 80s. Although they were registering higher with the old thermometer I had so I’m wondering if this new one isn’t very good.

So what do you recommend for a heat lamp for a screen top? I saw the suggestions for the uvb bulb. I’ll definitely switch to the long bulb and get rid of the coil immediately.

 

[AHBD]

You need a basking area about 100, only the cool end of the tank , away from the heat bulb, should be at 80-82. Try a 100 watt heat bulb, you can get a 4 pack at Lowe's or Walmart . The halogen bulbs that come in a 4 pack that are 73 watt are the same as a 100 watt incandescent.

 

[KarrieRee]

His temps are usually in the mid 80s. Although they were registering higher with the old thermometer I had so I’m wondering if this new one isn’t very good.

So what do you recommend for a heat lamp for a screen top? I saw the suggestions for the uvb bulb. I’ll definitely switch to the long bulb and get rid of the coil immediately.

It is trial and error w/ basking bulbs --- you want / need a digital probe thermometer to get accurate surface basking bulbs- please have that on hand before /or when changing out the basking wattage --- I would start w/ a 100 watt and have a 150 on hand - you want temps in the tank 95-100 surface basking --- 90's middle of the tank and 80's cool side --- like I posted earlier the UVB can sit on the screen w / the basking distance posted - and once you start w/ the UVB I would start dusting the insects w/ calcium D3 once per week - that UVB is going to help w/ the absorption of the calcium

 

[laineyhowe]

It is trial and error w/ basking bulbs --- you want / need a digital probe thermometer to get accurate surface basking bulbs- please have that on hand before /or when changing out the basking wattage --- I would start w/ a 100 watt and have a 150 on hand - you want temps in the tank 95-100 surface basking --- 90's middle of the tank and 80's cool side --- like I posted earlier the UVB can sit on the screen w / the basking distance posted - and once you start w/ the UVB I would start dusting the insects w/ calcium D3 once per week - that UVB is going to help w/ the absorption of the calcium

Thank you everyone! I went to petsmart and they were of course out of the reptisun and the Arcadia. But I ordered the Arcadia on the website so hopefully I’ll get it soon. I bought the 100W heat bulb. I know you mentioned it but I want to double check…once I get the Arcadia bulb set up I can keep the dome basking light correct. And bc I’m an ***** what should my set up of lights look like? I just don’t want to do something wrong again. I feel like I probably had it right once upon a time when I had those long uvb lights but went to dome thinking I was ok and it’s probably been messing up my poor boy slowly ever since anyways I just want to make sure I learn correctly and do this right so I can get him back to normal and always keep him that way.

 

[KarrieRee]

Thank you everyone! I went to petsmart and they were of course out of the reptisun and the Arcadia. But I ordered the Arcadia on the website so hopefully I’ll get it soon. I bought the 100W heat bulb. I know you mentioned it but I want to double check…once I get the Arcadia bulb set up I can keep the dome basking light correct. And bc I’m an ***** what should my set up of lights look like? I just don’t want to do something wrong again. I feel like I probably had it right once upon a time when I had those long uvb lights but went to dome thinking I was ok and it’s probably been messing up my poor boy slowly ever since anyways I just want to make sure I learn correctly and do this right so I can get him back to normal and always keep him that way.

You want a basking bulb like the one you have and the UVB that you ordered - that is all the lighting you need --- if your tank is ever not staying warm enough at night like if it drops below 65 then you want a ceramic heat emitter or CHE- that would sit in a dome on top of the tank center it emits heat NO light --

 

[laineyhowe]

You want a basking bulb like the one you have and the UVB that you ordered - that is all the lighting you need --- if your tank is ever not staying warm enough at night like if it drops below 65 then you want a ceramic heat emitter or CHE- that would sit in a dome on top of the tank center it emits heat NO light --

Ok thanks. Yeah I bought the same basking light like the one I had but 100W.