My first beardie is a 3½ month old super citrus.

[AKnorthstar]

Wow, very sad.

 

[ThePhilosopher]

You have no idea how ridiculously broke I have become recently. But it seems that I might be able to fit an exchanged fluorescent lamp into an under cabinet flourescent light fixture. I will post an update tomorrow.

 

[ThePhilosopher]

...I've also been seriously depressed about losing her.

 

[AKnorthstar]

I dont know about anyone else but the price of lighting pales in comparison to how much you will spend on feeder insects. They can eat upwards of 60-100 feeders a day, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day.

 

[castlefox]

I really hope the under cabinet light will work out for you.

I adopted my dragon a month ago that is 4 years old and I am rather sure she never had the proper UVB lighting. Dont feel that bad if I cant get her one right away.




EDIT: I am really sorry to hear that you "lost" her.

But If you you still have her I would honestly be willing to donate you a bulb from Amazon.com if that is the deciding factor on your keeping your beardie. But yeah, if you are in a tough spot financially that won't be much of a help in the long run.

 

[ThePhilosopher]

I keep reading in small bits online that the newer CFL mini bulbs ZooMed is making are safe compared to their pre-2009 makes. I'm going to have to confirm this by calling ZooMed direct tomorrow. Also the lady at my local shop says that as long as they aren't closing their eyes at the basking spot or they don't move and act jittery while feeding, the light won't bother or hurt them. Apparently they can see the wavelengths that are being emitted by the bulb.


I spent $20 for the mini CFL and they want $40 just for the fluorescent lamp. Pet industry is big business. I can't believe how some of you afford to keep the amount of pets you have listed in your signatures. Wanna adopt me and my beardie? lol

@AKNorthstar
60 to 100 feeders a day!? Sounds like your beardie has the appetite of a T-Rex! Mine just gobbled up 10 juicy gut loaded calcium dusted crickets to a full belly.

 

[Spikeshuman]

At her best my Spike was eating at least 100 crickets a day.. which wasn't so bad cost wise. I got them for about $20 per 1000 crickets plus $10 shipping.. and when they arrived I always had WAY over 1000. So basically it cost me $30 a month to feed her.

THEN I bought a dubia colony. Spend $40 on about 600 roaches.. never purchased a feeder again.. until my son found a roach in his shoe. So I gave away the tub of what was then probably closer to 1500 roaches. Now she eats super worms and that costs me about $3.30 a week.

 

[AKnorthstar]

Yeah as babies they can really pound down the food if you offer it to them 2 to 3 times a day.

 

[castlefox]

I spent $20 for the mini CFL and they want $40 just for the fluorescent lamp. Pet industry is big business. I can't believe how some of you afford to keep the amount of pets you have listed in your signatures. Wanna adopt me and my beardie? lol

I usually get mine from amazon for much less than $40 per bulb. But trying to support local businesses can get expensive w/ 40 dollar bulbs. http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun%C2%AE-Fluorescent-24-Inch/dp/B0009YHSWK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383240810&sr=8-1&keywords=reptisun+10.0

If you order over $35 worth of stuff your order is free.

 

[Spikeshuman]

You don't want to know what I spent lighting the 125g tank that my Uromastyx lives in. Keeping up with all my pets and fish does cost a lot.. but I couldn't imagine not having any one of them.

 

[ThePhilosopher]

Now she eats super worms and that costs me about $3.30 a week.

Is it safe to use super worms entirely instead of crickets? Any suggestions as to where to get them from?

But If you you still have her I would honestly be willing to donate you a bulb from Amazon.com if that is the deciding factor on your keeping your beardie. But yeah, if you are in a tough spot financially that won't be much of a help in the long run.

Wow! Thank you so much for even considering!




Turns out that the Reptisun 10.0 Compact Mini Flourescent bulb that I purchased will be okay for my beardie. I just got off the phone with Jennifer from ZooMed and she explained that the coating that was sprayed on the inside of the bulb during manufacturing was in fact the cause of the damage to the eyes of lizards that is being so widespread reported. That process was last used 9 years ago, so according to her, everything else that's floating around on the net as of now regarding the mini CFL bulbs to be damaging is obsolete news.

I think I'm going to be able to keep her becuase she isn't chowing down anywhere near 60 crickets a week, much less a day.

 

[castlefox]

Well that is really good to hear you will be keeping your BD.

-No problem, I guess I am filled with Bearded Dragon love lately. :wink:


Whenever I read about CFLs being dangerous for Beardie eyes I imagine an overactive owner builds tiny sun glasses for them to wear.

 

[ThePhilosopher]

lol, your post made me laugh!

I imagined it even further with some frantic owner in a lab suit sweating all over the place with blow torches and welding masks and a chalk board with math equations written all over it screaming "whhyyy?!?!?"

Random google pic.

 

[castlefox]

HAHAHA That is a nice picture you found.