New beardie owner

[Rosedawn]

Awesome I’ve been doing that right all in my own(yay) I was worried that I would be giving too much she’s been eating twice a day I had read a forum that said 3x/day but she had only ate maybe one or two crickets before just staring at me then scurrying to her basking rock to digest. Today I cut her worms (getting crickets tomorrow) in half to make sure there the right size an she ate them out of my fingers she seemed happier eating them that way plus the cuteness factor was a plus

 

[HylianHealeys]

Oh good! I hope she continues to improve for you.

 

[Rosedawn]

Thank you for all of your help I just need help with one more thing.. I probably sound over paranoid, but I just knew something was wrong with her an she was sick I’ve constantly researched signs of different things and today I took her out to feed her and she has a runny nose. Which means respiratory infection. Are there any home remedies I can treat her with or is it time for the vets office?

 

[HylianHealeys]

I can see why you'd be concerned. Appetite loss is also a symptom of respiratory infection. How could you tell that her nose was runny? Other signs of an RI in bearded dragons is difficulty breathing, gaping for no apparent reason; and thick, stringy or bubbly saliva — have you noticed any of these?

It helps to bump up nighttime temps to 80-85 for beardies with respiratory infections, but since she's so young she would need a vet and antibiotics pronto if she has an RI.

 

[Rosedawn]

It looked really shiny it may not be I hope not but I had wiped her nose with a warm wash cloth an the shininess went away could something else cause that? She hasn’t ate much today only once but someone else said it may be her uvb bulb I have the one pet smart said was the right one(probably not) but I was told that for her 10gal tank (temporary) a 5.0 13w by zoo med it’s a compact but it’s also above the mesh since we didn’t find out until after we got the set up she seems more active today in her tank than she has been

 

[HylianHealeys]

There's two things wrong with your UVB bulb:
1) It's too weak, especially to be mounted above the mesh. Bearded dragons need a 10% (10.0) or stronger UVB bulb to grow up healthy.
2) Compact UVB bulbs can damage bearded dragons' eyes. They are also too small to offer adequate UVB coverage throughout the enclosure, forcing your beardie to bask if it wants UVB — even if it feels too warm to need to bask.

For a 10-gallon tank, I would recommend investing in an 18" UVB fluorescent tube that you can use once you transition her to a 20 gallon. Your best options are the Zoo Med Reptisun T5 HO 10% and the Arcadia Desert 12% (although the smallest they have is 22"). Both of these need a special fluorescent light fixture that can handle a T5-sized bulb, without any kind of plastic cover over the bulb because UVB gets blocked by glass, plastic, and even mesh.

 

[Rosedawn]

Are there any brands that are efficient with a low budget? I thought that the basking light is what they bask in an the uvb was just a regular light? That’s what kid information I was given an that explains a lot actually

 

[HylianHealeys]

The basking light provides heat and a compact UVB does not, but they're often paired together in the same place with a double-dome fixture.

The cheapest option I can think of would run you about $40: Buying an 18" T5 (not HO T5) Reptisun 10.0 (that will run you about $20) and installing it in an 18" under-counter fluorescent light fixture (about $15) inside of the tank. Just pop off the plastic bulb cover and use Command velcro strips ($5) to secure it to the upper wall.

 

[Rosedawn]

So does the tube light provide heat? Does that uvb still hurt there eyes or is it just the compact? 40$ isn’t bad at all an works perfect thank you it’s nice to know the prices what to look for before headed to the store

 

[HylianHealeys]

The tube light does not provide heat, so you can keep your basking lamp.

Heads up — you're probably going to find the best prices on Amazon. The prices I found for the items I linked to are the best I've found anywhere. Except for the Command strips...not too sure about those.

 

[Rosedawn]

Will the tube light hurt his eyes or just the compact there’s so many dodgers things saying the opposite of each other it’s kind of confusing lol amazon is the place to get everything at a good price I can get the strips at Walmart for like 5$

 

[HylianHealeys]

Okay looks like Amazon probably has the best price on those too.

Tube fluorescent-type UVBs are less intense (even the high-output T5 type) than compacts. I'm not familiar enough with the physics of it all to know exactly why — I just know that compacts have been frequently reported for irritating beardies' eyes, but tubes have been used for years without a problem.

 

[Rosedawn]

Do you think the uvb light is her only problem? Her tail also gets darker about halfway through an there’s a dent in the tip like it’s been shut in a lid or something what could that mean?

 

[HylianHealeys]

I'm inclined to say yes for now. Inadequate UVB is a very common cause for appetite issues. As for the tail, bearded dragon tails naturally darken toward the tip. The indentation sounds worrying, though. Can you upload a picture?

 

[Rosedawn]