Plastic on old hood reflector and lethargic dragon

[ekgep92]

Hey everyone,

I got my bearded dragon 5 months ago from a woman who no longer had time for him and as I was changing out his new UVB hood/light today with what was recommended by members on my last thread, I realized that the old owner did not take off the protective plastic on the hood reflector. Would that effect how much UVB he was getting? She had aluminum foil wrapped around about half of the hood, but I took it off 3 days later when I moved him into a bigger tank. He has always been a little lethargic and has been to the vet twice for that reason with a clean bill of health (besides needing to be dewormed the first visit). Could the hood reflector be the cause of his lethargy? I know this question may sound odd, but I have been trying to figure out why he has been so inactive and sheds in patches for months now and everything I have tried has not worked. I asked about the shedding issue on a different thread recently and have been trying the suggestions, but I am now wondering if he has not been receiving enough UVB exposure to properly shed. Let me know your thoughts and if I need to bring him to the vet on Monday.
Thank you!

 

[KarrieRee]

Hey everyone,

I got my bearded dragon 5 months ago from a woman who no longer had time for him and as I was changing out his new UVB hood/light today with what was recommended by members on my last thread, I realized that the old owner did not take off the protective plastic on the hood reflector. Would that effect how much UVB he was getting? She had aluminum foil wrapped around about half of the hood, but I took it off 3 days later when I moved him into a bigger tank. He has always been a little lethargic and has been to the vet twice for that reason with a clean bill of health (besides needing to be dewormed the first visit). Could the hood reflector be the cause of his lethargy? I know this question may sound odd, but I have been trying to figure out why he has been so inactive and sheds in patches for months now and everything I have tried has not worked. I asked about the shedding issue on a different thread recently and have been trying the suggestions, but I am now wondering if he has not been receiving enough UVB exposure to properly shed. Let me know your thoughts and if I need to bring him to the vet on Monday.
Thank you!

please invest in a new UVB hood - your dragons behavior is lack of UVB - hes needs a hood w / a reflector -- I am posting links for you to get one like yesterday - so do you have the new UVB? if not I have posted ones for you ---
24" for a 40 + gallon tank
Zoo Med comes w/ a 5.0 bulb you will need to replace this w/ a 22" Reptisun 10.0 T 5

Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO Hood

Efficient and sleek t5 UVB light fixture for reptiles terrariums and more! Order your lighting and supplies today from Pangea Reptile.

www.pangeareptile.com

Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO

Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO - Hight Output Linear Lamp for desert reptile terrariums. Shop all lighting supplies at Pangea Reptile

www.pangeareptile.com

this one can be found at Pet Smart 24" or the 24 watt you want the one w/ the 12% bulb

Arcadia Reptile ProT5 UV-B Kit | reptile Light Fixtures | PetSmart

Arcadia Reptile ProT5 UV-B Kit at PetSmart. Shop all reptile light fixtures online

www.petsmart.com

or this one you will need to get the Reptisun bulb posted above
2 ft or 24" fixture https://hydrobuilder.com/sunblaster-nanotech-t5-ho-fixture-with-6400k-lamp.html
your dragon needs this right away --- they cannot live w/ out proper UVB - when you get the UVB please post back on here so I can help you place it for your tank - the screen will determine where the UVB needs to go w/ placement and distance
shedding has a lot to do w/ the humidity in the tank along w/ UVB -- what is the humidity in the tank ? analogs are inaccurate - you want a digital probe placed on the back center wall of the tank - Exo Terra makes them -- humidity in the tank for optimal is 40-50% nothing under 20 and over 70 % --
what is the appetite like ?

 

[ekgep92]

please invest in a new UVB hood - your dragons behavior is lack of UVB - hes needs a hood w / a reflector -- I am posting links for you to get one like yesterday - so do you have the new UVB? if not I have posted ones for you ---
24" for a 40 + gallon tank
Zoo Med comes w/ a 5.0 bulb you will need to replace this w/ a 22" Reptisun 10.0 T 5

Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO Hood

Efficient and sleek t5 UVB light fixture for reptiles terrariums and more! Order your lighting and supplies today from Pangea Reptile.

www.pangeareptile.com

Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO

Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO - Hight Output Linear Lamp for desert reptile terrariums. Shop all lighting supplies at Pangea Reptile

www.pangeareptile.com

this one can be found at Pet Smart 24" or the 24 watt you want the one w/ the 12% bulb

Arcadia Reptile ProT5 UV-B Kit | reptile Light Fixtures | PetSmart

Arcadia Reptile ProT5 UV-B Kit at PetSmart. Shop all reptile light fixtures online

www.petsmart.com

or this one you will need to get the Reptisun bulb posted above
2 ft or 24" fixture https://hydrobuilder.com/sunblaster-nanotech-t5-ho-fixture-with-6400k-lamp.html
your dragon needs this right away --- they cannot live w/ out proper UVB - when you get the UVB please post back on here so I can help you place it for your tank - the screen will determine where the UVB needs to go w/ placement and distance
shedding has a lot to do w/ the humidity in the tank along w/ UVB -- what is the humidity in the tank ? analogs are inaccurate - you want a digital probe placed on the back center wall of the tank - Exo Terra makes them -- humidity in the tank for optimal is 40-50% nothing under 20 and over 70 % --
what is the appetite like ?

Oh no! I thought maybe I was being paranoid! Do you think he needs to go to the vet?
I had ordered the new hood, Reptizoo T5 24" UVB light combo kit and bought a Reptisun T5 10.0, 22" to use (instead of the one it came with) which came in last night and changed it out today which is when I noticed the plastic cover on the old UVB hood reflector. I have not had to change it until now since she said the UVB light was new.
As for placement, I put the new UVB hood/light on the right side of the tank with his new heat lamp and he seemed to be perking up a little more once everything was switched out. Does that seem right? He is still closing his eyes while basking and not moving around the tank much, but when I took him out today to bathe him, his eyes were bright and his color switched from dull brown to a lighter yellowy orange and he was splashing around in the water.
His humidity is currently ranging from 33-35% (analog I will run and grab a digital hydrometer probe tomorrow) during the day and 44-53% at night. I added a larger water bowl to the enclosure to bring the humidity up which has not seemed to increase any, but I will see if that changes with the digital probe.
Thank you so much for responding!

 

[KarrieRee]

Oh no! I thought maybe I was being paranoid! Do you think he needs to go to the vet?
I had ordered the new hood, Reptizoo T5 24" UVB light combo kit and bought a Reptisun T5 10.0, 22" to use (instead of the one it came with) which came in last night and changed it out today which is when I noticed the plastic cover on the old UVB hood reflector. I have not had to change it until now since she said the UVB light was new.
As for placement, I put the new UVB hood/light on the right side of the tank with his new heat lamp and he seemed to be perking up a little more once everything was switched out. Does that seem right? He is still closing his eyes while basking and not moving around the tank much, but when I took him out today to bathe him, his eyes were bright and his color switched from dull brown to a lighter yellowy orange and he was splashing around in the water.
His humidity is currently ranging from 33-35% (analog I will run and grab a digital hydrometer probe tomorrow) during the day and 44-53% at night. I added a larger water bowl to the enclosure to bring the humidity up which has not seemed to increase any, but I will see if that changes with the digital probe.
Thank you so much for responding!

Where is the uvb? Top of screen or in the tank? Placement and distance is crucial - your screen will determine where the uvb goes-- fine screen like a screen door it needs to go inside the tank wide holed type it can stay on top for inside 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor for top 8-10 inches- let's get your uvb figured out then we can see if he needs the vet-- how's his appetite

 

[ekgep92]

please invest in a new UVB hood - your dragons behavior is lack of UVB - hes needs a hood w / a reflector -- I am posting links for you to get one like yesterday - so do you have the new UVB? if not I have posted ones for you ---
24" for a 40 + gallon tank
Zoo Med comes w/ a 5.0 bulb you will need to replace this w/ a 22" Reptisun 10.0 T 5

Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO Hood

Efficient and sleek t5 UVB light fixture for reptiles terrariums and more! Order your lighting and supplies today from Pangea Reptile.

www.pangeareptile.com

Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO

Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO - Hight Output Linear Lamp for desert reptile terrariums. Shop all lighting supplies at Pangea Reptile

www.pangeareptile.com

this one can be found at Pet Smart 24" or the 24 watt you want the one w/ the 12% bulb

Arcadia Reptile ProT5 UV-B Kit | reptile Light Fixtures | PetSmart

Arcadia Reptile ProT5 UV-B Kit at PetSmart. Shop all reptile light fixtures online

www.petsmart.com

or this one you will need to get the Reptisun bulb posted above
2 ft or 24" fixture https://hydrobuilder.com/sunblaster-nanotech-t5-ho-fixture-with-6400k-lamp.html
your dragon needs this right away --- they cannot live w/ out proper UVB - when you get the UVB please post back on here so I can help you place it for your tank - the screen will determine where the UVB needs to go w/ placement and distance
shedding has a lot to do w/ the humidity in the tank along w/ UVB -- what is the humidity in the tank ? analogs are inaccurate - you want a digital probe placed on the back center wall of the tank - Exo Terra makes them -- humidity in the tank for optimal is 40-50% nothing under 20 and over 70 % --
what is the appetite like ?

Also I have him in a 120 gallon tank but was told to get a 24" UVB light for a 120 gallon tank. Is that the right size? It spans maybe half the tank and the other half is dark so I am looking into putting a household lightbulb in a dome on the other side to brighten it or LED lights, not sure what would be better.
His old UVB light was 36" and sat in the middle of the tank, but after reading more, it should only be on the basking side? There are so many conflicting opinions that I could not figure out which was correct. He will not go in his hide, but will sit on top of it on the cool side where he spends most of his time.

 

[KarrieRee]

Also I have him in a 120 gallon tank but was told to get a 24" UVB light for a 120 gallon tank. Is that the right size? It spans maybe half the tank and the other half is dark so I am looking into putting a household lightbulb in a dome on the other side to brighten it or LED lights, not sure what would be better.
His old UVB light was 36" and sat in the middle of the tank, but after reading more, it should only be on the basking side? There are so many conflicting opinions that I could not figure out which was correct. He will not go in his hide, but will sit on top of it on the cool side where he spends most of his time.

If you can have the uvb and basking together that is optimal - the uvb is inside the tank correct? You can use a LED on the cool side of the tank can you post pics of the tank

 

[ekgep92]

Where is the uvb? Top of screen or in the tank? Placement and distance is crucial - your screen will determine where the uvb goes-- fine screen like a screen door it needs to go inside the tank wide holed type it can stay on top for inside 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor for top 8-10 inches- let's get your uvb figured out then we can see if he needs the vet-- how's his appetite

I have it 12 inches away from his basking spot on top of the screen. I will attach a picture of his screen to see if I need to figure out a way to attach it in his tank. His basking spot is in the right hand corner. I'm not sure you can tell from the picture but the branch goes up to about 12 inches away from UVB.
His appetite is great! He never turns down a meal. Eats his veggies everyday and will typically eat 15 crickets 3-4 times a week dusted with calcium/D3 powder (he was recently put on a diet) that I hand feed him because he refuses to hunt.

 

[ekgep92]

If you can have the uvb and basking together that is optimal - the uvb is inside the tank correct? You can use a LED on the cool side of the tank can you post pics of the tank

I could not figure out how to attach the UVB in the tank without it being in the middle so I placed it on top of the screen. His old UVB was in the tank previously, but it was in the middle.

 

[KarrieRee]

I could not figure out how to attach the UVB in the tank without it being in the middle so I placed it on top of the screen. His old UVB was in the tank previously, but it was in the middle.

Please get his UVB in the tank directly above the basking decor 12-15 inches - you can use these to hang w/ 3 M Velcro fasteners - long plastic zip ties- fishing line- or picture wire hangers- you can still leave in the middle of the tank place it center and get another clear bright white basking bulb right behind it - you can use a 75 watt make sure you get temps w/ your probe place a piece of basking decor under it for a second basking area - - we need to see if this gets rid of the lethargic behavior -- also what does his poop look like? Is it really runny smell so bad you can smell from out of the room type? That could be parasites and causing that type of behavior as well but we need to give him a few days w/ this UVB to see if this perks the behavior up a little - weather can also cause this type of behavior where they are less active - What are you using for substrate? I am posting a pic of how I have the second basking area in my 120 gallon tank for reference

 

[ekgep92]

Please get his UVB in the tank directly above the basking decor 12-15 inches - you can use these to hang w/ 3 M Velcro fasteners - long plastic zip ties- fishing line- or picture wire hangers- you can still leave in the middle of the tank place it center and get another clear bright white basking bulb right behind it - you can use a 75 watt make sure you get temps w/ your probe place a piece of basking decor under it for a second basking area - - we need to see if this gets rid of the lethargic behavior -- also what does his poop look like? Is it really runny smell so bad you can smell from out of the room type? That could be parasites and causing that type of behavior as well but we need to give him a few days w/ this UVB to see if this perks the behavior up a little - weather can also cause this type of behavior where they are less active - What are you using for substrate? I am posting a pic of how I have the second basking area in my 120 gallon tank for reference

I’m sorry I am just now getting back to you it has been a crazy couple of weeks! But yes I fixed everything his poop looks fine, he is walking around more and I caught him digging in the substrate the other day. I am using 50% topsoil and 50% play sand because I researched and found that to be the safest. I was trying to give him a more enriching environment but I am not sure if he is more stressed out by the change. He has stress marks on his belly but they disappear after I spend time with him so I am not sure if he was upset because we got really busy and couldn’t hold him as much or if it is the husbandry. I took your advice and put his uvb in the tank and he is basking more now than ever. He still has stress marks on his belly and his color is dark in the tank but as I said they disappear and he lightens to a brighter yellow after being held. He loves attention and seems to be attached to us so I have been holding him while I study (Not too long that he misses his uvb). Not sure if that is the cause or not, but he also has a vet visit coming up because he is due to be checked for parasites. I am wondering if that may be part of the problem because I feed him crickets as a primary source of protein. I will report back and let you know!

 

[KarrieRee]

I’m sorry I am just now getting back to you it has been a crazy couple of weeks! But yes I fixed everything his poop looks fine, he is walking around more and I caught him digging in the substrate the other day. I am using 50% topsoil and 50% play sand because I researched and found that to be the safest. I was trying to give him a more enriching environment but I am not sure if he is more stressed out by the change. He has stress marks on his belly but they disappear after I spend time with him so I am not sure if he was upset because we got really busy and couldn’t hold him as much or if it is the husbandry. I took your advice and put his uvb in the tank and he is basking more now than ever. He still has stress marks on his belly and his color is dark in the tank but as I said they disappear and he lightens to a brighter yellow after being held. He loves attention and seems to be attached to us so I have been holding him while I study (Not too long that he misses his uvb). Not sure if that is the cause or not, but he also has a vet visit coming up because he is due to be checked for parasites. I am wondering if that may be part of the problem because I feed him crickets as a primary source of protein. I will report back and let you know!

No enemas at the vet please! Take a fecal in w/ you 24 hr sample- he's adjusting to his tank the more he settles in the stress marks will go away - I would switch to dubia roaches - I can post websites for you if you need them-- substrate could be causing stress till he gets used to it - just give him time