Question about uvb lights and output

[Claudiusx]

No the reflector does not increase the strength of the bulb

This is not correct. If you remember the whole Sunblaster fiasco me and Dr. Francis banes worked on (still linked in my signature) you can find out more about it.

A good reflector essentially doubles the UVB output of a bulb, and likewise, removing the reflector halves the output.

I dont use the solar meters I go by distance --

Yes, but for owners who have solarmeters, they should go by what their solarmeters are reading, not by distance. Distance is just a guesstimate we provide to owners without solarmeters as a helpful guide as to what "might" be the optimal UVI levels.

I got it around the 2-4 range depending on where she is

That is a proper UVI level for the basking site. There is no need to change anything. The goal is a proper UVI level, and if your current setup is providing that, leave it.

I am curious about your readings though, when you did that test, did you have a reflector on it or not? You should be getting much higher readings than 2.7 at 8 inches, and definitely much higher readings than 5 at 4 inches, assuming a working reflector was on the fixture. If those readings were taken with the reflector on, you might want to check out the sunblaster link in my signature too just to get a quick grasp of what might be happening.

-Brandon

 

[Subion]

This is not correct. If you remember the whole Sunblaster fiasco me and Dr. Francis banes worked on (still linked in my signature) you can find out more about it.

A good reflector essentially doubles the UVB output of a bulb, and likewise, removing the reflector halves the output.


Yes, but for owners who have solarmeters, they should go by what their solarmeters are reading, not by distance. Distance is just a guesstimate we provide to owners without solarmeters as a helpful guide as to what "might" be the optimal UVI levels.


That is a proper UVI level for the basking site. There is no need to change anything. The goal is a proper UVI level, and if your current setup is providing that, leave it.

I am curious about your readings though, when you did that test, did you have a reflector on it or not? You should be getting much higher readings than 2.7 at 8 inches, and definitely much higher readings than 5 at 4 inches, assuming a working reflector was on the fixture. If those readings were taken with the reflector on, you might want to check out the sunblaster link in my signature too just to get a quick grasp of what might be happening.

-Brandon

That was without a reflector for both on the chair and when she was in bottom of her cage. In bottom of the cage I’d say 14-16 inch away for the 2-3 range. Higher 3 around 4 sometimes when on her log. Without reflector if I put blankets in to get her to I’d say 6-8 inch range away from her light I get a reading of 5-6. Again that’s without the reflector.

She had surgery back in June and the follicles drained her calcium fast. We treated her with vet prescribed calcium and I went out bought a larger cage and all new uv light even mounted it in and just switched to the reptisun 10.0 t5 ho uvb as recommended earlier.

Since her surgery she’s had issues with her calcium and can’t seem to keep it right with her vitamins or calcium supplements. She’s been having issues walking again and her vet put her on more calcium gluconate again told us to come back in a week (tomorrow) so that’s why I’m trying to get this figured out. The vet doesn’t know why she keeps losing calcium and having issues with walking again even though I’m giving her calcium with vitamin d 3 times a week and herpavite vitamins once a week, her lights have been correct from everything the vet can tell. I just had her to the vet 2 weeks ago and she was walking fine and everything looked good. That’s how fast this keeps happening.

Seems like the liquid calcium helps some this time and one day she’ll be walking around with little issue then next day she barely can walk at all. Today she just seems to want to lay there.

I’m trying my best to get everything right and with it being about the time she normally goes into brumation it’s hard to tell what’s a sign of her not feeling good or just brumation since it’s getting colder here every day.

The only thing I can think is her uvb seemed to be getting blocked out by the old lid (original one I posted low numbers from) on her cage to much and now that’s it’s mounted I’m just trying to get it correct range so she gets full benefits of it and worried I may get her to much. Seems like everywhere I look I get told different things. I heard she needs 4-7 range then I heard 2-4. Reflector, no reflector,

 

[Claudiusx]

Ok those readings without the reflector make sense.

Your setup is fine right now. However, does she actually bask and spend a good amount of time under the UV? It's important she has areas to escape the UV also, but if she's not basking, she won't be getting any UVB no matter how perfect you make your lighting setup.

If weather permits, you can take her outside for half an hour or so per day to get her some natural sunlight. Might help a bit.

What are her calcium levels?

-Brandon

 

[Subion]

Ok those readings without the reflector make sense.

Your setup is fine right now. However, does she actually bask and spend a good amount of time under the UV? It's important she has areas to escape the UV also, but if she's not basking, she won't be getting any UVB no matter how perfect you make your lighting setup.

If weather permits, you can take her outside for half an hour or so per day to get her some natural sunlight. Might help a bit.

What are her calcium levels?

-Brandon

Usually if it’s warm out I try to take her out for an hour or so to get sun light. Been doing that since she was a baby. If it’s a little cooler but the sun is shining I try to take her out for 20-30 just to get some natural light.

She does have one of those hamster igloos with a soft throw wrapped around it all but door so she can go in when she wants. It’s dark in there and cool. Her heat light I have a dimmer on it and according to readings I usually have it between between 90-100 degrees in her basking spot, most time around higher 90s to 103. It’s a 75 watt basking bulb. I have a 100 watt I use in winter just because my room gets really cold sometimes. Both of which I change out usually around 4-5 months to be safe, but ended up replacing all lights in June when she got sick to try to help, so I do change more then recommended. I also have a small uvb bulb (one of the twisty ones) above my bed that way when she’s playing on my bed she can get under it some if she wants to. I know people don’t like them but I’d rather have some way for her to get some uvb if she wants to.

She’s always been a little weird when it comes to her lights, there will be days she doesn’t want under her basking light at all even if it’s in mid to high 90s and then days where it can be 100 and she won’t want to leave it. Lately though she has been staying under them more but since I’m using the dimmer I’m constantly adjusting it if it gets to low or high.

I’m not sure what her calcium levels are right now. When she was sick in June right before her surgery all I was told was it was really low. So they put her on calcium gluconate from their pharmacy. When I called to set up an appointment last week when she started waking like it was low again I left a message for the vet and they called back and just prescribed it again since it seems to be what’s is happening. Told me to come back in a week (tomorrow) for a checkup and if she wasn’t doing better to run some tests and maybe prolong the calcium gluconate. I’m wondering if it wasn’t fully recovered since she got sick. I told the vet she doesn’t walk around outside like she use to and I heard sometimes it can take up to 6 months or more to fully recover.

I’ve always used flicker’s reptile calcium with d3 and herptivite with beta carotene multivitamin. And rotate them so it’s not both on same day. Calcium usually 3x a week and herp usually once a week. However I was told when I picked up her meds that do to newer studies and formula they recommend repashy calcium plus. I picked up some of that today but don’t want to overdo it on the calcium so waiting until she’s off her gluconate before trying.

Thank you for the all the help

 

[Claudiusx]

Has your vet actually done bloodwork, or is the low calcium diagnosis simply from observation?

-Brandon

 

[Subion]

Has your vet actually done bloodwork, or is the low calcium diagnosis simply from observation?

-Brandon

Not this time. When I called last week on Mon I told them she was shaking in the legs again and could barely walk. The tech called back on tues since the exotic vet was out on Mon and asked me to explain what was going on and I told her the same thing and it reminded me of how she was acting back in June when she got sick before surgery.

I had an appointment set up last fri set up on Mon when I initially called them. She talked to the vet and they put her on calcium the following day (wed) and said we’ll see how she’s doing once she’s been on the calcium for a little bit. So they canceled the fri appointment because they didn’t want me to bring her for testing and then bring her in for testing the following Thursday when they had some calcium in her. Especially since she’s had calcium deficiency before and it sounds like she’s dealing with it again. So as of right now I’m on day 8 of the gluconate and besides talking on the phone there had been no tests or even been seen at the vet yet.

The only time she was ever tested was back in June with her original diagnosis that found she had follicle buildup that needed surgery, an infection (treated with shots and during surgery removed an infected follicle) and low calcium. Other then that the she has had an ultrasound (about a month after) to make sure surgery went well and everything looked good inside and a fecal sample sent out.

Edit: so vet looked at and are sure it’s calcium issues. I got them to send away bloodwork to be safe. Should hear back from that next week but they seem to be fine where my lights are and gave another two weeks of calcium to see if it helps. They think it was brought in by the previous kid I had blocking the lights completely and said mounting it is best choice and to keep it in around 4-6 in Ferguson zone