ReptiSun 10.0 tube not working?

[Linziehonn]

Hey all!

Has anyone every heard of this bulb not working? Mine is around 2 months old. It's only an 18" but its placed inside of Mem's 40 gal breeder tank. I have noticed lately that his back right leg twitches when he's eating, he almost always has stress lines and is darker colored when in his viv, he sometimes makes flying leaps at the UVB bulb to get to it, and he goes calcium crazy almost as if he doesn't get enough. I dust his feeders 5x per week along w/ a little on his salad. If I lay it out in a line in his viv he'll eat every last bit of it. Yesterday I brought him outside because it was a beautiful sunny but not too hot day, where he basked for 2 1/2 hours and he turned the most beautiful colors I have ever seen him be. His belly was totally creamy white, which it only does that when he's sleeping and bathing. He had a fecal today and everything was clear except the vet stated she saw one pinworm but she didn't think it was enough to put his little body through anitbiotics. He eats like a pig, around 50 small dubia roaches and 25 small superworms per day.

Does it sound like something could be up with his UVB, or am I just being over paranoid about my little guy?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Beardednoob]

25 superworms is allot of this feeder per day.
I would try to change it out but, for a 24 inch instead if you can.
There is always bound to be a faulty one somewhere it is just life.
Do you dust with multivitamins and what calcium supplement are you using?

 

[midmichicer]

You could be giving him TO much calcium. Only dust his crickets lightly, thats all he needs. How old is he?

 

[Linziehonn]

I dust with Repcal calcium powder, no added D3 5x per week on one feeding. I do not dust his superworms as it doesn't stick, just his roaches, he usually gets about 30 roaches in the AM that are dusted. His salad is VERY light, this is just to get him to eat it. He gets Repcal Herptivite mulitvitamis one feeding 2x weekly. He is about 4 months old, 12 inches. The superworms are very small in comparison to the standard size, about the size of a medium mealworm.

 

[Beardednoob]

With a Reptisun 10.0 you will want to use with D3. I personally would not feed any superworm until the dragon is 16+ inches. All bearded dragons are born with a kink in their digestive tract that does not grow out until they hit ~16 inches. Feeding these types of feeders can cause impaction, paralysis and may even be fatal in this aspect.

 

[Linziehonn]

Okay, no more superworms. I guess perhaps I have read wrong in the past, I thought the UVB bulbs produced the D3 which is what allows them to absorb the calcium. May I ask what the UVB bulbs are for, if not to produce D3?

 

[midmichicer]

MVB bulbs produce d3, not uvb.

 

[Beardednoob]

Sorry CJ, all UVB bulbs produce vitamin D, MVB bulbs produce allot more UV then that of a Reptisun 10.0. This difference in UV production is why not to use D3 for MVB. Reptisun 10.0 which produces less UV therefor less vitamin D production is best used with a D3 supplement. I hope that makes sense to other people and not just me LOL :wink:

 

[Linziehonn]

It makes perfect sense. I have read it's easy to overdose on D3, so would it be safer to just switch to a MVB?

 

[Beardednoob]

It makes perfect sense. I have read it's easy to overdose on D3, so would it be safer to just switch to a MVB?

Personal preference I think, I use Reptisun 10.0's I also use RepCal calcium w/D3, I am not worried to overdose, if you are doing straight D3 supplementation I would have worries.
Lauraj1055 has great advice regarding this sort of topic. :wink:

 

[Gail]

How far away from the bulb can he get? Just get some calcium with D3, you won't overdose on it unless you feeding a lot. You do need to either dust bugs or salad, not both in the same day.

 

[midmichicer]

Im going to go hide in the corner. Sorry for giving false info. I thought I read if using mvb not to use D3, so I guess I assumed it produced it.

 

[Linziehonn]

Thank you for your replies, I already have a caclium powder that contains D3, which is what I was originally giving him but stopped when I thought the UVB produced enough Vitamin D. I can try him back on this and see if it makes a difference for him. With the way he reacted to the sun, it should be noticeable.

 

[Linziehonn]

How far away from the bulb can he get? Just get some calcium with D3, you won't overdose on it unless you feeding a lot. You do need to either dust bugs or salad, not both in the same day.

It is mounted inside of his viv, so he can get as close as 4 inches to it, but rarely ever does, his favorite spot is about 9 inches from it. I will stop dusting both, thank you!

 

[Beardednoob]

Im going to go hide in the corner. Sorry for giving false info. I thought I read if using mvb not to use D3, so I guess I assumed it produced it.

You better not dwell in some corner, somewhere, you stand right here and front! LOL :wink: