Unfortunate News regarding Solar Glo MVB

[Drache613]

Hello,

**Gearbox, are you going to leave her under the Reptiglo 10 tube bulb, or, is that just temporary?
Good to hear that blood tests were normal & so were the fecal tests. She "could" be contemplating going into brumation now then. At least her appetite is good right now.

**jsms2007, all you can do is observe your dragon. Most likely, you wont see any eye problems or anything like that. If anything, he just wont be getting any UVB or very little, but as I have discussed previously I don't know exactly what your light will be. There have been a lot of inconsistencies with these bulbs. You might have lucked out & gotten one with good UVB output, or, you might have gotten one with poor output. The only way to know is to try to get it tested. If you find that your dragon just stops basking, or becomes less & less active with a marked decrease in appetite, that would be a major sign that the light was not putting out much if any UVB lighting. If for any reason your dragon begins squinting or avoiding the light altogether, simply turn off the light & replace it with just a plain bright white flood or spot light for basking. Then, you will need to purchase another UVB light source.

Tracie

 

[damienma]

I got my beardie Norbert a year ago and got a Solar Glo MVB 125 when I purchased him. It worked wonderfully until it burned out. I went and got another Solar Glo from the pet store and the stupid thing burned out in less than a month. Besides that, Norbert looked horrible the whole time we were using it. Even guests that came over commented that he looked depressed. The bulb was a horrible quality and the temperatures were all over the place. Anyway, my son and I will be moving him soon from his 40 gallon tank to a 75 gallon tank (once we get it decorated) and I will have to do some serious research on how to light it so he's happy. Right now he has one of those tube lights glowing down on him and a basking light and he seems much happier and healthier. I'm just confused about the size tube I will need once he's in a tank that size and the best hood to use. It will have a screen on top.

 

[jsms2007]

Thank you for your reply Tracie. I have since returned the Solar Glow 125w and went back to just a regular basking bulb and purchased an 18" tube fluorescent 10.0 UVB setup which was actually about half the price of the MVB setup. (and in the long run will save me some $$ cause the bulbs are only about $25.00 VS the MVB that are anywhere from $45 to $80) he actually seems to be more active under the new setup as well. Thanks again for all your help.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

****jsms2007, well, sorry you had all of that trouble! It is seeming like most of these new Solar Glos are proving to be ineffective, with just a few good ones getting through. It is very aggravating, indeed. Normally, when they are good quality, they are supposed to last at least 1 year, if not longer which would save money. I am glad to hear that he is doing much better now under the Reptisun 10. That bulb should be changed out every 6 or so months. I hope he continues to do well now.

****damienma, you were one of the lucky ones who got the Solar Glo before they began changing their specs all of the time. The bulbs last year were very good, overall. They have changed the specs now to where you can't even keep up with their changes anymore. Poor Norbert, so he just didn't like it. It most likely just was not emitting any UVB or very little. The UVB tubes only need to cover roughly 1/2-3/4th of the length of the tank, so that a small portion of the other side of the tank doesn't get much if any UVB light. This is so if he wants to get out of the UVB, he can. On the basking side, simply place the tube bulb directly beside the basking light to allow him to get his UVB & heat all concentrated in one area. Remember that the screen will filter out approximately 30% of the UVB so if possible you can cut a hole in the top to allow more UVB to pass through or maybe directly below the screen attached by wires.

I hope he is doing well.

Tracie

 

[sweetiepie9]

Hi Tracie,

When we got our two foster beardies on July 1, we found out that the Power Sun 100's that Nicole was using were over 18 mo old. So because there wasn't alot of $ avail, Roger bought 2 Solar Glo's. Didi's doing very well under his, he's even gained 20 grams. Loiosh, on the other hand, has been acting much differently. She was fine after she got over relocation stress, but the last 3 days she's been having spasms. Her whole body stiffens up and she lurches back and forth with no control over her body. This went on for a few hours yesterday, on and off, so we changed the MVB to Rubio's Power Sun 160W, that we bought before all the problems started. She's relaxing and has better control over her limbs. I've been giving her a bit of liquid calcium and Roger's getting some Reptaid today to give to her. Is there anything else I can do right now? I don't have $ for a vet visit yet, so I'm hoping changing the light will do the trick.

If you have any other advice for me, please lt me know.
Thanks so much,
Deb

P.S. Loiosh did have issues before she came to us, but we didn't know about them. Her spine is very stiff & is higher on her back, not smooth, like most dragons. So I think she's has scholiosis to begin with. We will get her to the vet asap. I'm hoping the change of light will be helpful.

 

[Drache613]

Hello Deb,

Thanks for the information on your lighting problems with the Solar Glo.
I think that you probably got a good one & a bad one as there doesn't seem to be any standardization across the board as of yet!! It is very frustrating.
I hope that the Powersun will be ok for her & wont cause any eye issues as they have done in the past for many people also. Keep up with the liquid calcium daily. Which liquid calcium is it? How much/dose do you give her?

I hope that she gets better real soon.

Tracie

 

[sweetiepie9]

Loiosh seems to be doing spasms consistently since about 10 days now. She had clacium deficiency in her blood, which is what is causing the spasms. The vet gave her a good dose of B3 and B12. I'm trying to hold her when she spasms, as it will stop earlier. I'm giving her .04 ml every morning, as she weighs just over 400g. She's getting skinny, so regardless of the spasms, I'll feed her more often. See how that works. I use the liquid calcium for food spray from Zilla. Roger just got more, it's called "4 paws", and I haven't looked at the ingredients yet. I'll let you know. I also have just calcium with no added water. I'll get the ingredients of the three bottles so you can check them out:
1) Zilla Food Spray Calcium Supplement
Guaranteed Analysis: Calcium (min) 1700ppm
Ingredients: Water, Calcium Gluconate, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate

2)We use this calcium in their drinking water:
Exo Terra 3.3 lf oz/100 ml
Directions for use:
US Add 2 drops per 1 fl oz or per 30 ml;
Ingredients:
Calcium chloride and Calcium Lactate

3)Four Paws Nature's Reptile Calcium
to use on food
contains calcium/phosphorous and Vitamin D3
16 fl oz (474 ml)
Ingredients:
Water, calcium phosphate Dibasic, Vit A, Vit D3, Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Methylparaden, EDTA, Fragramce (why would fragrance be necessary?

Those are the 3 types of calcium I've been using. The first one, Zilla, has worked on all the beardies we've rescued that needed to strengthen their bones, and it worked after a few months. So I've stayed with Zilla. The other calcium goes into their drinking water with electrolytes. We haven't used the Four Paws yet, I'm hoping it does the trick with Loiosh.

If anyone has asy other suggestions, let me know. It's the first time we've ever had a beardie with low calcium in her blood. The spasms has been on-going, so I hold her alot, as I can seem to shorten their duration.

Deb

 

[Screamin99]

So are the Mega Ray bulbs ok now? I really need to order a new bulb and I just dont know what one to go with anymore... HELP?

 

[beardie parents]

About the Mega Ray's I don't know what to tell you as I heard from the new shipping manager at mega ray and he said they are changing the companies that make their products as the other companies weren't making quality products. We had to have a ballast replaced. The new one was installed on Friday (9-24-09). I guess we will see in the next month or two if it lasts.

 

[beardie osk]

Hi everyone,
Are there any updates or new reports on all the MVB's? I need to buy 3 new ones soon and I've used the Mega-ray, powersun, T-rex and Solar glo in the past, are any of them safe now? I'd like to pick some up at the reptile show this Sat.
Thanks

 

[nmedragon]

MY GOD!!! I can't believe I put my trust into these companies! Don't they care that they are fooling around with lives!

I have been using that particular brand for years thinking that the bulbs are doing what they are suppose to be doing. I have always spread awareness to people about UVB importance for reptile health. Yet I find myself in a position where I have exhausted my resources and my own health...and now feel quite dumbfounded!!!
I have spent thousands on vet bills trying to figure out whats been wrong with my beardies and could not pin point the problem! I replaced their UVB's hoping to find them in better health, but years of the same symptoms and no answers. My beardies wont eat, they wont bask, they are losing weight because they wont digest anything. This entire thing has become "the snowball effect", and my God if I had not been ignorant of this issue I would have been able to save my babies from suffering. The vets gave them antibiotics by the hand full, treating them for this and that(which was evidently not needed), still no advance in health. In fact they have gotten worse due to the vets treatments. They were given Albon after they tested negative for Coccidia, killing their immune system and now they have the start of yellow fungus disease!

I've spent thousands $ on special ordering them in all kinds of supplements and medical remedies to keep their waning health but for all my efforts they have not gotten better. They are also in early stages of MBD...which turns out to be the center issue for their failing health after all.
If I had known about this problem I could have saved them way earlier!! I could have saved my $$ taken from my wedding fund!! My God! I cannot express how this impacts me, other than just feeling enraged that they still allow that bulb to be on the market.

I lost one life already and I have 5 others still struggling, this could have all been avoided...if I had known about this brand.
I would have switched years ago!!! I cannot express just how sick I feel about all this!

What website may I dedicate myself to, that will continuously give me updates on all products and their quality?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I am very sorry to hear about all of your misfortune. This year, not only has the Solar Glo had problems, but the Powersun, the T-rex & the Megaray ALL have had a terrible year. So, if you were looking for another good MVB you couldn't find one.
There have been numerous counts of problems just like yours so yes, it is a snowball effect that is for sure.
How are your others doing now? What light are you using currently?

There isn't really a site that keeps up on every light, but there is a UVB discussion board that talks about different lights, etc & the measuring of them with UVB meters.

Tracie

 

[nmedragon]

My other dragons do well some days, worse the next. My male has a very weak jaw and his toes just started the other day to twitch a bit. He's still eating okay and i've managed to put a little weight back on him, but internally I believe he is getting worse.
My females are all extremely lethargic. The yellow fungus disease is at an unknown stage. It doesn't seem to be spreading fast, i've managed with Nolvasan and Lamisil treatments, but its their intestines/inner infection thats probably more advanced than the external symptoms.
I dont know what to do. I am at a complete loss for words. I just spent a whole lot of $$ replacing their UVB's making sure the bulbs weren't too old, not realizing it was the brand of bulbs that was the problem. So I just replaced them with more "bad brand bulbs" and they wont last very long and I no longer have money to buy better ones...for now.
I have Calcium Glubionate which helps, but I believe they are in need of something stronger like calcium injections.

I am trying my hardest though to turn this situation around, its just all around heartbreaking. I want to see my babies strong and healthy again!!

Thank you very much for replying Tracie!

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Geez, I am sorry that you are still having so many problems. It is sad that this has happened to so many people.
At least you are keeping weight on him right now. So he has yellow fungus externally but it is not seeming to spread? Have you had him on an oral antifungal? He will most likely need that. Itraconazole is the most effective antifungal for reptiles, most of the time, for most of the strains.
Which calcium glubionate do you use, where did you get it & are you dosing it properly for their bodyweights? Did you want me to double check the doses you are giving? A calcium booster might be a good idea, but the glubionate is good.
Well, the Reptisun 10 tube bulbs are the best right now, but, the Megarays will hopefully soon be done. They have made an announcement on their page about having their bulbs done soon, so, we can hope.

If you need help, let me know.

Tracie

 

[nmedragon]

The vet gave my dragons Albon, but after 2 days of treatment my dragons looked extremely sick from it, and I said "to hell with this" and I threw it out. I do believe that was the only thing that saved their lives and why they are not in advanced stages of this infection.
My male has fungus on his tongue, and they have started to sprout little black dots on their body. No real big patches, just dots. They are shedding a lot and with each shed a few new dots. It is spreading, but not like what it could be. They were given an anti-fungal prescription at the same time as the Albon.I stopped both treatments, I did not know which one was hurting them/making them sick.
I have bought all my supplies from http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/. Lucy is about 650 grams but losing weight. Gimpy is about 450 grams. My other male was 300 grams when rescued, now about 470 grams. My other female is 500 grams but is very stubborn about taking food or meds. My other rescue is only 250 grams. She is very old, has arthritis, seizures and a crooked spine
They all have puffy eye too. I was told to give them nectarines that are high in Vit. A. It seemed to help, but the issue does come back a few days after.
This snowball thing is so hard to control. One thing leads into another! I may turn to my local reptile rescue for help. I dont know how or if she could help me though. I just cant find a vet I trust, and I cant spend any more $$ on useless vet visits. I need to find someone who will help treat them properly!

How may I add photos by the way?