Uvb Question for my Terrarium

[Iggulds]

Ok so I have this terrarium http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4070851&lmdn=Pet+Type it is 36X18X18 . I also have a hood topper that looks like this http://www.exo-terra.com/download/high_res/products/images/PT2229_Compact_Top.jpg that fits all the way across the terrarium. Together it looks like this http://www.exo-terra.com/download/h...NaturalTerrarium-PT2613_CompactTop-PT2228.jpg It can hold 2 18" uvb tubes or 4 bulbs. For this size tank, do I need to put 2 florescent tubes in or will one on the basking side be enough even tho it covers only half the terrarium?

Also, what happens if the beardie gets too close to the uvb bulb? I have 2 reptiglo 10.0 right now in the topper with 2 night bulbs,( today i have ordered 2 reptisun 10.0 florescent tubes), and my beardie seems to get right up to it due to the foam rock background in the terrarium. Is this a problem? I have had him for about 2 weeks and he has little to no appetite, I think this may be from the reptiglo? Will being this close damage his eyes? I heard it can cause loss of appetite. Thoughts anyone?

 

[Grogshla]

Use 1 reptisun10 tube. Place it so that the dragon can get within 8-10 inches from it to get the uvb.
Make sure his basking temps are up to 45 degrees celcius. Dont let him come within 8-10inches from your basking lamp.
Don't use any night bulbs it causes stress and lack of sleep as they CAN see the light. If you need to warm up your tank at night just use a ceramic heat emitter.
The warm side of your tank should be around 35-40 degrees and the cool side should be 25-30. At night i switch off the basking lamp and uvb tube and let the dragon cool at night as long as room temps don't fall below 20 degrees celcius, then i bump on his heat emmitter.

 

[Iggulds]

Ok so its bad then if he can get closer than 8-10" from the uvb? What happens if he does get more that 8-10" from the uvb? Is using 2 reptiglo 10.0 compacts too much? can this harm the beardie? I thought night bulbs were ok if they were blue because they couldn't see them?
also, thanks for the reply!

 

[Grogshla]

Hey mate no problemo
I think you would be fine with one tube.
Many people say that their dragons have had eye problems from being too close or when using reptiglo tubes and all sorts of compacts. I have never risked it and never had a problem.
Yeah i also bought a blue light when i started but once again i learnt that alot of people claim their animals are stressed and dont eat when they use blue lamps. I agree as it happened to my gecko. In fact they can see the blue red or black light.

 

[Iggulds]

Interesting, my bearded dragon isnt eating right now. Perhaps its from the night bulb. How long do you suppose it will take to reverse this effect? And how long do you think it will take to reverse effects from the reptiglo once i get the reptisun in?

 

[Iggulds]

Also is a 50 gallon too big for a 3 or 4 month old beardie? Maybe this is causing the stress?

 

[Grogshla]

the 50 gallon should be fine as long as there are a few hides.
Within a day or 2 of getting rid of the night bulbs and putting in a reptisun your dragon will be more active, eat far more, be far less stressed, be able to process calcium much easier and will start to heal its eyes.
Basically the sooner the better mate should only take him a few days to change

 

[Iggulds]

ya ive stopped the night bulbs yesterday and it will take a few days for the reptisuns to come in that i ordered. so it should be soon, hopefully he hangs in till then. I have 2 reptiglo 10.0 compacts in and reduced it to having just 1 on at a time. Is this ok? He will get enough uvb correct? amd i shouldnt let him get any closer than 8-10 from any uvb bulb or tube i get correct? Thanks for the help!

 

[Grogshla]

yep correct.
no problem at all. Another thing to do which is great for dragons is to take him outside to get some sunlight. Dragons respond well to natural sunlight. Just be sure to put him in a box or something and make sure no birds try and swoop him. Stay with him at all times.

 

[diamc]

Hi, I wanted to add that the loss of appetite could very well be from the compact UVB. That's good that you turned one of the compact bulbs off. If you notice any signs of him closing one or both eyes quite a bit, it would be a good idea to turn the compact UVB off and give his eyes time to recooperate while waiting for the better bulb to arrive. What is the distance of the compact UVB right now? Are you using a bright white bulb for the basking bulb?

When you get the Repti-Sun 10.0 fluorescent bulb, you can actually place that so that it is within 6 to 8" from your beardie. Frances Baines who does the testing of the UVB's reported that at that distance, that particular bulb puts out the recommended amount of UV rays so that it is most beneficial to beardies. But, with all UVB's, it's important to use a bright white basking bulb rather than a colored bulb to help lessen any eye issues.

In case you haven't seen it, here's a site that shows the best greens/veggies to feed: www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

Just to be safe, could you fill us in on what the tank temps are for basking & cool side and what type of thermometer you're using? Also, how often are you dusting with calcium & vitamins? Want to make sure that everything is perfect for your baby. :wink:

 

[Iggulds]

Temps on cool side are around 80 and basking side about 110 to 120. He is closing his eyes often when he basks. The basking light is a white bulb and due to the rock background he can get about 1 to 2" from the uvb bulb. I dust with calcium every other day or so when he eats (like 2 or 3 times a week) and multi vitamin like once a week. But since he stopped eating ive been mixing calcium with his water. And hes been eating collard greens, peas and other greens when he ate veggies. How long can i keep the uvb off before it affects him? Or do you mean more like reducing the amount of time it is on during the day?

 

[diamc]

Hi, any temp over 110 is really too high and can cause dehydration. What type of thermometer are you using, a digital strip, round gauge (analog), digital with long wire and probe end or temperature gun? Some thermometers are very inaccurate, so want to make sure that you're using a good one.

If he is only 1 to 2" from the UVB light, that is actually dangerous. Is there some way that you can move things around so that he can't get any closer than 6" from the UVB? You said that the Repti-Sun fluorescent has been ordered right? I would leave the coil UVB off at least until you get the new bulb which should be a week or so and that will hopefully give his eyes enough time to recover. When there eyes are affected by UVB bulbs, it feels like they have sand in them all the time which I've read is VERY painful so it's important that he not be exposed to any UVB until they are better.

Since your beardie is only 3 to 4 months old, he should be getting calcium 5 days a wk but only 1 feeding a day and vitamins the other 2 days a wk but only 1 feeding a day. It would also be a good idea to pick up some chicken and also squash baby food and mix a little of each together, thin with a small amt of water and you can also add a pinch of either the calcium or vitamins to eat, then heat the mixture in the microwave for a few seconds to take the chill off. Then, using a plastic medicine dropper, put drops on his nose for him to lick off. Once he gets a taste of it, he should really like it. Babies can't go without protein for very long so feeding the baby food will help give him a boost.

 

[Iggulds]

Tahnks for the advice, I will make the necessary adjustments. Ive been giving him some appetite stimulant/ caloric supplement that has given him what he needs in the time he hasnt eaten too much. And its not bad that he not get uvb for a week?

 

[diamc]

Hi, any temp over 110 is really too high and can cause dehydration. What type of thermometer are you using, a digital strip, round gauge (analog), digital with long wire and probe end or temperature gun? Some thermometers are very inaccurate, so want to make sure that you're using a good one. Please fill us in on this important question.

As I mentioned, a wk without the coil UVB will help give him time to recover before the Repti-Sun fluorescent arrives. Any idea when that will be? If it's at least 65 degrees where you live, you could take him outside for some sunlight.

 

[Iggulds]

For temp I use a digital with wire and i have the gauges stuck on each side of the terrarium. The uvb bulbs are suppsoe to come in 5-8 business days and i ordered them tuesday. So sometime next week. Its not warm enough yet here to take him outside. I've been decreasing the amount of time the uvb bulbs i have now are on for. I just dont want to not use them completely for a week unless he would be ok if i did?