UVB supplementation with Sun,How long should they be kept ou

[LegendKiller04]

So I can't afford UVB lights at the moment, and I've heard that the Sun is the best way to supplement it. I have some calcium vitamins, which say it has D3 as well as other stuff, it's from T-rex, will this be enough for UVB replacement? If not, I'll take my beardie outside, how long should it be kept outside to get the proper amount of rays? I have school, so I don't feel safe leaving it outside, so I'm really hoping it's for a short while. Oh and I barely bought it, and it's a baby, but its not eating at all. I put crickets, mealworms, and vegetables, but it's not really eating anything. Should I be concerned? It's been 2 days and all it has done is allow the cricket to crawl on his head, which I got rid of of course. I have a basking spot, a night light on the other side as well.

 

[gwookkim]

u should really just get a uvb bulb. i have my heat lamp and uvb bulb on for 12 hours a day.... ur not gonna be able to give him very much uvb by just going outside.... :|
and please dont ever leave ur beardie outside. get the uvb bulb and prevent ur beardie from getting MBD. (metabolic bone disease)
and just because the vitamin powder has D3 in it doesnt mean you can replace the uvb bulb with it.
and him not eating is probably just relocation stress. my beardie at like three crickets every other day for a week and a half before he starting to eat like crazy. i wouldnt worry too much about it. just make sure his over all body weight doesnt go down too much.

 

[PudgysMom]

Look on Craigslist and see if someone is giving away UVB lights.

Your beardie should really have this, and just because the sun is out does not mean your bearded dragon should be out. It could still be much too cold for him.

Please, please get the UVB light. It's YOUR responsibility to keep your pet healthy, and that means doing the research to make sure you can afford to do so. I'm sorry if that seems harsh, but beardies require a lot of care and maintenance, and that includes financial. If ANYONE isn't prepared to take that on, then they shouldn't risk the animal's health.

 

[Gail]

He will need at least 30 minutes or more of natural sunlight everyday but try to get a bulb as soon as you can. Calcium and UVB work together, calcium alone will do nothing.

 

[jortiz9758]

I agree. You really need a UVB bulb for him. Taking him outside for just a bit is not enough. Where are you located?
I also do not suggest picking up a free or cheap bulb on craigslist due to the fact that you don't know how old it is. ( Most need to be replaced every 6 months or yearly)
They really don't need a night bulb ( colored ) if that is what you have. They do see the light and it disrupts their day night pattern.
I'm not scolding or pointing fingers but you really should have done your research and picked up what he needed, before buying him and not the other way around. :study:

 

[PudgysMom]

I agree...

I just wanted to clarify on looking on Craigslist, here in the San Diego area there are reputable breeders and rescue organizations who will give away VERY GOOD, top quality lights/accessories/etc. for bearded dragon owners in an attempt to make sure the beardies stay healthy. They aren't poor quality, or expired. I would never have suggested it otherwise.

 

[glenCOCO]

I've read on a couple sites that just one hour of natural sunlight is equivalent to a whole days worth of UV absorption from artificial lighting.

"About 4-5 hours of natural sunlight is equivalent to a week or more under artificial lighting."
http://www.reptileuv.com/reptile-caresheets/veiled-chameleon.php

"Approximately one hour of sun is equal to a whole day under most UVB bulbs."
http://www.calidragons.com/Caresheet.htm

"One hour of sun is worth eighteen hours of tank light."
http://www.pet-memorial-urns-online.com/bearded-dragon-tanks-5-important-things-to-do-before-you-bring-your-bearded-dragon-home

I don't have any UVB lights, but I take my beardie out everyday for at least an hour or more. She is about 2 years old and this is how her previous owner took care of her UVB needs and I don't plan on changing anything. She gets calcium without D3 and has never had any problems with MBD. This method might not work for everyone(weather, time, laziness, etc...) but out here in California, weather is almost never an issue, I work nights, and I conveniently scheduled all my classes so that I'm free around noon to take her out.

 

[spyder79]

the only thing that bugs me is why you would get/buy an animal that you can not afford to properly care for. sorry but that had to be said.

as far as going outside if you can take him/her outside a hour or two a day, everyday then yeah you will be fine.

I've read on a couple sites that just one hour of natural sunlight is equivalent to a whole days worth of UV absorption from artificial lighting.

"About 4-5 hours of natural sunlight is equivalent to a week or more under artificial lighting."
http://www.reptileuv.com/reptile-caresheets/veiled-chameleon.php

"Approximately one hour of sun is equal to a whole day under most UVB bulbs."
http://www.calidragons.com/Caresheet.htm

"One hour of sun is worth eighteen hours of tank light."
http://www.pet-memorial-urns-online.com/bearded-dragon-tanks-5-important-things-to-do-before-you-bring-your-bearded-dragon-home

I don't have any UVB lights, but I take my beardie out everyday for at least an hour or more. She is about 2 years old and this is how her previous owner took care of her UVB needs and I don't plan on changing anything. She gets calcium without D3 and has never had any problems with MBD. This method might not work for everyone(weather, time, laziness, etc...) but out here in California, weather is almost never an issue, I work nights, and I conveniently scheduled all my classes so that I'm free around noon to take her out.

how big is your dragon. Just curious to see how the growth was with this method.

 

[gwookkim]

i work at a pet store, and trust me, people buy animals ALL the FREAKING time without doing any research or asking any questions and then complaining that our animals were bad because it died on them.
A LOT of people dont by uvb bulbs for their beardies even though we tell them that it is necessary.

 

[glenCOCO]

She measures in at 13" but she also has a very short tail. It's about 3". I'm sure if she had a full tail she would be at normal adult length.

 

[spyder79]

She measures in at 13" but she also has a very short tail. It's about 3". I'm sure if she had a full tail she would be at normal adult length.

what about weight?

if she has a 3 inch tail nip and is 13 inches that means supposed total length of 16 inches which is still not a normal sized adult dragon. I honestly do not think a few short hours a day is good enough. Im not trying to be rude im just pointing out that had your dragon been cared for properly before you got it (i read your earlier posts on this site and you were not pleased with the care that dragon had and called it a rescue so why are you promoting the care now?) she would be larger. They need 12-14 hours of uv and though its stronger in natural sunlight i highly doubt 1-3 hours of natural sunlight replaces 14 hours under a uv light. it helps supplement when you can but it is deffinately not a replacement unless that dragon lives in an outdoor enclosure. in their natural habitat they are out in the light much longer than 1-3 hours in a day so its not like what they would get in the wild either.

 

[glenCOCO]

I'm not sure about weight, I don't have a gram scale. It's not a 3" nip, her actual tail is 3". Isn't the average adult size 16-22 anyway? She seemed a bit skinny and was kept in a 10 gallon tank before I got her. That's what I wasn't pleased with. Despite not having great living conditions and no UVB, she never had problems with MBD because she was taken outside on a daily basis. Wouldn't this lead you to believe that this method works?

 

[spyder79]

I'm not sure about weight, I don't have a gram scale. It's not a 3" nip, her actual tail is 3". Isn't the average adult size 16-22 anyway? She seemed a bit skinny and was kept in a 10 gallon tank before I got her. That's what I wasn't pleased with. Despite not having great living conditions and no UVB, she never had problems with MBD because she was taken outside on a daily basis. Wouldn't this lead you to believe that this method works?

It may work as a supplement with their UV lights but not as a replacement. 16" is the extreme small side for an adult beardie. Even by todays miniturized standards. You can and should supplement their artificial light with natural light(this means in conjunction with/not in replacement of). But you should not replace 12-14 hours of UV light with 1-2 hours of natural light.