VERY Black Beard ... UPDATED Now pooping where he lays

[cath1024]

oh boy now that the light has been on awhile the temps are evening out on the bottom but my basking area is up to 118! Is that ok?
I have lower his ledge as low as it will do - should i take it out and find something else to use for the basking spot or would 118 be ok?

 

[sunkist]

I do the move the light dance... I have two lights so when it's hotter I seperate the lights a little, when it's cooler, push them back togehter.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

So you found the Megaray at a Petstore, really? That is surprising because normally you can only order them online.
Yes, 118 is too high. Can you adjust the basking platform? Don't move the Megaray around too much or angle it as it can be hard on the mercury & the ballast inside of the filament & light.


Tracie

 

[cath1024]

Hi Tracie,
That is what the box says - why are they usally only available online- is there something special about them? This is the one the reptile store lady recommended for me when i told her everything that was wrong.

I think i have the temps going just about where they should be and i think its working out because max does not have the realy dark beard since i changed the light ... he seems a little perkier - still couldnt get him to eat a thing today not even 1 cricket so that still concerns me.

His platform still seems to get slightly over 110 -115 and i think he feels it too because now he wont go up on it and stays on a lower log and has his head stretched right up towards the light coming down - does that mean he likes it? I may change things around and take out that platform as it is as low as it can go right now but i can play around with his other pieces he has in there.

here is the pic of his new light and you can see if its a good one or not - hopefully it is the right one.

One more thing that concerns me is there is no light on the cool side or does that matter?

 

[vickson420]

Hi
The megaray is a great bulb.The best out there.There is one thing it looks like you bought the 160 watt megaray.Am I correct?If so then you need to make very sure that your beardie cannot get within 18 inches of the bulb.Thats the minmium required distance for that wattage on that bulb.What are the dimensions of your tank?

 

[cath1024]

our tank is 31" long 18" wide and 20" tall .... what will happen if hes too close? Now you have me worried the reptile store lady only said he will get the benefits up to something like 6 feet away does that sound right?

She said this one rather then the 100 w one

 

[cath1024]

i just called the reptile store in a panic and she told me not to worry that he can be near it but you dont want him closer then 8-12" she said that i will just have to lower my basking area and have one that is a little closer to the bottom of the tank thats all.
She is realy good and seems to realy know her stuff so i do trust her in what she tells me.
Not saying anyone here is wrong with what they tell me but having 2 opinions helps ease my mind that he wont get seriously harmed being closer then 18"

Im very please with this light - max seems to realy enjoy it too - hes perched right on his log with his head held high towards the light. His color is even starting to look great!

She also told me to go to the drugstore and get some gastro lyte and mix it with some warm water and bath him in it for 10 min the next 3 days ... as he hasnt eaten and dont want to risk dehydration which is worse then not eating.

 

[diamc]

Actually, a distance of 8 to 12" when using a 160 watt mercury vapor bulb is VERY dangerous. The distance to a 100 watt MVB would be a minimum of 12" so she is actually incorrect with the info she is giving you. What is the distance from the bulb to where your beardie is basking? If closer than 18", you need to either put the light on a stand to raise it higher or lower the basking area. I found this info on the reptiluv website, the place where they make the bulb and Bob Mack explains what the distance should be for a 160 watt:

The wattage bulb depends on the distance from the bulb to the basking area. Generally with a cooler habitat as you have mentioned, a 160wt Mega-Ray® at 16-20" will do the trick, BUT!! Always triple check the basking area temps right under the bulb before allowing your pet to test the area.

So bare in mind that those bulbs are very strong, not only heatwise but also strong with the amount of ultra violet rays that they produce, so if a 160 watt is too close, it can do damage to your beardie.

I think the woman was talking about getting Pedialyte which helps raise their electrolyte level to prevent dehydration. You can also dilute it and offer it by a plastic medicine dropper by putting drops on his nose for him to lick off. Another way to keep him from losing weight, it to pick up chicken or turkey babyfood as well as some squash, mix a small amt of the meat with a larger amt of squash and a little bit of Pedialtyte to thin it a little, offer that also by a plastic medicine dropper for him to lick off his nose. The meat will help give him a little protein in his diet.

 

[vickson420]

Yes I am sorry she is very wrong UNLESS you have 100 watt MVB bulb if you do then 12 inches is fine if not the ABSOLUTE minmium is 18 inches and this distance is set and held firm by Bob Mac who is the maker of that specific bulb.If you want more info on the distances or anything on the Megaray please go check out their website: reptileuv.com.There is also a contact # there where you can spw Bob directly.

 

[vickson420]

Just one link to help you out with this.Here is the Q&A part of reptileuv.com please look at question 7 for the distance answer to your bulb and remember this is the actually creator of the bulb answering.
http://www.reptileuv.com/mega-ray-product-questions.php?nav=h#s2

 

[cath1024]

ok now i dont know what to think ... i took away his ledge and laid out some rocks and pieces of wood for a lower basking area which will be about 18" from the light but now i cant get the temp on the basking area to go higher then 93-94 ... what is the purpose of these lights if the basking area has to be at least 18" but yet to get the right temp the basking area needs to be closer?

He was doing fine with all the other lights for 3 months until this all started about 5 days ago.

She also asked me if i had the light inside or outside the tank - maybe the screen takes away some uvb and heat that is why she said not to worry too much about being about 10-12" away or maybe she meant 10-12 away from the actual screen as the light is sitting about 2-3 inches up inside the dome cover?

Maybe it is a misunderstanding on my part as she was telling me alot to take in while i was there and while on the phone with her. She has a very large shop with several reptiles and has been in the business over 20 years so she must know a thing or 2.

I dont know - im not saying any one is right or wrong - thanks for that website i did read up and i do see what you are saying.

Now i just have to figure out how to get my temps up over 96 and if i cant raise the basking area what else do i do?

 

[diamc]

Make sure you are waiting about an hr before you take the readings, ok? It really doesn't seem like a 160 watt Megaray would only be giving you a basking temp of only 93 or 94 degrees even at a distance of 18". Not sure where you live, but the temps are always cooler at night, so if it is evening there, take the temps again tomorrow and make sure the probe end is laying right on the basking surface. As Vicky & I pointed out, those bulbs are very strong so you really need to make sure that it is a minimum of 18" away. What is the cool side temp reading that you're getting now?

 

[cath1024]

Im in Ontario and yes it is getting cold here but our house stays around 70 .... his temp when we turn the lights on in the am when all lights have been off all night is always 72.

The last reading on the temp before i just shut off his lights was 96.8 right on his basking log so maybe my top screen is blocking some heat and uvb? I measured and the bulb itself is about 2.5" inside the dome so we could possibly be taking away 4-5 inches there with the screen and dome length?

Here is the guideline on the bulb box

 

[diamc]

The info on the box looks like it recommends 15 to 21" away. I would still suggest retaking the basking temp tomorrow after at least an hr of the bulb warming up and see what the reading is then. Since the bulb sits about 2 1/2 inches inside the dome, you could raise the basking area up 2 inches & see what the reading is then. What distance is the bulb to the basking area now?

 

[cath1024]

it is about 14" from the screen down to where the highest point of his basking area is so if i add on 2" from the dome it would be about 16" from where his head is but from about the middle of his back down will be lower as the log is kind of slanted down.

I will be sure to check the temps again in the morning after about an hour of being turned on.

I was just reading an article and they did some tests about screens blocking UVB but this is also for tube uvb lights but would that not be the same idea?
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/fluorescenttubemeshtests.htm