I don't think it's absolutely necessary to offer UVB light to the beardies since they can absorb the vitamin D3 from the food they eat unlike iguana which would need the bulb. I know some people who raise bearded dragon without the bulb but they give them calcium with vitamin D3 as a replacement and the bearded breed and grow like crazy without any sign of MBD. Of course if you want to be on the safe you can use bulb. I know there are benefits from having the bulb. I know someone who has a Vietnamese leaf turtle which for some reason was suffering from lack of calcium. The shell was getting soft, so she started adding the UVB bulb. Nothing in the care sheet about these turtles say you need the UVB lughting, but withing a week the shell started getting harder and the turtle was back to normal in less than a month. And another thing about the bulb is that it seems to stimulate the appetite of the lizard.

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