Reptile & Amphibian Forums

GO BUY THE NEW DECEMBER ISSUE OF REPTILES MAGAZINE......THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL ARTICLE ON LIGHTING FOR REPTILES...everything from UV-basking-nightime-supplemental heating....

GO BUY IT NOW! if you have questions about lighting that is.

I posted this for all those who were debating about UV light through windows...now we can all just read and enjoy...and know for sure.

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Chris

1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.2.0 Green Basilisks
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
1.1.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
0.0.1 California Kingsnakes
2.5.1 Leopard Geckos

It is in the January 2004 issue of Reptiles magazine that came out in December. (just didn't want people looking for the wrong issue)

Also, the information I posted earlier that went into detail about the UVA UVB and UVC is information that is put out about UV by TREX with their Active UVHeat Mercury Vapor Bulbs.
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www.georgiabeardeddragons.com

n/p
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Chris

1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.2.0 Green Basilisks
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
1.1.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
0.0.1 California Kingsnakes
2.5.1 Leopard Geckos

I have only one issue with the article. It is very well written and very informative. But the talk about UVB being needed and about D3 has to be taken with a grain of salt. The article is written by the president (I think it was president) of ZooMed. They are the biggest light manufacturer out there. They do not make much else that is great. So they may have a small bias in their opinion. They talk of active D3 being the active ingridient in rat poison. This is probably true, but none of us can get our hands on active D3. The d3 in supplements is a non active form that is converted to active d3 by the kidneys. Just my two cents on the matter. ZooMed makes great bulbs that produce UVB, which is beneficial to you dragons.
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

not to mention, the amounts in rat poison are almost pure d3 measured in grams. The amounts in calciun supps. are measured in I.U. which are in micro grams.
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Bill DiFabio
Azteclizard.com
Email Me

TRex also makes a wonderful Active UV Heat Mercurcy Vapor Bulb that we use for our dragons. It provides high amounts of both UVA and UVB as well has heat for basking.
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www.georgiabeardeddragons.com

>>..... They talk of active D3 being the active ingridient in rat poison. This is probably true, but none of us can get our hands on active D3. The d3 in supplements is a non active form that is converted to active d3 by the kidneys.

Just to muddy the waters a bit here. Cholecalciferol is the first stage of vitamin D that is formed in the skin through exposure to UVB, this is further metabolized to hydroxycholecalciferol in the liver and finally to its most active form dihydroxycholecalciferol in the kidneys. I can't speak to the references made in the article or to what they precisely mean by "active vitamin D" but it is, indeed, the first stage, cholecalciferol that is the active ingredient in a number of rodenticides. This is the same form of vitamin D that is in vitamin supplememts, obviously in much smaller amounts.

T.B
cholecalciferol toxicity

Yes MUCH smaller amounts. We are talking about gram amounts in rat poisons, to micro gram amounts in a calcium supplement. Infinately smaller amounts. To even mention toxicity in the same discussion of supplementation with vit. d3 is absurd. To cause a state of toxicity you would have to use a product like rep-cal(highest amount of d3 on the market) very,very liberally for a long period of time. Even then it my not happen.
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Bill DiFabio
Azteclizard.com
Email Me

>>...... To even mention toxicity in the same discussion of supplementation with vit. d3 is absurd. To cause a state of toxicity you would have to use a product like rep-cal(highest amount of d3 on the market) very,very liberally for a long period of time. Even then it my not happen.

Agreed, the mention of potential toxicity may sound absurd when discussing Rep-Cal and other powder supplements but less so when considering a product such as Solar Drops which is far more concentrated. To suggest, as the other post did, that the form of vitamin D in supplements cannot cause toxicity invites the potential for over-supplementation from well meaning but misguided owners.

T.B