Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My baby beardie is acting really strange and I'm worried. (S)he has been laying around, not eating much, and her legs were quivering. I'm not certain about the size of the crickets I've been giving her, but the two others I have in the tank are smaller, and seem to be doing fine on the same size crickets. I didn't have a UV bulb in there to begin with and was using a 60 watt household bulb, which I just replaced with a 100 watt Nature Zone High Noon bulb. She seems to be doing better at the moment while I'm holding her, but I'm still worried about the quivering legs and low appetite. I'd also like any feedback regarding the Nature Zone bulb. I really appreciate any advice anyone has to offer. Thanks!

i would get a reptisun bulb in there or a Mercury vapor bulb but youll have to ask others about those as i really dont know much about them. Have you be supplmenting with calcium w/D3??? it sounds like it could be signs of MBD. Also are the crickets you are feeding smaller then the space between their eyes? do you have a basking spot of 105-115 and a cool side at an ambient 85 during the day>? tell us about your set up. what kind of substrate are they on? I would say get UVB lighting and be sure you are dusting, but i would probably get that little one to the vet, especially when it comes to babies, its never too soon to get them to the herp vet....

i think the high noon is a UVA basking bulb but you need that as wel as a UVB bulb, either reptisun 5.0 (debate between that and the reti-glo 8.0, not sure which is better at this point) or a mercury vapor bulb for UVB.

the reptsun 8 produces a bit more UVB light than the reptsun 5...at least according to the little graph on the package.

Although I have never used it, the nature zone is a mercury vapor bulb so it should produce enough uvb for your little one to produce vitamin D3. As you alluded, the two main problems with the "quivering leg" symptom are calcium deficiency and impaction. In order to rule out both I would put her on paper towel substrate, keep using your new mercury vapor bulb and supplement her crickets with calcium. If her she gets worse take her to a vet.

Peter

about the high noon bulb.....thanks for clearing that up.....

What is your supplement schedule and what supps. specifically are you using?
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Bill DiFabio
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