Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello. I purchased my bearded dragons about two months ago when they were each between 13 and 14 inches. During these two months they have grown 1/2 inch at most. They have been eating well and have had sufficient lighting and space. Is this normal? Should they have grown more than the half inch, given that they are so young?

Also, can plant lights be used for a bearded dragon's UV and heat? I haven't tried it yet, but it seems a lot cheaper than buying one of those $50 bulbs from pet stores...

Thanks.

JM

Plant lights don't give off near enough uvb to use them.Just make sure they are healthy make sure you are giving them enough protein and get them fecals to make sure parasites aren't stunting their growth they could also be slowing down for a short period.Some lizards grow really fast in their first few months and then stop for a while.

Most plant lights we have meter checked only give off about 2-3 uW/cm2 @12 inches, which is pretty low UVB. In my opinion that is not enough UVB to allow the natural process of synthesizing pre D-3 that takes place in their skin.

Depending on the brand, florescent UVB tubes give off in the range of 9-30 uW/cm2 @ 12 inches when new and reptiles seem to thrive fine on that. (we recommend supplements with calcium also) Mercury Vapor gives in the range of 30-120 uW/cm2. That is equal to an overcast day- to a sunny day at 10 AM and 2 PM. Natural sunlight on a clear summer day in Florida gives off 100 uW/cm2 at daybreak to a peak of 450 at noon and then declines back down. Observing bearded dragon in natural sunlight both in Florida and talking with reserachers in Australia, the dragons seems to bask full sun until about 11AM when the uW/cm2 are reaching 250 and then retire til about 2 PM when they are back at 250.

So you can see given the choice by the dragon, even the strongest UVB light on the market available to the public is never more than what they choose on their own and with MV, close to what they desire naturally at their prime basking times.

We are almost 3 years into a study we have been doing with the effects of several types of UBV lights, supplements and diets with bone density testing and 25 Hydroxy level testing in both bearded dragons and iguanas, plus data collected 2 years prior to that.

I wish we could give more solid findings, but it takes so long to get an accurate picture of the effect over several years or the life of the animals. I can tell you, we abandon the supplements only the first year, after seeing what the 25 Hydroxy levels were doing and knowing where that leads too, I would not put any of my dragons at that future risk.

We are following four dragons now that are not ours, but belong to others that are supplements only and it appears that in the 3-4 years range is when you really start seeing the drastic damage visually(it is seen much earlier in testings). When it starts it is rapid and destructive, unreversible and terminal. Probably a combination of the ageing process, hormone changes and lack of even some UBV in earlier years.
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www.reptilerooms.com

You do not have to pay the $50 for lights at the pet store, Tubes ar available online for $11-$15 (six month life) and Mercury Vapor for $33-$38 (1-2 year life)
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www.reptilerooms.com

Wow they cost 50$ ar your pet store?I know MVB's cost 66$ at mine but uvb tubes are only 30$.

I was wondering,,,is there anyway to know if the dragons stop basking in the sunlight due to UV levels or could it be temperature related. it would be fascinating to know if their biochemistry worked in a manner that they somehow sensed UV

TAZ

all day under any UV light, whether mercury vapor or reptisun, is comparable to 10 minutes in natural sunlight. Is this true?