Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i work at a pet store and we jsut got a product for diurnal reptiles it supposidly gives them uvb from a drop once a week anyone heard of this product thanks

Sounds retarded, can you post a label?

I'm guessing it's vitamin D3, but am in the dark so to speak

Solar Drops, perhaps? I ordered some 6 months ago, but after reading the instructions, I opted not to use them. You give only 1 drop, same time each week and you have to make sure that your reptile has consumed sufficient calcium. I'll just stick with UVB lighting.
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dianedfisher@yahoo.com

My 3 CWD-Avanyu, Tripod and Drago

Assuming that it is vitamin D, the lights are still the way to go.

If vitamin D is supplemented, it is easier to oversupplement calcium, as it increases the gut absorption of this mineral. With the animal producing it's own vitamin D with the help of the proper lighting, it can then regulate it's own calcium intake, and pass on the rest.

Ian

While that may be true of natural sunlight, artifical lights are rarely successful at delivering UVB, most can only produce the correct spectrum within 12 inches of the bulb, and only for a limited amount of the bulbs life span. Too many times I've heard the complaint that someone got the wrong bulb or didn't change it regularly enough and their lizard ended up with MBD. A straight calcium with D3 suppliment works everytime. Lighting is benefitial, but your far better off seeking way to get more natural sunlight, and using suppliments in my opinion.

I agree that vitamin D3 supplements are available for a reason, and they have their place. However it is up to the individual keeper to do their homework and make sure they have the correct lighting. Way back in the 80's I had my first iguana, and the petstore said a round repti-glo was full spectrum! Of course "Spok" got MBD and my 10year old neonate herper self decided to never fall into the ignorance trap again. It is easier for novice herpers to get the products that are appropriate now that herps have gone mainstream. Getting information is just as easy nowadays.

Ian

The next product to be more readily available is a UVA/UVB metre. Buy stocks now !

Getting the best lighting and being informed is good. Being informed, one will realize that artifical lighting is unreliable and supplimenting with dietary suppliments or natural sunlight is good thing. Iguana's have and even more of a demand for sunlight since they don't get much D3 in their diet, being vegitarians. I worked in a petstore in the 80's and remember arguing with people about how useless artificial lighting was then and it hasn't gotten much better. Personally I raise my waterdragons on suppliments and natural sunlight. Its a lot cheaper then the lights and a lot better for the WDs.

Since Rick has 16+ years of experience in raising CWD, I definitely won't argue with him. His success is proven. In certain climates, where you can provide direct, unfiltered sunlight for a part of each day I agree that natural sunlight is best. Frankly, my CWD have never been in the sun. But I agree with Joey about UVB meters. I own a Solarmeter 6.2 that I use to monitor the UVB output of my bulbs. For those of you frightened of dietary D3 supplements, there are some excellent charts and UVB outputs of various fluorescent and Mercury Vapor UVB bulbs on the website at: www.reptileuv.com Some are complicated, others pretty straight forward. If you don't own a meter, just make sure to purchase a reputable brand of bulb with good UVB output and set-up your enclosure so that your reptile spends an adequate amount of time each day near the light AND spend the extra bucks and change-out your lights every 6 months. I personally use a combination of fluorescent (Reptisun 5.0) and Mercury Vapor (Mega-Ray SB) in my enclosure. Rick: I'm sure that I'm not the only one who would love to see a picture of your older dragon-in fact all of them. I don't think I've ever seen pics of anyone with a dragon over maybe 7 yrs. old. I'd like to see what's in store for me!
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dianedfisher@yahoo.com

My 3 CWD-Avanyu, Tripod and Drago

I would add that you have to meter, if you are depending on it and not using suppliments. You can't rely on what the manufacture tells you, and even with the same brand name, every bulb is different. Also, thanks, for the respect, but you don't have to rely on my antedotical evidence, there are plenty of studies that show that supplimenting is reliable.

Yeah, but what aabout the pictures I'd be interested too. Jade is about 2 now and cal can't be more than 6 months. Can't wait to see what they'll be like.
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FB
(Watch this space for the raining viv)
0.1.1 Water Dragon (Jade, Kaltrex)
0.1.0 Hypomelanistic Corn (Willow)
0.1.0 Patternless Leopard Gecko (Barghesta)
1.0.0 Satanic Leaftail Gecko (Melkor)
0.1.0 Cat (Cleo)
0.1.0 Wife (Tammy)
(hmmm, not much testosterone in here...)