Nutrients and supplements needed for a beardie?

[naturalman91]

i still don't have a beardie but making sure i get everything ready way before, i was just wondering if there any kind of supplements or nutrients needed besides calcium with D3? also any good webpages or links to beardie care? i've been going crazy reading everything lately so more would be appreciated

 

[PatsyB]

They get D3 from their UVB light. You want to use a calcium without D3 and a Multivitamin. I dust daily with calcium w/o D3 and then once a week dust with a multivitamin that has D3 in it. I think I use Reptivite. I put all my supplements in salt and pepper shakers, it makes dusting a lot easier!

 

[drzebra]

Calcium with D3 depends on the type of uvb lighting used. If you're using a fluorescent tube (Reptisun, etc), use calcium with D3. If you're using a mercury vapor bulb (Powersun, etc), don't supplement d3. Just plain calcium.

 

[naturalman91]

Calcium with D3 depends on the type of uvb lighting used. If you're using a fluorescent tube (Reptisun, etc), use calcium with D3. If you're using a mercury vapor bulb (Powersun, etc), don't supplement d3. Just plain calcium.

Thanks im using a fluorescent it's a arcadia 12% uvb HO way better the reptisun

 

[jarich]

The Arcadia HO 12% is a great light, and pretty much identical to the Reptisun HO T5 10.0 in both output and spectrum. As long as you have mounted either of these lights at the right distance, then there is no need to supplement with Vit D3. As this is a fat soluble vitamin, its best to allow for the natural production and degradation of this vitamin.

For the calcium I would recommend dusting any invertebrates live prey, each time. With the exception of phoenix/calci worms and earthworms, the rest have a poor Ca/P ratio and so need dusting. The multivitamin is good as a safety net and can be used once a week or so.

 

[naturalman91]

The Arcadia HO 12% is a great light, and pretty much identical to the Reptisun HO T5 10.0 in both output and spectrum. As long as you have mounted either of these lights at the right distance, then there is no need to supplement with Vit D3. As this is a fat soluble vitamin, its best to allow for the natural production and degradation of this vitamin.

For the calcium I would recommend dusting any invertebrates live prey, each time. With the exception of phoenix/calci worms and earthworms, the rest have a poor Ca/P ratio and so need dusting. The multivitamin is good as a safety net and can be used once a week or so.

with the Arcadia 12% would i still want a MVB or just a basking light?

 

[jarich]

Just a basking light is fine. You can add an MVB for higher UVA levels, but I would recommend that only in addition to the basking light as opposed to being used as a basking light

 

[naturalman91]

Just a basking light is fine. You can add an MVB for higher UVA levels, but I would recommend that only in addition to the basking light as opposed to being used as a basking light

if i used just a MVB instead of a arcadia would i want calcium with or without d3? a MVB seems a little cheaper and better to me because they're sun worshipers right?

sorry for all the questions i just want to make sure i have everything correct

 

[jarich]

No need to apologize for asking questions. Happy to be able to help.

Id recommend a T5 fluorescent paired with a normal halogen flood light over the MVB, to be honest. You'll get a much more natural spectrum and it will allow you to adjust the UV needs separately from the heat. Thats important and so is the more natural spectrum. Plus a good MVB is not really much cheaper at all. There are really only two brands that are worth the money for an MVB, either MegaRay or Arcadia. The Arcadia requires a step up volt converter and the MegaRay isnt exactly cheap either.

The price is pretty comparable really:

Arcadia MVB with volt converter and fixture= $150
Mega Ray MVB with fixture = $65
Zoomed T5 bulb with fixture = $68 and added halogen w/fixture for basking = $83

 

[drzebra]

I don't recommend combining an mvb with the Arcadia. MVBs already put out some very intense rays.

Unlike jarich, I'm an mvb guy. My dragons just seem to respond better to them.

If you decide to go with an mvb, don't supplement D3. Otherwise, do.

 

[naturalman91]

I don't recommend combining an mvb with the Arcadia. MVBs already put out some very intense rays.

Unlike jarich, I'm an mvb guy. My dragons just seem to respond better to them.

If you decide to go with an mvb, don't supplement D3. Otherwise, do.

what is it that makes some people say no MVB? this is the method im most common to with my tortoises i just started using a arcadia for a redfooted tortoise because they don't like harsh lights

 

[jarich]

Its not that Im against them, there are just better options now. I actually have used MVBs many times, and still have one in one of my enclosures. That is if you buy the right brand. Aside from the Arcadia or the MegaRay, they arent worth the money as they die quickly and sometimes dont really produce that well straight out of the box. The main issue I have with them is the light they create. They typically have 8 wavelengths of light that they produce in severe spikes. Three small ones at 303 um, 315 um, 336 um, and five large spikes at 362 um, 403 um, 438 um, 546um, and 579 um. That is it, there is no light produced at any of the wavelengths in between those spikes. Thats a really unnatural type of light. If you look at sunlight, you get this gradual curve that starts with UVB wavelengths around 280 um and goes up past infrared wavelengths past visible light, hitting every wavelength in between. Thats what you want to replicate, because those wavelengths also have an effect on the animals. For instance, while the spike at 303 um will produce Vitamin D metabolites in the skin, and the peak at 315 um will be used in the feedback loop, there are also wavelengths in between that degrade those same metabolites into other compounds. These are all hormones that work in conjunction and are important to keep at normal levels. With an MVB, you dont have that option as only those specific wavelengths are available. Now with a fluorescent tube, you see that gradual wavelength curve again. It doesnt have the high peaks in the UVA range, and that is one of the shortcomings of fluorescent lights, but it does have that gradual curve of light that more closely resembles sunlight. When you supplement that with the halogen floods, so that the UVA is increased, or ideally with a metal halide, then you round out the light in a much more natural way than you are able to get with MVBs alone.

As for supplementing, there is no need with either a properly mounted fluorescent or MVB, or any well placed UVB source. You always want the skin to produce it rather than supplementing. As long as you have a good UVB source, like a T5 HO fluorescent tube, or an MVB, or a metal halide, etc that is mounted the correct distance away, then there is no need to fiddle with supplementing the Vit D3. Its not a problem to use it sometimes, but as its a fat soluble vitamin, you dont want to use it too much. Without proper lighting there is no feedback loop in place to counteract the high levels and bring them down again.

Hope this helps!