- Joined
- Feb 25, 2012
- Messages
- 32
So I'm posting this on behalf of my friend's 6mo old water dragon. Over the past few days he had become lethargic and unwilling to eat. A trip to the vet confirmed he had MBD. When I heard this, I was shocked. His set up is probably one of the best set ups I have ever seen for a water dragon, plus she uses the Powersun bulb, which is one of the best UVA/UVB bulbs out there. I use Powersuns for my tortoise Viola, and she has been using them for 4 years with no problems. The vet said "indoor UVB bulbs are all terrible, only real sun can prevent MBD. The Powersun bulb only puts out enough UVB to mimic a shady area." This sounds like a load of bull to me, but what is your opinion?
Here are some facts about the water dragon's enclosure:
He lives in a 6' tall, 4' wide customized china cabinet. He has a 150wt Powersun mounted at the top, and a tube that connects to a humidifier for humidity. Temps at the top of the enclosure reach about the 90's, and continue to drop until it reaches the bottom, which is in the 70's. There is plenty of vines and ledges to climb on, and fake foliage lines the walls. The bottom of the cabinet is actually a 35gal glass aquarium with vines going into it for support, so he doesn't drown. Its heated to 85F, has a filtration system, and has small guppy and minnow fish for him to hunt and eat (though he hasn't quite figured out how to catch fish, he does love to hunt). Diet includes calcium w/D3 and vitamin dusted greens and various types of worms (silkworms, mealworms, butterworms, phoenix worms, etc) and the occasional frozen/thawed pinky offered monthly. Obviously, like most baby water dragons, its a challenge to get him to eat greens, and he probably only nibbles once in a while. She tried mixing greens WITH the worms, and he just dug around them.
So, opinions? I think the vet was wrong about the powersun, but what do you think? The water dragon is fine, he's getting calcium injections, and has been going out into the sun every warm, sunny day we get. He's perked up so far, and seems to be getting better.
Here are some facts about the water dragon's enclosure:
He lives in a 6' tall, 4' wide customized china cabinet. He has a 150wt Powersun mounted at the top, and a tube that connects to a humidifier for humidity. Temps at the top of the enclosure reach about the 90's, and continue to drop until it reaches the bottom, which is in the 70's. There is plenty of vines and ledges to climb on, and fake foliage lines the walls. The bottom of the cabinet is actually a 35gal glass aquarium with vines going into it for support, so he doesn't drown. Its heated to 85F, has a filtration system, and has small guppy and minnow fish for him to hunt and eat (though he hasn't quite figured out how to catch fish, he does love to hunt). Diet includes calcium w/D3 and vitamin dusted greens and various types of worms (silkworms, mealworms, butterworms, phoenix worms, etc) and the occasional frozen/thawed pinky offered monthly. Obviously, like most baby water dragons, its a challenge to get him to eat greens, and he probably only nibbles once in a while. She tried mixing greens WITH the worms, and he just dug around them.
So, opinions? I think the vet was wrong about the powersun, but what do you think? The water dragon is fine, he's getting calcium injections, and has been going out into the sun every warm, sunny day we get. He's perked up so far, and seems to be getting better.