Herp Owners Feedback
Hello,
I just want to share my new beardie experience with anyone who is interested.
I live in western Canada in the rainforest in a house without much natural daylight.
I have Frida and Diego. I have had them for about 3 years and was using a regular 100 watt household bulb and the proper UV tube. They did OK, weren't very enthusiastic about eating and went into brumation in mid-September and stayed there until I woke them up by force usually in late Feb. or Mar. I always felt bad waking them up to a cool canadian semi-spring. They were always not very active, but I was doing what I had learned was the correct kind of care.
This year I decided this wasn't a good way for them to live thiws way and went about figuring how to make their little lives better. I got a 150 watt Mercury Vapour bulb from Bob Mac, a 150 watt halogen bulb and an 85 watt lamp called a SADS light giving off 10,000 lumens(kelvins) of light.(These are for people in northern countries who suffer from winter depression due to lack of natural light.)
Well after a couple of days of this bright, warm environment, they were wide awake for the full 9 hours the lights were on. They weren't too hungry at first, just a few supers daily, but after 10 days of temps at about 110+ in the hot area and really bright light, today they ate 6 worms each and then salad as dessert. Unheard of!! They don't eat salad. That is for other beardies, but not them. I was so excited to see this behaviour, I had to call my partner at work and tell all!
So if you have sluggish beardies, you may want to try this. I originally got the suggestions from Bob Mac and he really seems to know what he is talking about. I am very pleased!!
P.S. I now have the equivalent of the Australian Nullabar Plain in my living room. It is one of the hottest deserts in the world!
I just want to share my new beardie experience with anyone who is interested.
I live in western Canada in the rainforest in a house without much natural daylight.
I have Frida and Diego. I have had them for about 3 years and was using a regular 100 watt household bulb and the proper UV tube. They did OK, weren't very enthusiastic about eating and went into brumation in mid-September and stayed there until I woke them up by force usually in late Feb. or Mar. I always felt bad waking them up to a cool canadian semi-spring. They were always not very active, but I was doing what I had learned was the correct kind of care.
This year I decided this wasn't a good way for them to live thiws way and went about figuring how to make their little lives better. I got a 150 watt Mercury Vapour bulb from Bob Mac, a 150 watt halogen bulb and an 85 watt lamp called a SADS light giving off 10,000 lumens(kelvins) of light.(These are for people in northern countries who suffer from winter depression due to lack of natural light.)
Well after a couple of days of this bright, warm environment, they were wide awake for the full 9 hours the lights were on. They weren't too hungry at first, just a few supers daily, but after 10 days of temps at about 110+ in the hot area and really bright light, today they ate 6 worms each and then salad as dessert. Unheard of!! They don't eat salad. That is for other beardies, but not them. I was so excited to see this behaviour, I had to call my partner at work and tell all!
So if you have sluggish beardies, you may want to try this. I originally got the suggestions from Bob Mac and he really seems to know what he is talking about. I am very pleased!!
Louise, Frida and Diego
P.S. I now have the equivalent of the Australian Nullabar Plain in my living room. It is one of the hottest deserts in the world!
I have a Tribolonotus gracilis (Red Eye Crocodile Skink), trib for
short, under one of Bob Macs 60 watt EB mercury vapor lamps and he loves
it. I keep it about 18 in. away, it keeps his hot spot between 85-90
deg. with around 150 uw/cm2 of uvb. I have my little guys setup where
he doesn't have to come out completely under the lamp to get some uvb
exposure although he does sometimes. My skink has had no eye problems
at all in fact he perked up a lot after I replaced his flor. tubes with
the MV lamp,
Brian Stearns
May, 2007
May, 2007
