Possible dud uvb bulb

[Jevin]

So I got a new light fixture for Chandler back at the beginning of February from light your reptiles. Now as a precaution, I kept my old fixture and bulb for the rare chance that I got a dud bulb or a dud fixture.

Fast forward to this past week and Chandler has been less active and has been reluctant to consistently use his back legs all the time. He also threw up the other day, although this was do to my temps being a bit low and has since been fixed. I unfortunately do not have a UV meter to test the new bulb, however when I get home tonight I will be setting up my old uvb light as a precaution and also dust his feeders with calcium with D3 until his behavior returns to normal.

Just wondering if anyone knows what color of light an Arcadia 12% T5 is supposed to produce as mine seems to be dim and produces a cool white light, basically a white light with a blue hue. Also wondering if it is possible that I did in fact get a dud uvb bulb.

 

[jamest0o0]

I highly doubt it, uvb lights aren't extremely bright. Slightly low temps also should not cause vomiting. It sounds like something else is going on and stuffing your cham with d3 powder is not the answer without knowing more. Please fill out the help form stickied at the top of the health clinic

 

[jamest0o0]

Don't get me wrong, it IS possible to get a bad bulb(though I've never seen it, especially with arcadua). But by the sounds of it something else is happening.

 

[jannb]

You chameleon might be sick and that could be why he’s showing these symptoms.

In the past my gamily has bought a Reptisun UVB bulb that put out no UV at all. We do have a UVB meter. The business we bought it from sent a replacement. IMO a UVB meter is very important, especially to keepers that don’t take their chameleons outside regularly.

 

[Jevin]

I already took him to the vet when he started doing this, he is parasite free and healthy. Everything points towards the uvb bulb being a dud because he lived in his current cage with his old 10.0 T8 uvb for two months without an issue.

 

[Jevin]

Hence why I'm going to run the old bulb which is still good alongside the new one. If his behavior improves then it points towards the bulb. The calcium with D3 I'm only subbing for his next feed instead of sticking to his supplement schedule as a precautionary measure incase it is his uvb bulb and starting to show the preliminary symptoms of MBD.

 

[Jevin]

Since correcting his Temps, he vomited, has been eating well, defecating daily and he also only threw up once after pigging out big time.

 

[Jevin]

The only thing I learned from the vet was that his calcium levels were slightly on the low end, but not drastically low. Given calcium without D3 daily, multivitamin and calcium with D3 once a week, alternating between the two every week. The only reason I'm wondering is that recently I have had really bad luck, so I wouldn't be surprised if I managed to get a bad bulb, as rare as it is. I'm also currently trying to get a hold of a Solarmeter from one of my friends who owns quite a few reptiles themselves so I can test it.

 

[jamest0o0]

Vomiting is not normal. It sounds like you need a different vet. Taking him to the vet wouldn't rule out parasites. You'd need a series of fecals over a few weeks. Even one fecal can show up parasite free while another could be loaded.

Of course if the old bulb is good go ahead and use that, but I just think you're playing off uncommon symptoms as being normal. Eating like a "piggy" isnt grounds for throwing up. I've seen my chameleons eat what seemed to be their own weight in one sitting, yet I've never witnessed them throw up. D3 can lead to toxicity if you overuse it, so I wouldn't use at every feeding. Can you get him out into the sun?

 

[Jevin]

Yeah when it warms up enough, unfortunately it's - 4 degrees Celsius right now. I'll get another fecal done, didn't know that they could come back parasite free even if the chameleon has parasites. Quick update though, perked up today a bit with the reinstall of the old uvb light and I found out one of the reptile shops in my city will actually test my bulb if I bring it in, so on Monday I'll be getting it tested out. I got what readings I should get from the new bulb from Todd. Also just checked and he pooped today, but unfortunately I don't have a way of getting to the good reptile vet that's closest to me, unfortunately in DeWinton, Alberta and I live in Calgary, Alberta.

 

[Jevin]

Update for today, Chandler's behavior is starting to return to normal, and his activity levels have picked up and defecated again today. I'm getting another fecal test done on Tuesday and getting his new uvb light tested on Tuesday as well.

 

[Graves923]

Any more vomitting? Eating normally?

 

[Jevin]

No more vomiting and appetite has returned, I'm getting his new uv light tested later this week and if it is good Todd from light your reptiles thinks it could be Seasonal attitude disorder, basically seasonal depression, in which case I will be getting another light for his cage or run another daylight bulb in his old fixture as he was acting normal in his big cage for an entire month when his old cage was being lit by his old 10.0 T8 reptisun in a single bulb reflector fixture and his basking lamp. His behavior started to change with the install of the new light, hence why I thought it was possibly a dud bulb, especially considering his new fixture is a dual bulb reflector with a daylight bulb and a T5 HO 12% Arcadia bulb.

 

[Jevin]

Update on Chandler, his behavior is back to normal and he now has a MistKing. Still gotten the new uvb light tested.

 

[Goose502]

I know Todd checks all his bulbs with a meter right before shipping, hopefully that wasn’t the issue. The seasonal attitude disorder is a new one for me. But if the lighting changes and they aren’t happy, I suppose they could have a change in health.

 

[Jevin]

Yeah, if the bulb is good I might just run the old uvb light alongside the new one.

 

[Jevin]

Still haven't managed to get the bulb tested, however, after two weeks with the reinstall of the old uvb light, he is behaving normal now and also has a MistKing misting system as well.

 

[jamest0o0]

I'd still bet my money it has nothing to do with the bulb. Glad to hear he's doing alright though.