Urgent Care :: Sick new RES

[camaudio]

camaudio - I have been fighting eye problems with Izzy for about a week now - even so far as she went to the vet and thinking it was vitamin A deficiency and got a shot. Her eyes are just like your picture.

I just found this article on the exact same bulb from Petco, the same we have. It makes sense of why her eyes were less swollen and open in the morning - the bulb wasn't on all night.

http://www.zilla-rules.com/assets/006/13278.pdf

Now - I don't know if that is your exact problem, but just in case. Our bulb is the first one listed in the second box after the paragraph.

yeah, ive just been reading your thread, i think its the same issue
im gonna get a new one in the morning

ive turned it off for the time being

[camaudio]

so, whats the advice for a new bulb?

[SpotsMama]

Corrections are supposed to have been made to both zilla and reptisun compact fluorescent bulbs to minimize the eye problems. However, I suspect that old bulbs that were on the shelf before the corrections were made will keep popping up for a long time.

also, if a UVB bulb is too close to the turtle, even if it's basically a good bulb it will cause eye problems.

A bulb that hasn't been associated with any of the eye problems is a Repti Glo 5.0 26 watt compact fluorescent. Be sure and get the 26 watt version as the 13 watt version is too weak to do any good.

Also, I've never heard of eye problems with the tube fluorescents - regardless of brand. The tube technology is good and safe. Unfortunately, most of us have tanks that won't take the tube fixtures but if you happen to have one that will, then a tube would be an excellent choice - either a 5.0 or 10.0 Reptisun tube.

[camaudio]

any advantage to tubes, like cost vs lifetime?

[SpotsMama]

Other than predictable quality, what I like about a tube fluorescent UVB is that it lights up a whole tank - not just the corner where the basking platform is. Prices of tubes and comparable compact fluorescents are similar and both have to be replaced about every 6 months as they lose their potency.

Of course, the top of the line is a good mercury vapor bulb. If you have a big enough tank (50 gallons or larger), i'd look into one.

[camaudio]

picked up a 5% zoo-med on my way home
last bulb was off all day, and eyes are already looking better

[grey goose]

Try to adjust the UVB bulb so it is at least 12" away from the basking area. 8" is way too close, especially for a new bulb.
I say leave the UVB off for a few days so he can recover....

[steve]

I agree, leave it off for a while. How about getting some natural San Diego UV?

[camaudio]

i moved the bulb back right after i posted those pics
ill get him outside when his eyes are 100% and he is done shedding

[steve]

Shedding will be an on-going process and natural light helped my turtles when the bulbs were adversely affecting them (that was until they went back indoors under the Reptisun).