Help! Two problems arose this morning!

[BrandiH]

Okay, so this morning everything just fell apart all at once. PROBLEM ONE... I got up, turned on my baby’s powersun 100w mvb and it made a sizzling sound and burnt out...after less than two months! I of course do not have a spare...so, I took a light bulb out of my bonus room and put it in the fixture for some heat. I have another uv t8 fixture in the tank due to it being a long tank, so he’s getting at least a little uv. I plan on going today and finding another bulb, but looking online, I cannot find another 100w powersun mvb anywhere close. What should I do?! PROBLEM TWO...as I was trying to get Charlie some food, I was trying to warm him up by holding him. As I was leaning over my Dubai Roach colony tub, Charlie decides to jump IN the roach colony tub and then proceeded to terrorize, chase down, and chomp onto one of my big breeder females. All in the blink of an eye...I picked up Charlie as he had this giant roach hanging out of his mouth, and put him back into his enclosure. I could not get it out of his mouth as he had a death grip on momma roach’s head. He chomped and chomped until he got it down....I was so scared he was going to choke..my concern is impaction now. Guys, it was a HUGE female. I don’t even know how he swallowed it as it was bigger (longer) than his head! I should also mention Charlie is only 5 and a half months old! How concerned should I be??? I have included a picture of his bad behavior. I also included an “after he swallowed it” picture. Notice how contrite and smug he looks. He is pretty proud of himself. And I learned my lesson and will not hold him over the roach house, while finding baby roaches as the temptation is too much and his patience is too little. Lol

 

[Beardomania]

Shove your Powersun back in the box and demand a free exchange from the store. If you don't have the receipt, you better have the card you bought it on. If they don't have another 100W, you make the call what to do with whatever other MVBs they have. They should credit you the amount you spent on it. If you have a good strip UV, then just getting a regular basking bulb oughta do.

Roach-wise, he's probably dandy. Beardies can usually eat big nasty things without impaction. Babies can eat big ole NYC 2 inch roaches; adults can eat adult mice and baby quail. Usually there are no problems but if that is exclusively how you feed them, there's some chance you'll eventually run into bad luck. You shouldn't worry about impaction unless it's actually happening, which I doubt in your case. But do give him good heat in the meantime to aid his digestion. Big meal plus cold temps is a bad combo.

 

[BrandiH]

Shove your Powersun back in the box and demand a free exchange from the store. If you don't have the receipt, you better have the card you bought it on. If they don't have another 100W, you make the call what to do with whatever other MVBs they have. They should credit you the amount you spent on it. If you have a good strip UV, then just getting a regular basking bulb oughta do.

Roach-wise, he's probably dandy. Beardies can usually eat big nasty things without impaction. Babies can eat big ole NYC 2 inch roaches; adults can eat adult mice and baby quail. Usually there are no problems but if that is exclusively how you feed them, there's some chance you'll eventually run into bad luck. You shouldn't worry about impaction unless it's actually happening, which I doubt in your case. But do give him good heat in the meantime to aid his digestion. Big meal plus cold temps is a bad combo.

Okay. Thank you so much! Lesson definitely learned....I bought my powersun from Chewy. I will give them a call. But I did check online and they no longer have them in stock...totally my luck today.

 

[Beardomania]

Okay. Thank you so much! Lesson definitely learned....I bought my powersun from Chewy. I will give them a call. But I did check online and they no longer have them in stock...totally my luck today.

Yeah, can call them for a refund and you can also go through Zoomed, which I've heard will send a free replacement in that case. If Chewy refunds you, go to your nearest pet store to buy a replacement. Amazon prime also can ship it to you in 2 days. If You need to wait for Zoomed's replacement, then a hot basking bulb will do in the mean time. I've heard that a regular (old school, not energy saving) 100W bulb works great.

I recommend you carry a spare bulb. I have 2 spares. Powersun bulbs are under $30 new on eBay. If you have an additional strip UV, then you can afford to take risks and buy even cheaper off brand ones around $20.

 

[Sadie]

You can go to your local petstore and get a regular basking bulb try a 100 watt bright white bulb - you have the T 8 which is great make sure its properly set up in the tank- 6-8 inches directly over the basking decor w/ No plastic cover over that fixture-- as far as the roach watch the poop-- charlie hopefully will digest that big roach fine but just make sure he poops- if he does hes not impacted-- I would say your T 8 is probably putting out more UVB than the PowerSun depending on how far the distance is from the basking decor - the higher the bulb the lower the UVB rays that is why a extra UVB is recommended -- I would not recommend a cheaper MVB -- a lot of them are junk and long term will cause health issues -- its like the 13 watt coil bulbs they are health hazzards and long term use and even short term can be disasters for dragons - they are cheap and the dragons health ends up paying the cost in the end --

 

[BrandiH]

Yeah, can call them for a refund and you can also go through Zoomed, which I've heard will send a free replacement in that case. If Chewy refunds you, go to your nearest pet store to buy a replacement. Amazon prime also can ship it to you in 2 days. If You need to wait for Zoomed's replacement, then a hot basking bulb will do in the mean time. I've heard that a regular (old school, not energy saving) 100W bulb works great.

I recommend you carry a spare bulb. I have 2 spares. Powersun bulbs are under $30 new on eBay. If you have an additional strip UV, then you can afford to take risks and buy even cheaper off brand ones around $20.

Okay. That is a lot of help! I called Chewy and they will not refund me. They basically said it was the manufacturers problem. Ugh...kinda made me mad. Headed out now to search out bulbs.

 

[Beardomania]

Okay. That is a lot of help! I called Chewy and they will not refund me. They basically said it was the manufacturers problem. Ugh...kinda made me mad. Headed out now to search out bulbs.

Sadie commonly recommends against things she does not understand and always fails to provide evidence for why she says something. There are lots of regurgitated myths in the bearded dragon community and I always recommend keeping an open mind to find out for yourself (with safety precautions for your dragon.)

Although some cheaper bulbs may be inadequate, I've heard of people using cheaper bulbs successfully throughout the life of the dragon and I myself am currently using a $17 Vivosun without any negative effects. If you want to be 100% certain and the MVB is your only source of UVB lighting, then spending $50-$65 on a name brand bulb is the way to go. But if you have supplementary UVB as in your tube light, you really only need another basking bulb so I wouldn't hesitate to get a cheap MVB. For me, I can confidently experiment with cheap bulbs because I monitor my dragon closely for negative health signs and I can get a replacement with a major brand in under an hour if I need. Also, I pay attention to the customer reviews. Some of them say that they have tested the bulb for UV output and others say they have used them for over a year and are coming back for seconds. The few negative reviews are generally confined to immediate failures and sometimes people assuming a bulb broke because of its internal mechanism preventing it from being turned on and off. I take a chance on these bulbs. So far, I'm not seeing that spending more is getting more.

 

[Skybug]

Okay, so this morning everything just fell apart all at once. PROBLEM ONE... I got up, turned on my baby’s powersun 100w mvb and it made a sizzling sound and burnt out...after less than two months! I of course do not have a spare...so, I took a light bulb out of my bonus room and put it in the fixture for some heat. I have another uv t8 fixture in the tank due to it being a long tank, so he’s getting at least a little uv. I plan on going today and finding another bulb, but looking online, I cannot find another 100w powersun mvb anywhere close. What should I do?! PROBLEM TWO...as I was trying to get Charlie some food, I was trying to warm him up by holding him. As I was leaning over my Dubai Roach colony tub, Charlie decides to jump IN the roach colony tub and then proceeded to terrorize, chase down, and chomp onto one of my big breeder females. All in the blink of an eye...I picked up Charlie as he had this giant roach hanging out of his mouth, and put him back into his enclosure. I could not get it out of his mouth as he had a death grip on momma roach’s head. He chomped and chomped until he got it down....I was so scared he was going to choke..my concern is impaction now. Guys, it was a HUGE female. I don’t even know how he swallowed it as it was bigger (longer) than his head! I should also mention Charlie is only 5 and a half months old! How concerned should I be??? I have included a picture of his bad behavior. I also included an “after he swallowed it” picture. Notice how contrite and smug he looks. He is pretty proud of himself. And I learned my lesson and will not hold him over the roach house, while finding baby roaches as the temptation is too much and his patience is too little. Lol

Great pictures, my beardie ate a pregnant momma roach when she was young aswell but it was fine its funny you’re writing this the same thing happened to me, if you’re worried offer her some fruit with sugers in it this will help pass the poo (its gonna be a football) and mvbs are hit or miss thats why it seems like theres “myths” around them as bad lighting, the strip uvbs are just proven to be significantly better quality , definitely a mvb would be better than no uvb

 

[Beardomania]

Actually I misspoke. There is no 100% certain even with big name brands. Every brand has defects. If you look at Powersun's reviews on Petco, there are many negative ones about the bulb breaking shortly after first use. I'm even more convinced that it's more or less the same between some big brands and some cheap ones.

If Zoomed sends you a replacement, that's good and expected from what I see on their reviews. If not, there are ways to make them. Buy another Powersun from Petco and swap the bulbs returning this one as a factory defect. Tell them it broke in 2 days. Petco will refund you and make Zoomed honor their warranty. I don't normally recommend this but if a company wants to screw the small guys and sell them $50 bulbs that last a couple of weeks, they need to be held accountable.

There's also the possibility of a credit card chargeback with Chewy because since they sold you the product, the responsibility to you is arguably through them and they need to take it up with the manufacturer. Walmart doesn't tell you to f off and call the product company if your stuff breaks; they refund you.

Great pictures, my beardie ate a pregnant momma roach when she was young aswell but it was fine its funny you’re writing this the same thing happened to me, if you’re worried offer her some fruit with sugers in it this will help pass the poo (its gonna be a football) and mvbs are hit or miss thats why it seems like theres “myths” around them as bad lighting, the strip uvbs are just proven to be significantly better quality , definitely a mvb would be better than no uvb

Are strips proven to be better than MVBs? I'd like to see that evidence. I currently use MVB only because people can raise healthy large vibrant dragons that way and I don't like redundant lighting in my enclosure. I like to take care of everything in one so for me, of course a dub MVB would be the worst but a good MVB as the single light source is the gold standard of simplicity without sacrificing result.

 

[Skybug]

Actually I misspoke. There is no 100% certain even with big name brands. Every brand has defects. If you look at Powersun's reviews on Petco, there are many negative ones about the bulb breaking shortly after first use. I'm even more convinced that it's more or less the same between some big brands and some cheap ones.

If Zoomed sends you a replacement, that's good and expected from what I see on their reviews. If not, there are ways to make them. Buy another Powersun from Petco and swap the bulbs returning this one as a factory defect. Tell them it broke in 2 days. Petco will refund you and make Zoomed honor their warranty. I don't normally recommend this but if a company wants to screw the small guys and sell them $50 bulbs that last a couple of weeks, they need to be held accountable.

There's also the possibility of a credit card chargeback with Chewy because since they sold you the product, the responsibility to you is arguably through them and they need to take it up with the manufacturer. Walmart doesn't tell you to f off and call the product company if your stuff breaks; they refund you.

Are strips proven to be better than MVBs? I'd like to see that evidence. I currently use MVB only because people can raise healthy large vibrant dragons that way and I don't like redundant lighting in my enclosure. I like to take care of everything in one so for me, of course a dub MVB would be the worst but a good MVB as the single light source is the gold standard of simplicity without sacrificing result.

you can do some research if youd like , mvb

 

[Beardomania]

you can do some research if youd like , mvb

I always research before I ask. If people can raise beardies from hatchling to adult and there's no stunted growth or poor coloration noted on MVBs, I don't see what would be better.

If you mean that a bad MVB is worse than strip tube, then of course. But if you mean that strip tubes are better than all MVBs, even ones that work and raise healthy, then I need to ask you what you mean and where your evidence is from. Did some big breeder do any experiment or find from experience that beardies raised on MVBs are smaller, or less vibrant, or what?

 

[Skybug]

, mvbs have complex components in them that can go bad by just moving the bulbs, and like you said there’s lots of cheap versions of them on the market, what kind do you use if i may ask? Its better to always air on the side of caution in my opinion.

 

[Beardomania]

, mvbs have complex components in them that can go bad by just moving the bulbs, and like you said there’s lots of cheap versions of them on the market, what kind do you use if i may ask? Its better to always air on the side of caution in my opinion.

I use Vivosun, as I posted above. I selected this bulb because it was cheap, most of the reviews were good, and the few bad ones cited immediate failure instead of prolonged health deterioration. I read the good reviews and basically discounted those that said it works upon arrival. That's meaningless because you wouldn't be able to tell if it was emitting proper UV and you wouldn't know if it would break in 2 weeks. I read that some people had used this for a year happily and were buying seconds. I also read that someone tested the UV output to be equal to those of expensive brands. Positive reviews covered about 80% of experiences. Then there were negative reviews. I was careful to see if any of them noted that the bulb either failed to emit adequate UVB by solarmeter testing or if they noted that the reptiles health declined in the long term. I didn't find any. I found that of the negative reviews, most were attribute to immediate failure and some due to the user clearly not knowing that a MVB that has been shut off cannot be turned on again in rapid succession so s/he thought it was broken. I then searched Google for people with complaints against this bulb and didn't find any. If this bulb was good out of the packaging but caused long term issues, I expect people to complain about it online. This made me confident enough to try the bulb because if it immediately fails, I return it for a refund. Gradual reptile health declination under an apparently working light was my greatest concern and I did not see anyone report this.

This bulb was recently sold out from Amazon. eBay, and Walmart.

 

[BrandiH]

Update! I went to Petco and low and behold they had ONE powersun 100w left! Apparently their website was wrong...I bought it and asked them what their warranty was and they said if it breaks (especially in two months) to just bring it back and they will replace it, no questions asked. We shall see. I chose the mvb after doing TONS of research before ever buying our baby. My tank is 48 inches long, so that is why I’m doing the supplemental uv lighting. I really appreciate everyone’s input! I’m always learning from others and I’m so thankful that I found this forum! As for the gigantic meal he had...he still hasn’t pooped at all today. I’m leaving his lights on longer this evening, as he didn’t have it for most of the day. His temps are back up to 105-107 after being 85 all day long without his bulb. Hopefully he passes it soon. I did give him some water to help move things along...was that a mistake?

 

[Sadie]

Update! I went to Petco and low and behold they had ONE powersun 100w left! Apparently their website was wrong...I bought it and asked them what their warranty was and they said if it breaks (especially in two months) to just bring it back and they will replace it, no questions asked. We shall see. I chose the mvb after doing TONS of research before ever buying our baby. My tank is 48 inches long, so that is why I’m doing the supplemental uv lighting. I really appreciate everyone’s input! I’m always learning from others and I’m so thankful that I found this forum! As for the gigantic meal he had...he still hasn’t pooped at all today. I’m leaving his lights on longer this evening, as he didn’t have it for most of the day. His temps are back up to 105-107 after being 85 all day long without his bulb. Hopefully he passes it soon. I did give him some water to help move things along...was that a mistake?

No -- he will poop give him some time

 

[Maddie_Flick]

Okay, so this morning everything just fell apart all at once. PROBLEM ONE... I got up, turned on my baby’s powersun 100w mvb and it made a sizzling sound and burnt out...after less than two months! I of course do not have a spare...so, I took a light bulb out of my bonus room and put it in the fixture for some heat. I have another uv t8 fixture in the tank due to it being a long tank, so he’s getting at least a little uv. I plan on going today and finding another bulb, but looking online, I cannot find another 100w powersun mvb anywhere close. What should I do?! PROBLEM TWO...as I was trying to get Charlie some food, I was trying to warm him up by holding him. As I was leaning over my Dubai Roach colony tub, Charlie decides to jump IN the roach colony tub and then proceeded to terrorize, chase down, and chomp onto one of my big breeder females. All in the blink of an eye...I picked up Charlie as he had this giant roach hanging out of his mouth, and put him back into his enclosure. I could not get it out of his mouth as he had a death grip on momma roach’s head. He chomped and chomped until he got it down....I was so scared he was going to choke..my concern is impaction now. Guys, it was a HUGE female. I don’t even know how he swallowed it as it was bigger (longer) than his head! I should also mention Charlie is only 5 and a half months old! How concerned should I be??? I have included a picture of his bad behavior. I also included an “after he swallowed it” picture. Notice how contrite and smug he looks. He is pretty proud of himself. And I learned my lesson and will not hold him over the roach house, while finding baby roaches as the temptation is too much and his patience is too little. Lol

He looks so proud of himself-

 

[BrandiH]

He looks so proud of himself-

He certainly was!

 

[Frank the baby beardry]

Okay, so this morning everything just fell apart all at once. PROBLEM ONE... I got up, turned on my baby’s powersun 100w mvb and it made a sizzling sound and burnt out...after less than two months! I of course do not have a spare...so, I took a light bulb out of my bonus room and put it in the fixture for some heat. I have another uv t8 fixture in the tank due to it being a long tank, so he’s getting at least a little uv. I plan on going today and finding another bulb, but looking online, I cannot find another 100w powersun mvb anywhere close. What should I do?! PROBLEM TWO...as I was trying to get Charlie some food, I was trying to warm him up by holding him. As I was leaning over my Dubai Roach colony tub, Charlie decides to jump IN the roach colony tub and then proceeded to terrorize, chase down, and chomp onto one of my big breeder females. All in the blink of an eye...I picked up Charlie as he had this giant roach hanging out of his mouth, and put him back into his enclosure. I could not get it out of his mouth as he had a death grip on momma roach’s head. He chomped and chomped until he got it down....I was so scared he was going to choke..my concern is impaction now. Guys, it was a HUGE female. I don’t even know how he swallowed it as it was bigger (longer) than his head! I should also mention Charlie is only 5 and a half months old! How concerned should I be??? I have included a picture of his bad behavior. I also included an “after he swallowed it” picture. Notice how contrite and smug he looks. He is pretty proud of himself. And I learned my lesson and will not hold him over the roach house, while finding baby roaches as the temptation is too much and his patience is too little. Lol

dont know much your dragon should be fine. and wow that fell apart very fast