HELP! Losing my Frilly

So some of you may remember the story of my frilled dragon. I bought 2 BPs at the columbus show early this month and a frilled dragon somehow got into the bag. I decided to keep him after the BP breeder didn't claim him. He has been doing great until a few days ago. He is very inactive. I can pick him up and he will barely move. Sometimes he even let's me turn him on his back and he will open his eyes but barely move his legs. Here is his set up...

He is in an aquarium 20" x 12" x 14". He has a UTH for night time and a UVA and UVB bulb for day time. Fake branches and vines to climb on and a water bowl. I'm having a hard time keeping his humidity up with the bulbs on all day. It is usually around 50 after i spray with a spray bottle, but drops down to 10 quickly, and the ambient temp is around 85 to 90 degrees with a 100 degree basking spot.

From head to tail, he is about 6" and is feeding on crickets, although i haven't seen him eat in the past few days. I spray vitamins on the potatoes and cricket drink and I also have been spraying vitamins in the frilly's water bowl since he has been acting like this. I really thought he was going to die yesterday, but i did see him drinking water today which got my hopes up a bit. I also saw some new droppings, so maybe he has eaten and I just didn't see him do it.

I am definitely learning about lizards because most of my knowledge is BP stuff. I know the aquarium is smaller than he needs. I plan to buid a 4' enclosure for him but was waiting until he got a little bigger. He is so small, I figured it wasn't necessary yet. If anyone can help, or point me in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate it.

check out thefrilleddragon.com fast response for a small site. although herp might be your best bet. good luck

sorry, after reading your post a bit more thoroughly, i think you might be over dosing him with vitamins...
you're supposed to give him calcium every day and multi-vitamin supplements 1-2 times a week, although once is good enough

The spray I'm using now is just calcium. I will go out tomorrow to get a multi vitamin. Thanks for the advice. I really hope I don't lose him. I'm so worried and there are no pet stores open today! Ah, i drove everywhere looking for an open one.

Whats your Uvb bulb you are using called? Brandname and type ( tube? Flourescent?)

What substrate? What size crickets?

Id also use repcal powder as your calcium and vits.

Im by no means an expert on Frillys, but these are some of the number one problems people have with Lizards.

The UVB is a Zilla 20 watt tropical 25. The bulb looks like one of those new energy saver bulbs, you know, the spiral bulbs. I'm using paper towels as the substraint. Please let me know if this helps or if you need to know anything else. I'm kind of freaking out that he won't make it through the night.

Oh and crickets are smaller than the width in between his eyes.

Did you try that website?
My boyfriend was having a lot of problems with his frilled dragon and the girl who runs that forum knows quite a bit about frillies, she'll probably be able to point out exactly what's causing your concerns... it definitely helped us =]

Also, I'm pretty sure you'll want to stray away from the compact spiral bulb. Spiral bulbs are no good, they've been known to cause problems in the corneas of the reptile, and 25 watts is too high. You'll want to get a tube of about 10 watts ZooMed brand ones are the best... your compact could be causing the problem. Make sure he gets about 12-14 hours a day of the UVB bulb... invest in a timer so you don't forget. Do his eyes seem any different to you?? I think you mentioned he's been keeping them closed lately. Try feeding him something other than crickets... maybe try a hornworm (which they love) or a silkworm if you can get your hands on any... try soaking him in a warm bath for a couple of minutes. Mist once or twice a day, an hour before eating, keep his humidity stable and measure it with a digital hygrometer. If you're having humidity problems, cover 3/4 of the tank lid and put the water dish right underneath the heat lamp; he's going to want to poop in there a lot so give him lots of fresh water. Make sure all your temperatures don't vary greatly between night and day, you want to keep them stable. The temps should drop slightly during night time, no less than the mid 70's...

That's all very jumbled but that's what worked for us... just very common fixes that might help. Once again, good luck

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cschneider

The UVB is a Zilla 20 watt tropical 25. The bulb looks like one of those new energy saver bulbs, you know, the spiral bulbs. I'm using paper towels as the substraint. Please let me know if this helps or if you need to know anything else. I'm kind of freaking out that he won't make it through the night.

---

Take the Zilla bulb back they arent the best and put out wonky amounts on UVB. Also a Desert bulb may be better at a Frilled Dragon mainly are from arid regions. But I would definitely check out a frilly forum for some info from known frilly owners.

I checked out the frilly website and got a few pointers. They seem to think my little guy is dehydrated and i definitely need to get a different UVB bulb. They also advised to take him to a vet, which I may have to do. I noticed today, his skin seems darker than normal. His eyes look ok but they are hardly ever open. My husband said he ate a few crickets this morning so that must be a good sign. If he isn't better tomorrow, I will probably take him to the vet. I'm kind of nervous to take him though. He seems so fragile right now, i wouldn't want added stress of traveling to kill him...

This is a recent write-up my friend Ken Foose did in a thread on the BOI.


Since the subject has been brought up, let me tell you my experience with Zilla and its parent company, Central Pet. As a retailer, I looked forward to a new line of reptile supplies to sell to my customers. Little did I know what a bunch of crap I was getting into. I purchased $15,000 in lights and fixtures from Zilla for my new store. We mounted them above all the reptile tanks, and above all the amphibians. I marveled at how one of my staff actually started getting sunburned as he mounted the lights to the shelving. Having expanded our amphibian section, we ordered a ton of new frogs. Within a couple days, they were all dead. I mean all of them. I tried to determine the cause, but came to the conclusion that we must have done something horribly wrong. So I ordered another ton of amphibians, and re set all the habitats until I decided they were perfect in every way. Within days all the frogs died again. By now we'd also noticed that some of the reptiles were acting a bit odd. Then we found the leopard geckos with severe burns down thir backs. I checked the heat, checked their hides, and double checked again. I sat up and wondered what could be going wrong. Then it hit me. THE LIGHTS. It was the only variable that was new. I commented to Zilla that I thought something was wrong with the lights. These same lights I'm selling to customers! I was panicked. I turned off all the UV lights and started using Zoo Med lights in my track light canisters that I was using for heat lamps. I had to revolve them around, which was a pain, but it seemed to do the job at the time. In the meantime, Zilla finally got back to me and told me that there was indeed a problem with the lights, and that they would replace them. All the leopard geckos died, as did all the amphibians, and many other animals. I put the lights on rats (mammals need UV too), and they had died. In total I lost over $50,000 in animals. Plus the cost of now useless lights and fixtures. I had to recall all the lights I'd sold to my customers. Then it took Zilla a year to re issue their lights, once they figured out how to make them stop emitting UVC, which is deadly to all life forms, including people. Needless to say, I did not buy them again, and in the long run had to sue Zilla for my loss. I only got $27,000 for the animals that I lost, and a full "credit" on the lights and fixtures, which I used to by Zoo Med lighting and other products. Zilla is sloppy, poorly run, and they don't know their butt from a hole in the ground when it comes to herps. Their products are all crap. They break, they don't work properly, and are made from the cheapest materials possible. I have more stories I can relate, perhaps later in this thread. I've typed enough for now. Stay away from Zilla and their products. There are plenty of other quality manufacturers and products out there.
__________________
Ken Foose
Exotic Pets Las Vegas

She turned me into a newt...I got better!

I did edit out any words that would be censored.

Oh my god! That's horrible! I wonder how many people are having the same problem that I am having because of a bulb. I am definitely going to say something to the pet store about this. Very disturbing...

Thanks for the advice. That may just save my little guy!

If it helps any I have been using a power sun bulb and as long as you keep it at least 12 inches away it is working great for me. I also read somewhere that the Sun Glo lamps albiet cheaper are not putting out as much UV as it should. Just an fyi for you....hope it helps.

Once you get him hydrated you can also take him out for some real sun....that would probably be best for him.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Royal Morphz

This is a recent write-up my friend Ken Foose did in a thread on the BOI.


Since the subject has been brought up, let me tell you my experience with Zilla and its parent company, Central Pet. As a retailer, I looked forward to a new line of reptile supplies to sell to my customers. Little did I know what a bunch of crap I was getting into. I purchased $15,000 in lights and fixtures from Zilla for my new store. We mounted them above all the reptile tanks, and above all the amphibians. I marveled at how one of my staff actually started getting sunburned as he mounted the lights to the shelving. Having expanded our amphibian section, we ordered a ton of new frogs. Within a couple days, they were all dead. I mean all of them. I tried to determine the cause, but came to the conclusion that we must have done something horribly wrong. So I ordered another ton of amphibians, and re set all the habitats until I decided they were perfect in every way. Within days all the frogs died again. By now we'd also noticed that some of the reptiles were acting a bit odd. Then we found the leopard geckos with severe burns down thir backs. I checked the heat, checked their hides, and double checked again. I sat up and wondered what could be going wrong. Then it hit me. THE LIGHTS. It was the only variable that was new. I commented to Zilla that I thought something was wrong with the lights. These same lights I'm selling to customers! I was panicked. I turned off all the UV lights and started using Zoo Med lights in my track light canisters that I was using for heat lamps. I had to revolve them around, which was a pain, but it seemed to do the job at the time. In the meantime, Zilla finally got back to me and told me that there was indeed a problem with the lights, and that they would replace them. All the leopard geckos died, as did all the amphibians, and many other animals. I put the lights on rats (mammals need UV too), and they had died. In total I lost over $50,000 in animals. Plus the cost of now useless lights and fixtures. I had to recall all the lights I'd sold to my customers. Then it took Zilla a year to re issue their lights, once they figured out how to make them stop emitting UVC, which is deadly to all life forms, including people. Needless to say, I did not buy them again, and in the long run had to sue Zilla for my loss. I only got $27,000 for the animals that I lost, and a full "credit" on the lights and fixtures, which I used to by Zoo Med lighting and other products. Zilla is sloppy, poorly run, and they don't know their butt from a hole in the ground when it comes to herps. Their products are all crap. They break, they don't work properly, and are made from the cheapest materials possible. I have more stories I can relate, perhaps later in this thread. I've typed enough for now. Stay away from Zilla and their products. There are plenty of other quality manufacturers and products out there.
__________________
Ken Foose
Exotic Pets Las Vegas

She turned me into a newt...I got better!

I did edit out any words that would be censored.

---

Thank you very much for sharing that. I've heard several complaints about Zilla for various reasons from many reptile keepers. I think aside from the self-locking lidded tanks that they make, that company is completely useless.

get a MVB(mercury vapor bulb) does the uvb and basking in one, can get a powersun or solorglo, it seems the rest have been casuing problems this year, yea frillies def, need a custom enclousre, aquariums are very bad for them,the website, is the best source at the moment. good luck, also if you want a tube uvb, reptisun 10.0 is the best, dont by from store, reptilesupply.com is one of the cheapest online sources

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Royal Morphz

This is a recent write-up my friend Ken Foose did in a thread on the BOI.


Since the subject has been brought up, let me tell you my experience with Zilla and its parent company, Central Pet. As a retailer, I looked forward to a new line of reptile supplies to sell to my customers. Little did I know what a bunch of crap I was getting into. I purchased $15,000 in lights and fixtures from Zilla for my new store. We mounted them above all the reptile tanks, and above all the amphibians. I marveled at how one of my staff actually started getting sunburned as he mounted the lights to the shelving. Having expanded our amphibian section, we ordered a ton of new frogs. Within a couple days, they were all dead. I mean all of them. I tried to determine the cause, but came to the conclusion that we must have done something horribly wrong. So I ordered another ton of amphibians, and re set all the habitats until I decided they were perfect in every way. Within days all the frogs died again. By now we'd also noticed that some of the reptiles were acting a bit odd. Then we found the leopard geckos with severe burns down thir backs. I checked the heat, checked their hides, and double checked again. I sat up and wondered what could be going wrong. Then it hit me. THE LIGHTS. It was the only variable that was new. I commented to Zilla that I thought something was wrong with the lights. These same lights I'm selling to customers! I was panicked. I turned off all the UV lights and started using Zoo Med lights in my track light canisters that I was using for heat lamps. I had to revolve them around, which was a pain, but it seemed to do the job at the time. In the meantime, Zilla finally got back to me and told me that there was indeed a problem with the lights, and that they would replace them. All the leopard geckos died, as did all the amphibians, and many other animals. I put the lights on rats (mammals need UV too), and they had died. In total I lost over $50,000 in animals. Plus the cost of now useless lights and fixtures. I had to recall all the lights I'd sold to my customers. Then it took Zilla a year to re issue their lights, once they figured out how to make them stop emitting UVC, which is deadly to all life forms, including people. Needless to say, I did not buy them again, and in the long run had to sue Zilla for my loss. I only got $27,000 for the animals that I lost, and a full "credit" on the lights and fixtures, which I used to by Zoo Med lighting and other products. Zilla is sloppy, poorly run, and they don't know their butt from a hole in the ground when it comes to herps. Their products are all crap. They break, they don't work properly, and are made from the cheapest materials possible. I have more stories I can relate, perhaps later in this thread. I've typed enough for now. Stay away from Zilla and their products. There are plenty of other quality manufacturers and products out there.
__________________
Ken Foose
Exotic Pets Las Vegas

She turned me into a newt...I got better!

I did edit out any words that would be censored.

---

Thanks for this. I will definitely be switching out my beardies UVB as soon as I can... hoping that they have fixed the problems though and that it isn't hurting her at the moment :/


Good luck with the frilled! I hope he gets better.

Well, I'm sorry to say that my frilly passed away last night. I got a new UVB tube bulb, but I guess it was too late. I was really hoping he would pull through. This sucks. I'm so bummed out.

Im so sorry :( I was really rooting for the little guy.

I am really sorry that this happened.

Aw, I'm sorry you lost he/ she. I wish you the best of luck if you decide to get another one.

So sorry to here this

I'm sorry to hear the little guy didn't make it... :(

I'm sorry to hear about your frilly...
They're my favourite lizard and they're great to own when they're healthy and happy
My boyfriend's frilled dragon was on his way out before we perfected his lighting and set up and luckily he's eating like a champ now and looks a lot healthier
Hopefully you can learn some more from that website I posted and look into owning a healthier one in the future =]
Best of luck

I'm sorry you lost the little guy. I have always thought frillys were so cute. The light problem is the exact reason I took Matts advice and purchased a murcury vapor UV bulb for my beardie. I figured a $50 bulb is nothing compared to the cost of crickets, various worms, dried veggie mix, fresh greens, vitamin and cal powders etc etc.. My back up bulb if it goes out is one of those zoo med coil bulbs but I would only use that short term if I had no other light.