Temps & Food

Question
Hello Tracie;
My 2 year old Beardie, Pedro, is housed in a 66 gallon Viv with a floor area measuring 100cm X 50cm. I have a centrally located Exo-Terra Repti-Glo 10.0 for UVB and a 50 watt IR bulb at one end for heat. I also use a heat mat underneath the substrate (sand/cork combination) inside the Viv. I have noticed that Pedro seems to be spending more time than he used to at the 'cool' end of the Viv on sand that does not have the heat-mat beneath it, or else in the centre of the tank where there is shade (this area is directly above the centre of the heat-mat). His appetite for fruit and veg is non-existant, though he will voraciously eat mealworms. Do you think his heatlamp might be hard on his eyes as it produces quite an intense red glow? Should the heatlamp be on for longer than the UVB light? Could his hesitancy to eat be related to either light fixture or the heat-mat? Is anything I have said indicitive of a parasite or disease? I apologise for the barrage of questions; I am just concerned for his welfare.
Thanks and regards,
Daniel

Answer
Hello Daniel,

Well, there are most likely a couple of issues here.  
The heat or basking lamp needs to be a bright white one, not a colored one.  It is not bright enough to stimulate basking behavior or protect his eyes from the UVB.  
The Reptiglo 10 tube bulb unfortunately, has been causing some problems for awhile now & I don't think they have gotten it fixed yet.  It emits a low wavelength frequency of UVB which is borderline to UVC emissions.  This can be hard on their eyes & can affect their health.  It also is not very conducive to D3 synthesis, either.
The best UVB tube lights you can get are the Reptisun 10 tube bulb, or the Arcadia D3 12% tube bulb either one.  They should be placed directly beside a bright white light.
The heatmat is not needed really unless it gets cold at night during the winter.  They do much better with getting their heating from overhead than underbelly.  He is most likely getting too hot with the combination of the basking light & the heat mat.  So, I would go ahead & turn off the heat mat for now.  You can keep it there under the sand, for using this winter for overnight.
So for now, my recommendations are to turn off the Reptiglo 10 tube light, & replace it with one of the ones that I suggested.  He will be fine without UVB for a couple of weeks.  Try to find a nice bright white basking light such as a halogen flood light they are great.  Maybe a 75 or 80 watt ought to get the temps to where they need to be.
What are the temps in the tank, & what type of thermometer are you using?  A stick on type, a digital probe or a temp gun?
As for the mealies, they are pretty fatty & really should not be used as a sole staple.  Instead focus on crickets, superworms, silkworms, or hornworms all of which are much healthier for him.
When was the last time he went to the bathroom?  I do not think that he has parasites or worms at the moment.  I believe his issues are related to the lighting & heating right now.
So, we will start with that.  Let me know how things are going.

Tracie