Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My beardie is exactly 4 months old and is only about 8 inches. Is this extremely small? It seems like he should be about 10-14 inches by this time. I have been feeding him a no cricket diet using salads, rep cal pellets and superworms. Is there anyway i could help him grow???
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2.2 Leopard Geckos (Butch, Pete, Lucretia, and Suzie)
1.1 Cresteds (Meiko and Layla)
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>>My beardie is exactly 4 months old and is only about 8 inches. Is this extremely small? It seems like he should be about 10-14 inches by this time. I have been feeding him a no cricket diet using salads, rep cal pellets and superworms. Is there anyway i could help him grow???

What is your set up like?
Temps:
Type of thermometer:
Supplementation:
Lighting:
Size of cage:
Is he eating much:
What kind of stuff in the salads:

First thing would be to stop the supers. A beardie that small shouldn't get supers as they may cause impaction. Also, supers tend to spoil a beardie and they will hold off on other food to keep eating the supers. Supers should be treats only and only for beardies 10" or longer.

Let us know the other info and we can probably help your little guy out!
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Rob

I have been using a digital thermometer to test my temps. They are all good 107 in the basking area and i forget what elseware. I have been supplementing with Calcium w/ D3 and herpovite. For lighting I use ReptiSun 8.0 and a 100 wat basking light. The cage is a 55 gallon which i have sectioned off half of because he is so small. In his salads I have been using brocolli (sp?), Radishes, green peppers, and carrots as well as rep-cal pellets soaked in either apple juice or water.
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Have You Hugged Your Reptile Today?

1.2 Leopard Geckos (Pete, Lucretia, and Suzie)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Hercules a.k.a Herc)
Drop Me an Email
kdk83@comcast.net
Or Instant Message Me on AIM: k1d8k

the type of vegetables your feeding. They are high phosferous and block calcium from being absorbed. Go to www.beautifuldragons.com and read the list of foods there. It goes into detail on the best foods and no-nos and also gives a better explanation of "WHY".
Robert

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that one of my babies? I often get names confused, but I am pretty darn sure I am right this time LOL

I noticed what you wrote as your "daily salad". You said "In his salads I have been using brocolli (sp?), Radishes, green peppers, and carrots". Where is the endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc?? All the leafy type stuff seems to be missing from his daily diet.

Is he eating well? Cleaning out his dish, etc? Pooping every day? If not, I would spend another $10 and get another digital thermometer and double check your temps. A fecal check might be a pretty good idea also.

If I am right and you did get him from me, I have some of his clutch mates still here and they measuring in at 9 1/2" - 10 1/2"
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Lisa
100% cricket free babies!
www.beginnersbasics.com

I did buy him from you, Lisa. I have been using leafy stuff in his salads as well. That was just what he has gotten for the last two weeks. He hasnt been a big fan of his salads so i tried to switch it up a little bit. He eats his rep-cal and he eats his supers. He just won't grow!!! I have a digital thermometer and his temps are right. He is going to the bathroom fine. He is very active, he's just a midget. I will try to go back to the Leafy stuff if you think it will help
-----
Have You Hugged Your Reptile Today?

1.2 Leopard Geckos (Pete, Lucretia, and Suzie)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Hercules a.k.a Herc)
Drop Me an Email
kdk83@comcast.net
Or Instant Message Me on AIM: k1d8k

Get a fecal done on him. Something isn't right somewhere.

Oh and I also sent you an email with some info in it.

Please keep me updated on him and his progress. You are the first to mention any growth issues with that clutch. All I have gotten until this post was positives.

Guess it shows that I care eh? I even responded to a negative post about my babies LOL
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Lisa
100% cricket free babies!
www.beginnersbasics.com

Also, to add to my other post.... If the salad pellet diet isn't working go ahead and try getting some 1/4" crix and start feeding them. If it was my dragon I would raise the basking temps to around 115 with the other end at about 80-84. It will also help to get some lighting intensity. In your flourescent fixture are you using one 8.0 and one regular flourescent? That would get the lgihting intensity a little closer to what he needs. I woudl also take out the divider in the 55 gallon aquarium. Is it a 55 breeder or a regular aquarium? neither aquarium would be too big for him to have the entire cage for running. I think if you give him more space, go to crix, increase lighting intensity, and feed the correct veggies he'll start catching up faster than you think he might. I have mine in a 65g? (4'x 1.5' x 1.5')breeder and he was 8". It's not too big for them in my opinion. He has grown to 13.25-13.5" now in just 2 months. The feamle has grown from 7" to 10.5" in 2 months useing the same husbandry practice I just gave you. Hope this is helpfull. Keep us updated.
Robert Wood

My Gem is from Lisa and is 17wks old. They might be from the same clutch. Gem has been on crickets since she came to me at 6weeks old. She is now 148grams and is 14"stl just measured her yesterday. She is a snow x flame. Let me know if it is the same clutch. At 12wks Gem stopped eating and I took her to the vet for fecal. She had coccidia and pinworms. She was only 30 grams at that time. Getting rid of the paracites really made her grow!!!!!! The picture is of Gem at 16wks.

Sherri

My Gem is from Lisa and is 17wks old. They might be from the same clutch. Gem has been on crickets since she came to me at 6weeks old. She is now 148grams and is 14"stl just measured her yesterday. She is a snow x flame. Let me know if it is the same clutch. At 12wks Gem stopped eating and I took her to the vet for fecal. She had coccidia and pinworms. She was only 30 grams at that time. Getting rid of the paracites really made her grow!!!!!!

Sherri

The picture is of Gem at 16wks.