Bearded dragon slowwed growth rate

[Volkmer76]

I bought a bearded dragon hatched June 11th, he's a bit over 5 months old now and measures 11" at 115g. Apparently this is about average from the online sources I've checked but apparently these guys should be closer to 180g by 6 months and he hasn't been gaining weight that fast.

When he was young I fed him crickets dusted in calcium and I switched to mealworms a month or so back. (I've been warned about impaction and low calcium but he has regular bowel movements and I still dust the insects). Now he is eating a mix of crickets and mealworms which are on the larger size, but he'll only eat 20 per day, maybe 30 sometimes. I've checked temps and they seem fine, I use a 3 foot by 1 1/2 foot tank (34 gallon, but short). I use a desert uvb coil bulb in the middle of the terrarium and it covers his basking spot well.

Given the above, is this normal? He's not putting on weight as fast as he did when he was younger. I dont think he'll reach 180g by December 11th.

 

[Emilia Thuet]

Beardies grow at different rates hun so don’t be worried and some beardies are bigger than others. I have an 11 month old beardie measure 25 inches at 576g and my 11 year old is 16 inches weighing 340g both are considered healthy and your beardie has a nice plump belly and a good set of fat pads. For your uvb is it a coil or tube, some may say that improper uvb could be the problem. The 25 inch guy was on coil until he was about 10 months so it varies. The reptisun T5 10.0 UVB is the best one for them and it could help with your beardie growing. I would stop the meal worms. They have very little nutritional value and could be why your beardie isn’t much. Gut load your crickets with veggies and they will give him tons of nutrition to grow. Besides this, again like I said it could just be genetics and he was meant to be tall on the inside . Hope this was helpful. Also with the uvb make sure he’s 6-8 inches away from it

 

[Volkmer76]

Beardies grow at different rates hun so don’t be worried and some beardies are bigger than others. I have an 11 month old beardie measure 25 inches at 576g and my 11 year old is 16 inches weighing 340g both are considered healthy and your beardie has a nice plump belly and a good set of fat pads. For your uvb is it a coil or tube, some may say that improper uvb could be the problem. The 25 inch guy was on coil until he was about 10 months so it varies. The reptisun T5 10.0 UVB is the best one for them and it could help with your beardie growing. I would stop the meal worms. They have very little nutritional value and could be why your beardie isn’t much. Gut load your crickets with veggies and they will give him tons of nutrition to grow. Besides this, again like I said it could just be genetics and he was meant to be tall on the inside . Hope this was helpful. Also with the uvb make sure he’s 6-8 inches away from it

Thanks a lot! I learned fast that despite him eating a lot of pet store mealworms that they were likely being fed newspaper. Rn I get my mealworms from a breeder that gut loads them a variety of veggies, very nutritious just somewhat fatty compared to the crickets. The whole uvb situation is a headache, my coil bulb is pretty strong but probably more concentrated in the center of the terrarium. Anyways thanks for the tips!

 

[Knight98]

Get rid of the coil they are inadequate,

 

[Emilia Thuet]

Thanks a lot! I learned fast that despite him eating a lot of pet store mealworms that they were likely being fed newspaper. Rn I get my mealworms from a breeder that gut loads them a variety of veggies, very nutritious just somewhat fatty compared to the crickets. The whole uvb situation is a headache, my coil bulb is pretty strong but probably more concentrated in the center of the terrarium. Anyways thanks for the tips!

That’s good with the meal worms just watch when he’s an adult because they can make him overweight and that’s very bad for their health. And please do get rid of the coil it really doesn’t do the job and can cause eye problems down the way

 

[Bailey]

I'd feed superworms instead of mealworms, mealworms are known to be terrible for your bearded dragon.

 

[Knight98]

I'd feed superworms instead of mealworms, mealworms are known to be terrible for your bearded dragon.

Yes they have no nutritional value and should only be fed as a treat

 

[Bailey]

Yes they have no nutritional value and should only be fed as a treat

To be honest, I wouldn't even feed them as a treat. I know a YouTuber who has a friend who's bearded dragon died from eating mealworms, they weren't able to digest it properly.

I'd just stick with superworms and stay away from mealworms at all costs, they are an off-brand superworm and you can find superworms anywhere you can find mealworms most of the time.

 

[Sadie]

I bought a bearded dragon hatched June 11th, he's a bit over 5 months old now and measures 11" at 115g. Apparently this is about average from the online sources I've checked but apparently these guys should be closer to 180g by 6 months and he hasn't been gaining weight that fast.

When he was young I fed him crickets dusted in calcium and I switched to mealworms a month or so back. (I've been warned about impaction and low calcium but he has regular bowel movements and I still dust the insects). Now he is eating a mix of crickets and mealworms which are on the larger size, but he'll only eat 20 per day, maybe 30 sometimes. I've checked temps and they seem fine, I use a 3 foot by 1 1/2 foot tank (34 gallon, but short). I use a desert uvb coil bulb in the middle of the terrarium and it covers his basking spot well.

Given the above, is this normal? He's not putting on weight as fast as he did when he was younger. I dont think he'll reach 180g by December 11th. View attachment 24422

Dragons grow at different rates but you will need to get a bigger tank here real soon I recommend a 75-120 gallon w/ front doors-- please get rid of the coil you will start having health issues and no more meal worms please

 

[Knight98]

To be honest, I wouldn't even feed them as a treat. I know a YouTuber who has a friend who's bearded dragon died from eating mealworms, they weren't able to digest it properly.

I'd just stick with superworms and stay away from mealworms at all costs, they are an off-brand superworm and you can find superworms anywhere you can find mealworms most of the time.

super worms/morio worms as we call them in uk have a exoskeleton shell which can be hard to digest. Therefore could cause a blockage and may kill your beardie. Where as mealworms have x5 less of everything from a super worm. So how has mealworms done this... I don’t believe so

 

[Bailey]

super worms/morio worms as we call them in uk have a exoskeleton shell which can be hard to digest. Therefore could cause a blockage and may kill your beardie. Where as mealworms have x5 less of everything from a super worm. So how has mealworms done this... I don’t believe so

Mealworms have a harder exoskeleton, actually. I don't think mealworms have nearly as much nutritional value as superworms, even gut loading them.

Not 100% sure it happened as far as the bearded dragon dying from mealworms, but I just know the YouTuber that said this is very knowledgeable and I trust their word, i've also heard to stay away from mealworms many other places and for many other reptiles.

 

[Sadie]

Mealworms have a harder exoskeleton, actually. I don't think mealworms have nearly as much nutritional value as superworms, even gut loading them.

Not 100% sure it happened as far as the bearded dragon dying from mealworms, but I just know the YouTuber that said this is very knowledgeable and I trust their word, i've also heard to stay away from mealworms many other places and for many other reptiles.

Mealworms are hard on babies-- not so much on older dragons--- and yes I have had someone lose their baby to too many mealworms they choked to death

 

[HoomanSlave]

Mealworms are high in chitin and low in everything else. Both mealworms and superworms are equivalent to feeding your beardie McDonald's. Crickets can carry parasites and injure your dragon.
In order for your beardie to live a long, healthy life, he needs a variety of food. Dubia or discoid roaches, silkworms, hornworms, black soldier fly larvae, and butterworms for treats are all good alternatives, and they have more meat and nutrients to chitin than mealies and supers.
Your tank setup should have a solid substrate or a safe loose bioactive substrate. There should be one basic, non-colored heat lamp on the warm end of the terrarium and a 10.0 UVB tube light covering 2/3 of the tank.