Why is my bearded dragon so small

I estimate he is about 8 months but he seems so tiny someone please help me

Hi
I had same concerns about mine! But talking to members here has really reassured me that not all dragons grow at same rate & some are just naturally smaller.

If you could post pictures & list your set up with temps, how you take them what lights/ brand you are using & what you feed & feeding schedule then the more experienced bd keepers will be able to help you.

Kay

Hello, how big is he?

While beardies do grow at different rates, it shouldn't be very drastic. If it's within a few inches of the average, then you will be ok. However if it's below that, it's probably improper husbandry.

What are his temps, lights, tank size, humidity, etc like? Size and age?

If he doesn't have the right temperature and light he won't be able to grow. Like the previous poster asked, can you provide some details on your setup?

I use the zoo med basking light and the tank is usually at 90 F I can't seem to get it to go higher he is about 12 inches I estimate and I'm sorry he's like 6 months old

Hello, 12" isn't too small. And you can buy a higher wattage bulb and a dimmer. You don't need those fancy 'reptile-specifc' bulbs either. Also, do you possibly know his weight? And can you post a pic? Here is how: https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ m Then use the XIMG to attac pics to your post.
And what UV light are you using? That plays a VERY big part in his health.

Hallielynn":302auga9 said:

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I see red !
Do you perchance have one of the useless red basking globes that many pet shops flog to Noob beardie buyers ?
Get rid of it (they are worthless). Best option is a MVB (will provide bright colourless light, heat, UVA and UVB all in one), next best is a par38 clear colourless incandescent spotlight.

Can you tell us what if any UVB lighting you have (brand , wattage, type (spiral compact ? T8 tube ? T5 Tube ?) and UVB rating (you MUST provide at LEAST 10% UVB from the UVB source).

Can you tell us your lighting schedule (when are the lights turned on , and off ?)

Can you tell us the basking spot temperature (how did you get the measured temperature) ?

Can you tell us the daytime warm zone temperature ? cool zone temperature ?

Overnight temperatures ?

Can you give us a run down on his diet (what bugs are given , when, how many) ?

Do you offer greens ?

Do you have other animals in the house ? is he sharing his tank with another beardie ?

Essentially if you are not providing sufficient high quality calcium dusted bugs per day he will fail to thrive (grow).
If the bugs provided are not good quality or have very high fat content, he will become malnourished and will fail to thrive.
If you are not providing sufficient UVA he will not have much appetite.
If you are not providing sufficient UVB he will not be able to metabolise his dietary calcium to build strong bones and grow more beardie (tissues) and he will eventually suffer MBD.
If you are not providing sufficient heat he will not be able to digest his food properly and will become malnourished and sick.
If the day cycle is too short, he will not get sufficient heat, UVA and UVB and he will fail to thrive.
If he is sharing a tank with another beardie he may well be getting dominated and be under continuous stress and will not get his share of bugs, greens, best basking, and best sleeping spots and he will fail to thrive.

FYI :
My Puff was 253g at 8 months old, Rex was 281g, Peppa was 330g and Toothless was 252g , my friends' little girl was 206g at 8 months old.

HE looks like a sweet little guy. I agree that the red light needs to be replaced ASAP. It's very unnatural and stores make money off that junk. No breeders or experienced owners ever use those. For beardie to be healthy you'll need a bright white basking light and a good uvb long tube, like Reptisun 10.0. Either that or a mercury vapor bulb, as was mentioned. A MVB like Powersun 100, but the box MUST say it is mercury vapor. What exact bulbs do you have ? Thanks for getting the pics up !

I do have the red bulb I also have a uva an led light that shines right into the tank.

Hallielynn":2gf310r9 said:

I do have the red bulb I also have a uva an led light that shines right into the tank.

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Mmmm .... no mention of UVB and what it's rated at ( %UVB ) ?
A GREAT DEAL IS WRONG with your husbandry I suspect.

FIRST JOB for you - IMMEDIATELY get rid of the red basking light an replace it with either a mercury vapour bulb of suitable wattage or a good par38 clear colorless incandescent bulb of suitable wattage .

SECOND JOB for you - answer the questions above as well as you can. It's impossible to help you otherwise.
recapped

Can you tell us what if any UVB lighting you have (brand , wattage, type (spiral compact ? T8 tube ? T5 Tube ?) and UVB rating (you MUST provide at LEAST 10% UVB from the UVB source).

Can you tell us your lighting schedule (when are the lights turned on , and off ?)

Can you tell us the basking spot temperature (how did you get the measured temperature) ?

Can you tell us the daytime warm zone temperature ? cool zone temperature ?

Overnight temperatures ?

Can you give us a run down on his diet (what bugs are given , when, how many) ?

Do you offer greens ?

Do you have other animals in the house ? is he sharing his tank with another beardie ?

Click to expand...

If you are unwilling to spend some money real quick to fix your lighting and husbandry issues I fear for your beardie's future and suggest he needs rehoming with someone who is prepared to do what is needed.