Is my dragon too small? (1 year old)

[orangeansel]

Hey I’m new here and I have a question regarding beardy size. I think my guy is too small for his age...
So this is Ansel he’s my first beardie and he’s about 12 months old this month, measuring exactly 12 inches (304.8 mm). He’s a citrus hypo het paradox and I bought him from my local reptile/aquarium store, so I don’t have a breeder to contact to check if being smaller runs in his bloodline.

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Here is him with a foot ruler (12 in)

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He has a great UV and heating joint lamp that I bought new, and an 18x18” vivarium with a good olive branch he loves to climb up. I feed him mostly large crickets, dubia roaches, and king worms, dusted in calcium and also multivitamin. His favorite veggie is zucchini but I also try to give him butter lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, bananas, apples, carrots, and I gutload the dubias with blood orange. He also gets plenty of calcium outside of dusting because he likes to just eat if off a slate rock I pour it onto, maybe he just likes the flavor?

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Just wondering if he’s too tiny! I read a lot about how dragons stop growing at 1 year so let’s hope he gets bigger :/

[KarrieRee]

UV lamp together? Is the UVB a coil? If so please get rid of it --- you need a long tube fixture/ hood w / a reflector --what size is the tank? If its a 40 gallon I recommend a 24" fixture / hood w/ a Reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb 22" --- coil UVB's are inadequate ---hes not getting enough if any UVB w/ a coil -- he cant abosrb the calcium hes getting ---- please dont feed broccoli or tomatos banana as a staple -- I will post a website for nutrition he needs greens http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
Ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder

[AHBD]

Hi there, Ansel is only slightly small for his age but looks well fed and healthy. He looks more like 13" than 12 " so give him that. No doubt he will continue to grow and he can do so for another 8-12 months actually so there's no need to worry I would like to make a suggestion concerning his diet, use greens like turnip., mustard, collard, bok choi, kale, green beans , squash and cut out most of the veg. you are using. Tomatoes, bananas, apples should be cut out. Other than that he seems to be doing well. Can you post a full pic of his enclosure ?

[orangeansel]

UV lamp together? Is the UVB a coil? If so please get rid of it --- you need a long tube fixture/ hood w / a reflector --what size is the tank? If its a 40 gallon I recommend a 24" fixture / hood w/ a Reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb 22" --- coil UVB's are inadequate ---hes not getting enough if any UVB w/ a coil -- he cant abosrb the calcium hes getting ---- please dont feed broccoli or tomatos banana as a staple -- I will post a website for nutrition he needs greens http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
Ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder

I said above he has an 18x18 inch viv and it’s not a coil bulb, it’s long, and I have a hood fixture on top. I don’t feed him those veggies as “staples” per se, so thanks for telling me. He only gets them on occasion and he actually hates tomatoes so I won’t feed them anymore haha! Thanks for the website it’s so helpful! I was wondering if he should be eating as much zucchini as I’ve been feeding him or should I pack off on it because of the high phosphorus?

[KarrieRee]

Is his stool real runny? Lots of squash can make them have runny stools --- your UVB is the T 5 or a T 8 bulb --- distance and placement is key here between the two

[orangeansel]

Is his stool real runny? Lots of squash can make them have runny stools --- your UVB is the T 5 or a T 8 bulb --- distance and placement is key here between the two

Not runny if I feed him insects that day as well, but sometimes it does get that way. Doesn’t seem to be upsetting his stomach or anything but I’ll keep an eye on it. And, it’s a T 5 UVB, 22”

[KarrieRee]

ok good UVB

[orangeansel]

Hi there, Ansel is only slightly small for his age but looks well fed and healthy. He looks more like 13" than 12 " so give him that. No doubt he will continue to grow and he can do so for another 8-12 months actually so there's no need to worry I would like to make a suggestion concerning his diet, use greens like turnip., mustard, collard, bok choi, kale, green beans , squash and cut out most of the veg. you are using. Tomatoes, bananas, apples should be cut out. Other than that he seems to be doing well. Can you post a full pic of his enclosure ?

Hey! Thanks for the diet help. We don’t get to go to market much but next time we do, I’ll make sure to get him the nutrition he needs!
Here’s the 18x18” viv we have for him

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[DorgEndo]

No one asked yet if he is a she? Since females are generally smaller than males

A larger enclosure would be best. This won't change his size but a 120 gallon, 4 foot long by 2 foot wide by 2 foot tall is a good general size enclosure for your soon to be adult dragon

[Gormagon]

No one asked yet if he is a she? Since females are generally smaller than males

A larger enclosure would be best. This won't change his size but a 120 gallon, 4 foot long by 2 foot wide by 2 foot tall is a good general size enclosure for your soon to be adult dragon

I have to agree with this assessment. What he/she is living in now is like a human living in a bathroom.
Take into consideration that not all dragons grow at the same rate. Your dragon can grow another 6 to 8 inches in the next 6 months to a year, so don't be alarmed my friend🙂🙂🙂

[orangeansel]

No one asked yet if he is a she? Since females are generally smaller than males

A larger enclosure would be best. This won't change his size but a 120 gallon, 4 foot long by 2 foot wide by 2 foot tall is a good general size enclosure for your soon to be adult dragon

Hey! Ansel is definitely male, though he is really small, he has hemipenal bulges at his tail base and exhibits male behaviors as well. I really do need a larger enclosure for him, I know he is bored with it. Honestly right now that size of tank is not in my budget nor do I have the room. I will see where our funds are at by the end of the month and save up for a new home for the boy! Thank you so much

[orangeansel]

No one asked yet if he is a she? Since females are generally smaller than males

A larger enclosure would be best. This won't change his size but a 120 gallon, 4 foot long by 2 foot wide by 2 foot tall is a good general size enclosure for your soon to be adult dragon

I have to agree with this assessment. What he/she is living in now is like a human living in a bathroom.
Take into consideration that not all dragons grow at the same rate. Your dragon can grow another 6 to 8 inches in the next 6 months to a year, so don't be alarmed my friend🙂🙂🙂

I absolutely agree. Ansel is in a very small enclosure and I will definitely find him something more suitable for an adult. Currently, I don’t have the space for such a large enclosure, nor do I have the money for one. Rest assured Ansel is getting a new home very soon! (Within the next 3 months)

[Gormagon]

Awesome!!!