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| Leopard GeckoEnclosure Selection Health Feeding BreedingGeneral Information Supplementation Feeding Nutritional Information Water General Information Crested geckos can be fed on "crested gecko diet" as formulated by Alan Repashy, but they will appreciate occasional feeding with crickets or fruits. They can occasionally take mealworms, although most will refuse them. If you choose not to use the Crested Gecko Diet, you can feed a staple of crickets with small locusts, mealworms (if they'll take them) and waxworms as occasional treats. Fruits such as banana, apricot, and peach should also be provided but should be mashed up as the geckos cannot chew well. Bear in mind that in the wild the geckos will eat more fruit than insects and this should be reflected in their captive diet. Pureed baby food is also a good option. Fruit should be offered to all ages of crested gecko 2-3 times a week, and left in the enclosure for a couple of days then replaced. The gecko may not eat when you first put the food in, as many prefer to wait until the following day before starting it. When the gecko is young, or if a female is gravid calcium which contains vitamin D3 should be added to the fruit twice a week, but only every other feed for adult males and non gravid adult females. Small amounts of multivitamins should be added at the same intervals. Insects can be offered once or twice a week, and should primarily be crickets. These should also be dusted and should be offered on days when fruit is not. They can be let loose so the geckos can hunt, of left in a small bowl so they cannot get out. This allows the food to be left in for whenever the geckos get hungry, rather than having to supervise feedings as would be necessary with the first option. Supplementation All insect prey must be gut loaded before feeding. Any insect that is not gut loaded is basically worthless in terms of nutrition. A lot of the bugs geckos eat in the wild will eat vegetation, and these basic nutrients will be passed on to the gecko when he eats it. Therefore, it is extremely important that you gut load all food prior to feeding it to your gecko. A balanced gut loading food should be available, or a mix of vegetable matter, cereals, and small pieces of fruits to provide the nutrients that your gecko needs. They should be fed at least 12 hours prior to feeding to your geckos to they have time to eat. A small piece of wet sponge, a piece of potato or a special wet gel specifically for insects should be available to provide a source of water. Small pots of water become dirty to quickly and result in disease, as well as creating a risk of drowning. Live prey should be dusted with a calcium supplement every day, and a vitamin supplement one day a week. Alternatively, I use a balanced mix of calcium and vitamins that can be used every day to provide the right balance. Its up to you which method you prefer but both work. Be wary of overdosing on vitamins however. Feeding Remove all décor from the enclosure, or remove the geckos to a separate feeding tank. This makes it much easier to track down and remove all remaining prey at the end of the feed. It also makes it much easier for them to find and catch their prey. If any food items are left in the enclosure between feedings, there is a possibility that they will nibble at the geckos while they sleep. This results in sores, possibly leading to infection and death. Crickets especially can be very destructive, and have been known to eat right through the eyelids of a bearded dragon in one night. It is best to err on the side of caution and remove them all. If mealworms or crickets are kept in a dish, it IS possible to leave them there round the clock, but I don’t recommend it. Fruit puree can be placed in a small dish, and a rough guide to the amount is approximately the same volume as the geckos head. Powdered crested gecko diet can be mixed one part powder to three parts water and placed in a similar dish, then left in the enclosure for up to 36 hours. Select prey items that are no longer than your geckos head, and no wider than the space between the eyes. For juveniles, it is recommended that the prey be smaller, no longer than the space between the eyes. When feeding, place the crickets into a plastic bag or tub, add a small amount of calcium/vitamin supplement and shake vigorously to coat the insects well. Drop them into the enclosure and allow the geckos time to consume as much as they want. Nutritional Information The sciency bit… The following figures can be found at http://www.grubco.com/Nutritional_Information.cfm. Information below was accurate 04/07/2008 When comparing the benefits of crickets and mealworms as a staple, it is useful to look at the basic constituents of each one. To promote a healthy diet, the calcium to phosphorus ration should be as high as possible (more calcium per unit of phosphorus) and the fat content, naturally, is better lower. Looking at the information on the Grubco website, we see that although waxworms have the best ratio of CA:P ratio, the fat content is unacceptable for use as a staple. Crickets have double the CA:P ratio of mealworms, and only half the fat. This would generally make them the healthiest. Since we are using a calcium supplement anyway, the CA:P ratio can arguably be disregarded but the fact remains that there is double the fat content in mealworms compared to crickets. This does however make them good for gravid females who lose a lot of their fat stores during gestation. Water You must provide a small shallow water dish for your gecko to drink from. If the water is too deep your gecko can easily drown as they are poor swimmers. A small reptile water dish with low sides or something as simple as a jar lid will be sufficient. Water should be changed daily or every two days, or immediately if it becomes fouled. Once a week clean the dish with bleach solution. It is preferable to use dechlorinated water or spring water, but NEVER, EVER use dechlorinating chemicals. Allow tap water to sit out overnight before use.
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