Once again all credit for this article goes to kate over at button geckos
Probably one of the most important things to crested geckos next to husbandry is the Diet and Supplementation! This page should over most the basics for you and give you enough options to start providing an A class diet!
An incorrect diet can lead to health problems further down the line so knowing what is needed and what is actually bad for them now will save a lot of hassle later down the road or help with a crestie that is already suffering due to a previous bad diet.
There is alot of ill informed advice out there, both on the internet and provided by some petshops in concern to this relatively new species on what should be fed and how often. This is usually outdated and based on very old methods which has since been improved on.
We'll start with the most important thing you and your crestie needs..
CGD / MRP
Complete Gecko diet (CGD) or Meal replacement powder (MRP) is a powder based diet that already has all the vits and min's balanced to ensure you have a healthy gecko. This should form the bases of your diet and the primary food provided.
CGD's can be mixed together, you can provide more than one brand and a gecko CAN be fed solely on CGD just offer a few different types (I recommend looking into Black panther zoological CGD in these cases as part of a rotation) IMO to stop them from getting bored :) With that in mind, you should aim to at least try a few different live food options for variety!
This powder is mixed with water until the consistency is like a yoghurt/smoothie...you can play with this a little as some geckos like it thicker and some runnier, i make it so it covers the spoon thickly and runs honey.
Opened bags of CGD can be kept in the fridge sealed to keep the powder fresh, i also place the bag into a sealed box to ensure no moisture can get in and spoil it :)
An incorrect diet can lead to health problems further down the line so knowing what is needed and what is actually bad for them now will save a lot of hassle later down the road or help with a crestie that is already suffering due to a previous bad diet.
There is alot of ill informed advice out there, both on the internet and provided by some petshops in concern to this relatively new species on what should be fed and how often. This is usually outdated and based on very old methods which has since been improved on.
We'll start with the most important thing you and your crestie needs..
CGD / MRP
Complete Gecko diet (CGD) or Meal replacement powder (MRP) is a powder based diet that already has all the vits and min's balanced to ensure you have a healthy gecko. This should form the bases of your diet and the primary food provided.
CGD's can be mixed together, you can provide more than one brand and a gecko CAN be fed solely on CGD just offer a few different types (I recommend looking into Black panther zoological CGD in these cases as part of a rotation) IMO to stop them from getting bored :) With that in mind, you should aim to at least try a few different live food options for variety!
This powder is mixed with water until the consistency is like a yoghurt/smoothie...you can play with this a little as some geckos like it thicker and some runnier, i make it so it covers the spoon thickly and runs honey.
Opened bags of CGD can be kept in the fridge sealed to keep the powder fresh, i also place the bag into a sealed box to ensure no moisture can get in and spoil it :)
Made up CGD (if you make too much) can be covered and placed in the fridge for up to a week. Just add a little water to re loosen the mixture when you need it as CGD keeps thickening over time.
Pangea Fruit Mix complete:
Black Panther Zoological (BPZ: Insect protein based diet)
You'll only need to make enough to fill a lid (milk lids are great!), tea light holder or small food bowl...by fill i mean enough to cover the bottom, add more if this is being emptied on every feed until you get it just right that you don't have much waste.
Pangea Fruit Mix complete:
- Watermelon and Mango
- Banana and Papaya
- Banana and Apricot
- Fruit Mix with Insects
- Fig
- Papaya
- Banana
- Gyava
- Tropical
- Banana and Strawberry
- Mango
- Peach
- Original
- Grubs & Fruit
- Mango Superblend
Black Panther Zoological (BPZ: Insect protein based diet)
- Original
- Colourbomb Strawberry and Banana
You'll only need to make enough to fill a lid (milk lids are great!), tea light holder or small food bowl...by fill i mean enough to cover the bottom, add more if this is being emptied on every feed until you get it just right that you don't have much waste.
Live food
Insects are a fantastic addition to any cresties diet...but don't panic if your gecko won't eat live as there are many that don't appear to be a fan of it! Whole insect diets are NOT recommended nor is it a balanced diet. If you wish to use live food then offer once/twice every 7-10 days (more often for younger cresties is you wish IMO)...the amount depends a little on the type of insect and more to do with how many your gecko will eat, start with a small number of 3-4, see how it goes and build from that.
The important thing to remember with live food is to Gut Load it and dust it before feeding.
Gut Loading basically means to feed the bugs for at least 24hrs prior offering to your gecko.
Dusting means to place the bugs in a tub with a little Calcium or Calcium plus D3 (if you do not use UV lighting) and give them a little shake until they are finely coated with the powder.
By doing both these things you are ensuring that are offering a nutritious meal! For the correct size then look at the gap between your gecko's eyes...that's the rough size of live food they will need at that time.
Some of the most commonly used livefoods are:
There are many other livefood out there though! There are however some that i would tag a word of caution too.
Insects are a fantastic addition to any cresties diet...but don't panic if your gecko won't eat live as there are many that don't appear to be a fan of it! Whole insect diets are NOT recommended nor is it a balanced diet. If you wish to use live food then offer once/twice every 7-10 days (more often for younger cresties is you wish IMO)...the amount depends a little on the type of insect and more to do with how many your gecko will eat, start with a small number of 3-4, see how it goes and build from that.
The important thing to remember with live food is to Gut Load it and dust it before feeding.
Gut Loading basically means to feed the bugs for at least 24hrs prior offering to your gecko.
Dusting means to place the bugs in a tub with a little Calcium or Calcium plus D3 (if you do not use UV lighting) and give them a little shake until they are finely coated with the powder.
By doing both these things you are ensuring that are offering a nutritious meal! For the correct size then look at the gap between your gecko's eyes...that's the rough size of live food they will need at that time.
Some of the most commonly used livefoods are:
- Crickets (Brown/silent/black)
- Locust
- Roaches
There are many other livefood out there though! There are however some that i would tag a word of caution too.
- Mealworms: these have a very high carapace (shell) ratio. This can be hard to digest and poop out again. Some keepers swear by them...others won't touch them for this very reason.
- Waxworms: These however is the cresties equivalent to chocolate! very fatty and addictive. I personally do not offer this at all, however if you wish to use them then offer as a treat only!
Fruit
Fruit again is a healthy addition to your gecko's diet! there are very few fruits that are deemed unsafe. Avoid all things citrus and avoid fresh banana, banana in its natural state as its high in potassium and is a known calcium binder...many CGDs contain banana but this has already been balanced out to take the binding into account. Some keepers do like to offer banana as an occasional treat because cresties do seem to enjoy, just be careful with how often and how much...there are plenty of fruits out there to mix and match with that it can easily be avoided all together though.
Some of the commonly used fruits are:
Yet again, this shouldn't be a staple and provided every meal, CGD should be your main focus.
Extra's
There are extra things that some of us do from time to time..
A small drizzle of honey can be a favourite to some cresties as a treat. Mix in a amount to your CGD,fruit/CGD mix or plain fruit as a treat :)
With MBD sufferers then extra cal can be provided in with CGD, fruit/ CGD mix or plain fruit in the form of either liquid or powder. This should only be a drop or pinch depending on what is being used and should not be on every meal.
And finally I personally also provide a milk lid of cal (plus D3 for non-UV users) in every setup as an extra...Cresties can and will self supplement to a degree. Dusting live food should still take place if offering a small lid. I change it once a week, remove on misting and place out of the way of a drip path.
The No No's
Besides Citrus, the banana as explained above and whole insect diets there are two other very big no no's for cresties!
First one, and the oldest issue....Baby food.
If you researched before coming here you would of no doubt seen baby food suggested on more than one occasion....don't do it.
Baby food is for babies....CGD for cresties.
They are not a balanced meal and it's a practice that many used to do when there was no CGD on the market. It lacks the vits and mins needed to sustain a healthy gecko, many have artificial sweeteners and most use citrus as a preservative. With so many CGD's to try there really is NO excuse for people to still be using this method of feeding, It is also extremely hard to wean cresties off and on to a proper diet.
In all honesty, from one keeper to another...it's simply plain lazy in today's day and age...not to mention it actually works out quite expensive!
The next big and new no no...
Jelly pots!
These Jellies that are being marketed towards geckos are the worst thing you could feed next to babyfood. They have 0 nutritional value, filled to the brim with E numbers, contain citric acid and addictive.
They were originally made to be fed to live food, some fool must've seen a gecko nibbling and then was blinded by pound signs!
Ingredient:
R.O. Water, Sugar, Fructose,
Seaweed Extract, Amino Acid, Fruit Juice,
Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate,
Natural Flavors, (Titanium Dioxide, Ti02)
FD&C (Caramel Color) (E129) (E102) (E110) (E133)
I have recently taken on a approx 9 month old crestie (Chihiro) from a shop that exclusively fed jellies and locus its entire life...I will be making a blog soon on the trials of converting a poor diet.
So next time you're in a store, and the Sales try to pitch these little monstrosities at you....just say no.
Fruit again is a healthy addition to your gecko's diet! there are very few fruits that are deemed unsafe. Avoid all things citrus and avoid fresh banana, banana in its natural state as its high in potassium and is a known calcium binder...many CGDs contain banana but this has already been balanced out to take the binding into account. Some keepers do like to offer banana as an occasional treat because cresties do seem to enjoy, just be careful with how often and how much...there are plenty of fruits out there to mix and match with that it can easily be avoided all together though.
Some of the commonly used fruits are:
- Blueberries
- Pears
- Figs
- Mango
- Peaches
- Papaya
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
- Apricots
If you want to use fruit then let it ripen, most of us will mash over ripe fruit and mix it as a treat into their CGD (50/50), others provide as is with either a drop of liquid cal or a pinch of calcium (plus D3 for non-UV users). Leftover fruit can be put into an ice cube tray, frozen and thawed one cube at a time, as and when you need it.
Yet again, this shouldn't be a staple and provided every meal, CGD should be your main focus.
Extra's
There are extra things that some of us do from time to time..
A small drizzle of honey can be a favourite to some cresties as a treat. Mix in a amount to your CGD,fruit/CGD mix or plain fruit as a treat :)
With MBD sufferers then extra cal can be provided in with CGD, fruit/ CGD mix or plain fruit in the form of either liquid or powder. This should only be a drop or pinch depending on what is being used and should not be on every meal.
And finally I personally also provide a milk lid of cal (plus D3 for non-UV users) in every setup as an extra...Cresties can and will self supplement to a degree. Dusting live food should still take place if offering a small lid. I change it once a week, remove on misting and place out of the way of a drip path.
The No No's
Besides Citrus, the banana as explained above and whole insect diets there are two other very big no no's for cresties!
First one, and the oldest issue....Baby food.
If you researched before coming here you would of no doubt seen baby food suggested on more than one occasion....don't do it.
Baby food is for babies....CGD for cresties.
They are not a balanced meal and it's a practice that many used to do when there was no CGD on the market. It lacks the vits and mins needed to sustain a healthy gecko, many have artificial sweeteners and most use citrus as a preservative. With so many CGD's to try there really is NO excuse for people to still be using this method of feeding, It is also extremely hard to wean cresties off and on to a proper diet.
In all honesty, from one keeper to another...it's simply plain lazy in today's day and age...not to mention it actually works out quite expensive!
The next big and new no no...
Jelly pots!
These Jellies that are being marketed towards geckos are the worst thing you could feed next to babyfood. They have 0 nutritional value, filled to the brim with E numbers, contain citric acid and addictive.
They were originally made to be fed to live food, some fool must've seen a gecko nibbling and then was blinded by pound signs!
Ingredient:
R.O. Water, Sugar, Fructose,
Seaweed Extract, Amino Acid, Fruit Juice,
Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate,
Natural Flavors, (Titanium Dioxide, Ti02)
FD&C (Caramel Color) (E129) (E102) (E110) (E133)
I have recently taken on a approx 9 month old crestie (Chihiro) from a shop that exclusively fed jellies and locus its entire life...I will be making a blog soon on the trials of converting a poor diet.
So next time you're in a store, and the Sales try to pitch these little monstrosities at you....just say no.