Crested geckos are tropical reptiles that require high humidity levels in their habitat, however constant high humidity levels can be harmful as it can lead to respiratory infections in these animals.
Clock radios should be housed in an enclosure measuring at least 18″L x 18″W x 24″H – though ideally, this should be larger.
Crested Gecko Diets (CGD), like Arcadia Sticky Foot Gold or Lugarti CGD, closely mirror the diets of wild crested geckos, offering an ideal combination of insect-derived compounds and fruits for their sustenance.
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Feeding Commercial Diets
Prior to powdered gecko diets becoming widely available, many reptile owners would feed their crestie baby food as their primary source of nutrition. While this was certainly convenient and low maintenance for their gecko, feeding it this way also presented health risks as this food often contained high amounts of sugar and additives that were detrimental to its wellbeing.
There are a few crested gecko diets on the market that closely align with their wild counterparts’ needs, typically consisting of dried fruit and insect powder that you rehydrate with water – some manufacturers even include directions for doing this on their product labels!
On bug days, offer your crested gecko 3-6 appropriately-sized feeder insects such as crickets, dubia roaches, black soldier fly larvae and wax worms in an elevated dish. Each insect should be gut-loaded with digestive juices before being lightly dusted with an appropriate reptile calcium supplement such as Repashy Supercal NoD or Arcadia EarthPro CalciumPro Mg; depending upon the size of their enclosure. The amount of food can also vary.
Feeding Live Insects
Crested geckos kept in captivity do not need live insects to survive; they do well on commercially available diet mixes that supply most of their nutritional requirements.
However, some owners still opt for feeding their cresties live feeder insects (usually Dubia Roaches ) because they are cheap and provide enrichment opportunities for the reptiles. Dubia Roaches help juveniles grow faster and fatten up more rapidly while providing vital calcium sources which prevent metabolic bone disease in captive reptiles.
Fresh fruits and vegetables should also be provided as part of a varied and complete diet for your crested gecko. When feeding fresh produce to your gecko, make sure it’s soft enough for it to chew easily, wash all items before offering to him, and only feed several times per week to encourage more activity from him.
Feeding Baby Crested Gecko Diets
Crested geckos can live 15-20 years in captivity and make excellent pets for children to care for, making them a fantastic addition to any classroom or home environment. However, as reptiles they should only be handled by an adult for safety purposes.
These lizards generally thrive in enclosures filled with branches and foliage for hiding, with either low-wattage lighting or no lighting at all, and prefer cooler temperatures than most reptiles.
Lizards can be provided with either a powder diet that has been gut-loaded and dusted with supplements, or fed a mixture of live insects, worms and meal replacement granules such as Arcadia StickyFootGold, Lugarti CGD or Repashy MRP meal-replacement granules; fruit can also be added if desired to encourage feeding when the animal shows no interest.
Access to enough calcium, Vitamin D3, and protein is crucial to the wellbeing of crested gecko lizards and longevity. Without sufficient nutrition, issues like Metabolic Bone Disease, bacterial or fungal infections, egg binding in females, or egg binding syndrome could develop due to inadequate sustenance.
Feeding Adult Crested Gecko Diets
Crested geckos love climbing and require plenty of branches and foliage for them to cling to. Our recommendation for corkbark as it offers excellent climbing surface while remaining resistant to mold in high-humidity environments. Other suitable solutions may include Fluker’s Bend-A-Branch wood branches as well as fake or live plants for an excellent habitat.
Most commercial crested gecko diets come in powder form and must be mixed with water until it resembles a smoothie-like consistency, according to manufacturer instructions. Liquid diet should be offered in shallow dishes that can easily be removed and discarded after 24 hours in order to prevent bacteria growth.
On Bug Days, offer your Crestie 3-6 insects the size of their eyes and dust them with calcium powder before giving them to them. Be sure to remove any uneaten insects within 15 minutes to avoid overfeeding; hopefully your pet will hunt the insects themselves!
