Crested geckos require a balanced diet to thrive. They can be fed prepackaged crested gecko powder food or an at-home diet of fruit and insects.
Prepackaged crested gecko foods are prepackaged to be consumed after mixing with water. They often include insects and fruits plus additional essential nutrients that your crestie needs to thrive!
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Feeding Instructions
Crested geckos can be fed a variety of foods, such as meal replacement powder, pellet food, insects and soft fruit. Each type is suitable for a different lizard species and should be fed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Commercial crested gecko diets come in powdered form and can be mixed with water to form a paste-like consistency. Use a scoop to measure out the right amount for your gecko’s needs.
In addition to offering your pet a variety of commercial crested gecko food, consider giving them some soft fruit twice a week in addition to their usual meal of insects and powdered food. However, avoid fruits high in oxalic acid since these can interfere with calcium absorption and should be offered less frequently than other fruits.
Crickets are a staple food for most lizard owners, but be sure to gut load your gecko’s insects and dust them with calcium before feeding. Additionally, supplement with vitamin D3 powder as needed.
Ingredients
Crested geckos are known for their affinity for worms and insects. To supplement their diets, some people give their geckos commercially prepared crested gecko powder food.
This type of food is created by mixing powder with water to form a paste or granules that can be placed into their food dish. It can be consumed alone or combined with insects and protein supplements such as Repashy SuperLoad and Repashy Calcium Plus.
Some people feed their geckos mashed soft fruit such as apples or blueberries, which contain a moderate calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.
Treating your gecko with mashed soft fruits and worms can be beneficial, but should only be given once or twice a month and never replace insects and insect protein. Mashed soft fruits and worms tend to be high in fat which could lead to obesity in geckos; additionally, these foods are not very nutritious and could result in further health issues down the line.
Storage
Crested geckos can eat a wide range of fruit and vegetables. This food is high in protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber but low in sugar.
Fruits are the primary food source for crested geckos, though they will eat insects and flowers as well. These insect meals are highly nutritious, providing a variety of essential nutrients such as calcium, thiamin (vitamin B1), vitamin A, and vitamin E.
Many pet stores carry a selection of feeder insects for reptiles. Many even provide them at no cost, to encourage you to give them a try!
Crested geckos can also eat meal replacement powders. These meals replace fresh food and require minimal preparation – simply mix a small amount of powder into water and feed it to your lizards. Pangea and Repashy both make excellent meal replacement powders for this purpose.
Precautions
Crested geckos are omnivores and can be fed a variety of foods, including fruits. However, since these creatures do not usually eat fruits in the wild, offering them as treats should only be done as an occasional treat.
When offering fruit to your customers, it is essential that it is nutritionally balanced. This means ensuring the ratio of calcium to phosphorus in the fruit is at least 2:1 or higher.
Crested geckos can be kept on a fruit-only diet, but it is essential they receive some insects as well. Crickets, roaches and super worms (also called king worms or morio worms) are all excellent staple insects to feed your lizard.
Insects are essential to a lizard’s diet, as they provide protein and calcium. You can supplement their natural insect food with commercial diets like Pangea or Repashy to ensure they get all of their essential nutrients.