Crested Diet

[Asian Jon]

I've read somewhere that cresteds can live off of baby food and powdered food mixes alone. What are you opinions on this?

Jon

[marisa]

I have been reading a lot about diets for cresteds.

I have found only one thing thats for sure.....variety is best. :) When I get some I am going to rely mainly on baby food/crested diet but I will also be feeding crickets once in a blue moon.

I do not own any cresteds so take my advice as you may, but after all my reading and asking it seems variety is the best for any reptile.

Marisa

[Ptindy]

Yes they can. There is a pre-made powder diet from T-Rex called Crested Gecko Diet that most pet stores carry if they have a reptile section. It's cheap. What you can do is mix this into baby food and a bit of water, or just mix it into water itself. Many people use this technique and I have seen pictures of some healthy looking cresties who were raised on this. I personally, would feed them crickets at least once a week if I had access to a store who sold them, but if this is not feasible, a crested gecko is a good gecko to have as they are from the Rhacodactylus family and they all eat fruit in their natural habitat. Therefore, they can be fed only babyfood and powerdered food mixes. Also, there are some recipes on the internet that you can use that you make and this is all some people feed their crested geckos. Use whatever works for you. I do things many people on this site may not agree with for my herps and they are all thriving. With that said, a corn snake could live in a 10 gallon aquarium his entire life if you made him and still live, but this is just cruel and bad practice.

Mike

[HeatherRose]

I think it's great stuff, but in my experience they need more protein as they grow a lot slower using just the CGD alone...I supplement with crickets and use Gargolyle Gecko Diet too as it has 30% crude protein as opposed to the 25% in Crested Gecko Diet.

Besides, half the fun of owning cresties is in watching them hunt :D

[clint545]

A good recipe is in the Crested Gecko forum. I believe it was posted by concept3. I made a batch of it up and my guys seem to really like it. I still feed them crickets at least once a week, and if the petstore i get my feeders at has silkworms that are small enough.

[Ptindy]

Agree with Heather, I always get a smile when I see one of my crested geckos hunting and missing their prey, then looking around to see if anyone saw. But Heather, you have to admit, they also look pretty dam cute when they are lapping up babyfood like a dog.

Mike

[HeatherRose]

Yes, yes I do have to admit that's pretty cute too...

I only have one large female that eats it that eagerly, the rest take tiny licks out of it when I'm not looking :p

[CDN-Cresties]

Originally posted by HeatherRose
I think it's great stuff, but in my experience they need more protein as they grow a lot slower using just the CGD alone...I supplement with crickets and use Gargolyle Gecko Diet too as it has 30% crude protein as opposed to the 25% in Crested Gecko Diet.

Besides, half the fun of owning cresties is in watching them hunt :D


Foshizzle :)

[Asian Jon]

Sorry if this sounds stupid, but I really want to know the answer to it lol. When do cricket's begin using their "musical abilities?" Is it just when they are adults or can they do it when they are "youngins." I'm one of the few people that find their talents irritating.

Jon

[HeatherRose]

The males do it when they become sexually mature, in order to attract a mate. I find if I buy medium to large crickets I'll get a few that chirp, so I try to stick to smaller ones...it SURE is annoying, I have several loose in my room right now :p

[Asian Jon]

Good to know! Thank you very much.

I have several loose in my room right now

LOL!

[concept3]

if you are going to use Crested gecko Diet provide crickets once a week. Your cresty will grow faster and get much needed protien when it is younger. Also check out the recipe I posted in the rach forum. I personally feed crickets twice a week and fruit mix twice a week when they are babies/juveniles. Adult Cresties I give fruit mix twice a week and crickets once.