Echo prefers the worms...

EchotheGecko · #1 01-26-2012, 11:37 AM

Hi all.

New here and to the world of reptiles so please be gentle

Did all my research and followed 100 guides and caresheets and finally bought my little guy and called him Echo.

Sheds fine, Poos fine, Enquisitive enough. All in all going well.

A question though.

As the title suggests, He seems to prefer the meal worms. I've managed to get him to eat a few crickets, but he doesnt seem overly bothered by them. If this going to cause a long term problem? I keep calcium in the cage for him and dust the worms best I can once or twice a week (in the food bowl). Ive tried clipping the crickets jumping legs to see if that helps but he still ignores them. Ive even let him go without food for 4 days to see if it made a difference. He shakes his tail and assumes the position, just seems reluctant to follow through when they scurry away, or looses interest when he misses. Will happily chomp down 6-10 worms each feed though.

If he's not bothered by crickets, is there another bug I can throw in that will substitute the crickets goodness?

temps are all good and i keep him on paper towl (cheap and easy) so i dont think its anything to do with his viv set up.

Just read so many contradicting things about worms vs crickets. A breeder I have recently been in contact with even claims he has/is raising his leos on just worms with no health problems and has been doing so for 20 years odd now.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Me and Echo

Angey · #2 01-26-2012, 11:45 AM

How old is your leo?
I would suggest to keep trying with the crickets, eventually Echo will probably take them. Be sure that the crickets you are offering are not too big, may be why he is reluctant to catch them.

**Riverside Reptiles** · #3 01-26-2012, 12:16 PM

Breeders often use just mealworms because they are cheap and easy...NOT because they are especially healthy or good long term. Keep in mind that most breeders don't care about keeping their animals alive for extended periods of time. A varied diet is the best diet. If you offer food perhaps a little less often, and offer crickets more often than the mealworms, they will adjust. Tropical roaches are a fantastic addition to your leos diet. Both dubia roaches and lateralis work well. Lateralis roaches are one of their main prey items in nature and as such tend to be a very good choice. Roaches are also a lot healthier than mealworms or crickets.

EchotheGecko · #4 01-26-2012, 01:06 PM

To be honest I thought the response would be along those lines.

Are roaches that good. Its hard to find a supplier in Wales

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Debbie7054 · #5 01-26-2012, 01:38 PM

Get some locusts all of mine love them

Mardy · #6 01-26-2012, 01:55 PM

Yeah was gonna say, I think locusts are popular in england. You can use that to mix in for your gecko's diet. Variety is key, while mealworms are fine to feed to your geckos, you don't want to feed strictly mealworms. Without debating the pros and cons of mealworms, there's one thing most people will agree with...and that's the "variety is key" statement.

I personally feed mine mostly dubia roaches with superworms/mealworms mixed in, and crickets as a bi-weekly treat. You can find out what works for you, and most importantly what's available to you where you live.

cricket4u · #7 01-26-2012, 03:43 PM

Sometimes we feed them more often than necessary and so a day without food will usually bring them back to survival instict and they will eat what is available. Of course as mentioned variety is the key!

Debbie7054 · #8 02-02-2012, 06:45 AM

If yours like worms maybe try calciworms/phoenix worms, Butterworms or silkworms which both have good calcium levels. The downside to both of these are not every gecko like calciworms and silkworms are expensive. I get silk and butterworms every now and again for my gecko's so they get a bit of variety. There are a few online sites that sell them. I was considering trying to breed my own silk worms but haven't yet. I wish we could get hornworms in England but they're a pest so aren't allowed to be sold. They sound like a good feeder.

EchotheGecko · #9 02-08-2012, 05:20 AM

I think it was a case of variety for him. and maybe a shit batch of crickets. I bought my last batch at a pet shop as it was the only place open that late. I normally use my local reptile shop.

He seems to be eating crickets okay now.

Tried to tempt him with a few morio worms but with no luck as of yet. Maybe try again with them later?

cricket4u · #10 02-08-2012, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EchotheGecko

I think it was a case of variety for him. and maybe a shit batch of crickets. I bought my last batch at a pet shop as it was the only place open that late. I normally use my local reptile shop.

He seems to be eating crickets okay now.

Tried to tempt him with a few morio worms but with no luck as of yet. Maybe try again with them later?

Hi,

I am glad to hear he is eating his crickets now. As for the worms it's best to feed them sparingly or avoid them, due to the fat content. See, your gecko is smart and knows they are not good or him.

If possible add other nutritious insects for example: roaches, silkworms, phoenix worms and small hornworms.