Underweight Gecko Feeding??

TigrissDoesGeckos

New member
I have two geckos are a bit thin and have thin tails (not stick tail, but it is a bit thin) Their both adults and I know I should feed them every 3 to 2 days, but since their underweight should i feed them everyday to help them gain their weight? And how much should i feed them? So far i'm only feeding mealworms and might start feeding them crickets. So how many meal worms and crickets should i feed them in every feeding? and is there anything else i can do so i can get them back to a healthy weight?
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Please share current photos of both your leopard geckos.

Feed these guys every day so they gain weight. A general rule of thumb is all they can eat in 15 minutes. I would definitely add well fed crickets to their diets.

Are you using supplements to dust their mealworms? Please share exact name and brand.
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Please share a photo of your T-Rex product. I've seen Repashy's Calcium Plus with a T-Rex label too. Once I see which product you're using I can help more.

Multivitamins and plain calcium carbonate should only be lightly dusted on feeders. They do not stick very well to mealworms.

It's better to dust the bugs and worms and NOT leave any plain calcium carbonate in the vivarium at all.
 
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Keeboard

New member
I definitely recommend giving them crickets as well, mealworms aren't the best feeder. Mixing in other insects wouldn't hurt either, as it's best to vary their diets. You can feed them as many insects as they'll eat in fifteen minutes. Hope this helps :)
 

Keeboard

New member
If in the future your geckos happen to go off food (eg. If one or both are female and they started ovulating), it would be a good idea to put in a dish of pure calcium so they could still get a sufficient amount.
 

TigrissDoesGeckos

New member
I also use Repashy's Calcium Plus and will be also using Nutrobal, Once i buy it. Here are my geckos i got. They were left unfed for long periods of time and now i'm trying to save them and help them gain their normal weight back. Also one thing i wanted to point out is that some times they seem to keep one eye closed. Is this a sign of an eye infection?


IMG_3649.jpgIMG_3650.jpgIMG_3652.jpg
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
/\ Keeboard ~

IF a gecko is not eating, pure calcium in the tank will not help. In order for calcium to be metabolized, there needs to be available vitamin D3 either already in the gecko's body or lightly dusted on prey at one feeding per week.

Excessive calcium coats the digestive tract and further impairs the absorption of key nutrients.
 
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Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
I also use Repashy's Calcium Plus and will be also using Nutrobal, Once i buy it. Here are my geckos i got. They were left unfed for long periods of time and now i'm trying to save them and help them gain their normal weight back. Also one thing i wanted to point out is that some times they seem to keep one eye closed. Is this a sign of an eye infection?


View attachment 41662View attachment 41663View attachment 41664

Sometimes leos only open one eye. That's normal.

Do you also have a T-Rex supplement?

Nutrobal is excellent! Then, for leos 12 mo and younger (maybe including yours), I'd dust at 1 feeding per week with Nutrobal and at another feeding per week with plain precipitated calcium carbonate.
 

TigrissDoesGeckos

New member
Sometimes leos only open one eye. That's normal.

Do you also have a T-Rex supplement?

Nutrobal is excellent! Then, for leos 12 mo and younger (maybe including yours), I'd dust at 1 feeding per week with Nutrobal and at another feeding per week with plain precipitated calcium carbonate.


Okay !
I don't have the supplement,
so
how often and how much should i feed my geckos for them to get back to a healthy weight?
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Okay !
I don't have the supplement,
so
how often and how much should i feed my geckos for them to get back to a healthy weight?

Feed these guys every day so they gain weight. A general rule of thumb is all they can eat in 15 minutes. I would definitely add well fed crickets to their diets.
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
TigressDoesGeckos said:
Lately my adult gecko has been acting starnge. The last two times i went to feed her she would eaither only eat one meal worm or cricket and then would just bold and run supper fast and would than just hide or just stand still. Should i be worried? are they just scared? I did latly start dusting her food with Nutrobal and Trex Leopard gecko Calcium Plus (im not mixing them) Maybe they don't like it?
Maybe the problem is too many multivitamins! How often have you been dusting with both of them?

So now you have Leopard Gecko Calcium Plus multivitamins as well as Nutrobal multivitamins? Why? Both of these supplements are multivitamins!

Nutrobal is excellent!!! All you need in addition is a plain precipitated calcium carbonate like Zoo Med's Repti Calcium -- plain.

Weekly Schedule
Monday ~ Lightly dust with Nutrobal
Thursday ~ Lightly dust with plain precipitated calcium carbonate
 
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TigrissDoesGeckos

New member
Feed these guys every day so they gain weight. A general rule of thumb is all they can eat in 15 minutes. I would definitely add well fed crickets to their diets.

Lately my adult gecko has been acting starnge. The last two times i went to feed her she would eaither only eat one meal worm or cricket and then would just bold and run supper fast and would than just hide or just stand still. Should i be worried? are they just scared? I did latly start dusting her food with Nutrobal and Trex Leopard gecko Calcium Plus (im not mixing them) Maybe they don't like it?
 

TigrissDoesGeckos

New member
Okay, ill start doing that !

I also just noticed she is shedding so could that be why she isnt eating much right now?
Also i dont have the plain calcium , i need to buy the plain calcium, so for now what should their supplement schedule be?
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Can you see all my post 11?

First I quoted your post from the other thread. Then I asked some important questions. Please answer them.

DO NOT use both multivitamins. DO please get some plain precipitated calcium carbonate right away!

If you use multivitamins at 2 feedings per week, that will overdose the multivitamins. :(
 
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TigrissDoesGeckos

New member
Can you see all my post 11?

First I quoted your post from the other thread. Then I asked some important questions. Please answer them.

DO NOT use both multivitamins. DO please get some plain precipitated calcium carbonate right away!

If you use multivitamins at 2 feedings per week, that will overdose the multivitamins. :(


I can't find which questions i need to answer, could you post them in a new thread here?
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Reposting post 11 (post numbers on right side) :) There are 4 questions below.

TigressDoesGeckos said:
Lately my adult gecko has been acting starnge. The last two times i went to feed her she would eaither only eat one meal worm or cricket and then would just bold and run supper fast and would than just hide or just stand still. Should i be worried? are they just scared? I did latly start dusting her food with Nutrobal and Trex Leopard gecko Calcium Plus (im not mixing them) Maybe they don't like it?
  1. Maybe the problem is too many multivitamins!
  2. How often have you been dusting with both of them?
  3. So now you have Leopard Gecko Calcium Plus multivitamins as well as Nutrobal multivitamins?
  4. Why?
Nutrobal is excellent!!! All you need in addition is a plain precipitated calcium carbonate like Zoo Med's Repti Calcium -- plain.

Weekly Schedule
Monday ~ Lightly dust with Nutrobal
Thursday ~ Lightly dust with plain precipitated calcium carbonate


PS:
2 multivitamin supplements cannot be substituted for 1 multivitamin supplement + 1 plain calcium supplement.

Would you like suggestions for a plain calcium supplement?
 
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TigrissDoesGeckos

New member
So sorry for such a late reply. Here's what happened since the last time I talked here.

I still have the two geckos I talked about. I feed them everyday until they gained more weight and bigger tails. Once fatter, I stopped feeding everyday and began feeding the every two days. Every 3 feedings would be dusted with calcium no D3 and on the forth feeding their crickets would be dusted in nutrobal multivitamins. They both are very active and have a great appetite but I'm concerned about one of them. (My Murphy patternless) I feel like he isn't very fat or has a small tail. Bigger than the picture I posted of him but not very fat either. He's VERY alert and loves to eat, so should I be concerned? Or do I need to feed them more?
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
So sorry for such a late reply. Here's what happened since the last time I talked here.

I still have the two geckos I talked about. I feed them everyday until they gained more weight and bigger tails. Once fatter, I stopped feeding everyday and began feeding the every two days. Every 3 feedings would be dusted with calcium no D3 and on the forth feeding their crickets would be dusted in nutrobal multivitamins. They both are very active and have a great appetite but I'm concerned about one of them. (My Murphy patternless) I feel like he isn't very fat or has a small tail. Bigger than the picture I posted of him but not very fat either. He's VERY alert and loves to eat, so should I be concerned? Or do I need to feed them more?

All leos are individuals. What's enough for one may not be enough for the other.

Please share current pictures of each gecko.
 
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