Crested Gecko Feeding Routines

[Turtlestork]

Hi guys,

My geckos grow really slow. They are healthy, they just grow slow! I know all of my parameters are right. I mist nightly and provide water bowls and feed Repashy CGD. They all get adequate space to move around. It has been brought to my attention lately that perhaps its the routine of feeding per week that affects their growth rather than just what you feed them.

So I am curious as to how you guys feed your geckos. I offer CGD all the time changed every second day (basically when it is too dry for them to eat). I offer crickets only on occasion (so they don't factor into the feeding routine). I was thinking perhaps feeding crickets more often or perhaps alternating with another MRP such as the complete Clark's diet to give variety might help with the growth. I was also wondering about the routine changing with the seasons. Can you guys let me know what you guys do? Thanks

Levi Storks

 

[Hannibal]

What are your day/night temps? What size enclosure? Substrate or papertowels? Approxiately what size (or age) are your geckos? and last question, is their food bowls on the ground or elevated?

 

[Turtlestork]

Let me get back to you on exact day/night temps, I am going to measure them tonight for accuracy.

Geckos under 5 g live in 5 gallon tanks made vertical (16"x8"x10") in groups of 3, currently one group of 5 5g geckos lives in a tall 30 gal (30"x12"x18") and one group of 4 4g geckos live in a 20g long made vertical (30"x12"x12"). My ~10 g geckos live in vertical ten gallons tanks (20"x10"x12") and my adult males live in 15 gallon vertical tanks (24"x12"x12"). These are lined with paper towels. Some dishes are elevated and some are not.

My geckos tend to vary in ages. Here are representative examples, and the rest can be found on my iHerp page below.

26 months, 12g
13 months, 4g
16 months, 6g
15 months, 3g

iHerp : Online Reptile Software, Husbandry, Community, Tracking, Breeding, Snakes, and More!

These geckos eat fine (meaning they eat the food in the manner it is offered), aren't skinny, do grow eventually, just slowly, and act normally. This was called to my attention because some of the geckos I have sold of similar ages to mine tend to be smaller than mine. I understand genetic variation, but I think that this might be due to something else that could be improved.

Then again, this topic is asking for feeding routines, and I would like to have people's information about that as well as this is the central question.


Thanks,
Turtlestork

 

[Hannibal]

Those are some seriously slow growers! Of all my Rhacs, only 3 were super low growers; all are on a much need growth spurt right now, finally

I got 2 of the 3 to start eating crickets by dusting them in CGD, then gradually switching it to calcium. I've also elevated their food bowls about 3" off the ground (using a small flower pot filled with packed dirt & just setting the food/water bowl inside it). I also put a barrier up so they can't see anyone else eating when they eat because that is when most of the stare-downs took place. We do change/rotate the CGD flavor at each feeding, food is changed out every 3rd night...each one seems to prefer their food at a different texture/age.

I keep my temps between 74-77 during the day & 70-73 at night. Their day/night cycle is adjusted according to the current season. I mist lightly 3x a day instead of a single heavy misting.

 

[Turtlestork]

So I have looked and my temps stay around 70. This seems a bit low to me. Do you think it is worth trying to raise these temperatures? I was thinking of using some low heat from heat tape or something might help.

 

[Hannibal]

That temp is perfect for winter, but kinda to low for summer. Before you resort to a heating source in the summer, can you close off the a/c vents some in the area your geckos are or move them closer to a window where it might be warmer?

 

[Turtlestork]

The only issue is that I keep my animals in the basement so that really isn't an option. For the house to be cool it has to be that temperature down there, and I can't mess with that since I still live at home.

I am going to have to see what I can do about this and continue monitoring the temperatures.

 

[Hannibal]

Since they are down in the basement, then a heat source would be your best bet. I haven't used the tape so not sure how that all works, but using a red heat bulb I know works. If you try the heat bulb, try the 25w first to see how much it raises the temps.

 

[Turtlestork]

Yeah. I am going to try some new feeding techniques I have heard from friends and then experiment with the temps. Especially since winter is around the corner and it actually tends to get warmer down there then.

 

[Hannibal]

Have you thought about swapping your seasons? Since it's warmer in the basement during winter, use that as their breeding & growing season; then during the summer use that as their cool-down season. If you do this, then expect them to eat less in the cooler summer months & eat a lot more during the warmer winter temps....your seasons will then be like their home in New Caledonia.

 

[Turtlestork]

That might be a good idea. I will have to see just how much the temps change in the winter!

TS