gecko man 9616
New member
What do yuo feed your geckos
What do you feed your geckos
- Thread starter gecko man 9616
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cricket4u
New member
I feed crickets, roaches, silkworms, hornworms, phoenix worms, butterworms. I do not have a favorite to feed. I favor variety.
This is only for my Leos, Tokay and AFT.
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Do you find butterworms to be more favored by leo's than the phoenix worms? I ask because I've never fed butterworms before and my male leo decided he doesn't like phoenix worms anymore. So I'm looking to add a new feeder in.I feed crickets, roaches, silkworms, hornworms, phoenix worms, butterworms. I do not have a favorite to feed. I favor variety.
cricket4u
New member
Not really. They are not very excited about butterworms either. They will only eat very few of them and then look up at me like, "Something better please!" :biggrin: They love silkworms and hornworms.
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sarahberry
New member
Cgd.
gosaspursm
New member
I aim for the variety plate as well. Breed l. williamsi and p. rangei. They get the following rotation:
Isopods (white, grey, orange, purple, local)
Dubia Roaches
Crickets
Firebrats
Bean Beetles
Mealworms
Lesser Waxworms
Confused Flour Beetles (adults and larvae)
Fruit Flies
Zoomed Day Gecko Food (williamsi only)
Termites
Field Sweepings
Isopods (white, grey, orange, purple, local)
Dubia Roaches
Crickets
Firebrats
Bean Beetles
Mealworms
Lesser Waxworms
Confused Flour Beetles (adults and larvae)
Fruit Flies
Zoomed Day Gecko Food (williamsi only)
Termites
Field Sweepings
gecko man 9616
New member
anyone ever feed mealworm beetles?
gosaspursm
New member
I have tried feeding mealworm beetles but had little success. While bearded dragons and other various lizards took to them, I have never had a gecko that would eat them. Still, giving it a shot can't hurt.
And it looks like crickets, mealworms, and roaches are the winners!
Crickets have been pushed in the commercial pet industry for a while so it is not surprising that they are still the most popular feeders, along with mealworms. Though, I'm starting to wonder if roaches, particularly Dubia, are growing in popularity as feeders. It seems like they are getting more attention in the online communities...don't know if that's just because most folks on the forums are more obsessed with our reptiles than the average pet owner, or if it really is a growing trend. There are many benefits of roaches, such as them not being able to hop, that cause gecko owners to use them as a staple instead of crickets.
I prefer crickets, mainly just because I'm still squeamish when it comes to roaches and the idea of deliberately breeding them in my home.
I'm curious though...if feeder roaches are growing in popularity, will a commercial industry (similar to the cricket one) develop? Will the average pet owner move beyond society's stigma associated with roaches and accept the feeders? Interesting thought to ponder... One day, will there be huge farms like Ghann's, only for roaches? :idea:
Crickets have been pushed in the commercial pet industry for a while so it is not surprising that they are still the most popular feeders, along with mealworms. Though, I'm starting to wonder if roaches, particularly Dubia, are growing in popularity as feeders. It seems like they are getting more attention in the online communities...don't know if that's just because most folks on the forums are more obsessed with our reptiles than the average pet owner, or if it really is a growing trend. There are many benefits of roaches, such as them not being able to hop, that cause gecko owners to use them as a staple instead of crickets.
I prefer crickets, mainly just because I'm still squeamish when it comes to roaches and the idea of deliberately breeding them in my home.
I'm curious though...if feeder roaches are growing in popularity, will a commercial industry (similar to the cricket one) develop? Will the average pet owner move beyond society's stigma associated with roaches and accept the feeders? Interesting thought to ponder... One day, will there be huge farms like Ghann's, only for roaches? :idea:
Riverside Reptiles
Administrator (HMFIC)
Keep in mind that not all species of geckos will eat all that various feeders either. Some have a much higher drive towards some sorts of feeders as opposed to others. It's a bad thing to try to generalize something like this. We as a hobby need to start recognizing better that care and requirements are very species specific...especially when it comes to nutrition. I think that specific nutritional requirements for individual species has been overlooked far too long.
Riverside Reptiles
Administrator (HMFIC)
There already is quite a commercial industry based around roaches. And, at least in my area, a lot of pet stores are carrying a much larger variety of feeders than just crickets these days. If the average person can get over the name "roach" get with with the many benefits to using them, they'll continue to grow in popularity. I'm surprised that market value on dubia remains so high actually. Both lateralis and lobster roaches have become very inexpensive at this point (as cheap as $10/1,000).
thorrshamri
Moderator/The French Viking Moderathorr
I only use "natural" food:
-banana baby food, smashed papaya or mango for tokays and Gehyra marginata
For all other species:
-The staple diet is made out of several species of crickets: domestic, field/brown, and black (bimaculatus) ones.
-Uroplatus and some other species also get some B. lateralis roaches.
-Some species I keep, particularly AFTs, are greatly fond of Locusta migratoria. Tokays and some Uroplatus will also readily accept them.
-Thawed pinkie mice are given very occasionally f.e. for newcommers who are a bit skinny or for females after egg-laying, when their size allows them to gulp pinkies.
-I sometimes also use silverfishes for small species and/or juveniles and also earthworms.
All prey insects are dusted with Miner-All I on every feeding and fed themselves with a variety of pesticide-free greens, wheat bran, fruit, veg, and dog pellets.
-banana baby food, smashed papaya or mango for tokays and Gehyra marginata
For all other species:
-The staple diet is made out of several species of crickets: domestic, field/brown, and black (bimaculatus) ones.
-Uroplatus and some other species also get some B. lateralis roaches.
-Some species I keep, particularly AFTs, are greatly fond of Locusta migratoria. Tokays and some Uroplatus will also readily accept them.
-Thawed pinkie mice are given very occasionally f.e. for newcommers who are a bit skinny or for females after egg-laying, when their size allows them to gulp pinkies.
-I sometimes also use silverfishes for small species and/or juveniles and also earthworms.
All prey insects are dusted with Miner-All I on every feeding and fed themselves with a variety of pesticide-free greens, wheat bran, fruit, veg, and dog pellets.
MauricesExoticPets
New member
Larger roaches like the very popular B. dubia are not nearly as prolific or quickly maturing as the smaller lobster and turkistan roaches, they cost quite a bit to produce and will thusly remain high in price in the commercial portion of the reptile industry. This and their ease of being reproduced in captivity lends commercialization of roach rearing a smaller customer base with each sale.
I'd love to get the production cost of 1000 adults down, but one must realize that when you must feed a critter for more than just a few months, keep them heated, and water them the cost is going to be fairly high in relation to crickets.
Also consider that B. dubia are about 4 to 5 times the weight of a cricket and you begin to see that their current price is justified when all of the factors are taken into account.
Their reproduction is also vastly different, unlike crickets that live an entire life in as short as 6 weeks, B. dubia don't become sexually mature untill 20 to 24 weeks of age, and then require another 24 weeks of breeding to reach maximum production.
Growing sub adult roaches eat quite alot of food, require plenty of hydration, and lots of heat to grow quickly. B. dubia are not particularly fond of low cost potatoes as a hydration source but love sweet fruits as well as citrus, this expense can be minimized by using other methods of hydration with varrious levels of success, oranges and apples work great, carrots are good, sweet potato is fair, pumpkin works but is seasonal, and the list goes on. Dry food can be cheap, but some enthusiasts scoff at diets containing certain ingredients and fully vegitarian diets are more expensive if one aims at maximizing growth rate using high quality feed of this type.
I think the B. dubia and other large roaches will remain fairly expensive, maybe the bigger producers will find it acceptable to work with a smaller profit margin but that is not what I see in the future.
The odd home hobby breeder might let a bunch go for less than his or her production costs, but that should not be considered a true representation of their value.
Maurice Pudlo
I'd love to get the production cost of 1000 adults down, but one must realize that when you must feed a critter for more than just a few months, keep them heated, and water them the cost is going to be fairly high in relation to crickets.
Also consider that B. dubia are about 4 to 5 times the weight of a cricket and you begin to see that their current price is justified when all of the factors are taken into account.
Their reproduction is also vastly different, unlike crickets that live an entire life in as short as 6 weeks, B. dubia don't become sexually mature untill 20 to 24 weeks of age, and then require another 24 weeks of breeding to reach maximum production.
Growing sub adult roaches eat quite alot of food, require plenty of hydration, and lots of heat to grow quickly. B. dubia are not particularly fond of low cost potatoes as a hydration source but love sweet fruits as well as citrus, this expense can be minimized by using other methods of hydration with varrious levels of success, oranges and apples work great, carrots are good, sweet potato is fair, pumpkin works but is seasonal, and the list goes on. Dry food can be cheap, but some enthusiasts scoff at diets containing certain ingredients and fully vegitarian diets are more expensive if one aims at maximizing growth rate using high quality feed of this type.
I think the B. dubia and other large roaches will remain fairly expensive, maybe the bigger producers will find it acceptable to work with a smaller profit margin but that is not what I see in the future.
The odd home hobby breeder might let a bunch go for less than his or her production costs, but that should not be considered a true representation of their value.
Maurice Pudlo
Saskia
New member
For my Leos and my AFTs I use:
Grasshoppers
Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor)
Superworms (Zophoba morio)
Crickets (A. domesticus and G. sigillatus)
Argentinan Roach (Blaptica dubia)
Earth Roach (Pynoscelus surinamensis)
Pinky mice (1-2x a year)
Waxworms (Once a year, just as a treat)
Grasshoppers
Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor)
Superworms (Zophoba morio)
Crickets (A. domesticus and G. sigillatus)
Argentinan Roach (Blaptica dubia)
Earth Roach (Pynoscelus surinamensis)
Pinky mice (1-2x a year)
Waxworms (Once a year, just as a treat)
I wish we could get locusts like in some countries.
But I feed mealworms, crickets and CGD.I also do the very very occasional pink.
This summer I will scavenge for bugs.I live in the country and we dont use any chemicals.So I have a great selection, moths, spiders, worms.I wont use field crickets, they are bit brutal.
But I feed mealworms, crickets and CGD.I also do the very very occasional pink.
This summer I will scavenge for bugs.I live in the country and we dont use any chemicals.So I have a great selection, moths, spiders, worms.I wont use field crickets, they are bit brutal.
thorrshamri
Moderator/The French Viking Moderathorr
I am nearly sure, as long as it is legal where you live, that you can catch some local grasshopper species and breed them exactly like I do with locusts. Maybe with less heat for species from temperate climes, but the general idea should work the same