Just the Feeding Facts Please

[FaaFaa]

There is so much debate on what to feed and why. I want a thread with "just the facts" so to speak. I think it will help me AND others. Could I ask to keep this thread question AND debate free? If someone posts something that sparks a question within you could you please PM that person or start a new thread?

I was reading thru this thread http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/feeders-food-nutrition/67669-spoiled-crickets.html and while there is a TON of good info there is also a TON of debate, which is OK, but can make sorting out info a little tedious IMHO.

Here's what I want:

How many Crested Geckos do you own?
How long have you been keeping them?
What is your Cresties diet?
Why do you feed them this way?

I will start

I have 2 Cresties. I got my first Crestie in June of last year, and got my second about a week ago.

I feed Repashy CGD 3 times a week and gut loaded crickets, as many as they will take in a 10 minute period, once a week.

I feed this way because that was what I was taught/learned BEFORE getting into Cresties by this forum and others like it.

Now it's your turn I can't wait for others to chime in!

 

[halo826]

Ok, I will take a turn. Not professing expertise, just what I was instructed and what I am currently doing.

I have two unsexed babies, 2 and 4 gm.

I have one since 3/2/13 and one since 3/22/13.

I was instructed by the breeder that I got my first one from to feed Repashy's CGD on Monday and replace it on Wednesday. Offer crickets (gut loaded and dusted with calcium/D3) on Fridays only and nothing else until CGD Monday. At this time, they are both scarfing up 4 crickets in a short period of time.

I am learning a lot and may change the plan at some point, but unless a problem arises, I will stick with this, increasing the portions of CGD and crickets as they grow.

 

[Emmasarah]

I have 3 cresties. An adult male, a gravid adult female and a juvenile male (about 6 months old and 13g)
I have been keeping these particular cresties for about a year now, but have years of experience with other geckos and reptiles.
The adult male gets repashy every second day. I am waiting for my shipment of BFG smoothie as he simply tolerates the repashy and I would like to give him some variety (and put on a couple grams, he's holding steady at just under 30g) he's the only one I don't offer crickets to as they stress him out too much. He won't go near them and he'll shake violently when they come near him. No prey drive in this one.
The adult female and my juvenile get repashy every second day, crickets once or twice a week(usually half a dozen or so, gutloaded and dusted) and will also get BFG, once it comes in, once weekly.
I like to keep the repashy offered all the time since its the most recommended/proven complete diet. I offer crickets to my gravid female because she loves chasing them and could benefit from the extra calories and calcium and I think it's always good to provide some variety in their diet. And as I stated earlier, I'm trying the BFG diet to provide some variety to my male.

 

[Marauderhex]

How many Crested Geckos do you own? 5 - 1.3.1
How long have you been keeping them? 3 years
What is your Cresties diet? Repashy CGD
Why do you feed them this way? Balanced nutrition, ease of feeding

 

[MdngtRain]

# I have in collection at this time: 16 (have had many, many cresteds since 2005 - breeders and hatchlings as well as some pets)
Feeding schedule: repashy staple with added fruit for variety & honey since they don't seem to really eat much of the newer stuff... though they are gaining/maintaining well on the less food, and still seem very healthy. wondering if this is the same phenomenon as the higher quality mammal foods that require less/are more filling on less because the nutrition is better). Occasionally I will offer crix or discoid roaches to the little ones, but they pretty much don't care for them. Once in a great while I will throw in a fresh hibiscus bloom to a few of the cages (because I have them to offer, so why not try. not sure if they actually touch it other than to trample it).
why?: because I have seen the effects of improper nutrition. this is just much easier to acquire, keep balanced, and make. It also lasts well.

 

[FaaFaa]

MdngtRain~~~Can you tell me what types of fruit and honey you are feeding and how often? If you mix the 2 together how do you do that?

I am looking for as much idiot proof info, without all the debate, as possible.

Thank you!

 

[aquamentus_11]

how many: 1
how long: crested x 3 months, other species x years
what: a. 2-3 large crickets/night. mon-fri: calcium w/o D3 sat: calcium w/D3 sun: herptivite b. unsupplemented fresh mango, banana or pear x 1-2 nights/wk c. Repashy CGD when going out of town for a few days
why: variety = spice

 

[mikew1234]

I kept crested geckos from 2003 to 2011 (8 years)
I had at the height of my collection 50-60 breeders and around 300 in total not including eggs.
I fed cgd every two to three days. Crickets, wax worms, butter worms, and/or roach nymphs were given once a week on average. Phoenix worms were never truly accepted but offered once in a while. Soft fruits like mangos, and papaya were offered randomly but not often with mixed results.
Cgd was the staple diet because it was always recommended. I fed the other items because they would find those items in the wild, and the geckos accepted them regularly. I will note as a gecko gets older, they do prefer the cgd to the insects.

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

Keep one thing in mind during this debate, crested geckos have been around a lot longer than crested gecko diet. So, at the very best, it is a passable substitute for what they're really meant to eat. That's not to imply that it's bad (I'll leave that for you guys to decide individually), but in the end, it's nothing like what they were meant to eat. I'm not sure as to why you would want to keep this discussion "debate free" as without it, you end up with nothing other than a list of a couple of people feeding regimes with no really substance or quality information to back it up. Obviously they can be raised on a variety of diets, and for every 5 people that use cgd, there's 5 more that don't. So, just listing "what do you feed your crestie" with no discussion or debate really doesn't answer much of anything. Just my $0.2 cents.

 

[FaaFaa]

In reply, Riverside Reptiles, there are a TON of eating debate threads. I just wanted to see what others were feeding without the debate. I can take that information apply it to what I know and the debates that are going on here and on other forums and then make an educated decision based on what I have pulled together.

What I have learned thus far is that I need to add somethings to my geckos diets

 

[MdngtRain]

Jen,
I feed mostly tropical fruits like bananas, mango, passion fruit, papaya, persimon (sp??), guava. when we have left-overs, I will add cherry, blueberry or peach. We have a few other exotic fruit plants on our property that I have to research though before I try them in the mix. I like the variety I can easily get here in SFL, so I make use of it as best I can. I get it fresh from local markets, sellers, and grocery stores. I use whatever honey is available at the time, most often local honey. I tend to mix this in with the cgd, though when I run out between shipments, I feed it on it's own. I let the fruit over-ripen as much as I can (if it's in a pinch, I puree it before it's in the over-ripe stage). My geckos really like it. I started adding the hibiscus when I acquired my day gecko 2 months ago. I use it for him too, so figured a few of the cresteds might enjoy it... again, I have no real evidence that they are consuming the nectar, but I put it in there anyway.
Aslo, on occasion, I have added aloe gel (straight from the leaf) to their cgd... again, not really sure it helped, but it did not obviously hurt... I have only done that about 3 times. I did not note any obvious change in their consumption of the cgd, so I am not sure if they liked it or not.

 

[FaaFaa]

Hmmm...I have an aloe plant as well (a huge one) I wonder if its good for them? Aloe is supossed to be good for us...I may have to try this. I do have some BFGS on the way so I'm looking forward to trying that. As far as the Hibiscus do you give it whole or puree it as well?

 

[MdngtRain]

the flower is whole and "top opening" like I do with my day gecko so they can get to the nectar if they wish... really I think it just gets trampled then consumed by the isopods, millipedes, and other janatorial crew in the tanks...