How much too feed a gecko who eats too much

S

Silverfire

New member
How much to feed a gecko who eats too much

So, I have a female gecko who likes to eat a lot. As in, will eat up to 14 large crickets if I let her. She also rejects the between the eyes rule (If I put a small to medium cricket in her cage for her she’ll ignore it but if I put a large one in she’ll eat it), and I’ve seen her eat a hornworm almost as long as she was and 1/3 inch thick. (I accidentally missed a small hornworm when cleaning the uneaten bugs out of the cage and the next time I noticed it it was way too big so I tried to remove it but Firefly had other plans). I’m worried that she’s either obese or will become obese soon.

Her feeding schedule is like this: 4-6 large crickets, 2-4 large crickets and 2-3 large superworms, and then back to 4-6 large crickets. Crickets gutloaded with Fulkers cricket quencher, Fulkers Calcium diet, and Fulkers orange cubes. Supers are given random fruit and veggies. She also has access to a small bowl of mealworms (no more than 10 in at a time) and gets 1-2 small waxworms a week. My dusting schedule for her feedings goes: reptivite, calcium with d3, pure calcium, none.

Am I feeding her to much? She eats every other day. She spends a lot of time lounging around various spots in her tank, and she likes to climb on top of one of her caves and look at me. Warm side is between 88-94 and cool side is 75-76. I use a temp gun. Everything about her is fine- I just want to make sure she doesn’t eat too much.


9172BECA-A687-49C7-81B0-46DBE6E31AF9.jpg9172BECA-A687-49C7-81B0-46DBE6E31AF9.jpg
 
Last edited:
S

Sg612

Member
Take a picture of her while she is standing . It’s tricky while laying flat. Fluker’s calcium diet is not very nutritious. I no longer keep reptiles, but if I did I would give Repashy SuperLoad Insect Gutload a try. I do know someone who feeds it to his crickets(dry) and his Leo is doing good. He also feeds veggies as well.
 
S

Silverfire

New member
00BFDC6A-EA11-4535-BED9-F72C0727550A.jpg

There ya go! And I know it’s not completely healthy- which is why they get a mix, but I’ll go toss some apple slices I didn’t eat in their carrier right now. I’ll give the Repashy a try too.
 
S

Silverfire

New member
Haha, she does have back.

Okay, that’s good! I’m glad she looks like she’s a good weight. Whenever I try to google what healthy adult leos I get a large range of sizes, from the tail being thicker than the head to the tail being barely thicker than the hips. Then there’s a huge discrepancy with superworms (I’ve heard both they’re good semi-staples and they should be avoided), and I know mealies aren’t the best. There’s just... a lot of varying opinions on what the best food is.
 
Last edited:
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
My dusting schedule for her feedings goes: reptivite, calcium with d3, pure calcium, none.
Click to expand...
Do you know how old your leo is? If she's an adult she's ready to eat 2x per week.

I recommend this schedule instead.

Weekly Schedule 126 for Leopard Geckos 18 months old +​
(without UVB)​

  • Crickets or dubia >> Monday - lightly dusted with Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3
  • Crickets or dubia >> Thursday - lightly dusted with Zoo Med's ReptiVite multivitamins without D3
  • Mealworms >> Saturday - no dusting
Click to expand...
 
S

Silverfire

New member
She’s an adult and really? I was told by my vet when I got her a check up that every other day was great. Maybe cause there really aren’t any seasons here it’s different. I’ll definitely switch the dusting schedule though! And thanks for the gutloading guide! I’ve seen so many conflicting statements on what’s best to feed your insects.
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Silverfire said:
She’s an adult and really? I was told by my vet when I got her a check up that every other day was great. Maybe cause there really aren’t any seasons here it’s different. I’ll definitely switch the dusting schedule though! And thanks for the gutloading guide! I’ve seen so many conflicting statements on what’s best to feed your insects.
Click to expand...
You're welcome.

Yes, really. I recommend feeding her less often with maybe a little more at each feeding. Perhaps she'll slim down some. :) As of 4/17 my 14.5 year old leo weighs 63.1 grams. She's 9 inches long.

Young geckos are fed more often because they are growing. A gecko usually maxes out in growth at 18 months old. Then the gecko needs to eat less frequently.

Just like my Cricket Guidelines recommend, make sure a good dry diet is available 24/7.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"A commercial gutloading food like Bug Burger or Superload (both by Repashy), Cricket Crack, Dinofuel, etc. is going to make your life easier AND provide a nutritious diet to your crickets at the same time. Avoid Fluker's gutloads, as they are super feeble in their formulas."

"If you opt for making your own gutload at home, here is a list of great ingredients to use:
Best: mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion flowers & leaves, collard greens, escarole lettuce, papaya, watercress, and alfalfa.
Good: sweet potato, carrots, oranges, mango, butternut squash, kale, apples, beet greens, blackberries, bok choy, and green beans.
Dry food: bee pollen, organic non-salted sunflower seeds, spirulina, dried seaweed, flax seed, and organic non-salted almonds.
Avoid as much as possible: potatoes, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, corn, grains, beans, oats, bread, cereal, meat, eggs, dog food, cat food, fish food, canned or dead insects, vertebrates."
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top