rescued golden geckos and bearded dragon

Question
I recently rescued a 1 1/2 old female beardie and a m/f pair of golden geckos. I have had the geckos for 2 weeks now and never seen them eat. I have been providing them with crickets and babyfood and yet both go untouched. Any suggestions? Also the beardie I rescued had only been receiving 2 or 3 crickets every other day as well as small amounts of romaine lettuce, as well as living in a terrarium that had not been cleaned since she was purchased. How do I help her put on weight without overwhelming her system if she is not used to these foods? Please help as she is a sweet girl and I don't understand how someone could mistreat her in this manner.

Answer
Hello, How lucky for them to have landed in your care. Be aware that the  stress from re-locating will often keep reptiles from feeding well for the first couple weeks in a new environment, that is quite normal.
Goldens are a somewhat nervous species. They should have a fair amount of foliage in the enclosure to provide ample places to hide. This will reduce their stress and encourage normal behaviour, feeding and otherwise. It is not always easy to provide suitable density and cover using real plants. I often use plastic plants (Walmart is a good source) to help add to the foliage for tropical species. They should have a warm spot of around 85F in one end of the enclosure which you should be able to achieve with just a household incandescent bulb. Suitable warmth will help boost their metabolism and their appetite. Give them a generous misting at least once a day for added humidity and the opportunity to drink the droplets. Goldens are nocturnal so don't expect to see much hunting activity during the day. With a well planted tank it will be harder to take stock of how many crickets are missing but you should start seeing faeces on the glass once they start feeding.

Now for the beardie. I would really suggest that you have a a faecal test for parasites done on her. It should only cost around $20.00 and even a non-reptile vet should be able to perform it. Pinworms and coccidia are extremely common in beardeds and both have a direct life-cycle. They also tend to flare-up in times of stress. Her previous poor diet and poor cage hygiene are exactly the right conditions to produce high levels of these parasites. I suspect there may have been other elements in her previous care that were also sub-optimal, like temperature. (She will need a basking spot of 100-110 F.)  Once you know that she is clear of intestinal parasites you can feel more confident that she is actually absorbing the nutrients that you are giving her.
Try a variety of insects such as silkworms, butterworms and large mealworms in addition to crickets. Keep the meals small at first and gradually increase the size. If she gorges she may vomit. Try adding a second green like dandelion or kale to the romaine at first and increase the amount and variety of greens and veggies as she becomes accustomed to taking them.