Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Reptiles > Leopord Gecko feeding

Leopord Gecko feeding

22 14:53:48

Question
Thank you so much for all of the information.  I have cricket food in the tank in a lid with a little water, so if I have this in there can't I just leave the crickets in the tank?  I've read a couple of places to take them out after 15-20 minutes. The previous owner said she doesn't get to the crickets really fast sometimes.
Thanks.
-------------------------

Followup To

Question -
I just acquired a 6 yr old Leopord Gecko.  The person who gave it to me told me they fed her about 8 crickets every other week.  I work with a girl who has 5 Geckos and said they feed their Geckos every week and didn't think that was enough food.  Can you give me some advice on the feeding?

Answer -
Hello and thank you for your questions,

Congrats on yournew gecko leo's are great begginer reptiles they tend to be calm and will sit on your hand thou there are some flighty ones that will not allow thereselfs to be held without a fight. Yes feed teh poor little fellow more then that! for an adult leopard gecko small daily meals or larger meals every two days are best...one meal a week with only 8 crickets is outraguse! Feed about 5 large a day if you go with daily feedings if not you can give 10 everytwo days....i have found feeding what the lizard will eat works well until it starts to get overweight that is then you cut back to what you think should be fed...if the gecko is underweight I would assume it is you can give some butter or wax worms as a treat tehre very fatty and only two a week is best, i like better there larger but wax worms work well too. You can feed some small (3/4 to 1 inch0 meal worms occassinally as well, they have a hard shell and are harder to diegest them crickets or soft bodied worms but they seem to love them, three or four a week in place of two or three crickets works if you want to go with the meal worms as well. Leoaprd geckos normaly don't eat anything that isnt moving to let you know..the canned foods to my suprise my adult bearded dragon loves! of course feeding only canned foods for this monster would eat me out of house and home lol so I keep crickets/wax/butter/super worms on hand all teh time. Super worms are quite lare avraging 2/3 inches long but they are softer shelled then teh meal worms and are genrally the same looking but long fatter with black heads. You can buy small superworsm and I'd reccomend that to feeding meal worms. On another note crickets can be kept healthy and Alive with simple care, a ten gallno tank witha  sucure wire lide that has fine mesh works great, a soked cotton ball makes a great cricket water source and is cheap and replaceable, cricket feeds and cxarrot/apple/lettuce/squash any kind of fruit or veggie can be fed to the crickets also...but I heard avacodo can kill dragons so best not feed that to the crickets it might hurt your gecko. Be sure to provide paper towel rolls or cardboard egg carton bits for the cricekets to stand on they die quickly if there crowded on the floor of there cage. Meal and wax worm should be feed carrot/cricket feed and place in the fridge after there gut loaded so after about 6/8 hours, if you leave them out of the fridge they will turn into bettles and into moths in the caseof wax worms. Butter worms must be kept at room temprature or they will die...I do not think they breed easily or at all incaptivity so tehy do not turn into anything on you. THere are new worms out called phenicx worms my beardies love tehm they are perfect sized for leopard geckos but are sort of expensive...you don't even need to feed phinicex worms and they are kept at room temp as well. Dust the bugs about twice a week once with calcium powder(no phoperus and perferibly no D3) and once with a multi vitamin such as herptive from repical...dust until theres a light coating on teh dbugs nothing too thick or I find the lizards don't like going for white crickets...just a skim on the bugs back works fine. to dust place bugs in bread or sandwhich bag place pinch of dust in bag close top shake pour into cage. If you suspect live bugs wondering in the tank...and can not get them out place a chunk of carrot in the tank for the bugs to nibble on this will avoid the gecko getting bitten by its perspetive dinner! I hope this helps you out if you need any more information at all feel free to email me again.

Answer
Hello, your very welcome I try to answer them teh best I can. I wouldnt risk leaving the crickets in there all teh time...even with the water....he crickets can still try chew the gecko, I've heard horror stories of geckos geting there eye lids chewed through and there toes chewed off, Leaving a chunk of carrot or apple in there should pervent them bothering the gecko too too much. A shallow water dish should be provided for teh gecko i forgot to mention but he can drink from the one already in there, if you need help with aything else feel free to ask.