Reptile & Amphibian Forums

what is the overall best feeder insect that i should give a leo gecko (no matter wat the age)

ive read many reports saying that the top two are the crickets and mealworms, with the cricket edging out the mealworm because of its softer exoskeleton.

crickets seem to be the best choice for me but i kinda dont like them because of their hopping. i would prefer for them to stay in a feeder dish when theyre put in

also, is it better for a leo to have food in a feeder dish or roaming?

thanks

The nutritional on mealworms and crickets are very close to one another, so realistically well gut loaded and dusted of either should be fine. Sometimes it is simply a matter of preference of the gecko too. Also take into consideration that at adulthood a little variety once in a while is good for everyone. Maybe a few waxworms for a holiday dinner, we feed superworms for random treats, silkworms are also good but hard to find.

That being said, now it is my turn to say which I prefer: crickets all the way. They do have a slight edge in some minerals and vitamins, but I feed them more for the psychological stimulation I think it offers her. Maybe I watched too much Steve Irwin, but he always made a point to recreate to some extent hunting, territorial natures, etc in captivity. Obviously, I don't want an attack gecko, but I believe she is more stimulated with the hunting action of finding the crickets and chomping them down. I just don't see eating out of a bowl as being as interesting for her. Now sure, sometimes she's lazy and just waits for the crickets to walk by, but hey, we all are that way sometimes too.

I haven't posted here much since last year when I was on here daily. This was a constant and on going discussion back then. Seems like mealworms are agreed to be easier to take care of, but hunting geckos are agreed to be more fun to watch. I think those were the only conclusions we came to last year. I am interested in seeing what people have to say this time around.

Good luck with your gecko and take care!
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0.1 Albino Leo Gecko
0.1 Crested Gecko
1.0 Dear Boyfriend
Departed: Harvey and Spock

oh good, thanks for your info

i guess crickets are gonna be better for me then. is there a way i can keep crickets out of certain areas of the cage as, i wanna keep some areas bug free, but if not its ok

i heard that waxworms are very bad for leos because of their super fat content. is this true?

Crickety question: Well, I guess I am a bit confused as to your question, a healthy (nonlazy) gecko will hunt down the crickets you give within minutes long before they can mess with anything in the enclosure. In fact, that is how most people recommend figuring out how many to feed, for a baby it is something like as many as they eat in 10 mins to 30 mins depending on who you ask. If the crickets are in there too long, then the gecko isn't hungry. Anything left too long will harass the gecko when it is sleeping. --- Now there is another option that some people use, but it involves handling the gecko a lot. They have separate "feeding boxes" for the geckos. A tub the size of a large shoebox, poke a bunch of holes into it or get one tall enough so the crickets don't get out, or even have on hand a small 5 gallon is good. Line that with paper towels, at feeding time, drop in crickets and gecko, watch the show. Give him/her a few minutes to settle down from their hunting mode and replace her back in her original enclosure. Obviously, this is easier for adults that don't eat often or if you are closely monitoring the food intake, especially in group.

If you let me know why you don't want the bugs in some areas of your enclosure, I could offer some other advice too.

Waxworms: Yup, super fattening. I have heard them described as bon-bons, twinkies, candy, and if you are from the midwest of the US "cheese curds". They are helpful treats when you are fattening up a recently sick gecko (say once a week) other than that, no more than 2x a year is our motto, we just like to give our adult a few for the winter holiday and for her birthday.

Hope this helps, please ask as many questions as you like, we are happy to help!

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0.1 Albino Leo Gecko
0.1 Crested Gecko
1.0 Dear Boyfriend
Departed: Harvey and Spock

i use all four feeder insects i can get, locusts (very good nutritionally), crickets ( easy to are for and breed), waxworms (only very occasionally), mealworms ( a fav. of my leos)

i think variety is the key

thank you sleepy and the other guy (sorry i forgot your name)

i heard waxworms are like a super addicting drug to geckos also and they shouldnt be fed peiord.. :/ is this true?

sleepy: i dont like bugs in some areas of the cage because im super afriad of them.. hehe *embarassed*. i just dont want to handle my gecko and instead have 2 crickets crawling on my hand.

i like your extra feeding tub i guess ill try that out when i decide on getting a lizard. thanks

>>i heard waxworms are like a super addicting drug to geckos also and they shouldnt be fed peiord.. :/ is this true?
>>

I would not say "shouldn't be fed period," but definitely do not make them a staple. They're a treat at most, and like sleepy says, should only be fed very infrequently.

>>sleepy: i dont like bugs in some areas of the cage because im super afriad of them.. hehe *embarassed*. i just dont want to handle my gecko and instead have 2 crickets crawling on my hand.
>>

If you are afraid of bugs, you may want to consider a different type of pet, perhaps a crested gecko - they don't have to eat bugs at all, and with a leopard gecko, I promise you, you will eventually touch some bugs. There is a commercially available diet available for cresteds called crested gecko diet. It's a powder that you just mix with water and put in a dish for them. My crested only gets crickets about once a week, just to let her hunt something (which she does quite enthusiastically) and give her some variety, but there are many people who feed crested gecko diet exclusively with good results. Of course, compared to leopard geckos, cresteds can be a bit more work to maintain, as they require more humidity, and unlike leopards, they do not pick a bathroom corner, so you'll be doing more frequent whole cage cleanings. Also, they can climb walls/stick to anything, including teflon, so it's a bit different handling them. Both types have their charms, and both have their negatives, and both can be wonderful pets.
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0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko - Tigger
0.1 Crested Gecko - Pooh-Bear

I totally agree with everything Olstyn says, especially about different options. Personally for me, I don't like the poo cleanup involved with cresties, but I love my little girl... I'm just not getting another anytime soon.

As for being afraid of the bugs, honestly, I'm not a big fan of touching them either, but you do get used to it... get some antibacterial soap and wash. Let me give you some hints. One, no one likes lost bugs, so until you feel comfortable handling them, make sure you are escape proof. I usually suggest grabbing your shaker (for the vitamin dusting or whatever you are using) and your container of bugs and head to the bath tub. Seriously. You sit outside, the bugs and shaker go inside and you get a barrier to runners and jumpers. That way, if one surprises you by jumping in a way you don't expect, who cares, it can't climb the walls of the tub and if it is on you, you can shake it off into the tub. Worse case, you can smoosh it there too if it was an extra. (In fact, I still have a similar setup only we use a spare 5 gallon container which holds the smaller cricket keeper inside. That way if I loose one, it isn't going far.)

Another good thought is papertowel tubes. The cardboard leftover when you are done with the roll. Crickets like to climb these things. We just place it in the cricket container vertically, wait for one to wander up the side of the tube and quick move the tube into the shaker and give it a good shake. Cricket falls off into the shaker, and you are a good 8-10 inches from it at all time.

Please feel free to ask any more questions you have, we are really happy to help. And let me please thank you, thank you, thank you, for asking questions BEFORE having the gecko in your possession. We are ready and willing to answer questions then, of course, but it is so much easier on everyone (especially the gecko) to have as many concerns out of the way before you set up the little one. A huge gold star for you for thinking ahead. Good luck, we are happy to help in anyway.

If you do consider Olstyn's thought about crested geckos, there is another forum right here for them. It might not be a good time to visit though, I may have accidently started some sort of flame war by suggesting Kingsnake is a good website and some poorly interpreted humor. Ignore my thread and you will find some good help too. Take care.
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0.1 Albino Leo Gecko
0.1 Crested Gecko
1.0 Dear Boyfriend
Departed: Harvey and Spock

olys and sleepy: thanks for the crested gecko advice but i read up on some articles not recommedning them for a 10 gallon sized cage. so i can pretty much put them out of the quesion

also on the touching bugs subject: i dont have to touch bugs period, because i have this little tool called a bugvac and its like a mini vacuum thatll suck up any bugs i want and then i can place them in a cage or watever.

so i really dont ahve to handle bugs (just dont like to think about having bugs on me)

ill most likely just do wat sleepy said and vaccuum bugs into a little tub so my leo can eat whenever he/she wants