Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I read all the threads in the "new forum" about roaches as feeders and have just a few questions. Most experienced Leopard gecko keepers feed crickets or mealworms (or superworms). Do you know if any use roaches? Is the nutrition comparable as long as they are well gut loaded? Once Leos are used to crickets, will they eat roaches, as mine won't take mealworms?
How long will it take to have a colony producing feeders? They are pretty expensive to start with.

Also, I have read that the non climbing type can be contained in a bowl so they can't hide in the lizard enclosure. How deep does this bowl need to be? I have one Leo who is a very reluctant eater and she won't eat until I am away from her enclosure and unfortunately that gives the crickets time to hide in her paper towel substrate. I would like to use a feeding bowl but I don't know how deep it needs to be.
thanks!

>>I read all the threads in the "new forum" about roaches as feeders and have just a few questions. Most experienced Leopard gecko keepers feed crickets or mealworms (or superworms). Do you know if any use roaches? Is the nutrition comparable as long as they are well gut loaded? Once Leos are used to crickets, will they eat roaches, as mine won't take mealworms?
>>How long will it take to have a colony producing feeders? They are pretty expensive to start with.
>>
>>Also, I have read that the non climbing type can be contained in a bowl so they can't hide in the lizard enclosure. How deep does this bowl need to be? I have one Leo who is a very reluctant eater and she won't eat until I am away from her enclosure and unfortunately that gives the crickets time to hide in her paper towel substrate. I would like to use a feeding bowl but I don't know how deep it needs to be.
>>thanks!

I haven't been feeding roaches long. But with our whole three leos I found that they favored the roaches (both baby hissers and lobsters) over ALL the others. We do tend to hand feed the roaches as they are the types that climb glass. But the leos, and especially my son's baby beardie LOVE the roaches. I don't see how they could be too different nutritionally once they are gut loaded and they load easier than crix. The roaches eat anything.
If you got the type that didn't climb and wanted to bowl feed I don't know what you could use but what I use with the legs pinched on crix for my sugar glider is a tea cup. Whether leos could get into the bowl, I don't know. But I think I would try a low ceramic cereal bowl.
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Sonya

Do you have a problem feeding the lobsters to your leos by hand? When I stated I bought lobsters and planned to feed them to my dragons by hand, someone stated that I would probably have trouble feeding them like that because they are so fast. Do you have problems? Just trying to get others experience and suggestions. Thanks, Lindsay

>>Do you have a problem feeding the lobsters to your leos by hand? When I stated I bought lobsters and planned to feed them to my dragons by hand, someone stated that I would probably have trouble feeding them like that because they are so fast. Do you have problems? Just trying to get others experience and suggestions. Thanks, Lindsay

No more so than feeding crix by hand. I usually grab 'em by the head so that Susami (my son's baby beardie) can grab the body first. She is so fast though that even when we have dropped one she is right on it. With the leos they are NOT right on it if you drop one but otherwise it is just as easy.
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Sonya

Roaches are the best feeders. They carry more nutrients and protein than all other feeders. If you go with the formentioned hissers or lobsters they breed the fastest. After keeping eight defferent species I parted way with these climbers. It was just to much work, and with my 4'x4'x4' cages with logs and branches I soon had lobsters everywhere. The orange heads, orange spots, and 4 spots all breed well, but it takes time to get a colony started and they are not cheap. You have to be in it for the long term value. If you buy 50 roaches that are two months old it will take them 1-2 months to turn to adults. Then before long you will have hundreds of babies. This is the hard part. Then you really need to hold back and raise all those babies. I would seperate all the adults into a new container and let you're first few hundred babies grow. Meanwhile you adults will still keep producing and your other babies are growing. In about 3-4 months you will know have a good breeding colony, and some feeders. It takes time, but in the long run it beats buying crickets every week. I was almost spending $100 a month. My favorite part is using them to feed babies as opposed to pinhead crickets. You should try and buy a few raoches and see how your animals react to them. Mine went crazy and thought they where the best thing ever. I see so many people on this forum talking about mealworms. I have read several studies in the past 10 years, and they are one of the worst food items to feed your pets. People get stuck on them because they are cheap and easy. I think once more people get over the fear of roaches they will become a more popular feeder. Oh yeah back to your other question. You food dish only needs to be a little deeper than your food items. If you are going to feed the roaches when they are 1" then have a food dish that is 1 1/2".
James

Actually, mealworms, properly gutloaded, are a very good source of easy food for a leopard gecko.. But.. they have to be properly gutloaded.. after all, alot of the big breeders, Ron Tremper for example, feed exclusively mealworms....and they have brilliant success on a large scale.. so no, the mealies aren't the worst possible diet for a leopard gecko. Mine do just fine on them as well.. all bright and healthy and producing eggs.. I have 4 hatchlings from this year and eggs still in the incubator.

Well, mealies haven't worked out for me because I have yet to experience one of my 4 Leos eat one. I am told that if I hold back on the crix, they will eventually take the mealworms, but I am too much of a softie and can't do that. I gutload both the crickets and mealworms, so I assume based on knowledgable breeders experience, that either one is okay.

James, your answer about the food dish and the nonclimbing roaches is good news to me. I think I could manage finding a dish to contain them. I read your post and the question I have is are the adult roaches too big to feed to Leos? Why do you recommend starting such a large colony (ie separating the original generation from their offspring and keeping both as breeding colonies)? Where can I buy just a few to see if the Leos will even eat them? I am into experimenting with this because I now spend probably $10 a week on crickets so I either need to start buying them in bulk or finding an alternative food source like the roaches. Also, the crickets can be smelly and although I seem to have a no odor system, that is largely because I buy very few at a time (about 4 dozen) so they don't get a chance to foul the enclosure too much. We also regularly have escapees as my 11 year old son feeds the Leos and sometimes loses the jumping crickets. I am hopeful that the non climbing roaches are easier to manage.

Thanks for all the info

Your going to make me have to do some research. I have to find the study a read about a year ago on differant feeders. All feeders where feed similiar diets and mealworms ended up near the bottom of the list as a feeder. I am not saying your animal cannot do fine eating them, I just saying their are better food items out there. Did you ever think maybe big breeders are feeding mealworms because they are the easiest to breed not the best. They are just trying to save a buck or two.
James