Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have some geckos that are not yet full grown and I am wondering what size they should be to be fed superworms. They don't seem interested in the smaller mealworms and my store sells them REALLY small. Crickets are just messy and a pain to take care of. Oh and the cage they are in for the picture is ONLY for the picture and for trips to the vet.

i'm not sure,do you know what to feed babies?what are superworms?

Personally i never use super worms becasue they can eat through the containers and they have a really hard exosceloton(sp) sorry i have trouble spelling, lol. I use giant mealworms, they have the exoscelton as mealworms and they can be refrigerated.
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Leo Gex
1.3 noramls or hi-yellows
1.0 Giant normal phase het for temper albino
0.2 Giant temper albino
0.2 Temper albinos
1.0 Tangerine Temper albino
0.1 super-hypo Tangerine carrot tail/head
0.1 hypo and baldy Tangerine
0:1 Blizzared
1:0 patternless
0.1 jungle rainwater albino
Others:
1 snapping turtle
1 Giant plated lizard
1:1 dogs
and 2:0 chinchillas

"Personally i never use super worms becasue they can eat through the containers and they have a really hard exosceloton(sp) sorry i have trouble spelling, lol. I use giant mealworms, they have the exoscelton as mealworms and they can be refrigerated."

Actually, the exoskeleton on superworms is very thin. Thay do have a better meat to shell ratio than mealworms - I use both. In fact, I had a superworm *POP* when I was holding it with tongs last night. EWWWWW!

The giant mealworms aren't intended for food uses, they are actually produced with fishing in mind. They are basically mealworms that have been fed chemicals to prevent them from changing to beetles.

As far as feeding off superworms, I only give them to my sub-adults and adults. The larger worms go only to my biggest adults (70 grams). You can feed smaller supers to anything over 40g and be safe. Because they are softer, you can bend the head rule to a point. The length of a superworm can be [uslightlylonger than the length of the gecko's head without any problems. Just be aware that your gecko will get full very quickly!
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Official Leopard Gecko Herder

6:8:1 Leos Getting to have too many to name here!
2:0 Cats - Troi and Mitsu (shhhhh...don't tell them they're neutered!)
4:0 Betas - So pretty, yet so violent!
1:0 Husband - Eric (He's a lot of work, but it's worth it.)

Mini & regular mealworms are the laeva to one speice of Darkling beetle.And (Giant/Super/Morio) there all different name for the same thing are the larva to a different speice of darkling beetle(man did't make these mother nature did).They are not chemical fed to speed growth or double size and they can and do turn into (bigger)beetles but they like it quite hot to do so.They are very heat tolirant and tend to last age's and don't need a fridge.And make grate leo feed but also bested to dusted with vit's.Your's look the right size to take them .

Mine arn't that happy with the reg mealworms either when mine are young they get crickets and the odd small waxie and as they get bigger they get a pick a mix of crickets/giant mealworms/wax worm every now & then.

Use your vet tank drop one or two super's in with a leo and watch them.

Why not try roaches or silkworms. I use roaches (lobsters & small discoids) & silkworms as my staple feeders. Both feeders are eagerly taken by my geckos and both put weight on them quick! BTW, those are some nice looking geckos!
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www.hullabalooherps.com

Giant Mealworms (Tenebrio Molitor) are NOT the same as Superworms (Zophobas Morio). Giant mealworms and Kingworms ARE the same, they are nothing more than mealworms given chemicals in their feed so that they grow bigger and won't morph into beetles like regular mealworms. Some of the online sites that sell them even say they are meant to be used as fish bait, not for reptile or bird diets.

Superworms can be used for hatchlings on up, IF you buy the correct sizes. I buy mine from superwormfarm.com, they sell them from small to large. The smalls are usually no longer than the width of a quarter, but they are skinnier than a mealworm of equal length at that size. My juvies and adults both prefer the medium size. My adults will eat the large ones, until one of them gets slapped upside the head by one as they are eating them LOL Some of the larges put up a heck of a fight it's quite comical sometimes.

Superworms are overall a better feeder for your Leos than mealworms, but I do also feed mealworms, a variety is always the best

I'm glad to see someone else picks those large ones up with tweezers too LOL I just can't get myself to pick one up with my fingers, they give me the creeps LOL I don't mind the mediums & small at all or any of the other feeders I use, but man, those large superworms are something else !!

As stated on another post, Silkworms are the best feeders, but not readily available except online. They are a bit on the expensive side especially when you add in their special feed you have to use. I've heard a lot of good about roaches too, but I've not tried them.

I've broght mealworm under the name of (zopobas morio) and they have morphed into beetles.

That's because mealworms and giant mealworms are the same, other than what they've been fed. The regular mealworms will eventually morph into beetles. The giant mealworms have been fed a chemical to prevent that change...allowing them to continue to grow into a "giant" size. It hasn't been proven if that chemical is detremental to the reptiles, but why risk it?
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Official Leopard Gecko Herder

6:8:1 Leos Getting to have too many to name here!
2:0 Cats - Troi and Mitsu (shhhhh...don't tell them they're neutered!)
4:0 Betas - So pretty, yet so violent!
1:0 Husband - Eric (He's a lot of work, but it's worth it.)

http://www.nyworms.com/giant_mealworms.htm

The first two paragraphs say it all.
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Official Leopard Gecko Herder

6:8:1 Leos Getting to have too many to name here!
2:0 Cats - Troi and Mitsu (shhhhh...don't tell them they're neutered!)
4:0 Betas - So pretty, yet so violent!
1:0 Husband - Eric (He's a lot of work, but it's worth it.)

Ahhhaarrr i see i think this is a case (uk)-(usa) wire's crossed.In the uk (tenebio molitor) are just know as regular mealworms these are the ones that are chemical fed to bost growth ?.

And (zophobas morio)in the uk are know as giant mealworm's,morio's,& super mealworm but it's these one that are 100% natral ?.

Here are a couple of pics of Superworms, large & medium, so you can see the difference between them & mealworms

Yep - you've got it.

Mealworms = normal Tenebrio molitor

Giant Mealworms = chemical-fed Tenebrio molitor

Superworm = normal Zophobas morio (also called King worm??)
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Official Leopard Gecko Herder

6:8:1 Leos Getting to have too many to name here!
2:0 Cats - Troi and Mitsu (shhhhh...don't tell them they're neutered!)
4:0 Betas - So pretty, yet so violent!
1:0 Husband - Eric (He's a lot of work, but it's worth it.)

I'm pretty sure kingworms are giant mealies.

The "Kingworms" around here are the same as Giant mealworms. And the site I buy my supers & mealies from even states in their FAQ section (this is the excerpt from it):

Q. Is a Superworm the same as a King Mealworm or a Giant Mealworm?

A. No, but they are often mistaken to be the same.
The King Mealworm, sometimes referred to as the Giant Mealworm, classification Tenebrio Molitor, the larvae of the Darkling Beetle, is grown using chemical food additives that inhibit the larvae from evolving into the Darkling Beetle. This inability to pupate forces the larvae to continue feeding, thereby achieving its "King Worm" size. We do not recommend using the King Mealworm as a feeder for your reptiles until more evidence is published on the possible residual effect the chemical growth inhibitors may have on the reptiles.

Roaches & silkworms are very easy to breed. I used to spend over $120 month on feeder insects. I decided to switch earlier this year to roaches & silkworms because they are superior feeders & by breeding my own I now have a ready supply for a lot less money. I sell off extras and can make over $300 a month in addition to saving the $120. It has cut down on the cost and problems with getting my feeders on time, nothing worse than having to pay petstore prices when your order is a few days late! I have way to large of a collection to deal with that issue on a regular basis. For a small collection there is still the problem with supply, petstores also have problems getting their orders, so it still would be a good idea to start a small colony of feeders for smaller collections. And with the dang gas prices...any way to cut costs is a good thing!
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www.hullabalooherps.com

I've been investigating starting a roach colony myself. I really want to get rid of crickets LOL After lots of research I'm thinking of raising the discoids, I want a roach that stays on the smaller side.

I know silkies would be the best, but the expense of the worms & their feed, I just can't seem to get myself to jump into them. And breeding them from what all I've researched seems like a lot more work then most other feeders. I sure wish they were more readily available & cheaper

The lobster roaches are the right size for leos and breed MUCH faster than discoids. They are climbers but I use bug boundary and have no problem keeping them contained. Discoids as adults are way too big for leos. Silkworms aren't really expensive once you get them going. I buy 40,000 eggs every 3-4 months. I could do things cheaper by using mulberry leaves instead of the chow...I will be planting a couple of mulberry trees next spring to reduce the cost even more. Silkworms & roaches are BY FAR easier to propagate, feed, and live with than crickets! I always had crickets getting loose and driving me nuts with the noise!
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www.hullabalooherps.com

I don't want to burst your bubble, but Discoids do get pretty large. As an adult, they are roughly the length of your thumb! They are slow growers, and slow breeders...but once you get them started they are great! Babies are about 1/4" long - small enough for even young leos. My geckos LOVE them.

They also have little smell, which is a HUGE benefit over crickets.

I wouldn't want the lobsters. Even though they are the right sie for feedng as an adult, no way do I want a roach that can climb glass and fly!
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Official Leopard Gecko Herder

6:8:1 Leos Getting to have too many to name here!
2:0 Cats - Troi and Mitsu (shhhhh...don't tell them they're neutered!)
4:0 Betas - So pretty, yet so violent!
1:0 Husband - Eric (He's a lot of work, but it's worth it.)

Hey Shanti! Lobsters don't fly but they can climb up ANYTHING (except bug stop stuff)!
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www.hullabalooherps.com

Actually, yes I know they can get fairly large, but I didn't plan on feeding the big ones to my Leos I have a local pet shop that would probably buy large ones off of me if I started getting too many. I've heard alot of good things about discoids as feeders for Leos, and they don't climb, jump or fly LOL That's the #1 reason I don't want lobster roaches I've read they climb & jump YIKES !!! And it sounds like I can keep a colony of discoids in a smaller setup than a colony of lobsters. I only have 4 Leos right now, 2 adults & 2 juvies, and 5 eggs incubating. So, I don't have a whole bunch to feed.

Actually, I've not had any "problems" with crickets, only had some escapees once (thanks to the darn cat) and I don't buy ones big enough to chirp. When I get my crickets I get rid of any REALLY BIG ones right away, there always seems to be a couple huge ones in the bunch. But they do smell and they are just plain nasty little critters to take care of LOL

Thanks for all the input on the roaches !!

You're right. For some reason I was thinking they could fly as well. They'd be hell on wings! The fact that they can climb glass was enough for me to pass.
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Official Leopard Gecko Herder

6:8:1 Leos Getting to have too many to name here!
2:0 Cats - Troi and Mitsu (shhhhh...don't tell them they're neutered!)
4:0 Betas - So pretty, yet so violent!
1:0 Husband - Eric (He's a lot of work, but it's worth it.)

ROFL Yeah, it was bad enough when I read they could climb, but when I also read "be careful when removing the egg crates when cleaning, they will start jumping", I said OH NO, NO WAY, those are NOT for me. I can handle the occasional getaway cricket, if I don't catch it the cat will (it's a contest between she & I, I'm winning LOL), but a roaches jumpin & scrambling around, uh uhhhh LOL