Baby Crested gecko

[tacoma0680]

I got a baby crested today and was wondering if people feed them baby food or just use a meal supplement I have that stuff from trex. also what is the time frame that it take one to mature out to a adult size?

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Don't feed baby food, it's generally considered too high in sugar. The various crested gecko diets are *actually* intended for cresties and properly balanced to meet their needs, so yeah, go with that.

 

[bluefrogtat2]

either will work

i am sure there is alot more sugar,but i have used for years and have had no problems(mostly just a convenience thing,easier to vary diet,cheaper,etc...)
andy

 

[ChondroGirl]

I would vary between the prepared crested diet, baby food, and pinhead crickets. Our crested geckos took about 8 months to mature. Very gentle pets! Congratulations on your new baby!

 

[Bigboy]

The argument here is one that comes up a lot with Cresties. The important thing to consider here is that if you choose to feed only one thing to the lizard (which is never a good idea no matter how "balanced" a diet may claim to be) that the food cannot be baby food. If you do choose to feed with baby food it can only be part of the diet. Other than that there is absolutely nothing wrong with using it to provide variety in the diet.

 

[Weird_Arachnid]

What about actual fruit? I read loads of people feeding their cresties bananas, papaya, and mangos, etc, crushed/smashed and dusted.

 

[tacoma0680]

Can you guys show me some photos of your setup? I would love to see them I will post some of mine too for some advice thanks

 

[Mushroom Spore]

What about actual fruit? I read loads of people feeding their cresties bananas, papaya, and mangos, etc, crushed/smashed and dusted.

Adding fruit (or some feeder insects) is excellent, but you can't do just fruit:

3. FRUIT MIXES, INSECTS, CUSTOM BLENDS

This method should only be used by advanced hobbyists who are able to gauge the health and wellbeing of their geckos. This method requires frequent checking of the calcium sacs, checking for weight loss, and other signs of deteriorating health.

That being said, this is a viable method of feeding your geckos. For many years prior to the development of CRESTED GECKO DIET, hobbyists and breeders fed their geckos dusted crickets and supplemented fruit baby foods. The downside to this method is that there is a lot of guesswork in getting the right amounts of calcium, phosphorous, vitamins, and other essential nutrients. Too much or too little of these nutrients can be deadly, particularly with the fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A, and Vitamin D3.

I used to make my own diets using fruits, yogurt, bee pollen, spirulina, and other ingredients. Again if you are willing to keep a close eye on your geckos, and willing to put some time and thought into your mixes, you can feed your own concoctions. Again this is not for the beginner or intermediate hobbyist; this requires a lot of research and time and can get to be quite expensive.

Checking the Calcium Sacs
Crested Geckos store calcium in the roof of the mouth in what are called endolymphatic sacs. You can check these reserves from time to time to monitor the storage level of calcium. This is particularly important for breeding female geckos and should be done periodically regardless of your feeding practices.

http://www.pangeareptile.com/id52.htm is one of the more reputable breeder sites, as well as giving advice that matches what I've heard on pretty much every other forum without me having to hunt down individual posts.

 

[DMTWI]

What about actual fruit? I read loads of people feeding their cresties bananas, papaya, and mangos, etc, crushed/smashed and dusted.

We do add a little banana in with the MRP base and our crestie seems to like it. I agree on the variety of food, our crestie was raised strictly on the MRP powder and now he won't eat live prey items at all. So try and introduce the crics or very small roaches early on along with the MRP. Good luck....

 

[Weird_Arachnid]

Adding fruit (or some feeder insects) is excellent, but you can't do just fruit

Yea, I had it planned where I would feed mine fruit and insects (both dusted of course). I just aquired my first crestie 2 days ago, though s/he's not eating I still provide some type of food and water (plus misting). How can I tell the baby is eating?

 

[Mina]

I really don't think you can tell, I have never actually seen mine eat. I know it does, it grows, sheds and is healthy and active. I offer insects one to two times a week and feed the Repashy's diet. My little one likes to hunt the insects and I see "her" following them with her eyes and seeming very interested, but I haven't ever seen her eat. She could not have grown as much as she has, and be as healthy and active as she is if she didn't eat. I just mix up new food every night and give it to her, and assume she eats some of it.

 

[Bedlam]

I've seen my guy attack crickets plenty of times! He would usually wait until everyone in the house was in bed for the night and all was calm, but now he doesn't waste any time and just goes for it! I actually have to be careful when/if I feed it crickets because if I put them in too early in the evening it'll wake up and go after them.

 

[Weird_Arachnid]

I've seen my guy attack crickets plenty of times! He would usually wait until everyone in the house was in bed for the night and all was calm, but now he doesn't waste any time and just goes for it! I actually have to be careful when/if I feed it crickets because if I put them in too early in the evening it'll wake up and go after them.

I sure wish my little one ate in front of me. That way I wouldn't have to be such a worry worm.