Hi i have 3 leopard geckos and they all seem to like mealworms more than crickets. They look at the crickets then they just look away. I have heard someplaces that you can not feed mealworms for a staple diet. I also feed mine wax worms. They are all getting fatter and my female i think is pregnant is eating a lot. The eggs are just yellow, no white. She has laid 2 cluthes so far. They dont seem developed enough. I like feeding mealworms more anyway because its easier. Thanks.
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leopard gecko food
- Thread starter geckoguy
- Start date
WizardLizards
Gecko Junkies
diablohogs
Hogaphile
agreed. mealworms are awesome. they dont make noise, they dont hop around making it hard to grab to feed to your gecko, you can store them in your fridge, and you can buy them by the hundreds for less than 10 bucks (its like 8 something for the 500 ct. bucket at my local pet store).
as far as nutritional value...beats me but they gotta be better than crickets. besides i keep dust in thier food dish.
as far as nutritional value...beats me but they gotta be better than crickets. besides i keep dust in thier food dish.
WizardLizards
Gecko Junkies
riverjop
Feather Ranch
consider yourself lucky!...very lucky!!!
(shut up out there!) dam those crickets!
(shut up out there!) dam those crickets!
StinaUIUC
New member
Chad...crickets are actually a little better nutritionally than mealies...there is less fat in crickets and mealies have harder to digest exoskeletons...however crickets have a much higher risk of carrying parasites and disease. From what I've seen lots of breeders use mealies exclusively with no problems...however crickets are slightly healthier assuming you get them from a reputable source that you can trust not to carry any parasites or diseases.
diablohogs
Hogaphile
are you refering to the small meal worms or super/king meal worms? i only feed mine the little guys.
really we should all be feeding our leos scorpions if you want to get technical... i mean thats what they eat in the wild.but than agian they probably eat any bug that crosses there path in the wild.
has anyone tryed feeding a scorpion to there leos? ive given Dumptruck (a huge normal i used to have) a praying mantis before (poor poor praying mantis, he never had a chance) but im scared to offer them a scorpion in fear that that instinct or possible immunity to scorpion venom (if there is one to speak of)has been lost in captive breeding.
StinaUIUC
New member
mealworms and superworms...I don't think there's anything wrong with feeding either...I've just looked at feeder nutrition charts and crickets are a little better for them. I use crickets...but only because they're the only thing my leos will eat...I would use mealies or supers otherwise.
diablohogs
Hogaphile
i switched my geckos from crickets to mealies but it took a while for some to accept the change. now all of them happily eat them.
can you scan this chart or provide it somehow so i can see it. im curious.
can you scan this chart or provide it somehow so i can see it. im curious.
geckosurfer
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I'd like to see that chart, too.
Our gecko's love crickets but a few only want the super worms and not the meal worms (I think it's their brussel sprouts of food).
I hate crickets as they make too much noise and they smell, but fortunately, I have a cat that's kind enough to fetch the jail breakers for me so I can toss them back in. But I detest superworms even more. Today, I went to get ready for work and there's a super worm embedded in my hair dryer. Pulled out the spare kept at the bottom of the drawer (all this is in the cabinet under the sink)....only to see another one. They are always escaping. I left the invested devices on my hubby's chair. 4:30am is no time to deal with worms.
Our gecko's love crickets but a few only want the super worms and not the meal worms (I think it's their brussel sprouts of food).
I hate crickets as they make too much noise and they smell, but fortunately, I have a cat that's kind enough to fetch the jail breakers for me so I can toss them back in. But I detest superworms even more. Today, I went to get ready for work and there's a super worm embedded in my hair dryer. Pulled out the spare kept at the bottom of the drawer (all this is in the cabinet under the sink)....only to see another one. They are always escaping. I left the invested devices on my hubby's chair. 4:30am is no time to deal with worms.
Bryan Self
New member
lostkauze
Let go my Gecko!
I got a catalouge from Timberline Fisheries that has nutrition info. they dont have it online though. Try the Grubco one.
Chad- how'd you get your adults from crickets to mealies? I've got this one girl (the only one in my collection) who doesn't eat worms. Shes a weird girl though... she eats crickets, but wont eat them upside down (so the pale white part is showing) -- makes me think they can see shades--. She wont eat pinkies, or silkworms. Just rightside up crickets. Looking for some insight here---
I've read somewhere that crickets are less nutritional. COmpared to mealies who constantly gutload themselves and always have a full stomach, crickets are only as good as thier stomachs are. They also need water, which takes up room in the stomach, so on a gutloaded level, I'd say mealies win.
For the slight digestability crickets may have, its just so much easier with worms.
Michael
Chad- how'd you get your adults from crickets to mealies? I've got this one girl (the only one in my collection) who doesn't eat worms. Shes a weird girl though... she eats crickets, but wont eat them upside down (so the pale white part is showing) -- makes me think they can see shades--. She wont eat pinkies, or silkworms. Just rightside up crickets. Looking for some insight here---
I've read somewhere that crickets are less nutritional. COmpared to mealies who constantly gutload themselves and always have a full stomach, crickets are only as good as thier stomachs are. They also need water, which takes up room in the stomach, so on a gutloaded level, I'd say mealies win.
For the slight digestability crickets may have, its just so much easier with worms.
Michael
nila_108
New member
meal worms
meal worm are good but they should some times eat cricket cause its good to have variety and you should only feed them wax worms and silk worms and butter worms for a treat every once and a while
meal worm are good but they should some times eat cricket cause its good to have variety and you should only feed them wax worms and silk worms and butter worms for a treat every once and a while
Xelda
sweet & sour
I've dealt with escaping supers before too. Just the other night, I found one in my bed, under the covers. I've also woke up one night with a superworm beatle crawling up my arm. And then one time I found a squashed superworm under my guitar, but it had been there for awhile because I had a cold and wasn't able to smell it rotting.
Anyway, I just started keeping lobster roaches, and my leos love 'em.
I've also woke up one night with a superworm beatle crawling up my arm. And then one time I found a squashed superworm under my guitar, but it had been there for awhile because I had a cold and wasn't able to smell it rotting. Anyway, I just started keeping lobster roaches, and my leos love 'em.
riverjop
Feather Ranch
michael, I used to give my crickets water (in a lid with a sponge) what a mess. I now just add fruit or potatos or whatever? to supply there moisture.
I still hate em!!!
I still hate em!!!
diablohogs
Hogaphile
how do they benefit from variety? ever ween a eastern hognose off of toads and onto mice. i bet that would change your mind about variety.
i dont see any benefits from a varied diet.
Golden Gate Geckos
Mean Old Gecko Lady
feeding leos
The problem with these charts is that nearly every online feeder supplier has one, and they all say something different. I used to think that feeding leopard geckos a staple diet of mealworms was not the best choice due to the amount of CHITIN in their ectoskeleton, but not any more. I think feeding mealworms is much more practical, and as long as they are nutritionally gut-loaded, they are fine as a staple.
I still feed my geckos a variety of foods including crickets, mealworms, superworms, occasional butterworms and waxworms, and a pinkie for my egging females after every clutch. I have some that do not like crickets, and prefer to eat mealies, and others that will only eat crickets. Heck, I even have one that is terrified of pinkie mice!
I have had horrendous problems with feeder crickets that have been laden with bacteria and aflatoxins, and I will actually have my incoming shipments of feeders tested at IDEX labs occasionally. By far, the crickets harbor the highest levels of bacteria and Aspergillus flavus toxins.
The problem with these charts is that nearly every online feeder supplier has one, and they all say something different. I used to think that feeding leopard geckos a staple diet of mealworms was not the best choice due to the amount of CHITIN in their ectoskeleton, but not any more. I think feeding mealworms is much more practical, and as long as they are nutritionally gut-loaded, they are fine as a staple.
I still feed my geckos a variety of foods including crickets, mealworms, superworms, occasional butterworms and waxworms, and a pinkie for my egging females after every clutch. I have some that do not like crickets, and prefer to eat mealies, and others that will only eat crickets. Heck, I even have one that is terrified of pinkie mice!
I have had horrendous problems with feeder crickets that have been laden with bacteria and aflatoxins, and I will actually have my incoming shipments of feeders tested at IDEX labs occasionally. By far, the crickets harbor the highest levels of bacteria and Aspergillus flavus toxins.
riverjop
Feather Ranch
Well Chad!.....somepeople just like a different "batter" on there deep fried pinky's!
StinaUIUC
New member
I actually don't remember at all where the nutrition charts I saw were...but I don't believe it was actually on any feeder suppliers' sites. The key thing was that crickets have less fat than any other feeder...and as I said I dont' think there's anything wrong with feeding mealies or supers as a staple...I was just saying that crickets can be a little better. The threat of disease is definitely something to think about though. And again (and I'm not sure if I've said it in this thread or not...lol)...I am NOT an expert...that's just what I've seen. Anyway...Chad as far as varied diets go...they're good for any animal. Having a varied diet provides more nutrients to the animal being fed as not every type of food has all the same nutrients. Yes we have dusts and gutloads to try to make up for that...but a varied diet is still a good thing as it allows for a better balance of nutrition.