alternative food?

[bzlizzy]

any alternative for feeding geckos? my girl refuses to eat mealies, crix, superworms. and she's giving me a big headache. and its not possible for me to make the slushie for her because i live in an Asian country and we dont have most of the ingredients here. someone help? any substitutes? any suggestion or help is appreciated.

 

[Khrysty]

Roaches of any kind, pill bugs (small ones), locusts, some bait worms work

 

[Quantumhigh]

Roaches

Try taking a mealworm and break its so that some of the guts and comming out of the side. Then put the guts and jucies to your geckos mouth where went they lick there lips they get the taste of guts they realize its food. Works like a charm. I had one adult that would try eating them but would spit them out right after striking it. There shell had no taste. But once I did the guts to the tip of the mouth it was on, pounded 5-6 giant mealies one after another. I had to do this a few time for him to catch on that mealies are good eats. :main_yes:

 

[BrilliantEraser]

That's also a good trick in general for introducing new feeders of any type, Aaron! As for other feeder insects, Phoenix Worms are one of the best choices (in my opinion). They're nutritious, you don't have to dust them, and they generally won't escape, as crickets do. The best part is that you can order them online for relatively cheap! You'll just have to check if the suppliers will ship internationally.

 

[gothra]

There might be other reasons that she is not eating other than being picky. What are your setups? How long have you had her and how long has she gone off food? ...etc.

As for food alternatives, have you tried silkworms? She probably won't like roaches if she won't eat crickets.

 

[bzlizzy]

gothra: ive had her for close 2 weeks now. and so far in these 2 weeks, i think she has only eaten 1 cricket?! my first set up was sand from exo terra, with a driftwood, and a hiding den plus a moist den with spaghnum moss in it. i have a basking lamp. in the early evening when i get home i switch on the 'sun glo' bulb for 1 or 2 hours then i switch to the moonlight bulb when night falls. the moonlight bulb stays on for the whole night till dawn breaks. the dry hiding den is directly under the lamp, while the moist den is on the opposite side of the tank. 1 water dish with 1 calcium dish.

but i took out the sand yesterday and it was giving me a huge headache with the worms crawling into the sand and my wondering if my girl has eaten any worms.:main_thumbsdown: and i don wanna risk impaction as well. so basically ive dumped in natural wood bark plus coconut husk fibre so it doesnt look bare.

i hand fed her calcium yest because she wasnt eating at all. and her legs looked a little wobbly when she walked :S and yeah she licked the calcium off the little spoon which i believe is a good sign.

 

[bzlizzy]

Roaches

Try taking a mealworm and break its so that some of the guts and comming out of the side. Then put the guts and jucies to your geckos mouth where went they lick there lips they get the taste of guts they realize its food. Works like a charm. I had one adult that would try eating them but would spit them out right after striking it. There shell had no taste. But once I did the guts to the tip of the mouth it was on, pounded 5-6 giant mealies one after another. I had to do this a few time for him to catch on that mealies are good eats. :main_yes:

alright i'll try this when i get home! if nothing works, then i'll have to mash the mealies up into a slushie and hand feed her but i'll need to find the courage to break the worm up :shocked::sick2:

 

[Quantumhigh]

There might be other reasons that she is not eating other than being picky. What are your setups? How long have you had her and how long has she gone off food? ...etc.

As for food alternatives, have you tried silkworms? She probably won't like roaches if she won't eat crickets.

Yea, temperatures can also effect eating habbits. Make sure you have a constant steady warmside and coolside. I do about 90-95f on warmside and 75-80f on the cooler side a digital thermometer is also a must or a temperature gun(on santas wishlist). A belly heat source is best on one side and save a ton of cash on burnt out lightbulbs. Iam changing my adults to belly heat once the bulb burns out. Only my beardies will have a lightbulb should save on energy bill too less ambient heat getting put out. I also only use ceramic tiles and papertowels in there potty spot all mine go on the coolerside of the tanks and tubs the halfsheet papertowels work perfect. As for substrates there really is no better and safer way to go. Be careful the bark can be even more dangerous then sand as it wouldnt pass threw well if at all. There can also be the stress of surroundings and setup changes that will make some not eat. Post up some pics of your girl and keep us updated. =)

 

[bzlizzy]

Yea, temperatures can also effect eating habbits. Make sure you have a constant steady warmside and coolside. I do about 90-95f on warmside and 75-80f on the cooler side a digital thermometer is also a must or a temperature gun(on santas wishlist). A belly heat source is best on one side and save a ton of cash on burnt out lightbulbs. Iam changing my adults to belly heat once the bulb burns out. Only my beardies will have a lightbulb should save on energy bill too less ambient heat getting put out. I also only use ceramic tiles and papertowels in there potty spot all mine go on the coolerside of the tanks and tubs the halfsheet papertowels work perfect. As for substrates there really is no better and safer way to go. Be careful the bark can be even more dangerous then sand as it wouldnt pass threw well if at all. There can also be the stress of surroundings and setup changes that will make some not eat. Post up some pics of your girl and keep us updated. =)

im abit confused.
1. i live in a tropical country. so its pretty much sunny all year round. 26 - 34 degrees everyday. so do i need a light 24/7 ? or is a night light sufficient in the nights when my room is cold?

2. i guess i will take out the bark sooner or later as it will make feeding easier. the bark are pretty big though. around 1/3 of my pinky to 1/2 my pinky's length.

say HELLO! her name's Godzilla by the way! i've removed the substrate already. just left with some coconut fibre and tree bark. guess the tree bark is coming out pretty soon.