Can I feed my leo by just pouring in a dozen crickets once a week?

[whatisevenhappening]

I don't really remember how I used to feed him when he was a baby. He's about 2 years old now, and once a week I go and get a dozen large crickets and I put some calcium dust in the bag and shake it a bit until they're all coated. Then I pour the whole bag in his tank and he usually eats a couple a day or whenever he is hungry. By the end of the week they're usually all gone, or there's a couple left. I figure it's good because he can eat whenever he chooses to. And about once a month I'll give him some large meal worms for some variation instead. I don't think he's eating too little, because he's actually kind of fat. He looks very healthy, and has a very plump tail. Is there anything wrong with feeding him this way? I've read people often feed them by giving them a certain amount of food and letting them eat for 20 minutes then removing whatever they don't eat, and doing this a certain amount of times a week. This seems like an unnecessary amount of work, and I'm very forgetful, and be worried I'd forget to feed him enough times during the week. Also he doesn't always come out of on of his hides immediately when I put cricket in. He prefers to eat at night when all the lights are off.

This is Fernando


thanks guys!

 

[Dinosaur!]

the problem with leaving crickets in the tank long term, is that crickets will stress your gecko (stress=illness), and they have been known to chew off toes and tailtips as your gecko sleeps. Also, you are supposed to gut load your crickets before you feed them off to your gecko. Also, can you please list the EXACT supplements you are using for your gecko? it can cause serious ilness over time if you are not supplementing properly.

and welcome to the forum!

 

[tb144050]

the problem with leaving crickets in the tank long term, is that crickets will stress your gecko (stress=illness), and they have been known to chew off toes and tailtips as your gecko sleeps. Also, you are supposed to gut load your crickets before you feed them off to your gecko. Also, can you please list the EXACT supplements you are using for your gecko? it can cause serious ilness over time if you are not supplementing properly.

and welcome to the forum!

^^^Autumn hit most of the key points as to why that is neglecting your gecko's health. Stress, bites/infection, gutloading/nutrition, and supplements (sounds like you are not supplementing properly).

Here's a good reason not to do it:

Crickets Ate the End of my Leo's Tail...

 

[whatisevenhappening]

Thanks guys! And I use Repashy Leopard Gecko Calcium Plus to dust the crickets. I'll stop leaving the crickets in there and I'll set an alarm on my phone to remind me to feed him. Should I get a separate little container to keep the crickets in then? And how do I go about feeding him if he won't come out to eat if I put just a couple in his tank?

 

[tb144050]

If you want to keep a week's supply of crickets, you will keep a "cricket keeper" (available at your petstore) of some sort...you can make your own. They will need gutload-food and drownproof water-supply.

As for "how to feed him", I believe he is probably at the age where he will ignore/refuse food if you feed him everyday. But...if you feed every 2nd day (or maybe third).....he will wake up and be motivated to eat when the 1st cricket crawls across his foot.

 

[leopard love]

I use a big cool whip container with a little egg carton or a paper towel roll cut, and some Gut load cricket drink from Zilla. Just remember to also feed ur crickets nd this container I got for the crickets was $4 nd will last me for ever haha

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[leopard love]

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[Olympus]

People forget that you HAVE to gutload your insects, crickets and mealworms are not worth enough nutritionally on their own to constitute a well-rounded diet. So by putting crickets in there all week, no longer do any of them still have calcium but they are running on totally empty tummies, which means that by the time your gecko eats them they are just empty little shells. And then having calcium on crickets is vital, because crickets have a really terrible calcium ratio.

Get a cheap plastic container and keep the crickets in there with fresh fruits and vegetables until you are ready to feed him.