Exclusively one insect diets

[Halley]

I now when we still had mealworms, that they where all some breeders feed their geckos. I was wondering how they do not get any ill effects. I know most say they do not, but how do we know? Isn’t eating just mealworms, and drinking water, the human equivalent, of going on bread and water? I know I wouldn’t last long.

 

[acpart]

As Americans and Europeans (and I know there are people on other continents that I"m missing and I"m not meaning to) we get an extremely varied diet. There are people (in America and Europe as well) who have a much more limited diet due to economic, culture or availability reasons and they (as long as malnutrition and famine aren't the causes) do fine. Although I'm not a dietician, I think that as long as the feeders contain the essential nutrients, the geckos are probably OK. A more varied diet may provide small amounts of other nutrients that are helpful and is also more interesting to the gecko but I don't know for sure that it's necessary. I am a home care speech therapist and I have patients that have feeding tubes and consume only one brand of liquid formula via the tube. They are surviving well (as well as you can with the kind of medical problems that necessitate the tube) on this diet.

Aliza

 

[Halley]

So, a mealworm has all essential elements, needed for a leopard gecko? I guess what makes me ask this. Is even though some people have a less varied diet than we in America and other wealthy country, they still get a varity. And the formula is specially made to support human life. Mealworms aren’t formulated to a leopard gecko’s every health need. Are they? I don’t know, I’m just asking. Do they in fact have everything a leopard gecko needs?

 

[Rich Of The U.K]

I feed well over 5 feeders by swapping each over each week or two... a variety is always better... i cant see how just eating 1 thing can give anything but worse results then to give a varied diet.... who ever says
" ya m8 u stupad cuzz u giv em 1 nd the mak do wit wut they got " is absolutley wrong lol, you just have to ask yourself... will Leopard Gecko's just eat 1 thing in their lives in the wild? The answer is no... In the wild they eat a great variety having seen them before myself... It may be more work... but its not much more money to use over 5 feeders... i just think most people dont consider using as many things as possible but you have to ask yourself... would you be happy eating toast every day of your life for the rest of it? you should provide unless you dont really want to give your Geckos the best of everything... Try eating toast every day for every meal for a year and see how ill you feel after it...

Regards...Rich...

 

[Rich Of The U.K]

So, a mealworm has all essential elements, needed for a leopard gecko? I guess what makes me ask this. Is even though some people have a less varied diet than we in America and other wealthy country, they still get a varity. And the formula is specially made to support human life. Mealworms aren’t formulated to a leopard gecko’s every health need. Are they? I don’t know, I’m just asking. Do they in fact have everything a leopard gecko needs?

No... mealworms contain very very far from everything which a Leopard Gecko needs... a mealworms nutritional brakedown values dont even contain alot of the things which are needed... search through some nutritional value charts of alot of feeders and compare them to what Geckos need and im sure you'll find alot will be missing if you use just 1 feeder...

 

[Rich Of The U.K]

As Americans and Europeans (and I know there are people on other continents that I"m missing and I"m not meaning to) we get an extremely varied diet. There are people (in America and Europe as well) who have a much more limited diet due to economic, culture or availability reasons and they (as long as malnutrition and famine aren't the causes) do fine. Although I'm not a dietician, I think that as long as the feeders contain the essential nutrients, the geckos are probably OK. A more varied diet may provide small amounts of other nutrients that are helpful and is also more interesting to the gecko but I don't know for sure that it's necessary. I am a home care speech therapist and I have patients that have feeding tubes and consume only one brand of liquid formula via the tube. They are surviving well (as well as you can with the kind of medical problems that necessitate the tube) on this diet.

Aliza

The fact remains Aliza, even though some people may not get much of a variety, this isnt ideal, in an ideal world you should get as much of a variety as possible... Sadly, mealworms dont provide this ideal world for a gecko...
people may survive on bare essentials but they wont be very healthy if you compared that individual to someone who gets what they need... There is no excuse as anyone who owns a Leopard Gecko can provide a great variety for them, the only thing stopping them is thereselves.... Proof of this is that average lifespan of someone in a poor area is far less as someone in a rich area where these things are available... Do a search for yourself if you want on lifespans etc.... and it may shed some light on your part...

Rich...

 

[LadyGecko]

The fact remains Aliza, even though some people may not get much of a variety, this isn't ideal, in an ideal world you should get as much of a variety as possible... Sadly, meal worms don't provide this ideal world for a gecko...
people may survive on bare essentials but they wont be very healthy if you compared that individual to someone who gets what they need... There is no excuse as anyone who owns a Leopard Gecko can provide a great variety for them, the only thing stopping them is thereselves.... Proof of this is that average lifespan of someone in a poor area is far less as someone in a rich area where these things are available... Do a search for yourself if you want on lifespans etc.... and it may shed some light on your part...

Rich...

While I will agree that a variety of insect feeders is an ideal diet

Dusting the insects with vitamin/mineral supplements and providing plain calcium in addition to gut loading the feeder insects prior to feeding are methods used to ensure that the geckos are getting the all of the nutrients needed to grow and thrive

Also there are some Leos that will stubbornly only eat one type of insect no matter how many different types are offered

Sandy

 

[Rich Of The U.K]

While I will agree that a variety of insect feeders is an ideal diet

Dusting the insects with vitamin/mineral supplements and providing plain calcium in addition to gut loading the feeder insects prior to feeding are methods used to ensure that the geckos are getting the all of the nutrients needed to grow and thrive

Also there are some Leos that will stubbornly only eat one type of insect no matter how many different types are offered

Sandy

Even with supplementation, many things arent being passed to the Gecko without a variety of feeders, many substances which are being passed in supplementation are also artificial which dont give the full benefit, there are so many different feeders out there that its always possible to find something else, i doubt that its impossible for any Gecko out there to not try something else, the only reason i can think is because of someone feeding the same thing from a very young age for a long time, you should try other feeders even if the gecko is morbidly stubborn to eat and it will eat eventually due to the instinct of survivial which cant be denied by just about any living thing, it may take a week or even longer... but the Gecko wont allow itself to die if food is available... Alot of people who say that Geckos only eat 1 thing are either too soft or dont try hard enough, i had this case several times of extreme stubborness and it took a very long time but now they eat just about anything...

Rich...

 

[Halley]

No... mealworms contain very very far from everything which a Leopard Gecko needs... a mealworms nutritional brakedown values dont even contain alot of the things which are needed... search through some nutritional value charts of alot of feeders and compare them to what Geckos need and im sure you'll find alot will be missing if you use just 1 feeder...

Can you give me a link to the charts? I always wonder what everything a leopard gecko needed was; I would love to see that chart. Also can you tell me what the 5 feeders you use are, and give me links to their nutritional breakdown?

 

[Rich Of The U.K]

It has been a while since i have looked at charts, and forgot their links, i will try and remember... This is an example of a feeder chart, though the ones i looked at were slightly different and more complex...
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/facehugger/insect.html

I will also have to remember the Leopard gecko nutritional needs if you would like me to, much of this you can easy find on google... such as this chart of a few feeders i found which is above...

I mostly use:

Crickets
mealworms
silkworms
waxworms
phoenix worms/ calci worms
Locusts/ hoppers
Dubia roaches
Lobster roaches

There are more i use, but those are a good example of a very good diet.....

Rich...

 

[Rich Of The U.K]

The chart i used is a decent example, but i noticed it doesnt give the information on which feeders contain which different nutrients, but i think you get the picture on the variation of the feeders from the variation of the values on the chart...

 

[Halley]

I guess what I want is a chart that tells me all the things that a leopard gecko needs, not just what each feeder has. I just cannot find that on a search engine. I would love to see one of those!

 

[Rich Of The U.K]

Yep its extremely helpful when trying to keep your Gecko as healthy as possible, i'll try and get some dirt on it for you, with this chart its the keystone to being able to equate how to keep your Geckos nutritional needs satisfied and will probably help many people who care for their Geckos on this forum...


Rich...

 

[Halley]

Thanks Rich that would be wonderful. I have looked for one a few times, and just cannot find one anywhere.

 

[Rich Of The U.K]

I may not be able to find it again so im not making any promises, though the chances are i will but may take a while so dont hold your breath... But ill try my best...

If i cant find i could create my own chart from various sources scattered about the web and from my own knowlege, but it would be better to find the 1 i used a while back as its very in depth...