Help please!

[Embrace Calamity]

Giant mealworms are a feeder I would avoid. They are pumped full of hormones to make them large. I would recommend switching to regular mealworms or superworms. IMO your gecko will be a lot better off.

I saw a guy selling giant mealworms as supers at the show yesterday, and I twitched on the inside. I didn't know how they made them giant though.

~Maggot

 

[Laura Lehr]

The mealworms im giving the baby are far from giant. lol I will remember to stay away from giant mealworms in the future.

Anyone have any opinions on pheonix worms as a staple? I used to buy them in bulk for my old beardie and I remember all research leading me to believe they were a wonderful staple for her. I dunno if it's the same for a leo or if I could afford them at this point (they are much more expensive than mealworms or crickets if I remember correctly) but I thought I would ask.

Temp seems to be ranging between 87 and 88 in the spot where the probe is- maybe different in other areas? I dont have time to play around with it right now. I will be investing in a temp gun- I wish I had just bought the one last night at the petstore....I was thinking about it. :/ Anyone know of a cheap good quality one?

 

[Lindz0518]

I got mine off of Amazon, but hardware stores carry them. I have never fed silkworms, so I am no help on that subject. I feed crickets and occasionally mealworms for variety. I have been contemplating getting some dubia roaches and seeing if my geckos like them. They love crickets but they stink.

 

[Ozy]

I feed my Leo Dubia roaches and I also have a colony. they are wonderful. They are super quiet, don't smell, lazy and far superior in nutritional value than other feeders. they are also easier to digest because they have VERY thin exoskeletons. I also feed her mealworms.

 

[Laura Lehr]

I feed my Leo Dubia roaches and I also have a colony. they are wonderful. They are super quiet, don't smell, lazy and far superior in nutritional value than other feeders. they are also easier to digest because they have VERY thin exoskeletons. I also feed her mealworms.

Thanks for the reply! I remember thinking about dubia roaches when I had my beardie but I never went that route. The idea of having a colony freaked me out a bit but it's hard to get them any other way. Especially small enough for my baby leo that I have now?

If I did get some, how do you keep them? Not in a cricket keeper, right? I had been hoping to avoid having to keep large amounts of crickets- I hate them! lol I'm not sure how I feel about roaches...worse, better? I dunno lol

I wanna get phoenix worms cause I really think they are nutritionally superior- they def were for beardies- my girlie thrived on them! But they are so expensive! Especially since the cheapest way to buy them is in bulk, but I have no idea if this baby will eat them, so I cant do that. The store that used to sell them near me is closed.

I might give in and by 100 x-smalls to see if she likes them. Its an expensive way to do it ($10ish after shipping for 100 worms) but it will change up her diet and let me know if she likes them.

I am going tomorrow to grab just a few crickets- dunno if she is going to eat them right now. She does appear to have eaten 3 worms since last night.

 

[SC Geckos]

I saw a guy selling giant mealworms as supers at the show yesterday, and I twitched on the inside. I didn't know how they made them giant though.

I have seen giant mealworms being sold as supers before too. Its hard to tell them apart when they are small but when they get big its pretty easy.
Its pretty crazy how they create giant mealies. They give common mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) an insect growth hormone to discourage them from morphing into beetles. This lets them grow significantly larger. Some still will morph into beetles but they are sterile. Giant mealworms grow twice the size of a normal mealworm. The only thing they are good for IMO is fishing.

 

[Laura Lehr]

Ok guys! I have pictures! Baby girl (ive decided it's a girl for now- lol) came out for her mealworm feeding! I was surprised cause my kids were right there and VERY interested in her and I figured she would see/hear them and get scared. I took her a few worms to decide to leave her hide, but she did and seemed to enjoy hunting them!

(This was actually last night when I first put her in the tank- I forgot I took it!)

(Chasing a worm!)

(about to get it!)

(she got it- "Hey mom...where are the rest?!")

(Went back in her hide)

(Cutie!!)


So, what do you guys think? Cute, huh?

I know the tank is not ideal at this point, but its an okay makeshift, last minute deal, right?

Any idea of age or morph? I dunno much about this stuff and would love any info!

Also, how many meal worms (or crickets) should she eat in a sitting? She ate like, 18-20 mini mealworms and I think she would have happily have taken more. Any guidelines? I don't want her a belly ache but I also want her to eat enough!

 

[Embrace Calamity]

She's very pretty! Looks like a normal to me, but I'm no good with morphs, so don't take my word for it. Her setup looks fine as a thrown together thing.

I have seen them giant mealworms being sold as supers before too. Its hard to tell them apart when they are small but when they get big its pretty easy.
Its pretty crazy how they create giant mealies. They give common mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) an insect growth hormone to discourage them from morphing into beetles. This lets them grow significantly larger. Some still will morph into beetles but they are sterile. Giant mealworms grow twice the size of a normal mealworm. The only thing they are good for IMO is fishing.

Gonna start giving our herps cancer.

~Maggot

 

[Ghostoftangerine17]

Very cute leopard gecko!

Glad she's so active and willing to eat

 

[acpart]

I would call her an "aberrant" because the bands on her body are broken but not on her tail.

Aliza

 

[Laura Lehr]

Thanks guys! She really is a cutie! I can't wait until she has settled in and I can start handling her.

How much should I be feeding her per day? She was happily gobbling mealworms today, but I was worried she would overdo it. I'm planning to grab some crickets tomorrow for her.

I know how to gutload crickets (I just need to buy a cricket keeper) but how do you gutload mealworms? The other worms I have experience with (phoenix worms, butter worms and silk worms) didn't need to be gutloaded (if I remember correctly.) I hope I can get some phoenix worms to throw in the mix for her. Are silkworms or butterworms ok for leos?

 

[chastity]

i didn't even know that about giant mealies! guess it's time to switch back to larges and just add more superworms in with them. that's scary! also, we wasted money on a cricket keeper. bought it and the leos stopped liking crickets like 3 weeks later because they're so spoiled. -.- he or she is beautiful though!

 

[Ghostoftangerine17]

Thanks guys! She really is a cutie! I can't wait until she has settled in and I can start handling her.

How much should I be feeding her per day? She was happily gobbling mealworms today, but I was worried she would overdo it. I'm planning to grab some crickets tomorrow for her.

I know how to gutload crickets (I just need to buy a cricket keeper) but how do you gutload mealworms? The other worms I have experience with (phoenix worms, butter worms and silk worms) didn't need to be gutloaded (if I remember correctly.) I hope I can get some phoenix worms to throw in the mix for her. Are silkworms or butterworms ok for leos?

Well, I know my first leo would stop eating when she was full. Now she just keeps on going so I stop feeding her after a bit, but my other leo walks away when he's done. I think the pet store said like 4 crickets per day for younger geckos. Don't know how good of advice that is, and you're using mealworms anyways. As a guesstimate I'd say I feed 9 - 12 mealworms a night.

My boyfriend regularly uses silk worms. His leo really enjoys them and they helped it overcome a time when it stopped eating. Not sure of nutritional value though.

Lastly, in my mealworm box I thrown in banana peels. Not sure if I should be doing more to 'gutload', but...

 

[Laura Lehr]

Well, I know my first leo would stop eating when she was full. Now she just keeps on going so I stop feeding her after a bit, but my other leo walks away when he's done. I think the pet store said like 4 crickets per day for younger geckos. Don't know how good of advice that is, and you're using mealworms anyways. As a guesstimate I'd say I feed 9 - 12 mealworms a night.

My boyfriend regularly uses silk worms. His leo really enjoys them and they helped it overcome a time when it stopped eating. Not sure of nutritional value though.

Lastly, in my mealworm box I thrown in banana peels. Not sure if I should be doing more to 'gutload', but...

Thanks so much! I'll give her 12 mealworms later- I let her hunt them last night which she really seemed to enjoy. But she just kept gobbling them and ate close to 20 before I cut her off. Should crickets be about the same? Around 12?

Thanks so much!

 

[Lindz0518]

My little one about that size eats about 6-8 small/med crickets everyday.

 

[Lindz0518]

Oh and he/she is adorable!