just checking

[invaderzimgir]

i've been feeding my baby leo about 4-5 mealworms a day. this sound about right? he's always looking for more too...after he's done he keeps going back to his dish to check for more.

 

[gecko4245]

i've been feeding my baby leo about 4-5 mealworms a day. this sound about right? he's always looking for more too...after he's done he keeps going back to his dish to check for more.

awe so he was the one who did not want to eat before right? I am so glad he started eating. When they are baby you can put as many as he can eat within 15 minutes. Just make sure what goes in comes out.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

That little stinker needs more! They grow so fast from the baby stage and it takes a lot to keep them going. If he ever regurgitates, cut back. Some geckos are piggies and don't know when to stop eating.

 

[satyr666]

When my girlfriend and I bought our first leos they were only around 7 grams and eating around 12 mealies each. I would let him have as many as he wants unless he starts regurgitating like fl_orchidslave said.

 

[Dimidiata]

With rango i let him eat as much as he wanted for the first 4 months. Now im regulating. Crickets can help them build muscel(in therory) as they have to work for their food, but mealies should be provided in case they cant catch the cricket lol.

 

[Jayme]

When my leo was young I let her eat how ever much she wanted. (She averaged about 5 to 8 appropriately sized crickets). One night she ate too much and regurgitated her food, but after that didn't over do it anymore.

Actually, now that I think about it, I still allow my leo to eat however much she wants. As an adult she eats up to 15 mealworms on really hungry days and doesn't have any obesity problems and hasn't regurgitated since that one time.

So, like others have said, you're good to go as long as he's not regurgitating.

 

[zet]

The general rule is as much as it is willing to eat in 15minutes. I'm feeding my juvie ~11 mealies per day since I got it (about 4 months old now)

 

[justindh1]

There is really no point is stuffing your gecko with as many mealworms as they can eat. Many geckos you see today are overly fat. It's the same issue we have with people stuffing themselves with as much as they can eat.

Growing them fast isn't going to do any good. I would regulate your gecko to a certain amount everyday. I feed 5-8 mealworms everyday with my young geckos. Once I start to feed them every other day or so, then I will up the amount. The only time I ever feed a gecko as much as they want is if they need to add weight like a breeding female.

 

[gecko4245]

There is really no point is stuffing your gecko with as many mealworms as they can eat. Many geckos you see today are overly fat. It's the same issue we have with people stuffing themselves with as much as they can eat.

Growing them fast isn't going to do any good. I would regulate your gecko to a certain amount everyday. I feed 5-8 mealworms everyday with my young geckos. Once I start to feed them every other day or so, then I will up the amount. The only time I ever feed a gecko as much as they want is if they need to add weight like a breeding female.

It's tricky tho when they are very young because there tails are kind of thin so how would you know if you are feeding them enough?

 

[justindh1]

It's not really tricky at all. It shouldn't be hard to visually tell if your gecko is healthy or not. If they are eating and gaining weight then your good. Just don't over feed your hatchling gecko til he is stuffed.

 

[gecko4245]

It's not really tricky at all. It shouldn't be hard to visually tell if your gecko is healthy or not. If they are eating and gaining weight then your good. Just don't over feed your hatchling gecko til he is stuffed.

I should of explained the question better. I already know what is normal and healthy because i had many, but if it is their first gecko they can be under feeding which can stunt their growth or their health can not be as good if their not getting the daily nutrition they need.

I always slow down tho after they are over a year because then they will start putting on extra weight. I guess it also depends on the type of food they eat. I do my best to feed lower fat bugs so maybe that makes a difference. It is true too many geckos are overweight and it's terrible for their health.