What is the BEST thing to feed my Leo?

[NikkiC223]

I have been reading and doing A LOT of research as I just go my gecko, he is already 5 and has been eating crickets but he hasn't been eating as much. There is a lot of talk on mealworms, superworms, crickets, etc. What should I feed my leo? I would like to try superworms but am worried about buying in bulk and then he doesn't like them. I know they are higher in fat but like I said, he is 5 so he wouldn't eat them everyday. If you all could let me know what your thought about this is, that would be great! I'm new to this, and still learning about my leo and what he likes to do and eat. Thanks in advance!

 

[DrCarrotTail]

A variety of all those is best. I feed mine 80-90% mealworms and supplement with crickets and am tring out supers.

 

[NikkiC223]

Cool! Is there a place or somewhere online where I can get a variety of all of those? I just don't want to buy 500 superworms and he doesn't like them...know what i mean? Can i even get them at a petstore or do i have to get them online?

 

[iCandiBallPythons]

You can get them online but with shipping would be ridiculous for just one gecko. The chain stores carry feeders in different qty's

 

[Ghostoftangerine17]

Superworms are almost exactly like mealworms. They can get really massive though I have a couple floating around my mealworm box and I call them my sand boas because they're just monsters.

Some people have had bad luck with supers because their mandibles are a bit bigger than mealworms so in rare cases there have been bites. I personally have never had a problem with them.

Most nights I give 1 or 2 silkworms (medium) plus up to 10 meal worms.

 

[Lindz0518]

I feed a variety of crickets, mealworms, just started adding dubia roaches and I am getting ready to order some silkworms to try. I think variety is really important.

 

[NikkiC223]

Cool! I'll have to check the pet stores around me to see if they carry live mealworms, etc. I found a couple of sites that does free shipping but like i said, I don't want to buy 500 worms and my little guy hates them. I'll definitely find out and see if I can get a decent amount of each to try instead of having to buy in bulk. Thanks everyone!

 

[Rooster]

My vote would be dubia roaches. They are the most nutritious out of any feeder. Ill try to find the table that shows the difference between crickets, roaches, and the various types of worms.


This isn't what I was looking for, but it will work for now.

Sample-------------Moisture------Protein-----Fat---------Fiber-------Ash

B. Dubia-------------61.18%------35.6%-----6.75%------3.25%------2.01%

Meal worms----------58.74%------21.0%----15.52%------2.01%------1.18%

Crickets--------------71.96%------18.5%----6.26%-------2.09%------1.29%

 

[NikkiC223]

Thanks Rooster, that helps a lot! Is there a big quality difference in ordering live food online? Different vendors and such?

 

[Lindz0518]

I have had really good luck with Westcoast roaches. I have never had any dead feeders yet and they have about every feeder you can think of.

 

[NikkiC223]

I got Teak some superworms and he LOVES them! I don't think the previous owner ever offered him any kind of worm, I think he only fed him crickets! I bought a small pack of superworms (25) just to try and he gobbled it right up! So now my question, how many do I need to feed him a day? He is 5 years old. I have superworms and crickets for him.

 

[Lindz0518]

You can feed him as much as he wants like every other day. They usually stop when they are full.

 

[NikkiC223]

You can feed him as much as he wants like every other day. They usually stop when they are full.

Ok great, thanks! I knew him being an adult he didn't have to eat as much and as often but I wanted to make sure I was feeding him enough. THe previous owner (which I didn't agree with) would put 2 dozen crickets at one time and he said he would eat them throughout the week. But when I went to pick him up, there were dead crickets ALL OVER the place...it was gross! I didn't think leaving crickets in there was good for Leo's since it would bother them...I don't know, I felt bad so I've been giving him 1 or 2 at a time and giving him 1 to 2 superworms and he eats them pretty quick. I just disable to crickets so they don't jump all over the place and Teak can get to them pretty easily.

 

[Lindz0518]

Ok great, thanks! I knew him being an adult he didn't have to eat as much and as often but I wanted to make sure I was feeding him enough. THe previous owner (which I didn't agree with) would put 2 dozen crickets at one time and he said he would eat them throughout the week. But when I went to pick him up, there were dead crickets ALL OVER the place...it was gross! I didn't think leaving crickets in there was good for Leo's since it would bother them...I don't know, I felt bad so I've been giving him 1 or 2 at a time and giving him 1 to 2 superworms and he eats them pretty quick. I just disable to crickets so they don't jump all over the place and Teak can get to them pretty easily.

Yeah, I would never leave crickets in there like that, they will get hungry and can end up biting on a leos toes and tail while they are sleeping. Sometimes I have left crickets overnight but I always take them out in the morning. Normally when mine are done eating they just walk away or go back in to their hide. That was definitely not the right way to feed him. My newest gecko Thor was kind of a rescue and he had dead crickets everywhere in his enclosure.

 

[NikkiC223]

Yeah thats what I thought...just felt bad doing that and didn't want to stress him out. He seems to be taking to his new feeding process pretty good. I usually feed him at night when he comes out of his moist or dry hide. He LOVES hunting the superworms! And my son loves watching him eat...lol. I wonder if thats why he has been kind of shy, having crickets all over the place before I got him. He was probably stressed out! It honestly was disgusting and smelled really bad. But I cleaned his tank out and put slate tile down and its much better! If he doesn't eat the crickets by the next morning, I take them out but he usually eats them by the time I go to bed

 

[JM_Daniels]

The BEST thing to feed your leopard gecko is a varied diet that most closely resembles what it would eat in the wild. For most leo-owners, this is very difficult to achieve perfectly because we are limited by the types of feeders available on the market, as well as our own ability to maintain those insects. However, we can aim to get as close to the ideal diet as possible. As others mentioned, do your best to offer a variety of the common feeders available: mealworms, crickets, roaches, etc. Start with those basics. Then when you get a rhythm going, you may explore some less common feeders such as silkworms or hornworms.

 

[B&B Geckos]

I have read that dubia roaches offer twice the protein value of crickets, they have proportionately less exoskeleton...more meat, a higher calcium to phosphorus ratio than crckets, and the longest intestinal track to gut load. However, they're expensive and he may not like them either. I have a couple of geckos that don't respond to them.

 

[NikkiC223]

The BEST thing to feed your leopard gecko is a varied diet that most closely resembles what it would eat in the wild. For most leo-owners, this is very difficult to achieve perfectly because we are limited by the types of feeders available on the market, as well as our own ability to maintain those insects. However, we can aim to get as close to the ideal diet as possible. As others mentioned, do your best to offer a variety of the common feeders available: mealworms, crickets, roaches, etc. Start with those basics. Then when you get a rhythm going, you may explore some less common feeders such as silkworms or hornworms.

Yeah I definitely agree on a varied diet. I purchased a small container of mealworms and put them in his tank. He has only eaten 2 so Im not sure if he just doesn't like them or isn't used to them. I put them in a glass votive candle holder so they couldn't crawl out. I'll leave them in the rest of today and if he doesn't eat them by tonight, I'll take them out.

 

[GreenFrog]

I think mealworms are the best. I feed my Leo 90% of mealworms and also some crickets.

 

[B&B Geckos]

Dubia are best. Please see link for same topic.
http://geckoforums.net/f128-feeding-feeders/15984.htm