Feeding geckos: feeder insects, gut-loading and calcium dusting

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Feeding is where gecko care succeeds or fails over the long run. A gecko can look fine for months on a poor diet before problems such as weak bones appear. The good news is that the basics are simple, and they work the same way for most keepers.

What leopard geckos eat

Leopard geckos eat live insects and nothing else. They will not eat fruit, vegetables or prepared diets.

Staples: crickets, dubia and other roaches where legal and available, locusts, and calci worms (black soldier fly larvae).
Mealworms: widely used and accepted, though best as part of a varied diet rather than the only food.
Treats only: waxworms and superworms are fatty and can make a gecko fussy. Offer them occasionally.
Size: offer insects no larger than the space between the gecko's eyes.
Never feed wild-caught insects from the garden, which can carry parasites or pesticides, and never feed fireflies or other glowing insects, which are toxic to reptiles.

How often

Young geckos eat often, sometimes daily, while adults eat less frequently. Your breeder or vet can suggest a schedule for your gecko's age and condition. Watch the tail base: a healthy leopard gecko stores fat there, and a thinning tail is a sign to talk to a vet.

What crested geckos eat

Crested geckos are omnivores. In the wild they eat insects, fruit, nectar and pollen.

The base: a complete crested gecko powdered diet, mixed with water to a smooth paste and offered in a small dish, usually a few times a week. Remove uneaten food before it spoils.
Insects: offer suitably sized live insects as well. Many keepers do so once or twice a week.
Fruit: occasional mashed fruit is a treat, not a replacement for the complete diet, which is balanced for calcium and vitamins.
Raise the dish off the ground or place it on a ledge. Crested geckos eat up high.

Gut-loading

An insect is only as nutritious as what it ate. Gut-loading means feeding the insects well for a day or two before they go to the gecko.

Give them fresh vegetables such as greens and carrot, or a commercial insect diet.
Keep the insect tub clean and ventilated. Dead and dying insects are not good food.
Remove uneaten crickets from the enclosure. They can bite a resting gecko.

Calcium and vitamin D3 dusting

Most feeder insects contain little calcium compared with phosphorus. Without extra calcium, a gecko's body pulls it from its bones.

Dusting: put insects in a bag or tub with a little supplement powder and shake gently until lightly coated.
Calcium with D3: vitamin D3 lets the gecko absorb calcium. Geckos kept without UVB depend on D3 from supplements. Geckos with UVB make some of their own.
Plain calcium: some keepers also leave a small dish of plain calcium in the enclosure for the gecko to lick.
Multivitamin: a reptile multivitamin is usually given less often.
Too much D3 or vitamin A can also be harmful, so follow the label and ask a reptile vet to set a dusting schedule for your setup. Avoid stacking several products that all contain D3.

Water

Both species need fresh, clean water.

Leopard geckos drink from a shallow dish.
Crested geckos often prefer to lick droplets after misting, though many also use a dish.
Change water daily and clean the dish regularly.

Signs feeding is not going well

Refusing food for longer than usual, especially with weight loss.
A thin tail on a leopard gecko.
Soft or rubbery jaw, bent limbs or trembling, which can point to calcium problems.
Undigested insects in droppings, which can mean the enclosure is too cool.

Many short refusals are normal: during a shed, in cooler months, or after a move. Persistent refusal or weight loss is a reason to book a reptile vet rather than try home fixes. Which feeders does your gecko love or refuse? Share your routine or ask a question in the comments.