Feeding Crested Geckos, Gargoyle Geckos and Day Geckos

Geckos are arboreal and terrestrial. The toes of arboreal geckos are equipped with lamellae which aid in climbing. Most gecko species that are frugivorous, meaning they eat fruit, will also lap up nectar which is found high in the tree tops of their natural environment. Captive bred geckos present a challenge when providing a complete and varied diet -- until today.

Elevating their food dish will stimulate their natural instinct to feed on fruit. The magnetic gecko feeding ledge is affixed to the side of the terrarium and easily moved. This ledge provides two 2oz cups to accommodate food and water on an elevated platform that provides security.

Day Gecko Food Bowl

Geckos in their natural environment will only return to the ground to do two things; sleep and hunt. The Crested Gecko will find a secure hiding spot on the ground that is covered and provides security from predators when it sleeps. The gecko will emerge from their hiding spot during the night and hunt on the ground for insects and then climb to an elevation that provides security from predators. Allowing the gecko to eat while at an elevation in the terrarium will stimulate a greater feeding response and the reason why we recommend a gecko feeding ledge to provide Crested Gecko Diet or Day Gecko Diet to your geckos.

Crested Gecko Diet by Repashy Superfoods is formulated with the highest grade ingredients and nutritional portions to sustain your Day Gecko or Crested Gecko. CGD is the best-crested gecko food available! I know what you're thinking, it must be expensive right? Nope, when you account for the amount of food a Crested Gecko or Day Gecko will eat during a month (4oz) and the cost of a months supply it comes out to only $7.99 per gecko.

Combine the two and your gecko will thrive! CGD is the best food you can provide and the Arboreal Gecko Ledge is the most effective way to provide food to an arboreal gecko. Below we have provided links to the products detailed in this blog and also our Care Sheet. There are always promotions associated with these two products, take a look at the current promotions from Reptile Specialty Store and you might get lucky.

Best Crested Gecko Food
Best Gecko Food Bowl
Crested Gecko Care Sheet

Help my Crested Gecko isn't eating!

This is a common question I get from time to time and completely understandable. We care about our pets and if we didn't we would not raise the infamous question. Pretty simple and very much to the point. When I get this question it is 98% of the time regarding a gecko the size of a hatchling to juvenile and possibly first time Crested Gecko owners. So why isn't this gecko eating? It's obviously not eating because the food is still in the bowl the next day, right.
 Wrong, the first thing to look for is feces from the gecko. It's hard to distinguish how much food is consumed when offering fruit puree like Crested Gecko Diet but if the gecko recently defecated then you can safely assume the gecko is eating. Often times we do not consider the size of the stomach that these small geckos have and in relation, the amount of food eaten is often the size of the tip of a pencil.

Tip: Use paper towel or bare floor on the bottom of the cage. This will allow you to monitor for feces a lot easier.

OK, with the paper towel down and a week of offering food I still do not see any feces. You can safely assume at this point the gecko is not eating. This could be because the Crested Gecko is new to the surroundings and if so needs time to acclimate to their new home, environment (temperature, humidity, etc.) traffic, and even different food.

 Tip: Find out how the gecko is kept from the person or place you purchased the gecko and mimic those surroundings and environment. Next the gecko will only need to get accustomed to traffic around the cage and the feeding schedule. If a gecko is eating a certain flavor of Crested Gecko Diet I also try to offer that flavor specifically for the new gecko.

It's been over a week and the Crested Gecko should be accustomed to the new home. Still no poop! What to do? Start offering Crested Gecko Diet to the gecko with a couple drops of added honey. Dab the gecko food on the tip of the mouth and allow for the gecko to lick the food off itself. Repeat this process until the gecko refuses to eat anymore. Generally speaking, we do about three to four decent sized dabs. Place the gecko in the enclosure next to the food dish. You can also offer live crickets. A healthy Crested Gecko will not turn town live feeder insects, especially crickets.

If your gecko continues to refuse food, you will want to take the gecko to the vet. Make the trip as comfortable as possible. Using a large-sized Kritter Keeper with places to hide and paper towel as substrate. Make sure that everything listed below is provided for your gecko.

1. Temperatures above 70F and below 80F. 
2. Humidity between 60 and 80% with a period of the day falling below 60% to allow the enclosure to dry out and prevent bacteria.
3. Fresh Crested Gecko Diet is provided three times a week leaving the dish in the enclosure until the following night when fresh food is provided.
4. Cage size is appropriate for the size of the gecko. A hatchling is not living in an 18L x 18W x 24H cage but is in a Medium to Large Kritter Keeper or 5-10 gallon cage.
5. The cage is not in front of a window or high traffic area like a hallway.
6. Daylight is provided for 10-12 hours a day to simulate a proper day/night cycle.
7. The cage has plenty of hiding places and the gecko is not housed with multiple geckos ranging in size, bigger than them.
8. Water is provided as a water bowl and misting for the gecko to lap up droplets.

You can read more about the proper care with our Crested Gecko Care Sheet
We also offer Crested Gecko Diet in multiple flavors to appeal to picky eaters, Crested Gecko Diet