They dont like CGD or crickets

[shag]

I picked up some approx 1 year female cresties a week ago complete with 18x18x24 glass exo-terra with some plastic plants and they were living on shredded coco fiber. I clean out the cage and put them on paper towel for the time being and I took out the false background cause their was a dozen or so crickets behind it.
I was told that they were eating baby food 3 times a week and 3/4 crickets 4 times a week with some calcium mixed into the baby food twice a week. I get them home and decide to weight them because their was a slight difference in size, they came in at 25g and 33g so I'm thinking ones not getting her fare share or isn't quite the same age. I start them on some CGD and the smaller one licks a little at it and the larger doesn't like it at all neither showing much interest. I start mixing it with baby food so I can slowly ween them of the baby food and they start taking it, a week goes by and I their eating every night by spoon so I thought everything was going good enough to try some crickets. I shake up 8 or so 1/2 crickets in some repcal with D3 and the next morning none are gone. I'm now waiting a few days without feeding or any interaction to try crickets again tonight. They have gained a gram or 2 since I got them but I'm interested in why their not interested in the crickets if they were eating them before. Is it because I was dusting them and they weren't used to it, or were they both ever really eating them in the first place. As of right now they weight in at 27g and 34g with the smaller looking a little thin but both having no signs of MBD or dehydration, misting every evening and keeping temps in the low 70s humidity in the 50s all day except the evening when I mist.

Just wondering what you more experienced keepers think I should do:
Abandon crickets all together for them time being or try without repcal
Switch to the 2 part mixture to get them off baby food all together, see if the like it better
Switch to a fresh fruit smoothie possibly with yogurt and puree chicken
Change something in their setup, they have 2 plastic climbing vines and a couple of logs with 2 hides in one of them.
Change temps to something higher than 75 or lower than 69

I have no experience with geckos and I've been reading none stop for the past month. I'd like to get them off baby food and eating crickets twice a week but am hesitant to change too much too soon and adding stress.
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[ADEE]

I dip my cresties noses in the cgd once for the babies and three of four times for the older one.. im sure they could eat on their own but it makes me feel better knowing they are getting something.

We keep ours at room temperature (approx 70-72 depending on time of day) no extra lighting or heat source. We also do not feed any crickets at this point, our cresties are one month and approx four mos.

[tigerlily]

I think you have the right idea to wean them off the baby food by mixing in the CGD. The dusting may also be throwing them off, if they aren't used to it. I would try just regular gut loaded crickets first and make sure they are eating well, then begin to lightly dust them.

[Kristy]

I find it so much easier to drop the baby food and crickets all together.

Go cold turkey with just the CGD. I did that with all my females to switch them from Clarks to CGD. It took about two weeks for them all to start eating but now they eat every night. No questions asked.

I also feed roaches, now that they have started eating the CGD.

Once they pick up on that, then start offering crickets once or twice a week.

They won't starve themselves. Just monitor their weight once a week. Also, put very small amounts in the dishes so you can see if they are actually eating it. It will take some time, patience is a must.

EDIT: Just wanted to add that my females love to eat the CGD on the second night its in their tank. I usually leave it for two nights, then replace it. So try leaving it in there for two nights before changing it out. Unless its dried out or moldy.

[shag]

thanks for all the good tips, i think i'm heading in the right direction and with a little patients and persistence I'll get their. I do plan on dumping crickets for now till they eat more consistently, as well as, in the beginning i was leaving the CGD in for a second night but i was finding getting dry what do you do stop that or will they lick at all the same?

[mlededee]

your temperature and humidity sounds fine and since they are gaining weight i don't think you have too much to worry about. keep an eye on the smaller one though and make sure that she does continue to gain weight--sometimes a larger gecko will dominate a smaller one, thus getting more food. if the smaller gecko starts to lose weight she will need to be separated until she is closer in size to the larger female.

you do need to get them completely off of the baby food. it is fine to mix a little in with their cgd and gradually decrease the amount that you mix in until you aren't using it if you need to. i myself don't use the baby food at all--i just offer cgd plain and hand feed it for the first week or two until they start eating it on their own. i've never had a gecko not take to it that way.

you might try offering non-dusted crickets and see if they take those, but you will need to start dusting them, maybe just slightly at first to get the geckos used to it. if they don't start eating them at all it's really not a big deal. the cgd is a complete food and can take the place of all insect feedings.

if your cgd is drying out by the second day use more water when you mix it up. it should be pretty soupy. also, if you use paper cups to serve it in, they will absorb the moisture from the mix, so make sure to use plastic.