Crested Insect Supplementation

[ThyTempest]

What do you use and how often for babies, juvies, adults. ALL of the caresheets are different. Some say dont even do live prey, just CGD. Some say alternate between pure calcium and reptivite. Some say alternate with reptivite and calcium w/ d3. Some say pure calcium at every or every other feeding and reptivite every 1-2 weeks. Some say reptivite and calcium every time.

wtf....help

[mlededee]

I dust with Rep-Cal calcium w/D3 and Herptivite. I feed crickets once per week (sometimes less) and dust every time. If you feed crickets twice per week you can still dust both times. If you feed more than that I would only dust with the Herptivite for the extra feedings, but really you don't want to be feeding too many crickets because the CGD should be the main source of food and nutrition.

[DavidG]

I feed ony CGD. Also, don't start them on baby food and CGD. Eventyually they will be eating CGD and you don't have to wein them off it. I've seen several cresties fed only crickets. Even though the owners dusted with CGD they developed MBD and had to be put down. MBD is probably one of the top 5 worst things I've seen happen to an animal. This one had a kinked spine, tail, and couldn't lift it's head. It made me sick.

[mainbutter]

What's MBD? I haven't heard of that abbreviation before..

I feed only CGD because it really does keep 'em healthy, well fed, and provide all the nutrients they need.

Crickets do help juvies and young adults put on the grams to reach breeding weight though, and there's nothing wrong with adding a little(but don't go overboard) variety in their diet as long as they keep eating CGD.

If I were feeding crickets I'd do pretty much what mlededee does. Crickets in the diet really does require some kind of calcium supplementation.

One reason why all the care sheets are all a bit different are because these little guys haven't been in the pet trade very long, re-discovered only 14 years ago etc.

[dr del]

Hi,

Not enough knowledge to comment on anything else but I think MBD = Metabolic Bone Disease.


dr del

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Hi,
Not enough knowledge to comment on anything else but I think MBD = Metabolic Bone Disease.
dr del

Correct

Personally I mainly feed CGD, the only time they get crickets is when I am about to go out of town, I feed them crickets and CGD the weeks before so they have a full belly when I am gone.

[RhacHead]

If you use CGD as a main source of nutrition you can't go wrong.Personally I use CGD,I also alternate Crickets and dubia roaches which help to accelerate the animals growth.When I use live prey I dust with Miner-all and have had excellent results with this routine.I probally hatch about 50-100 per year with nearly zero problems/casualtys.But as they say theres more than one way to skin a cat... If I were you I would experiment a little bit and see what works for you.Let me know if you have any more questions and Good luck!

[DavidG]

Dr Del is correct with MBD.

There is more than one way to skin a cat, but short and simple. CGD is the safest thing to feed and you should never be told there is another,better, way to do it (or in my opinion, but I'm no expert.) These little geckos are from Caledonia and their staple of diet is nectar. CGD is the only way to provide the nutrients they need without many reverse side effects. I feed mine crickets maybe once a month. I have 2 adults and I'll toss in 7 to 10 crickets and there are some left a few days later.

Sense we are talking about food, adult male crested geckos are said to eat the babies. If you're breeding it's something to look out for.

If you look at the question on Iherp for an office pet there is a CGD you buy in bulk and comes in several different flavors. I'm not sure on price, but if you wanna keep several it's worth looking into. I'm about to do it now. I go threw a 5 dollar bottle of the little stuff in a month or so.

[shadi11]

I use cal with d3 and mix some in with the CGD since alot of mine dont eat insects. I do that once a week. Or I use the crested gecko suppliment I have its calcium and everything. I only use that once a month. I have a juvi formula and adult. but that it something newer I was trying

[sweetcheeks]

ive had my cresty 6 weeks and only fed mine crickets once or twice from the same pack of crickets.... I didnt have any of the calcium so I just gut loaded mine with CGD and then shook them up in it as well before feeding.... I dont plan on feeding crickets but once every blue moon or so lol

I'll pick some stuff up next reptile show I get so I just done that for safety sake.