Chapter 3 of 9 · Crested Gecko Care Guide
Feeding
Disclaimer: I'm not a veterinarian and I don't hold a degree in animal science or animal care. This guide is compiled from the published sources listed in every chapter. For a sick animal, a reptile vet is the authority.
The short version
- A complete powdered crested gecko diet is the staple. It already contains calcium and vitamin D3 [3][9].
- Babies get fresh food every evening; adults every 2–3 nights [3][11].
- Insects are an optional extra, about once a week for adults, dusted with calcium [3].
- Fruit is a rare treat. Baby food is not a diet.
- Keep a shallow water dish out, but expect most drinking to happen after misting [2][4].
Complete powdered diets are the staple
Crested geckos are one of the few reptiles with a true complete diet in a bag. Several brands make complete powdered crested gecko diets [3].
- Mix 1 part powder to 2 parts water [11], adjusting to a ketchup-like consistency.
- Storage: mixed food keeps up to 7 days in the refrigerator. An opened bag of dry powder keeps about 6 months at room temperature, or about 1 year in the refrigerator [11].
- Serve at dusk in a small cup. A ledge feeder mounted near the top keeps food off the floor.
- Remove leftovers after 24–36 hours. Old food spoils and molds [2].
- Rotate flavors if your gecko seems to lose interest.
| Life stage | Powdered diet | Insects |
|---|---|---|
| 0–12 months (growing) | Fresh every evening, or alternate nights with insects [3][11] | 1–2 feedings a week [3] |
| Adult | Every 2–3 nights (3–5 times a week) [3][11] | 0–1 feeding a week [3] |
| Breeding female | Every night, or alternate nights with insects [11], plus a weekly "calcium power feed" with 2–4% calcium without D3 added to the dry mix [9] | 1–2 feedings a week |
Calcium and D3
A gecko that eats a complete diet well is already getting calcium and D3. One diet maker advises that only egg-laying females need extra calcium added to the food. Over-supplementing can block absorption of other nutrients and can itself cause a wavy tail [9].
For insects, the rule is simple [9]:
- With UVB lighting: dust insects with calcium without D3.
- Without UVB: dust insects with calcium with D3.
Insects: a supplement, not the base
Good choices are crickets, dubia roaches, black soldier fly larvae, small hornworms and silkworms [3].
- Size them right. Insects should be no longer than the width of your gecko's head. This is the standard keeper rule for small lizards.
- Gut-load and dust. Feed the insects a nutritious diet before offering them, then dust with calcium [9].
- Remove leftovers. Take out uneaten insects after about 30 minutes [4]. Loose crickets can nibble on a sleeping gecko.
- Skip large, hard-shelled insects such as beetles and superworms, especially for small geckos. A large insect with a hard shell is one known cause of impaction [10].
- Cut back on insects for an overweight adult [3].
Fruit: a treat, not a meal
Fruit is part of the wild diet, but in captivity it is a treat. Plain fruit lacks the calcium of a complete diet and throws off the calcium-to-phosphorus balance [12].
- Offer mashed fruit only as an occasional treat [12]. Many keepers hold it to no more than once a week.
- Fig, mango and papaya are commonly offered [12]. Mango is fairly high in phosphorus, so keep portions small.
- Avoid citrus and banana, which limit calcium uptake [12]. Avoid avocado, which is high in phosphorus [12] and is widely reported as toxic to many pets.
- Never use baby food as a staple. It is mostly sugar and water with no added calcium. This is widely repeated keeper advice rather than a published finding, but it matches what is known about calcium needs.
Water
- Keep a shallow water dish available at all times and change it daily [2].
- Most drinking happens when your gecko licks droplets off leaves and glass after misting, so evening misting is part of feeding [4].
- Babies rely on droplets even more than adults do. See the Breeding chapter for hatchling misting.