Most picky geckos aren't picky about the food. Something else is putting them off.
Video · 14 min watchWritten by Brian
Every keeper has had a gecko that eats less than the others, or stops eating. These are eight things I have tested to get picky geckos eating again.
1. Feed a variety of foods
Feed one food over and over and a gecko eats less of it over time. Keep two or three foods in your rotation and switch every two or three feedings. Staying with the same brand in a different flavor keeps it familiar while giving a new scent that stimulates the appetite.
2. Keep the cage clean
Geckos don't like to eat in a dirty home. Change paper towel, scrub the floor, spot clean a living vivarium and wash food dishes. I never deep clean the whole cage at once, because that erases their scent. Leave a branch or a hide unwashed so something still smells familiar.
3. Keep them away from other pets
A cat that sits on the cage and stares in can stop a gecko eating. My vet once told me to imagine living in a glass house with a monster always at the window. Keep geckos out of sight of pets and away from busy spots like the front door or living room.
4. Add a little honey
Organic honey makes food sweeter and more aromatic without changing its nutrition much. A drop or two is enough for one gecko. For 10 to 20 geckos, use about a tablespoon.
5. Get the consistency right
Too thick and they won't eat it. Too watery and they get mostly water. Aim for ketchup or a milkshake. Mix the food, let it sit for five minutes, then check again, since many diets thicken as they sit. Add water if it's too thick, more powder if it's too runny.
6. Mix in treat foods
Some diets I love nutritionally get eaten less readily. I fix that by mixing in a treat food: Repashy banana cream pie, or Pangea Fruit Mix (the one that isn't labeled complete). Neither is a complete diet on its own.
- Pangea with insects boosts growth in young geckos, so I mix 3 parts of it with 1 part Pangea watermelon.
- Standard Repashy I have fed since around 2008. I mix 3 parts with 1 part banana cream pie.
- Pangea breeder formula helps females through breeding season. Again, 3 parts to 1 part banana cream pie.
For a new or very picky gecko, start at 50/50, then go to 60/40, then 70/30, and keep backing the treat food off until there is barely any left. I use this with new arrivals and females who come out of breeding season thin.
7. Separate your geckos
Often a "picky" female in a group isn't picky. A male is harassing her, or other females are bullying her away from the food. Separate her, then use the tricks above: a little honey, some treat food, a clean cage. If you keep geckos together, have spare cages ready.
8. Check the environment
Crested geckos are most active just after sunset and before sunrise. If your house gets cold at night, their metabolism and appetite drop. Check temperatures and humidity. In a dry climate like mine in Colorado, a humid hide matters a lot.