How to Prepare Crested Gecko Diet

This covers how to mix the powdered crested gecko diets I recommend, such as Zoo Med, Repashy, Pangea and Black Panther Zoological: what the consistency should be, and the quickest way to do it for one gecko or a lot of them.

Food dishes

• Pangea Ultimate Magnetic Ledge: looks like a rock and clips to the glass with a magnet. It holds any size of gecko and is the best option for a decorated cage.
• Small pet food dish: sold in the hamster and gerbil section at Petco. A souffle cup fits in it, and geckos can't tip it over or crawl under it. This is what I prefer.
• Pangea food dish and dual dish: rock-shaped, sitting on the floor. The dual one has a cup for food and a cup for water.
• Contact lens cases: what I use for babies. Food on one side, water on the other. At feeding time, swap in a clean one and wash the dirty ones.

Use a disposable cup inside the dish. It's easier to wash than the dish, and you can reuse it 20 or 30 times.

Mixing for one gecko

You need the diet, the dish and something small to stir with. I use an old small screwdriver. Some people use a toothpick.

1. A measuring scoop helps. Zoo Med ships one in the bag. Two scoops is about right for an adult, one for a younger gecko.
2. Add 2 to 3 parts water to 1 part diet, depending on the brand. For two scoops of Zoo Med, I start with four scoops of water. Some Pangea flavors mix thicker and take three parts water.
3. Stir slowly until the clumps are gone. It takes a few minutes.
4. Aim for somewhere between ketchup and a thick milkshake. It thickens as it sits, so a little watery at first is fine.

For a baby, use one level scoop and two scoops of water. A small baby only needs about a quarter of that, so half a scoop to one scoop of water is enough. For anything 10 g or larger, a full scoop lasts two to three days.

How much and how often

Feed every two to three days, and always give more than your gecko will eat. If there's none left over, it may have wanted more. An adult will probably eat about half of what's in the dish, if that. Crested geckos won't overeat. They eat only when they are hungry.

Mixing for a large collection

Shaker bottles with a metal ball, the kind used for protein shakes, are the usual advice. They work, but they often leave clumps and dry spots.

A small smoothie blender does a better job for not much more money. You can get one for about $20. My method:

1. Put the water in first, so the powder doesn't glue itself to the bottom of the cup.
2. Add the diet. Once you have mixed a lot, you can eyeball the amounts and adjust afterwards.
3. Blend for a few quick pulses. No dry clumps, no shaking.
4. Pour it into a clear squeeze bottle, like a ketchup bottle, and work down the line of cages.

It's much faster than mixing each cup by hand.