New Gecko owner with Cricket Questions

[Kunu's Friend]

Hello all! I just found this community and joined so I can learn more about taking good care of my gold dust day gecko. I unexpectedly acquired him after returning home (in Oregon) from a vacation in Hawaii on the Big Island. Three days after getting home and unpacking, the craziest thing happened- I found a tiny little green gecko on my light switch! He must have hitched a ride in our luggage! That was about 4 months ago in May. He was only about maybe 2 inches long then and now he's about 5 inches long. I've been taking the advise of a local reptile store and feeding him the Pangea gecko diet and small crickets, and he has their recommended set up with proper lights, etc. I planted it with live plants for him and he seems really healthy and active.

So! My question is, how big of crickets can these guys eat? I've been feeding him small ones because I read about the importance of not giving them ones larger than the space between their eyes?? So the problem is, there are lots of good hiding spots for the crickets and just today I actually heard a cricket in his cage chirping, which leads me to believe its a really big adult cricket, one that escaped being eaten when it was small. I'm really worried that the cricket might try to eat on my little gecko! I've heard stories about that, but I just wondered if anyone has any experience or stories about their geckos being harmed by large crickets??

Thanks in advance for any information you can share!

 

[rtbaum]

I usually stick pretty close to the rule with my guys. I get mine from a small pet store near me and check out the selection to make sure the size is about right. I like this particular store, because the owner is a little freaked by the insects and is subsequently Very generous when I get 2 dozen Do dust the crickets with supplements and feed only enough for one feeding, I figure about 2-3 per gecko. I'm surprised that a cricket has managed to escape being eaten, they have a very short life expectancy once I put them in the enclosure, but then again one of my enclosures has one adult and about 8-10 baby geckos with three Mantellas...kind of like a scene from Jurassic Park at feeding time. I also feed fruit flies, various fruits, and occasional small roaches and soldier fly larva

 

[Kunu's Friend]

Thank you rtbaum! Your feeding time sounds like a fun scene to watch! I appreciate the advise. I'll be sure to only give him a couple at a time from now on so hopefully they won't get too big before he eats them.

I'm still curious if anyone has first hand experience with crickets trying to eat their gold dust day geckos toes, etc. Maybe its just a myth I hope!

 

[Green Bean]

Have you ever tried dubia or red runner roaches? Neither of these species can climb slick surfaces, so small ones can be dropped into a feeder dish and left for the gecko to eat at his leisure (provided that the dish is tall and slick enough to prevent escape).

 

[GeckoLeen]

Usually it happens when there are too many crickets in a gecko's cage. Rule of thumb is correct - crickets should only be as big as the space between the gecko's eyes. If you find a bigger one in there, try to remove it, just to be on the safe side.

Dubias are nutritious and a good feeder choice for your gecko; they are easy to keep as well.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Welcome aboard!

Here's a Feeder Nutrition Chart you may find helpful.


(click to enlarge)

 

[Kunu's Friend]

Thank you everyone for all the good advice! I haven't tried anything much but crickets and wax worms, but I will! And sorry for the delayed reply. I had issues trying to log in, but hopefully its all good now!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

You're welcome.

Welcome back! Hopefully you're set now.

 

[Kunu's Friend]

You're welcome.

Welcome back! Hopefully you're set now.

Thank you!! I'm pretty set about the food with all you guys' help, but now I have winter heating questions! I just added a new thread entitled something like "Reptitherm UTH side mount a bad idea for gold dust day geckos???" If anyone could help me with that, I would much appreciate it. Hopefully it will show up listed on the new threads or something? I put the question in this same "gold dust day gecko" section. Thanks!