Crested Geckos & Prepared Gecko Diet Mix
By: Jason
Last Updated: March 9, 2023
One of the reasons that crested geckos are among the easiest reptiles to care for is how simple it is to feed them a healthy diet. Very few species have nutritionally-complete mixes that are safe for a pet to eat as a staple food source. These special lizards can do just that by eating a crested gecko complete diet mix.
Allen Repashy was the first person to make and sell this food. Today, we have lots of choices of different brands and flavors.
What Is gecko diet?
A gecko diet is a mix of ingredients designed for crested geckos. It is a complete meal replacement with all the nutrients they need in a single food.
There is more than one term to describe this type of product. Repashy calls theirs ‘meal replacement powder’ (MRP), while Pangea uses the term ‘complete gecko diet’ (CGD). ‘Gecko diet’ is a common phrase. Throughout our site, we use these terms interchangeably.
Note that these products have different qualities and aren’t liked equally by pet lizards.
Most of these companies acknowledge that, while their mixes are complete, feeding live insects once a week is good for crested geckos because it stimulates the hunting instinct. We also know that variety is beneficial, so alternating between products is healthy for our pets.
So what makes some better than others? Which gecko diet mix should you choose? Keep reading to learn all about complete diet powders for your crested gecko!
Background Info
We evaluate any potential crested gecko food on four elements; ingredients, nutrients, testing, and taste.
Quality Ingredients
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) makes rules about pet food just like it does for food for people. The laws aren’t the same, but they share many of the same principles.
Pet foods must list all of the ingredients. Those items need to be in order from most to least by weight. These two things let us know what we are feeding our pets and provide a starting place to compare them to one another.
We want to see a list of whole foods we recognize, many of which are on the list of what crested geckos eat in the wild. Papaya, banana, date, fig, cricket, kelp, honey, and coconut are all good ingredients in CRD.
The list likely includes other items which you might need to learn. Some will be vitamins or minerals, while others are probiotics or help give the food a desirable color or thickness.
We don’t want to see processed sugars, like fructose, or unnecessary additives. Some are inevitable to keep food safe for longer, but we don’t want more than is needed.
Nutrient Balance
Just putting healthy things into a recipe isn’t enough. The mix must meet the species’ dietary needs. What is nutritious for tegu isn’t for crested geckos. The exact proper balance is hard to figure out.
Each animal species has a ratio of nutrients that works best for them, and years of testing help us determine that ideal ratio.
Luckily, we have a few tools to compare products to each other.
One of these is “guaranteed analysis.” By telling us the minimum crude protein and fat, and the maximum fiber and moisture in a product, we know how nutritiously “dense” the product is.
Meal replacement powder is not required to have a nutrition facts label with percentages of vitamins and minerals like prepared human food does.
Longevity Testing
One of the best tests of a line of gecko diet mix is to feed it as the primary food to the same group of geckos and their offspring. Why?
Issues with a CGD may not show up right away. We are more likely to see a nutritional deficit as it compounds over time.
It takes years to test this way. Whole colonies with distinct bloodlines and morphs need to eat the food for years.
This category of consideration favors established products. Older gecko diet mixes have years of results to compare. Newer products need time to gather data before they can prove themselves.
Tastiness
Parents know that the healthiest foods are only good for their kids if the children eat the food. The same truth holds for our pets.
Some brands and flavors do a better job of appealing to crested geckos.
The best ways to figure this out are to look at what large-scale breeders’ say, read forum comments, and try it yourself.
Meal Replacement Powder Brands
Top Brands
- Black Panther Zoological (BPZ) gecko diet focuses on 100% insect-based protein (instead of whey, soy, or pea). Doing so makes their formula closer to what crested geckos eat in the wild. They have fed it to their collection for over ten years as the only complete gecko diet. While not as well known, Black Panther Zoological Gecko Diet is an excellent choice.
- Pangea started producing CGD in 2001. They have six flavors, some that are more fruity and others that use more insects. Many keepers like the smell, texture, and consistency of their products, and cresties consistently love Pangea. The company has a great brand that is trusted and beloved by many. Pangea makes great CGD.
- Repashy is the oldest brand and is very well respected. Their meal replacement powder (MRP) is made for all fruit-eating geckos and comes in a few blends, some seasonal. Many breeders have used MRP for years as their go-to gecko diet. Over time, Repashy has changed formulas. Some versions were more popular with cresties than others. Repashy is a longtime favorite choice for MRP.
- Zoo Med has been in the reptile husbandry industry since 1977 and is best known for its lighting and terrariums. Their crested gecko food line has three flavors. All the fruits they use are organic. Zoo Med publishes its calcium-phosphorous ratio (which not everyone does) of 3.5:1, which is a bit high but not dangerously so. Zoo Med’s current formulas are a great addition to your CGD rotation.
Brands To Avoid
- Exo Terra makes a lot of good products, but their crested gecko diet formula doesn’t live up to its potential. Compare the top ten ingredients to the competitors above. Of the ten, five are vegetables, two are sweeteners, and none are fruits or insects. The minimum crude protein is 6% compared to the 21-28% of the top brands. Avoid Exo Terra’s current version of the gecko diet mix.
- Fluker’s Crested Gecko Diet has much better ingredients and protein ratios but doesn’t consistently appeal to pet geckos. It is a less expensive product, and some folks find success with it, but in the absence of longevity testing, it is hard to know the effects of this as the primary source of nutrients for a pet crestie. Wait for more info before relying heavily on Fluker’s gecko diet mix.
Feeding Instructions
How do you prepare and serve CGD?
Preparing and serving powdered gecko food is easy.
Mix the powder with water in the ratio specified on the bag. Then, stir under the powder dissolves. Some mixtures are thicker and take on the consistency of ketchup, while others are thinner.
Once blended, pour into a bowl and place in the habitat. Crested geckos are arboreal, so place the food higher on a food ledge with some plant cover.
Note how long the food can sit before it goes bad. Some mixed food can sit out safely for 48 hours but follow the instructions on the package.
Zoo Med’s CGD can be served “dry.” You don’t need to add water for your pet lizard to eat it.
How often should I feed CGD?
Adult crested geckos need CGD three times a week. Juveniles (younger than one-year-old) need CGD daily.
How much do I feed at a time?
The amount of food that each crested gecko eats varies, and trial and error will help you figure out the right amount for your pet.
Start with 1/2 teaspoon for younger cresties and one tablespoon for an adult. Note how much they ate and add more or less as needed. Many keepers want to find a little food in the bowl to know that their pet didn’t go hungry the night before.
When is the best time to feed?
Crested geckos are active at night and used to eating from dusk to dawn.
Put the food into your pet’s habitat in the early evening to give them a chance to eat it when it is most fresh.
Additional Information
How long does the food last?
You can store some prepared mixes in the fridge for a few days.
An open bag of dry gecko diet mix has a limited shelf life, but refrigeration can often extend that. Unopened, sealed packages have a longer shelf life than opened ones.
Conclusion
CGD is one of the reasons crested geckos are among the easiest lizards to keep. It is simple to prepare and serve and offers nearly everything they need to eat to be healthy.
Brands like Pangea, Black Panther Zoological, Repashy, and Zoo Med have years of testing across multiple generations of cresties. They all use top-tier ingredients and provide the proper balance of nutrients. Rotate between them and offer insects and fruits for the healthiest gecko diet.
Giving your crested gecko a healthy diet is one of the best things a pet lizard person can do for their lizard!
Want to learn more about specific brands and flavors? Check out our in-depth guides below to learn more.
