CGD question

Violeta · 03-28-05, 07:51 PM

What type of CGD is everybody using ?? and how do u prepare it, with cold, worm water, does it have to be thick or runny …

CDN-Cresties · 03-28-05, 08:19 PM

I use tap water, usually luke warm. I follow the instructions on the label. I let it sit for 30min or so, then I stir it again and serve to my geckos. It's going to be more runny than thick but this is better because if it is too think, cresties have a hard time licking it, not to mention that it dries out quickly. Hope this helps!

CDN-Cresties · 03-28-05, 08:26 PM

There's only one type of CGD although you can use gargoyle gecko diet which has more protein and will help your gecko grow a little bit quicker.

babysweet · 03-28-05, 10:05 PM

I have to admit, I've found that I have to mix the CGD at 3 or even 4 to 1, rather than the 2 to 1 as recommended. Otherwise, it hardens excessively, and within a few hours of putting it in their enclosure, it's too hard for them to eat.

This also makes me worry what it does in their stomachs if it's mixed too strong.

I've also found that adding a bit of babyfood to the mix keeps the consistancy good. I KNOW this is not recommended as it can throw off the balance of the CGD, but I've decided that I'm not comfortable feeding an animal a 100% commercial diet.

I know I'm new to this, so my methods probably count for... well... not much, and understandably so. But any animal eating processed food 100% of the time (especially dried and powdered food) just doesn't make sense to me. As a staple, yes, but just CGD and crickets? I'm not comfortable with that.

JMO,

Kim

CDN-Cresties · 03-28-05, 10:24 PM

It might be hardening quickly because the humidity is too low in your enclosure. I havent had that problem yet.

The added babyfood is like candy to cresties because of the sugar level. As for the diet, I dont think that Allen Repashy would put his name beside a product that doesn't do what its suppose to do. After all he is the one why crested geckos have become so popular and he also has the largest rhac collection in the world, and from my understaning, all of which are fed his diets exclusively.

Violeta · 03-28-05, 11:19 PM

just wondering, what do crested geckos eat in the wild, any1 knows, ware there any studies made on the wild population ?

babysweet · 03-29-05, 08:06 AM

I'm not arguing with the nutritional value of CGD, I'm simply disagreeing with the theory that it's ok to feed any animal a 100% processed diet.

For the past 60 years, dogs and cats have been fed commercial diet, and they've survived too. But before that, and in increasing numbers now, they eat real food.

Just imagine they invented a pill that was 100% nutritionally complete - for humans. Would you eat it? Maybe. Would you eat it 24/7? I doubt it.

CDN-Cresties · 03-29-05, 11:39 AM

Well you can argue that feed an animal a 100% processed diet is not okay but the facts thus far suggest that cresties thrive with CGD.

Everyone has there own feeding methods, Im not arguing which is better then the other because many different diets work and CGD is just one of them.

babysweet · 03-29-05, 01:01 PM

I'm really not even suggesting that I'm correct... lol.

It's just that I've applied the "real food" philosophy to so many species over the years, it's hard for me to accept that processed food is the best choice. It makes more sense to me to assume that "nature knows best."

HOWEVER, I do feed CGD as the main staple of the diet that I give my cresties. I know, I know, I've been doing this for weeks, not years like most of you, so my opinion doesn't count for much (nor should it!) but I do like to consider every angle.

Due to my relative new-ness, I will continue feeding CGD indefinitely as the main staple. After much, much time has passed, and my experience with these little beauties grows, I will come to my own final conclusions based on the results of feeding varied diets. Who knows? Maybe Rapashy has exceeded mother nature's ability to feed her children. Time will tell.

I think I would be more accepting of a measured protein/vitamin mix that was to be mixed in with pureed fruit... I just can't get over feeding a powdered food to a live animal.

Ah, well... I'm rambling at this point. But again, CDN-Cresties, I want to point out that I'm really not suggesting that you're not 100% correct... you very well may be. I'm just the type who likes to get ahold of every piece of information available and then make my own conclusions. I'm simply trying to open the floor to some nutritional discussion.

I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes.

Much thanks, once again,

Kim

babysweet · 03-29-05, 01:03 PM

Doesn't it just *kinda* remind you of those 60's comic book ads for sea monkeys? "Just Add Water" ?

Betty Miskie · 03-29-05, 03:43 PM

I was to our vets the other day and lo and behold, she had real banana and strawberries in her tanks for the chahoua and her two gehrya vorax. I commented about real fruit and she says they cart it away they love it so much. So, her being a vet and all, I came home and tried banana on my chahoua's and with flashlight in hand I spotted one of the chahoua's just a eating away on the banana............ I almost felt like they were in the wild eating real fruit............ lol
She also had a dish of dry day gecko food for them to eat as well as crickets. I guess that is covering all their needs.
Betty

DragnDrop · 03-29-05, 04:06 PM

Betty, that vet wouldn' t happen to be in Waterloo, would she? If she is, then the G. vorax are the ones I used to have

I know my leachianus loves fresh fruit chunks, but I go really easy on the banana since it's got a really bad Ca:P ratio.

CDN-Cresties · 03-29-05, 04:07 PM

No worries over here Kim. Its best to try out different things and find out what works best for you and your geckos. I have only been doing this for two years so I have a lot to learn as well. Thats whats great about forums though, people discuss and learn different things.

babysweet · 03-29-05, 04:10 PM

I love it! It's funny you should mention bananas... the first day we had our very first cresty home all I had in the house for him to eat was a banana. So, I grabbed a spoon and tried to mash it up. I didn't get very far.. if you've ever tried to mash a banana with a spoon, you know why.

My bf then pointed out that the bananas they ate in the wild *probably* did not get pre-mashed... lol... so I left them kinda smooshed and tried to give our rust coloured dalmation a piece of one. He was so excited to get a chunk of banana he bit me!

If any of you haven't been bitten by a 2.5 inch cresty before... well, let me tell you, it's damn funny... lol

DragnDrop · 03-29-05, 07:40 PM

Just about every Rhac species loves bananas, but nobody knows why.... bananas are not native to the New Caledonia Islands.