# crested geckos baby food for or agaisnt?



## Herp breeder (Jan 8, 2009)

How many guys on here think that crested gecko's can eat baby food? explain your reasons:2thumb:


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## Joey S (Oct 15, 2009)

if you choose the right brand ie hipp they keep out additives and preservitives and have natural food, which is good for the crestie


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## hexem (May 14, 2009)

No.

Baby food is for babies, not gecko's.

you wouldn't feed a baby gecko diet either. : victory:


here is the analysis of repashy crested gecko (2part) diet:

crude protein, 35% crude-fat. 11% crude-fiber, 5% calcium 3% phosphourus, 1.2% vit d3.

ingredients.
hempseed meal, whey protein isolate, wheat germ flour, bee pollen, brewers yeast, fig powder, calcium, dicalcuim phospate, spirulina algae, haemotoccus algea, kelp meal, marigold extract, rosemary extract, yucca extract, natura mixed tocopheoris, vitamin premix, pribiotic premix.

other uses:

MRP base may also be used in connjuction with fresh fruit, babyfood and fresh honey to create a complete diet or supplmental diet. there is no way to be precise with this method because differnt fruits have different levels of moisture, sugar minerals and vitamins. 

^ method is used at your own risk.


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## biomass (Dec 9, 2007)

They can eat baby food....... but why risk the health of the geckos when there is a complete diet which fulfills all their requirements for a long healthy life.

Even supplementing baby food with calcium etc is not worth the risk as you have no idea what quantities to add.

Crested gecko diet is cheap for what you get and it lasts months depending of course on how many geckos you have.


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## Darwin (Apr 12, 2008)

There are probably too many conflicting ingredients. Baby food is for babies...crestie food is for cresties


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## mrmrcarey (Jan 2, 2009)

Lets go back a few years when there was no complete diet out there... People had 2 choices, fresh fruit or babyfood. Babyfood became popular among keepers due to its ease and its cost effectiveness compared to real fruit. Back then there was also the additional problem of correct supplementation with correct proportions of the essential vits and minerals, yet here we are, swimming in a see of wonderful cresties so I guess it served its purpose.

Now, we have a complete diet (several) that completely satisfy the nutritional reqiurements of your crested geckos so making babyfood a thing of the past, something no longer neccesary and antiquated. Now, armed with a much better understanding of a Cresties needs anyone using babyfood is simply ignoring the facts that it can cause damage to your animals. Citric acid is in almost all babyfoods (as a preservative) and can damage the stomach lining and cause stomach ulcers, ground rice in babyfoods aint too healthy either.

Babyfood is now a mute point for the crestie hobbyist - the alternatives are there - readily available and should be used religiously.

Say NO to babayfood!


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## Kellybee (Oct 13, 2006)

CGD is made specifically for cresties, baby food is made for babies. Go figure.

I sometimes feed my livefoods on baby food, because it has so much nutritional value (I also feed them dog biscuits, high keratin fruit and veg etc). I have been known to mix repashy base with baby food instead of pollen when I run out, but as a rule I stick to the CGD and pureed fruit.


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

Joey S said:


> if you choose the right brand ie hipp they keep out additives and preservitives and have natural food, which is good for the crestie


Absolutely NOTHING is good about this baby food.

Just because it says organic doesn't mean it still doesn't have stabilisers in, it has certain additives in, read the ingredients.

Baby food is meant for HUMAN babies.

Crested Gecko Diet is meant for CRESTED Geckos.

Also, it goes off within three days...

PLUS it's cheaper to buy a mango, chop it up and put that in there for a treat. It's natural and NO HUMAN ADDITIVES.

Definitely NO NO NO for baby food.

End of, my opinion. : victory:


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## Wabbit (Aug 26, 2009)

I'm not going to rant about it.... Just a simple no to babyfood... No need, it's pointless! Cgd.... Simple.


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## James D (Nov 17, 2008)

I find it much more cost effective to make a fruit slurry with various fruits (figs, banana, mango, pear etc.) and then freeze it in ice cube trays. I then mix this with the powdered diet and feed it as part of a varied diet. All of my Rhacs past and present have been perfectly healthy so I think it must be working ok.

I simply wouldn't use baby food as fresh fruit is so readily available and easily stored in the freezer....


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

James D said:


> I find it much more cost effective to make a fruit slurry with various fruits (figs, banana, mango, pear etc.) and then freeze it in ice cube trays. I then mix this with the powdered diet and feed it as part of a varied diet. All of my Rhacs past and present have been perfectly healthy so I think it must be working ok.
> 
> I simply wouldn't use baby food as *fresh fruit is so readily available and easily stored in the freezer....[/*QUOTE]
> 
> Perfectly summarised :2thumb:


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## Ashtonsmum (Aug 14, 2008)

_I wouldnt buy baby jars that contain-rice/cereals etc but I have bought the tubs of organic pureed fruit (which is 100% fruit) as It contains only fruit. _

_I wouldnt be feeding this as a staple just as a weekly treat. The CGD is going to be the daily food and I will also be using live foods every 2-3 days._

_Sarah_


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## Weekender (Oct 20, 2008)

can i just query something... when in nature would a crestie eat whey protein or spirulina or brewers yeast????
that is about as unnatural as giving them rice in baby food. 
there are organic, pure fruit baby foods which are ok. fresh fruit however gets my vote!!


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## mrmrcarey (Jan 2, 2009)

Weekender said:


> can i just query something... when in nature would a crestie eat whey protein or spirulina or brewers yeast????
> that is about as unnatural as giving them rice in baby food.
> there are organic, pure fruit baby foods which are ok. fresh fruit however gets my vote!!


Fair point, but bearing in mind I don't think the babyfood manufacturers have spent years developing their foods for crested geckos?

The ingredients in the complete powder diets are not the point - it is the benefits that they offer your animals!

The ingredients in babyfood are the point - they are not their for the benefit of your gecko but your sprog.

There may be pure, organic (don't know why organic has anything to do with it?) fruit baby foods out there (I have not looked at them all) - but the main point is there is no point to using babyfood - unless you are lazy and not concerned for the long term health of your geckos!

You could argue those that offer babyfood which IS detremental to your geckos health are in fact breaking the law under the amended Animal Welfare Act 2007 which states that it is the pet owners responsibility to offer a "proper diet"


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## hexem (May 14, 2009)

Having been on the repashy forum (best us forum for crested gecko's) for 5 year's, ive seen this debate many time's, the word baby food in itself is banned, many breeder's reported an increase in better clutches/hatch rates when switching over to CGD.

it just provides everything they need, you don't even need to feed live with this stuff, you'll find feeding live is best left once a week, especially since the diet is better for them than livefood, and you want them eating more diet than anything else.

my advise there anyway.


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

Mrmrcarey, I totally agree with you, 100% 



hexem said:


> Having been on the repashy forum (best us forum for crested gecko's) for 5 year's, ive seen this debate many time's, the word baby food in itself is banned, many breeder's reported an increase in better clutches/hatch rates when switching over to CGD.
> 
> it just provides everything they need, you don't even need to feed live with this stuff, you'll find feeding live is best left once a week, especially since the diet is better for them than livefood, and you want them eating more diet than anything else.
> 
> my advise there anyway.


Yep, I'm with you, and I think you'll find most top breeders, experienced keepers and then people like me who keep crested geckos are too.

I have only had crested geckos since february, but I asked and asked, read and read and I don't see what is so difficult to understand this:

"My crested Geckos need a treat"

A treat for them is fresh fruit. 

That is not a difficult answer.

Hipp is fruit in a jar witrh additives, specifically formulated for BABIES! End.

You <general> can't seriously be telling me you'd rather buy a jar for your one or two or however many cresties, when it has a fridge life of 3 days, and waste over £1?

Buy a mango for £1 and blend it up, and freeze it in ice cube trays, it's always there, won't go off very quickly and it's natural and good for them 

x


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## Weekender (Oct 20, 2008)

im not sure if ive been misunderstood. im not saying baby food is better than CGD im saying fresh fruit and live food is better than CGD (sorry i missed out the live food bit!) because thats what they eat in the wild. i am generally opposed to pre-made diets, such as the ones for beardies iggy's and toroises unless they contain natural ingrediants that would be encountered by the species in question. for example one of the toroise pellets has nothing but grass in it, but its dried into a pellet. cnt get more natural than grass! haha

but i dnt see how a diet in a packet can ever be complete, im not saying its not doing them abit of extra good, because of the way its fortified with minerals and vits, but i dnt believe its "that" complete. i know keepers and breeders who use it along side fruit and bugs and have fantastic success with it, so it certainly isnt bad for them. but i wouldnt use it alone as a complete diet.

just my view.


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

Weekender said:


> im not sure if ive been misunderstood. im not saying baby food is better than CGD im saying fresh fruit and live food is better than CGD (sorry i missed out the live food bit!) because thats what they eat in the wild. i am generally opposed to pre-made diets, such as the ones for beardies iggy's and toroises unless they contain natural ingrediants that would be encountered by the species in question. for example one of the toroise pellets has nothing but grass in it, but its dried into a pellet. cnt get more natural than grass! haha
> 
> but i dnt see how a diet in a packet can ever be complete, im not saying its not doing them abit of extra good, because of the way its fortified with minerals and vits, but i dnt believe its "that" complete. i know keepers and breeders who use it along side fruit and bugs and have fantastic success with it, so it certainly isnt bad for them. but i wouldnt use it alone as a complete diet.
> 
> just my view.


That's fair enough, but I must add, I am sure I am not alone, I feed my CGD mixed with fresh fruit, I also feed live food regularly, gutloaded and dusted with pure calcium and they get a little bit of fresh fruit in their viv once a month to lick at.

I can't see how you can provide a much better/simpler diet to be honest.

 x


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## Weekender (Oct 20, 2008)

yeah thats how i would use it, as part of the diet as you are doing, not as the whole diet.

i just prefer to use varied fruit as opposed to fruit mixed with CGD. thats all.


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## mrmrcarey (Jan 2, 2009)

I agree, you still need variety in the diet and the way mine all hunt down livefood I would never stop offering it - that would just be mean!

Fresh fruit is good too but the complete diet eliminates the problem of having to worry so much about correctly supplementing the food - the hard work, endless research and money invested in creating a complete diet cant be ignored and we should all embrace it and be grateful for it.Perhaps complete is a strong statement for any food but lets face it, its more complete than any of us would manage otherwise! (if you are honest)


I mix complete diet with fresh fruit, just water, sometimes a dab of honey but that base of the diet is always there for them - your livefood will gutload on the diet as well so win win.

In the end the proof is in the pudding, some of the best looking (physically), healthy, heaviest geckos I have seen have been raised predominantly on a complete diet and I have to say my own experience is the same.

But lets make sure we hammer home the main point of this thread - Babyfood - For or against. I think most of us can agree AGAINST.

PS. I like this thread, lets keep it civil (too many descend into a slanging match these days!) and so far everyone has made some really good points. :2thumb:


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

Weekender said:


> yeah thats how i would use it, as part of the diet as you are doing, not as the whole diet.
> 
> i just prefer to use varied fruit as opposed to fruit mixed with CGD. thats all.


I don't understand? Varied fruit? Maybe I am being stupid... lol.

But I feed mine one week CGD mixed with Mango and Pear <freshly blended> next week I might feed them Strawberries <freshly blended>... mixed with a small amount og honey  There are plenty of fruits you can use  You don't have to buy baby food to get this variation.

Why feed them on something they would not get in the wild? They aren't going to miss it, and not love you anymore for doing so 



mrmrcarey said:


> I agree, you still need variety in the diet and the way mine all hunt down livefood I would never stop offering it - that would just be mean!
> 
> Fresh fruit is good too but the complete diet eliminates the problem of having to worry so much about correctly supplementing the food - the hard work, endless research and money invested in creating a complete diet cant be ignored and we should all embrace it and be grateful for it.Perhaps complete is a strong statement for any food but lets face it, its more complete than any of us would manage otherwise! (if you are honest)
> 
> ...


I agree, some good points, nice discussions and no malice


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## Weekender (Oct 20, 2008)

totally agree that its more complete than most diets!

Whats so hard about supplementing a diet urself? we do it for countless other species that have been around longer than cresties and they are still doing fine. beardies do fine without a special diet and so do leos. 

i think it cant be denied that this product has recieved more advertising than any other complete diet so far. haha. the power of the media and all that! 

as ive already said the only thing that bothers me about it is the ingrediants. spirulina is seaweed isnt it? it just doesnt sound right to me. :blush: 

oh have to agree on the live food, cresties + cockroaches= LOL

its been interesting hearing how everyone uses it aswell from this thread, because there arent many who actually believe its a fully balanced diet for your gecko, in fact some of you add calcium and/or nutrobal (mentioned in another thread a while ago). i think CGD is gna be one of those things that will keep being developed aswell, and hopefully one day it will be the be all and end all, but until then i will stick to my bugs and fruit bowl! haha

: victory:


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## Weekender (Oct 20, 2008)

RE- varied fruit.

i just mean changing it each feeding between different things, like bannana, mango, papaya, figs (really like them!), strawberries etc. nothing citrus though, so no lemons. this way they stay interested in what they eat and u give them a wider range of nutrients. baby foods dont give this range which is why they cant be a staple. 

basically i do what you do, just without the CGD added in.


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

Fair play for the seaweed thing, I didn't notice that! lol. And like you, I try to use different fruits for them so they don't get bored 

What I get worried about, is with Crested Geckos, you have to balance the right amount of UV/D3 to make sure they can make the right amount of calcium. 

I guess with enough research it could be done, as you seem to be doing fine, I guess I just worry about the dreaded MBD!

Also if Nutrobol is overdosed, this can cause severe problems, but if used correctly as part of a NON CGD diet with the other correct supplements, I can only assume it is fine 

I have to add though to those reading, Nutrobol is NOT required if you are using CGD and if you feed live too, dusting your live food with calcium.

x


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## Weekender (Oct 20, 2008)

good point about the nutrobal and CGD... Bad move ppz!!

yeah i understand ur concern about the proper supplements, but i think if we do it like we do other nocturnal, tropical, arboreal, omnivorous geckos we cant go far wrong. 

uve brought up UV. i gave my cresties UV and am putting it back in next breeding season. it makes them so much more active, better eggs, they bask which is weird! and it obviously makes them better coloured. totally reccomend it!!

anyway back to diet... ive used nutrobal once a week and calcium 3 times a week for my breeding pair and she seems fine producing eggs and he seems to be doin well also. the babies get nutrobal 2 times a week and calcium all the other feeds just to make sure the calcium is there to be used properly, which i think is where some people slip up, nutrobal only works if theres calcium to be used up.

this discussion is really interesting.: victory:


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## stern69 (Feb 12, 2009)

I'm going to be getting a crestie soon any fully understand that baby food is for babies. However, I've just got back from tesco and saw 100% organic baby food in various flavours which literally was just mushed up fruit. No additives, no preservatives, nothing. This was also reflected on the ingredients list on the back. Call me naive but what's wrong with this? I understand that processed baby food with porridge oats would be a no no but this is JUST fruit!

The woman in the rep shop I've used for ages keeps mainly cresties herself and swears by this stuff cos it's literally just fruit.


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## Kellybee (Oct 13, 2006)

wouldnt pure fruit go off within a matter of days in an uncooled jar unless it had preservatives? I dont think its recommended to give babies pure fruit either as it goes straight through them, I wonder how that works? Interesting though!


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

Weekender said:


> good point about the nutrobal and CGD... Bad move ppz!!
> 
> yeah i understand ur concern about the proper supplements, but i think if we do it like we do other nocturnal, tropical, arboreal, omnivorous geckos we cant go far wrong.
> 
> ...


See this is where I am learning because I want to use UV next year as it will be my first year breeding and I wan't to add UV, and help them produce healthy eggs whilst keeping them healthy too... I might be PMing you at some point!

It is interesting but also getting complex in the other thread phew!



stern69 said:


> I'm going to be getting a crestie soon any fully understand that baby food is for babies. However, I've just got back from tesco and saw 100% organic baby food in various flavours which literally was just mushed up fruit. No additives, no preservatives, nothing. This was also reflected on the ingredients list on the back. Call me naive but what's wrong with this? I understand that processed baby food with porridge oats would be a no no but this is JUST fruit!
> 
> The woman in the rep shop I've used for ages keeps mainly cresties herself and swears by this stuff cos it's literally just fruit.


This is the discussion in the other thread which goes into why CGD has it's ads and disads too.... This is all very informative and really helpful for me. 

Again, I think if it was detremental to your cresties health, then people would have said so, you just have to be picky.

My argument is, spend your £3 on a mango, a pear and some strawberries, chuck em in a blender and it's freezable. And it won't go off in a jar after three days.

Just my opinion. 



Kellybee said:


> wouldnt pure fruit go off within a matter of days in an unclloed jar unless it had preservatives? I dont think its recommended to give babies oure fruit either as it goes straight through them, I wonder how that works? Interesting though!


Aye good point!

Very interesting....:no1:


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## GlasgowGecko (Feb 23, 2008)

One thing to add here, IF you intend to use UVB with your crested geckos while feeding CGD, please be very careful in monitoring the health of your animals. D3 synthesised is induced by UVB, this means that the extra D3 added to CGD 'could' lead to soft tissue calcification (MBD). I will add at this point that it is not known how much D3 would be required for this, but it is of course a concern, and something worth considering.

Andy


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

GlasgowGecko said:


> One thing to add here, IF you intend to use UVB with your crested geckos while feeding CGD, please be very careful in monitoring the health of your animals. D3 synthesised is induced by UVB, this means that the extra D3 added to CGD 'could' lead to soft tissue calcification (MBD). I will add at this point that it is not known how much D3 would be required for this, but it is of course a concern, and something worth considering.
> 
> Andy


Thank you, very good point to make, it is such a delicate situation.

I am trying to work out how I would control this, and when I have an idea, I may well be asking some advice.

Jac x


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## mondogenerator (May 6, 2009)

Weekender said:


> as ive already said the only thing that bothers me about it is the ingrediants. spirulina is seaweed isnt it? it just doesnt sound right to me. :blush:


 
:lol2:

SPIRULINA is actually a from of cyanobacteria, probably included to boost the level of protein within CGD that would probably be necessary if you were to use as an exclusive diet, as well as being a good source of vitamins c,d,e, and b vits 1,2,3,6,and 9; not to mention the mineral content as well; and it is certainly not seeweed!!!!

I see it like this. its the gecko equivalent of buckwheat, oats and tofu and greens.......NOT glamourous but way more healthy than a ready meal(i.e. baby food)

i personally use both CGD and live food, purely because juvenile growth rates are reported to be ever so slightly slower on CGD alone. In fact for a short while i even considered mixing a batch of CGD and leachianus MRP as the reported proportions of basic elements wee very similar only the leachy diety had a little more protein. Now i wouldnt bother. With the NORMAL monitoring of health, that a RESPONSIBLE owner should be capable of, there is no reason why you cannot use CGD exclusively.

I just enjoy watching Loki attack those damned crickets and an im sure he loves the mental stimulation, and that is why feed both CGD mixed with mash FRESH fruit(then frozen) as many others have mentioned b4 me, and also live once or twice a week maximum. Also calcium always available in another food tub in the viv just in case they fancy some...:lol2:


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## maddragon29 (Oct 16, 2008)

I have used baby food on ill cresties that have turned their nose up at other things, sweet as it may be thats (i think) what got them to eat it. It can help build strength if you've run out of options. 

and for everyones information (before they rant) i mean LAST resort... but it can be given.

I personally do not give my crestie baby food he gets CGD and fresh fruit, As well as crickets once a week.


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

No question here. I feed livefood gutloaded on yesterday's left over CGD or fresh fruit and veg and then feed loaded livefood twice a week and 
2 part repashy 5 days a week. Does the trick. I have no complaints - very healthy geckos. Why would I risk their health with baby food?


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## mondogenerator (May 6, 2009)

Nix said:


> No question here. I feed livefood gutloaded on yesterday's left over CGD or fresh fruit and veg and then feed loaded livefood twice a week and
> 2 part repashy 5 days a week. Does the trick. I have no complaints - very healthy geckos. Why would I risk their health with baby food?



exactly waht i do....crix seem to love the manky looking dried DCG dont they?


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