Questions about Pangea Crested Gecko Diet Answered

We receive questions about our award-winning Crested Gecko Diet all the time. When so many people use it, people are bound to be curious about things, so we opened the door to questions and asked our social media followers, "what questions do you have about Pangea Crested Gecko diet?" The answers to their questions, as well as some frequently asked questions are below! We also made a YouTube video to answer the questions if that format is more your style.

Q: The label is different. Has the diet changed?

A: The short answer is nutrition-wise no, the overall diet has not changed. The long answer is that small changes have been made to the vitamins and iron sources used. We used to use a pre-mixed vitamin blend, but switched to making the mix ourselves to better control the quality of the vitamins in the diet. We also changed the iron source used from Ferrous Fumarate to Ferric Pyrophosphate. This change was made because Ferrous Fumarate oftentimes led to discoloration in the diet, and sometimes increased instances of molding. So essentially any changes made to the diet were not to the recipe, but to nutrient sources so we could improve quality.

Additionally, the way ingredients are arranged on the bag changes from time to time to meet various state regulations. In these cases, there are no changes to the diet at all, just changes to how ingredients are displayed.

Q: Why is there mineral oil in the diet?

A: There is no long mineral oil in the diet. It was part of a premade vitamin mix that we were using that got replaced when we switched to our own vitamin mixture.

Q: What is the most popular diet?

A: Pangea With Insects is the most popular diet overall. It is closely followed by Watermelon, Fig and Insect, and Growth and Breeding which are all tied for second.

Q: What are these white chunks?

A: White chunks in the diet are either potassium sorbate (a preservative) or coconut. Sometimes, larger bits make it into the end product, but these are safe for consumption.

Q: What are these hard black things?

A: Hard black pieces in the diet are typically pieces of ground-up insect meal. We use meal made from house crickets, mealworms and black soldier fly larvae, and sometimes there are slightly larger chunks mixed in. These will never be anything larger than your gecko can safely digest.

Q: Why is my diet a different color?

A: Pangea Crested Gecko diet never used artificial color, so any coloration of the diet, like the pink color of our Watermelon Diet, comes directly from the fruits and other ingredients. Seasonal variations in the fruits can oftentimes result in slightly different colors. 

Q: What is the right feeding schedule?

A: For Crested Geckos, we recommend the following schedule:

• To encourage growth: feed daily, or alternate with live food.
• To maintain weight: feed 3-5 times per week.
• While breeding: feed daily, or alternate with live food.

Q: How much diet should I offer?

A: Most juvenile Crested and Gargoyle geckos should receive about 1/16 oz. or a dime-sized portion. Sub-adults should receive 1/8 oz or a nickel-sized portion. Adults will need 1/4 to 1/2 oz. or filling the bottom of one of our small dishes halfway up to the lip. For a demonstration of portioning the diet, check out our YouTube video below on preparing the diet!

Q: How long does the diet last?

A: Prepared mix is good for up to 7 days if refrigerated in a sealed container, or up to 24 hours in an enclosure. Dry mix is good for 6 months at room temperature, or 1 year if refrigerated.

Q: Why does my diet go bad after a day?

A: All of our diets contain milk protein which is shelf stable when dry, but when rehydrated will spoil after a day at terrarium temperatures. As you can imagine, if you left a fruit smoothie in the New Caledonian jungle for a day, it would likely go bad. We always recommend removing uneaten diet after 24 hours.

Q: Why does my gecko diet smell bad?

A: Mixed diet stored in a warm area can begin to ferment and smell bad after a few days. If you store mixed diet, always refrigerate it. We also recommend storing dry mix in a cool, dry place or refrigerating it if possible to maintain freshness. If a new bag of mix smells bad, please contact us immediately.

Q: Why can't you freeze the diet?

Asked by meb9998

A: We do not recommend freezing the diet. Although we have no nutritional data, we know that the crystallization process of freezing can destroy the cell structure of the natural products, which in turn could alter the nutritional value.

Q: Which diet is recommended for species other than Crested Geckos?

A: It really depends on the species. Look to other keepers of the species you are interested in keeping, and see what they are offering their reptile. The diets were created with Crested Geckos in mind, so they may not be the best solution for other species.

Q: Are there any new diets in the works?

Asked by many people!

A: Yes! We have more diets in development! We can't give any additional details yet, but we have new flavors and diets for other reptiles in the works.

Q: What's the best flavor for picky eaters?

Asked by andresitofl

A: This of course depends on your particular picky eater and their tastes, but we always recommend Fig and Insect for picky eaters. It's the only complete Pangea diet that doesn't use banana powder, so geckos that don't respond to banana tend to like it.

Q: What was the development process like? And what research is currently being done to assure the diet is giving the animals everything they need to thrive?

Asked by 503menagerie

A: We first come up with the formula for the specific species with veterinarians and animal dieticians using optimal ingredients for digestion and absorption. We then test it on our animals for several years to understand how the animals react and grow on our diets. If we ever see anything concerning, we stop the testing and seek advice from the vet and describe what happens to the nutritionist.

Q: Is there research for plant proteins being digestible/bio-available?

Asked by firegolemgeckos

A: There is research on pea proteins being bio-available for Crested Geckos, however we've chosen not to use them as the milk and egg proteins we have used have proven to be very bio-available, and they are not something we want to change.

Q: Why do you continue selling through Amazon knowing their storage practices have ruined several batches and killed geckos?

Asked by sad.phanboy

A: This is the first time we've heard of this issue with Amazon! If any issues like this ever arise, please contact us immediately, and provide us with the lot number and information about when the diet was purchased. Typically, if any diet becomes close to expiring at Amazon, it gets sent back to us. Additionally, a lot of diet gets sold through Amazon, so their stock rarely sits in a warehouse for a long time. We have no reason to believe Amazon's warehouse conditions are ruining batches, as many other natural products are also sold through Amazon without issue.

Q: Will you guys ever get to selling at chain pet stores?

Asked by katkondakoff

A: We currently have no plans to sell to chain pet stores. We want to remain a company that is tied to the reptile hobby and is readily available for our customers. Selling our product through independent stores, as well as directly from us allows us to better connect with the community. Bringing in chain stores adds another layer that we are unable to manage at this time.

Q: How do we actually know that it is a balanced diet? Have you considered getting your food tested through a third party company?

Asked by idyllic.ilash

A: We know it's a balanced diet through scientific research and studies done by nutritionists. Additionally, through feeding our own geckos, and through feedback from our customers, we know geckos thrive on our diets. We also regularly get lab analysis done on batches of our diets to ensure the macronutrients in the diet continue to be where they need to be.

Q: What makes your diet better than all the rest?

Asked by danddcrestys

A: Something that sets our diet apart from the rest is the use of highly bioavailable proteins from milk and egg. We also take pride in having a wide variety of complete diets so that picky geckos have options, and to allow for variety in your geckos diet.

Q: Do all flavors have everything geckos need to thrive?

Asked by agnes_cuz_why_not

A: All diets except for treat have everything geckos need to thrive. Treat is a low-protein version of the diet that can be fed as the fruit portion of your gecko's diet in addition to live insect feedings. We also suggest live insect feeding while using a complete diet to add variety and enrichment for your geckos.

Q: Is there a problem getting stuff to the UK?

Asked by stuart7364

A: Exportation to many countries including the UK is difficult due to the animal proteins in the diet. Customs regulations in many countries are strict, so if you find there is a lack of diet in your country, it is likely due to difficulties in exportation and customs.

Q: Have you ever tried mixing flavors? Maybe you even have a mixture combo to recommend?

Asked by witch_alien_is_he

A: We have mixed diets before, but we don't have any combos to recommend. The most common use case for mixing diets is to encourage a feeding response from picky geckos. The combo that work for any particular picky eater is entirely reliant on that gecko.

Q: What other fruit bases have you tried that either were good but very costly, or simply was a fruit the geckos hated? Has Jackfruit or Durian ever been tried?

Asked by Hooves and Claws "Reptihaus"

A: Guava, peach, and apple have all been tried before, but did not work out. The most difficult part of starting development with a new fruit is figuring out the nutritional value of the selected fruit and balancing them with the vitamins and other ingredients. The aforementioned fruits didn't make the cut due to nutritional balancing issues.

We haven't tried jackfruit or durian yet, but those are good suggestions! We'll look into incorporating them! If you ever have any other food suggestions, we'd love to hear them.