The single most important item on this list. A quality powdered CGD (Pangea, Repashy Crested Gecko Diet MRP, Arcadia) mixed with water into a thin pudding is nutritionally complete on its own and safely covers calcium, D3, and protein without any live feeders at all. Offer fresh CGD 3–4 nights a week in a shallow dish, removing and replacing any uneaten portion within 24 hours to avoid mould.

One of the two most widely used CGD brands alongside Pangea. Comes in multiple flavours to add variety and encourage picky eaters to feed consistently — rotating flavours is common practice and generally considered good enrichment rather than necessary for nutrition.

The best live feeder to offer alongside CGD for enrichment and hunting stimulation — not required nutritionally, but many keepers offer a few once or twice a week. Cannot climb smooth surfaces, near-silent, and gut-loads well. Size no wider than the space between the gecko's eyes.

Fine as an occasional enrichment feeder alongside a CGD-based diet, dusted with calcium if offered. Their erratic movement triggers a strong hunting response. Downsides: noisy, short-lived, and loose crickets left overnight can nibble on a sleeping gecko — remove any uneaten crickets within 15 minutes.

The best-balanced natural calcium source of the common feeders if offering live insects at all. Soft-bodied and easy for a smaller gecko to eat. A good rotation option alongside dubia for enrichment feeding.

Crested geckos are natural fruit-eaters in the wild, and a small piece of ripe mango or papaya can be offered as an occasional treat alongside — never instead of — a complete CGD diet, which already contains balanced fruit and nutrients. Remove uneaten fruit within a few hours; it moulds and attracts pests fast in a humid enclosure.

Similar profile to mango — a well tolerated occasional treat fruit. Keep portions small and infrequent; CGD already supplies the fruit-based nutrition this species needs day to day.

Too large and too tough-bodied for most crested geckos, which have comparatively small mouths and delicate jaws — a real choking and injury risk, and their aggressive bite can injure an unprepared gecko. Skip these for this species regardless of the gecko's age.

The hard chitin exoskeleton is difficult for a crested gecko to digest, and the poor Ca:P ratio offers little nutritional benefit over a complete CGD diet. Generally skipped in favour of softer-bodied feeders if offering live insects at all.

Far too fatty for a species this small — 22% fat content can contribute quickly to obesity in a gecko that typically weighs only 35–65g as an adult. Skip entirely; there's no good reason to offer these to a crested gecko.

High acidity can irritate the digestive tract and isn't part of this species' natural diet. Skip oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit entirely.

Contains persin, a fungicidal toxin considered dangerous to many animals. Every part of the plant — fruit, skin, pit, and leaves — should be kept well away from the enclosure.

Lethal to reptiles generally — fireflies produce lucibufagins, defensive steroid toxins that cause rapid death if ingested. There is no safe amount. Never feed any wild-caught bioluminescent insect.

Any insect from your garden or an outdoor space carries pesticide residue, herbicide contamination, and parasite risk with no reliable way to test or clean it. Only feed captive-bred insects from a reputable supplier if offering live feeders at all.