Placement for feeding cups and ledges

[Marlo's Geckos]

Hello,

I was curious if you all have recommendations about where to place feeder cups and ledges. I have read differing opinions about placing them on the ground, mid-height in the tank, or closer to the top. I would like to know what works best so that I can make my chahoua happy.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Just for fun]

I keep the small acrylic ledge from Pangea on one side and the Magnaturals small worm ledge(the feeder cup is not in it at the moment) on the other. I would say they are just above the middle area. I posted a couple of pictures of both, this is an Exo Terra 18”x18”x24”.

 

[Frogmom]

sometimes I put food dishes in 3 different areas to see which one they use. Most important is easy access to the food by means of a branch or cork bark. A ledge sitting all alone on glass can be hard to get to after you mist and the glass is wet. I don't put the food near a heat source as it will dry out. On the bottom is last choice . It gets pooped in. But when all is said and done , they will pretty much find food no matter where you put it when they get hungry enough

 

[Michael]

I've historically put my feeding ledges about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the glass with a cork slab or thick branch that leans against it. To @Frogmom's point, it's important that they can get easy access.

Many of my geckos walk through their food bowls and all over the glass, creating a lot of extra work for me with cleaning. I've been tempted to put feeding bowls on the ground at the base of a cork slab in hopes that they will walk up the cork instead of around the glass after dredging through the bowl

 

[ArborealsAnonymous]

Ive started keeping the water bowls elevated but the food bowls at the base of the cork tubes because they do track food all over the glass if I leave the food by a wall. They are most certainly eating, their setups are not gigantic and they are going to find their food.

 

[Michael]

Ive started keeping the water bowls elevated but the food bowls at the base of the cork tubes because they do track food all over the glass if I leave the food by a wall. They are most certainly eating, their setups are not gigantic and they are going to find their food.

Has this worked well for you? I might need to try it... I'm at my wits end with cleaning enclosures lately!

 

[ArborealsAnonymous]

Its been amazing! My keeping is a constant adjustment of finding ways to keep my babies in optimal conditions while keeping the maintenance as enjoyable as possible for myself haha. Switching to bioactive tanks and putting food on the ground have been the single largest changes in terms of usefulness. For my leachies, I also wax the front glass so they can't climb on it and shit all over the door. My chahouas don't seem to do that though.

 

[StikyPaws]

I took a screen shot of a vid of my enclosure, not the best pic but you can see where I'm apparently a cruel mom and put mine on the floor of his enclosure on a tile lol. None of my chahoua have ever had a problem finding the food. I use a tile so it's up away from the substrate and (usually) away from the springtails. Oddly neither of mine walk through it and glass schmear often at all.

 

[Michael]

I took a screen shot of a vid of my enclosure, not the best pic but you can see where I'm apparently a cruel mom and put mine on the floor of his enclosure on a tile lol. None of my chahoua have ever had a problem finding the food. I use a tile so it's up away from the substrate and (usually) away from the springtails. Oddly neither of mine walk through it and glass schmear often at all.

That's a great idea too!

Plus, I would imagine that in the wild, they eat figs and fruit that have over-ripened and fallen to the ground. I think I'm going to try ground feeding over the next few weeks and see how it goes. Thanks, guys!