The name Blue River refers to the Blue River Provincial Park where in 1994 crested geckos were rediscovered. The Crested Gecko was discovered first in 1866 and after this was thought to be extinct until 1994 when they were rediscovered on a herpetological expedition.

Blue River Park is situated on the southern part of New Caledonia’s main island Grand Terre and is one of only three locations that Crested Geckos can be found in the wild. The other two being just South of Mount Dzumac and a small island south of the main island named Ile de Pins or Isle of Pines.

 

Blue River Diets recently funded a research trip to Isle de Pins in conjunction with Exotics Keeper Magazine to help us better understand the needs of Crested Geckos in the wild and will be returning soon. This research is aiding us in developing our diets to make them exactly what your crested friend requires.

We recommend a ratio of 1 part formula to 2 parts water.

Sealed: Unopened pouches will keep our formulas fresh for 24 months. Store in a cool, dark place until opened.

Note about Expiration Dates: Some customers have noticed that the expiration dates on our latest Blue River Diets shipment appear shorter than expected. Please rest assured, these dates are written in UK date format (day/month/year). For example, an expiration date listed as 1/9/2026 should be read as September 1, 2026, not January 9, 2026.

In an enclosure: Once the diet has been prepared with water, your geckos can enjoy our food for at least 24 hours in their enclosures. Depending on the temperature and humidity levels of the enclosure, you may keep the diet in for longer, but we recommend monitoring your cups for any signs of spoiling and changing the formula every 24 hours to ensure optimal freshness.

In a refrigerator: Prepared and leftover diet can be stored in a refrigerator once mixed for 7 days.

Blue River Diets formulas have been specifically designed with Crested Geckos (Correlophusciliates) in mind. Other species of New Caledonian geckos, such as Mossy Geckos (Mniarogekkochahoua), Gargoyle geckos (Rhacodactylusauriculatus), and New Caledonian Giant Geckos (Rhacodactylusleachianus) have similar dietary needs, and will also enjoy our formulas and flavors.

Note: We recommend our Fruit & Bug formula for Leachianus, due to their need for ahigher protein intake. Other flavors can still be offered occasionally for variety.

Many Day gecko species enjoy all flavors of Blue River Diets when paired with the live insects they require to thrive. We have also had reports of Blue Tongue Skinks enjoying our diets as a tasty snack, and even feedback that our dry formula has worked well as an additional gut-load with feeder insects.

The simple answer is yes. While Blue River Diets provide a nutritionally complete diet that offers everything your gecko needs to stay healthy and grow, live food should still be offered, as it provides more than just a meal.

Regularly offering live foods to your gecko encourages natural behaviour and provides mental stimulation. In the wild, crested geckos are opportunistic feeders, hunting live prey such as insects. Offering live food stimulates their natural hunting instincts and encourages physical activity, which can promote mental stimulation, prevent boredom, and improve their overall well-being in captivity.

In addition to the mental benefits, the physical advantages of offering live food should not be overlooked. Chasing and catching live insects gives crested geckos the opportunity to exercise, helping maintain healthy muscle tone and keeping them physically active. Although Blue River Diets are complete, feeding them exclusively without the addition of live foods can result in your gecko becoming sedentary and lazy, which in turn could lead to obesity.

While Blue River Diets are formulated to meet the nutritional needs of crested geckos, offering insects such as locusts, crickets, cockroaches, or mealworms can provide additional protein, fat, and other micronutrients — which is always beneficial.

As the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. Including both Blue River Diets and live insects helps mimic your gecko's natural feeding habits, ensuring they receive a wide range of nutrients. This also prevents dietary monotony, which could lead to picky eating or reduced interest in food over time.

Whenever you offer live insects to your geckos, we recommend that these insects are gut-loaded at least 24 hours before feeding. Gut loading is the process of feeding the insects a quality formula to fill their gut with essential nutrients, such as calcium and protein — similar to what geckos would gain from consuming wild prey. This ensures your gecko receives the highest quality insects possible. Rember that for insect eating reptiles it's not "you are what you eat", it's "you are what your insects eat".

In summary, offering live food alongside Blue River Diets ensures your crested gecko stays physically active, mentally stimulated, and nutritionally satisfied. This promotes a healthier and more balanced lifestyle, while most importantly allowing your gecko to behave as it would in its natural habitat.

Our diets support crested geckos of all life stages, including gravid and egg-laying females. Regardless of formula or brand, if your geckos are breeding, special consideration should be given before breeding and after laying to ensure that their weights and calcium sacs are healthy.

Blue River Diets was created through working with a long-established manufacture of reptile foods, as well as the extensive knowledge of industry professionals, such as feedback from our team of researchers in New Caledonia, reptile hobbyists, experienced gecko breeders, and the knowledge of the PeregrineLivefoods team. The diet has also been tested on breeding groups at our UK-based facility.

When initially creating Blue River Diets we made the decision to exclude preservatives to attempt to keep the diet as natural as we could. After launch, the gecko keeping community voiced that it was important for them to be able to leave food in their enclosures for over 24 hours. Although this is still not something that we recommend we listened and took steps to ensure those that would like to do so can do it with added piece of mind.

Potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid, which occurs naturally in some fruits, particularly the berries of the rowan tree (Sorbus aucuparia). While sorbic acid itself is a natural compound, potassium sorbate is typically manufactured through chemical processes for commercial use.

Although potassium sorbate is synthetically produced, it is often considered a "nature-identical" compound. This means that the potassium sorbate used in our diets has the same chemical structure as sorbic acid found in nature, despite being synthesized in a lab. It is widely accepted for use in natural and organic products because of its non-toxic nature and close relation to a naturally found compound. This and the reasons below helped us to the realisation that potassium sorbate was the correct preservative for our diets.

Prevents Spoilage: Potassium sorbate inhibits the growth of mould, yeast, and some bacteria, extending the shelf life of crested gecko MRP.

Maintains Nutritional Quality: By preventing microbial growth, potassium sorbate helps maintain the nutritional integrity of our diets.

Safe and Effective at Low Concentrations: Potassium sorbate is effective in very low concentrations without impacting the taste, smell, or texture of the food.

Non-Toxic and Safe: Potassium sorbate is widely regarded as a non-toxic and safe preservative, metabolized by animals into harmless compounds (water and carbon dioxide).

Stable in Powder Form: Potassium sorbate remains stable in powder-based diets, making it a practical choice for products stored for long periods.

When creating Blue River Diets, each key ingredient was carefully considered. We believe that soya protein isolate is the best choice for building a natural and complete diet for Crested Geckos. It is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids, highly concentrated at about 90% protein, easily digestible, low in fat, and sustainable. It supports muscle development and maintenance, which is essential for crested geckos especially during periods of growth or recovery.

Inactive postbiotics represent a safe, stable, and effective means of enhancing gecko health through their food. Postbiotics are bioactive compounds produced during the fermentation process by probiotics. Unlike live probiotics, inactive postbiotics are shelf-stable, don't risk introducing live bacteria into your gecko's system, and provide benefits including immune support, enhanced digestive health, improved nutrient absorption, better skin and shedding, stress reduction, and reduction of pathogenic bacteria.

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