How Many Discoid Roaches to Feed Your Reptile

How Many Discoid Roaches Should You Feed Your Reptile?

"How many roaches should I feed my bearded dragon?" is the single most common question we get at All Angles Creatures. The answer depends on your animal's species, age, size, and activity level — but we can give you solid guidelines that work for the vast majority of keepers.

The general approach: offer as many appropriately sized discoid roaches as your reptile will eat in a 10-15 minute feeding session, adjusted for the frequency recommended for your species. Remove uneaten roaches after the session (though unlike crickets, leftover roaches won't harm your animal if left in the enclosure).

Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragons are the most commonly kept insectivore, and their feeding needs change dramatically as they grow.

Baby Bearded Dragons (0-3 months)

• How many: 30-60 small nymphs per day
• How often: 3 feeding sessions per day, 10-20 nymphs per session
• Diet split: 80% insects, 20% greens (offer greens even if they ignore them)

Baby beardies are growing machines. They need all the protein they can get. Don't be alarmed by how much they eat — this is normal and necessary for healthy development. If your baby beardie stops eating before 15 minutes, that's fine. But if it's still hunting eagerly at 15 minutes, you can extend the session slightly.

Juvenile Bearded Dragons (3-8 months)

• How many: 20-40 small to medium roaches per day
• How often: 2 feeding sessions per day
• Diet split: 70% insects, 30% greens

Sub-Adult Bearded Dragons (8-14 months)

• How many: 15-25 medium to large roaches per day
• How often: 1 feeding session per day
• Diet split: 50-60% insects, 40-50% greens

Adult Bearded Dragons (14+ months)

• How many: 10-20 large roaches per feeding
• How often: Every other day, or 3 times per week
• Diet split: 40% insects, 60% greens and vegetables

Adult beardies should transition to a majority-vegetable diet. Overfeeding insects to adults causes obesity — one of the most common health problems in pet bearded dragons. If your adult beardie is overweight (fat pads behind the arms, overly thick tail base), reduce insect frequency to twice per week.

Leopard Geckos

Leopard geckos are strict insectivores — no vegetables, ever. All nutrition comes from the insects you provide, making portion control and variety especially important.

Juvenile Leopard Geckos (0-6 months)

• How many: 5-8 small nymphs per feeding
• How often: Every day

Sub-Adult Leopard Geckos (6-12 months)

• How many: 5-8 small to medium roaches per feeding
• How often: Every other day

Adult Leopard Geckos (12+ months)

• How many: 5-8 medium roaches per feeding
• How often: Every 2-3 days

Leopard geckos are prone to obesity, especially females that aren't breeding. Monitor their tail thickness — a healthy leo tail is plump but not wider than the head. If the tail becomes excessively fat or the belly hangs when walking, reduce feeding frequency or quantity.

Chameleons

Chameleons are especially sensitive to overfeeding. In the wild, they eat infrequently compared to the abundance we offer in captivity. Overfeeding chameleons — particularly veiled chameleons — causes gout, edema, and organ damage.

Juvenile Chameleons

• How many: 8-15 small nymphs per feeding
• How often: Daily

Adult Veiled and Panther Chameleons

• How many: 5-8 medium roaches per feeding
• How often: Every other day. Some experienced keepers feed adult chameleons only 3 times per week.

Adult Jackson's Chameleons

• How many: 3-6 small to medium roaches per feeding
• How often: Every other day

With chameleons, less is often more. A slightly hungry chameleon is usually a healthier chameleon than an overfed one. If your chameleon consistently ignores food or walks away from feeders, it may be telling you it's been overfed.

Monitors and Tegus

Large lizards eat large quantities. These animals have fast metabolisms during growth and need substantial protein intake.

Juvenile Savannah Monitors / Ackie Monitors

• How many: 10-20 medium to large roaches per feeding
• How often: Daily or every other day

Juvenile Argentine Tegus

• How many: 15-30 medium to large roaches per feeding (tegus are voracious)
• How often: Daily during growth season

Adult Monitors and Tegus

• How many: 15-30+ large roaches per feeding, supplemented with other prey items
• How often: 3-5 times per week depending on species and body condition

For adult savannah monitors, watch body condition carefully. Wild savannah monitors are lean — captive ones are often obese. Reduce feeding frequency if your monitor develops visible fat rolls or difficulty moving.

Other Popular Species

• Crested geckos: 3-5 small nymphs twice per week (alongside their CGD/fruit diet)
• Blue tongue skinks: 5-10 medium to large roaches twice per week (alongside their omnivore mix)
• Pacman frogs: 3-5 appropriately sized roaches every 3-4 days
• Ball pythons: Not typically fed insects (they eat rodents), but some keepers offer large roaches as enrichment snacks
• Tarantulas: 1-3 appropriately sized roaches per week depending on species and size
• Dart frogs: 10-20 of the smallest available nymphs daily (fruit-fly-sized)

Signs You're Feeding Too Much

• Visible fat deposits (behind arms, base of tail, neck area)
• Belly dragging on the ground when walking
• Consistently refusing food — the animal is simply full all the time
• Weight gain documented at vet visits or on a gram scale

Signs You're Feeding Too Little

• Visible hip bones or spine
• Sunken fat pads (in species that have them, like leos)
• Low energy and activity
• Slow growth in juveniles compared to expected rates
• Aggressive or frantic feeding response at every meal

The Bottomless Beardie Problem

Bearded dragons especially will eat far more than they should if given unlimited access. A baby beardie will eat 60+ roaches a day and still look hungry. This is normal predator behavior — in the wild, they don't know when the next meal is coming. In captivity, you need to be the portion controller. Follow the guidelines above and resist the temptation to keep offering "just a few more."

Order the right quantity of discoid roaches for your feeding schedule and your animals will thrive.

— Matt, Founder, All Angles Creatures