What diet should I use for a beginning sugar glider owner? I hope that question makes sense. With all the diets out there and with the ratios I am getting kind of confused. So I hope that question made sense. Also what diets do you use? What do you recommend?

Hi, Welcome to GG and glider parenthood!

First a few questions so that we can better help you out...

Do you already have the gliders? How old are they? and what are they currently being fed?

If you are in the beginning stages of researching and don't have them yet...then you can read thru the diet page in the gliderpedia tab for the different recognized diets for "Nectar replacement staple diets".

There is also www.gliderkids.com that one of the members here put together a few different staple recipes with the calcium/phosphorus ratios listed also.

Some of the diets like BML are more restrictive in the fruit and veggie selections due to calcium content in the staple and that may be a consideration for you also in choosing a diet.

Some of the diets need ingredients that you can get from your local grocer and pet store, while others will have some ingredients you would have to order on-line.

I would recommend BML for the beginner. I've been feeding it since I first got my gliders 5 years ago and I love how straight forward it is. The BML is really easy to mix and the only ingredients that are difficult to get are the RepCal and Herptivite, which honestly aren't that difficult to obtain. And there's a limited list of what fruits and veggies you can feed, which takes out the need to look up the calcium to phosphorous ratio on what you give, and makes it a lot less confusing.

Hpw is easy too....so its just up to u...

For a new owner, I would want things to be easy and fast. This means you probably don't want to calculate ratios but rather just feed a wide variety and you probably don't want to buy a ton of ingredients.

Least ingredients but pricey [variety as always!]:
AWD
Moderate amount of ingredients but more complicated ratios [f/v with lots of Calcium]:
Original HPW
Moderate amount of ingredients with less complicating ratios [provide a wide variety of f/v & you are good]:
Orange Wombaroo
More ingredients with less complicating ratios [provide a wide variety of f/v & you are good]:
LGRS Suggie Soup
More ingredients with strict veggie/fruit list [fed f/v with high phos]:
BML

There are other diets that not everyone recommends or would suggest for various reasons; not popular, some reports of health issues, not fresh , complicated, etc.

I use Suggie Soup and if you don't have a wild bird feed store or a trader joe near you then I also sell the powdered ingredients for easy access:
Suggie Soup Sample
When I get the Wombaroo supplement I use: http://www.thepamperedglider.com/supplements.htm
This place sells HPW Samples if you want to try that diet out and if you are clever the HPW Samples can be used as AWD samples too.

I have links to the original instructions for most of the widely used glider feeding plans on my web page to help you read the recipes, preparation and serving instructions. Ask questions if you need help deciding.

http://www.gliderkids.com/contact.html

Thank you all for the diet recommendations.

I think it is worthwhile taking some time and studying gliders nutritional requirements. The various diets often come with the caution that they must be reproduced exactly, but that is because there are some nutrition principles at work. If you have a sense of what is needed you can be more confident and make wiser choices.