Yesterday at the Atlanta repticon i got a 4-5 month old crestie. he is currently living in a 12x12x18 exo terra (about 11 gallons), with soil/moss substrate. He has a fern and 2 vines (artificial, i got the rainforest kit) and a rock background. My only problem is, i am having trouble keeping the humidity at 50% or higher. Also, he is ridiculously inactive in the daytime. Is this normal? Or is he just getting acclimated? Final question, i have a heat lamp in the daytime to keep it above 70 degrees. I left it off overnight, but the temp dropped to the mid 60's. Should i keep the lamp on for him?
Crested Gecko basic help?
- Thread starter criggall
- Start date
Dyesub Dave
New member
First of all ... get rid of the substrate and use newspaper or paper towel until your gecko is around 9 months of age. This will not only prevent the gecko from accidentally ingesting some of the substrate but will also help you to see if your gecko is eating and pooping properly.
Next remove the heat lamp unless your gecko is in a really cold room. Crested geckos like temps between 66 to 82 deg. F. ... definitely nothing over 86 deg. F. for prolonged periods of time as this will stress your gecko out and may shorten it's life span. Room temps are usually ideal in most cases.
Crested geckos are nocturnal and come out when the lights go off. Ambient room light is enough for your gecko unless you have live plants in the enclosure which require more light. The gecko only needs enough light to be able to distinguish between day and night. Definitely DO NOT put the enclosure in front of a window that gets sunlight as this can significantly raise the temps to an uncomfortable level.
The humidity is fine as long as you spray the enclosure after the lights go out for the evening and the gecko will drink from droplets of water on the glass and other furnishings. It's good for the cage to dry out somewhat between mistings to help prevent the growth of bacteria and mold.
There is a ton of information regarding the care of Crested Geckos on this website .... Ciliatus.com - The Ultimate Crested Gecko Resource - Crested Gecko Breeding Basics.
I hope I've answered most of your questions and good luck with your new Crestie. Make sure that you do plenty of research to keep him/her healthy and happy!
Dyesub Dave. :biggrin:
Next remove the heat lamp unless your gecko is in a really cold room. Crested geckos like temps between 66 to 82 deg. F. ... definitely nothing over 86 deg. F. for prolonged periods of time as this will stress your gecko out and may shorten it's life span. Room temps are usually ideal in most cases.
Crested geckos are nocturnal and come out when the lights go off. Ambient room light is enough for your gecko unless you have live plants in the enclosure which require more light. The gecko only needs enough light to be able to distinguish between day and night. Definitely DO NOT put the enclosure in front of a window that gets sunlight as this can significantly raise the temps to an uncomfortable level.
The humidity is fine as long as you spray the enclosure after the lights go out for the evening and the gecko will drink from droplets of water on the glass and other furnishings. It's good for the cage to dry out somewhat between mistings to help prevent the growth of bacteria and mold.
There is a ton of information regarding the care of Crested Geckos on this website .... Ciliatus.com - The Ultimate Crested Gecko Resource - Crested Gecko Breeding Basics.
I hope I've answered most of your questions and good luck with your new Crestie. Make sure that you do plenty of research to keep him/her healthy and happy!
Dyesub Dave. :biggrin:
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Thanks for your help. He has been hiding inside the leaves of the plants. When the heat lamp is off, the temp goes down to about 67, and he goes to the top to warm up. I know most people recommend a 20g for adults, but I have also heard that they if alone they are fine in a 10. What is your opinion on that?
Dyesub Dave
New member
Well bigger is usually better although many suggest NOT to use too big an enclosure when they're young so it's easier for them to catch their live food. ie Crickets.
I would say that your gecko is fine in that size enclosure for now but be prepared to increase that size in another 4-5 months from now. For one or two adults it's recommended to use at least an 18"x18"x24" Exo-Terra or equivalent sized enclosure. But of course if you want to make a nice natural enclosure with more space, plants, branches etc. the sky's the limit !! ;-)
Dyesub Dave. :biggrin:
I would say that your gecko is fine in that size enclosure for now but be prepared to increase that size in another 4-5 months from now. For one or two adults it's recommended to use at least an 18"x18"x24" Exo-Terra or equivalent sized enclosure. But of course if you want to make a nice natural enclosure with more space, plants, branches etc. the sky's the limit !! ;-)
Dyesub Dave. :biggrin:
zohariels
New member
Ditto what Dave said! To add to that, one of my females especially is always in the exact same position on the exact same leaf each and every single day, and I literally never see her move. Once it's dark though, she cruises absolutely everywhere before heading back in the morning!
As for tank sizes, I did keep an adult male in a 12x12x18, compared to when they're in a larger enclosure, I noticed they fired up very rarely and seemed to have smaller appetites, and were just generally 'duller'. I think this is one case where bigger IS better!
As for tank sizes, I did keep an adult male in a 12x12x18, compared to when they're in a larger enclosure, I noticed they fired up very rarely and seemed to have smaller appetites, and were just generally 'duller'. I think this is one case where bigger IS better!
Dyesub Dave
New member
Oh .... and we'd like to see some pics of your crestie and it's enclosure when you have a chance. Sometimes it's easier to give suggestions from a visual rather than a description. And most of us here love to see pics of gekcos!! ;-)
Dyesub Dave. :biggrin:
Dyesub Dave. :biggrin: