how active should my gecko be

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rocketqueen

New member
sorry for posting so many new threads but as i am new to the gecko/reptile world, i'm just trying to get as much information as possible.

i have read that crested geckos are pretty active reptiles, and of course that they will be more active at night. as i am sleeping, i of course do not see exactly what hes doing overnight, but in the evenings he seems to just sit on the stuff in the tank and doesnt walk around alot...ive only had it for a few days so i am assuming that it will take time for it to settle and become comfortable in the new surroundings, but is it normal that hes sitting quite still the majority of the time that im looking into the tank?

ive noticed droppings and urate in the tank already so i believe he is eating and drinking. hes pretty active when i take him out of the tank and have him crawl on my hands etc.

thanks in advance!
 
Hannibal

Hannibal

Active member
Usually it takes a week or two for them to get really comfortable with their surroundings. Once settled, he'll get a lot more active....sometimes even waking you up in the middle of the night from being so active.

It's good you're asking lots of questions, it means you care a lot about your little one and he'll get the best care possible from you.
 
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rocketqueen

New member
thanks everyone for the reassurance :)

i am definitely going to have a ton of questions, im trying to research and ask as much as i can. i'm already in love with my little one so i want to give him the best home i can!
 
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rocketqueen

New member
omg yes, i can't believe how attached i am already after only having one for 3 days so far haha...every day after work i RACE home and run up my stairs to look in the tank to see if everything is okay with my little one and to see what hes up to!
 
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rocketqueen

New member
haha yep, even if i wake up in the middle of the night for whatever reason, i always get out of bed for a sec just to do a check up :) once he's all settled in i'm sure i wont be so paranoid lol
 
Hannibal

Hannibal

Active member
Both of you will experience even more delight by having 2 or more because they will chirp to each other at night...especially if in separate enclosures. It's so cute because each one has a difference sounding chirp.
 
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rocketqueen

New member
aw thats adorable, i didn't know they could make sounds!

i'm still really worried about my gecko...hes really not moving around a lot at all, when he's in the enclosure, he seems to just find one spot and then sit in that same spot for hours....i know he's just a baby and probably adjusting to the new surroundings, but is this still considered normal? everything i read says cresteds are very active reptiles :(
 
Hannibal

Hannibal

Active member
My baby garg (cousin of crestie) is just 1 month old (2.6grams) now and he is usually only in 3 spots of his larger kritter keeper. Babies usually don't wonder around quite as much as juvies and adults. I'd say once they are between 8-10gram they are moving around a lot more.

Your little one should be ok. Being a new parent to something so little is scary at times, but your doing everything right. It will take a little time for you to get use to your little one's behavior and personality, but it's fun/interesting while your learning. If you want you can set-up a 25 or 40 watt red heat bulb to raise the temps up to 74-76, that way you know he's warm enough and it won't hurt him.
 
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rocketqueen

New member
i'll get him one of those heat bulbs for sure. how will i know how long to leave it on, if it gets too warm in the tank etc. ? thanks again for all your help/reassurance.
 
Hannibal

Hannibal

Active member
You can get a digital temp/humidity gauge at Wal-Mart or any home improvement stop for between $5-$20. I put it on the screen top of the little one's enclosure at one end and have the red build about 3-4" above the screen top at the other end. I watch to see where the temp stops at abd either lower or raise it to get the temp I want, then leave it on at night or you can even have it on 24/7.
 
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rocketqueen

New member
okay i ended up getting a bulb but the lowest they had at the reptile store near me was 50...it feels pretty warm so now i'm afraid it will get too hot for my gecko :(

ahh this is all starting to get so confusing....do you think 50 is okay or should i take it back to the store? they guy seemed pretty knowledgeable as well and he showed me the terrarium with the crested geckos at the store and they use the same bulb and fixture there, but the tank was much bigger...

ahh help :(
 
Metal_Gecko

Metal_Gecko

New member
If the 50W *IS* getting the tank too warm, back it away from the terrarium a few inches, or get a lamp with a built in dimmer. ;)

-Wes
 
kris10

kris10

New member
it depends on what your weather is like. if it gets cold during the day i would put on a heating lamp to get the tank back up to about 72-76. i live in california where that is always the weather, so i dont need a heating lamp, but i have one anyways because this winter has been particularly colder than normal. the lowest i have seen the tank go is 60 at night and i hear that is an acceptable temperature for night. i also live close to the beach so the humidity is always perfect. if you need to warm up the tank a little bit a day i would suggest getting a timer and figuring out how long you need to set it so that it maintains the right temp so that you can still use whatever watt bulb you bought. you can program the timer to go on and off at all times of the day. so you might want to just mess around with that.
 
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