Would this Cage be okay for 1 Crested gecko?

[Harley_Davidson]

Tynan that all depends on if you go live Vivarium or fake. If you go fake spot clean and give it a thorough clean monthly. If you go live you can add earthworms and spintails (tiny bugs) and they will help clean the tank. Myself all my tanks except my leopard geckos are live vivariums. I prefer the look better.

Feeling overwhelmed yet? Lol its a lot to take in I know.

 

[TynanV]

Tynan that all depends on if you go live Vivarium or fake. If you go fake spot clean and give it a thorough clean monthly. If you go live you can add earthworms and spintails (tiny bugs) and they will help clean the tank. Myself all my tanks except my leopard geckos are live vivariums. I prefer the look better.

Feeling overwhelmed yet? Lol its a lot to take in I know.

Just a little overwhelmed! But I know it will lead to my Gecko being happy and healthy! Is spot cleaning like, say if my Gecko poops I just clean up the spot that he pooped in? i.e. replacing the substrate where he pooped?

 

[Harley_Davidson]

Yup that's it. Remember Cresties like to climb and they like to have places to hide.

 

[TynanV]

Yeah, I'm definitely gonna buy lots of fake branches and logs for the Gecko to climb up on and stuff. Should the hiding spots be plants mainly at the top of the terrarium or spread evenly throughout it?

 

[TynanV]

I'm gonna go to bed now, I have a lot to think about, lol! I'm sure I'll be back tomorrow with some new questions though!

 

[Kristy]

Anytime you see poop stuck to stuff, just pick it out with a tissue. I wipe down the walls if I see I need to but regularly once a month and rinse all the vines and branches then. I have a 1/4 inch layer of cocofiber, I have only had the tank 2 months and havent changed the cocofiber out yet, just scooped out obvious poo. There is a spray you can use to wipe the walls down that some people use, chloro-something. Ive just used hot water and a little windex, without the gecko nearby!

 

[TynanV]

I just read somewhere that in a bigger tank, younger geckos tend to not eat. Would this be the case with a Crested Gecko in an 18x18x24 Terrarium such as the one Harley_Davidson suggested?

 

[Tjmphx]

You would be fine in that size. My hatchlings go straight into a tank = to a 29gal right away. I've never had one that won't eat. Might be hard if you feed live food but I usually use a smaller 5 gallon when I use feeders. I'll put the crestie in with a couple feeders and let them eat away. In their normal tank I keep the cgd in the same spot all the time for them.

 

[Kristy]

People say they dont eat because they cant find their food. If you put crickets in the tank the crestie probably wont be able to catch them. Especially if you have dark or thick substrate, which the crestie can ingest while trying to catch a cricket. I take out my crestie and put him on a flat pillowcase on the floor and feed him 1/4 inch size crickets (one at a time) once every two weeks. They are all too small to run away! As for crested gecko diet, it is best to have that raised of the floor. If you can invest in a magnaturals food dish $30, that is a great idea. You can use lids from jugs in them instead of buying replacement cups. Just google magnaturals. I have my gcd in a milk jug lid and one with water on top of a mini 3x5 inch kricket keeper, turned on its side without the lid. That way food is off the ground, I can get to it and my crestie loves to go in it to shed! He can find his food easily, has its always in the same place. Check out crested gecko set ups on youtube. As for plants, if you dont do live, fake vines/plant leaves on the sides of the tank that are suction cupped. A couple branches with horizontal space and/or a couple vines to twist and turn across the tank. Here are some examples to put in a tank. As for the grapevine branches, you can find some cheap and some not, but you can find some really good shapes.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752569
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752568
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753958
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753960
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752749

 

[Harley_Davidson]

I put my CGD in the lid of a medicine bottle (well washed....lol) and then I use velcro pads and stick it to the ledge I built into my background. Do that for her little water dish too. That way they can't accidentally make them fall. My crestie is in a 12X12X18 and has no problem finding her crickets whatsoever....LOL

 

[TynanV]

Wait, how old is you Crested Gecko than Harley_Davidson? Is it fine to have a crestie in a 12x12x18 for its whole life?

 

[Kristy]

I know you are not asking me that directly, but yes it is. I like giving my crestie the extra room in a bigger one, but 12x12x18 is fine. Some cresties never get that big either and so they are fine.

 

[TynanV]

Okay thanks! I was just wondering because the Terrarium size difference also comes with a big price difference too, lol!

 

[TynanV]

Another question, about "misting" the terrarium. Is that just giving a few spritzes of water into the terrarium and on the Gecko? How does that work?

 

[Tjmphx]

I try not to directly spay my geckos especially at night time to prevent taking too much heat away. I tend to have a couple live plants in my tanks such as Pothos and I'll spray them. Don't soak your tank though, you don't want standing water or mold issues.

 

[Harley_Davidson]

I know you are not asking me that directly, but yes it is. I like giving my crestie the extra room in a bigger one, but 12x12x18 is fine. Some cresties never get that big either and so they are fine.

I have my little girl in a 12X12X18 and she seems happy . She has room to roam around and plants and a cool background and a hide and some ledges...LOL....what more can one ask for.....oh yeah FREEDOM :crackup:

But seriously I have thought about moving her into a bigger tank since she is only a year old and I am not sure how much bigger she will get.

Another question, about "misting" the terrarium. Is that just giving a few spritzes of water into the terrarium and on the Gecko? How does that work?

I never spray her directly. I spray the walls, the plants and the ground. I also include a little dish with water in it.

Ann

 

[TynanV]

I have my little girl in a 12X12X18 and she seems happy . She has room to roam around and plants and a cool background and a hide and some ledges...LOL....what more can one ask for.....oh yeah FREEDOM :crackup:

But seriously I have thought about moving her into a bigger tank since she is only a year old and I am not sure how much bigger she will get.



I never spray her directly. I spray the walls, the plants and the ground. I also include a little dish with water in it.

Ann

Do you put put fresh water every day? How often do you mist her?

 

[Kristy]

Mist 75-90% humidity in the evening. Let in cycle down and do a short mist in the morning. Then in the evening, heavier, and so on. I got a reptifogger. They got bad reviews but I love mine. THey are expensive but I got it on ebay. You do have to cut a small hole in the screen though. I have mine on a timer. 25min in the evening and 10 min in the morning. I love it!!It gets the tank moist but not wet. Misting is fine, but what if you arent home for a couple days.

 

[TynanV]

Mist 75-90% humidity in the evening. Let in cycle down and do a short mist in the morning. Then in the evening, heavier, and so on. I got a reptifogger. They got bad reviews but I love mine. THey are expensive but I got it on ebay. You do have to cut a small hole in the screen though. I have mine on a timer. 25min in the evening and 10 min in the morning. I love it!!It gets the tank moist but not wet. Misting is fine, but what if you arent home for a couple days.

Sounds like a good investment to me! So the only way to get the humidity right is to buy a mister? How do you do it manually?

 

[Kristy]

Lots of people dont use a reptifogger. Just use a spray bottle. Be sure to have a humidity detector so you know where your at. Most expert crestie people have live plants and hand spray and they can get things just right. I use fake plants and I find the fogger to be better because the decor doesnt get drippy wet. Either way you need water that is free of chemicals and minerals and stuff. I keep gallon milk jugs of water with no lids so the chemicals disappear. I use the water for fish tanks, gerbils and the gecko so they all have clean water.