I am planning on getting my first crested gecko soon. I will be putting him in a 20 gallon high aquarium, will this be sufficient? If not I see the cages in the pet store that are all screen, are those good? Here is my one main worry when it comes to non desert geckos (jungle?) I got a blue tokay from someone about 6 months ago, I didnt notice when I first picked it up, but looking closely at the cage, I noticed it was infested with very tiny white mite like bugs. Needless to say I cleaned his cage and replaced the substrate (which looked like it had never been replaced) and gave him to my cousin. It was the wetness that drew those bugs, the wetness and the fact that the substrate was never changed. It just turned me off to anything other than leo's, but Im willing to try again. Have any of you had any bad experiences with raising cresties? Any tips for a first timer?
First Crested Gecko
- Thread starter Geck-oh
- Start date
Screen cages work for some geckos. Depends on if you can keep humidity. It may matter where you live too. 20 Gallon high tank is fine if you mean fish tank. But the exo terra or zoo med 18x18x24 opens top and front and that may be easier for cleaning and general getting in and out of. The substrate doesnt have to be really thick which may be one reason why got over wet and full of mites. You can just use papertowels (which is good for young juvies) or I just use a 1/2 inch of loose coco fiber. I change it out every 6 weeks or so, and I stir it up sometimes.
Spyral
New member
It's possible that the bugs you saw were harmless - nay, beneficial! - soil mites or springtails that help to break down animal wastes and return nutrients to the soil. However, if you have an out-of-balance system you can get overrun with these guys for a short period of time before the population settles down. If the natural setup is not for you, with cresties you will be perfectly fine on paper towel. In an open screen tank, you'll want to be sure to hold in the moisture by spraying often or wrapping part of the tank in plastic wrap. Offering a humid retreat would also help the gecko regulate humidity, but the ambient humidity should not drop below 45%.