Terrarium for a baby gecko

Freep

Freep

New member
Is this any good?

Komodo Plastic Faunarium Vivarium Tank Terrarium - ideal for geckos, snakes | eBay

I am talking to a breeder at the moment in preperation for getting a crested gecko this year from them. They said they sell them at 5grams plus so presume thats very young . would that terrarium be ok for it as a baby or should I just buy an big exo terra and put one straight into that?

If you say go for the plastic one while it is young how long will it be before it out grows that and is able to go into a bigger glass exo terra?
 
Aimless

Aimless

Super Moderator
I think that would be fine for a very small gecko.

as far as a timeline, it depends on how quickly they grow. this is a function of diet, temperature, maybe parentage, all sorts of things; each gecko grows at its own rate. some are adult size by a year or so, some take more than 2 years.

I would be prepared to move him into something larger in as little as a few months.
 
Aimless

Aimless

Super Moderator
I think that can work. sometimes a baby will be a little nervous with the extra space, but IME if you give them plenty of cover - and I mean plenty, so they can feel safe and hidden - they will adjust fine. I would also put in more than one food dish to start.

however, I would add one caveat: for a new gecko, no matter the source, I like to keep them in something like the enclosure you linked, on a paper towel substrate, for about 2 weeks to make certain their poo is normal. that's the biggest indicator of whether your gecko is eating, if he may have parasites, and whether or not he's properly hydrated. in a big exo, especially if you add plenty of plants and sticks and stuff to climb on and hide in, it's harder to see if/when he's pooping.
 
Freep

Freep

New member
That makes perfect sense thank you. I will do the two week thing then to make sure it is healthy when I get it and then put it into the exo with loads of cover, hides etc and a few food bowls so it does not have to travel far to find food.

Thank you :)
 
Aimless

Aimless

Super Moderator
no prob :) are you going to do real plants, or fake? I like real plants. they're a bit more work and slightly more cost at the outset, but they last forever and help regulate humidity.

either way, please post pics when you get your little guy :)
 
Freep

Freep

New member
I have thought about doing a live plant one but seems a bit daunting to me right now. Will have to read up about it more and see. I would like to though as it would look nicer :)
 
Freep

Freep

New member
Today I bought a second hand exo terra, it is 45 x 45 x 45cm I presume that's a good size for it's whole life?
Came with a free background too.

I has a hydrometer and a thermometer the Exo Terra Analogue ones. would digital ones be better?

Thanks for the help :)
 
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Aimless

Aimless

Super Moderator
yeah, a 45 cube is fine for one gecko.

the exo terra analogue guages, IMO, are not very reliable. I use one of those $10 garden-style indoor/outdoor digital thermometers, so I can move the probe to different places and compare with room temp.

I don't measure humidity. one thing about planted tanks that I like, if the dirt is moist but not wet I'm misting the right amount and everyone sheds great all the time. it's a nice way to measure :) for you, I'd suggest waiting to see what others say here? I know the little stick-on analog ones are not good, I took in a number of rescue animals with that style and there were terribly inaccurate, but I can't make a good recommendation on the hygrometer.
 
C

CrestedRick

Active member
I never used a gauge for humidity. Both my crested just shed recently. I have a natural Viv and have a piece of plate glass covering most of the top for the nights to raise the humidity but during the day I leave the ceiling fan on since I've stated to noticed a small amount of gray mold in the tanks but my dwarf purple Isopods seem to love eating it. I've also noticed silver springtails and globular springtails (these are very rare to have) love to eat the mold. I assume it's just a cycle the Viv is going through since I've cut back misting to once a day and it's popped up. Sorry for rambling lol
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Another way to use live plants is to pot them into either plastic or terra cotta pots. That's what I do.

Sansevieria is an excellent choice for vivariums. They come in assorted species short, medium, and tall. They are tough enough to withstand bouncy cresties! :D
 
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Freep

Freep

New member
Thank you everyone, I will take the old thermometer and hydrometer out then :)

I love the look of the Sansevieria, will grab some of those off ebay :D
Also any other recommendations for plants would be fantastic :D
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Freep said:
Thank you everyone, I will take the old thermometer and hydrometer out then :)

I love the look of the Sansevieria, will grab some of those off ebay :D
Also any other recommendations for plants would be fantastic :D
Click to expand...

Happy that the Sansevieria works for you, Freep! :)

Pothos is a vine-like plant with medium size leaves that is good, but not nearly as "tough".
 
Aimless

Aimless

Super Moderator
pothos is great for cover. I've planted senseveria several times and it seems to need to be replaced a few times a year as the roots don't really establish well for me. jade is the same. ficus are great if you have a nice tall viv. for sturdiness, I drape the pothos through and around sticks, cork bark, bamboo...

quizno 12.08.jpgQuizno 12.20.jpgquizno c.jpgquizno face.jpg
 
C

CrestedRick

Active member
I have sensevarias, pothos and pepperomia as well as other vines to cover the cork panel backgrounds I made. Aside from terra cotta pots there's a thread on here from some crafty kid showing how to make cork round planters for your plants check it out.
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Elizabeth Freer said:
Happy that the Sansevieria works for you, Freep! :)

Pothos is a vine-like plant with medium size leaves that is good, but not nearly as "tough".
Click to expand...

Sansevieria like to dry out between watering. They prefer a sandy soil. I've also found that a soil mix of 2/3 earthworm castings and 1/3 cocopeat fiber works wonders. All mine are quite happy. :)

I like planting in pots rather than in the substrate because then the roots do not need to be disturbed when cleaning an enclosure.
 
Freep

Freep

New member
LOL thank you all, very helpful. Hopefully will buy some plants this week and let you know what I get.

Ohh where would i get the round cork from to make planters? :D
 
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