JTB
New member
In a few months time (well, Christmas) I should be getting a crested gecko. I'm already pretty certain I know everything I need to know as to regards to keeping it, but I have a few questions that don't seem to get answered that often or at all definitely.
I'll start by saying the very basics of what I think I need and am required to do, then I'll ask questions.
Temperature: No heating, 20-22*C
Lighting: None required, but I'll probably get a 7% output UVB bulb anyway
Cage: Exo Terra 45X45X60cm (LXDXH) - this is actually arriving within a week, I'm already
getting prepared :biggrin:
Substrate: Eco Earth, Plantation Soil, Coco Brick etc (coconut fibre). Also some sphagnum moss or similar.
Feeding: Some form of CGD (I have a question about this I'll ask down below) alongside weekly or bi-weekly insects in the form of locusts, wax worms and meal worms, all of which dusted in Arcadia Earth-Pro A.
Humidity: Kept damp, misted once before lights out every day so that everything gets wet and can dry out again before the next day. I might do twice daily misting but I seriously doubt it will all dry up that fast.
Sourcing: I'll be getting it from Pets at Home I think, although if this is 100% impossible at the time I'll order from LillyExotics. I know P@H can get a bad rap but honestly from my personal experience they're A okay when it comes to reptiles.
Handling: Handled after cleaning hands, for 20-30 minute sessions every two/three days. Also handled near the floor or a surface to prevent it leaping off and hurting itself/escaping.
Cage furnishings: Canopy food holder (ProRep Jelly Pot holder, though don't worry, I won't actually use Jelly Pots!), milk lid for food, hanging plants, vines, stand-alone plants preferably with horizontal leaves, cork bark if can get some and maybe some magnetic ledges if I can find any that don't break the bank!
That's pretty much the bare bones of what I think I need to know, but I have a few questions that I want to clear up before I get the animal.
1) Is floppy tail syndrome preventable just by providing horizontal sleeping areas? I only found out about FTS last night so it's quite a new thing in my mind!
2) Do you recommend Pangea CGD, or Repashy? I read that a lot of geckos won't touch the latest version of Repashy, but everything on that subject seems to be from two years ago and surely Repashy would have changed back to the old diet if it was better? I'd just play safe and try Pangea, but they feed Repashy at P@H AND LillyExotics so I'm not certain whether it'd just be better to give it what it's used to having?
3) If you think Pangea is better, then what flavour would you suggest? I've heard good stuff about the PFMC With Insects.
4) When I feed off insects, can't I just dust them with CGD powder?
5) Is there any behavioral differences between males and females? Like is one more active or one better for handling?
6) If I got a male, could it impact my leopard gecko? She's a female and will be situated right next to the cresty's cage when I get it and I only just thought, maybe male pheromones would send my leo into ovulation? I say this because the YouTube channel called Leopard Gecko has only one male leopard gecko and all of her female geckos (crested and leopard) go into ovulation without any sort of contact with the male. If this is a possibility I definitely want a female cresty because I wouldn't like to put Cleo (my leopard) through the possible stress of laying eggs for no reason.
7) Can a cresty pass anything on to a leopard gecko, i.e. will it need a quarantine period?
Eight (for some reason, putting 8 and then a closing bracket makes a face with sunglasses...)) Is there anything I should know about that I've not mentioned, like diseases to which they are susceptible, things to do with husbandry and little tricks that are helpful in day to day dealings with cresties?
Thanks a lot if you've actually made it to the bottom, there's a lot of questions up there I'm afraid! Anyway, thank you in advance for any replies and I'll look forward to hearing from you all!
I'll start by saying the very basics of what I think I need and am required to do, then I'll ask questions.
Temperature: No heating, 20-22*C
Lighting: None required, but I'll probably get a 7% output UVB bulb anyway
Cage: Exo Terra 45X45X60cm (LXDXH) - this is actually arriving within a week, I'm already
getting prepared :biggrin:
Substrate: Eco Earth, Plantation Soil, Coco Brick etc (coconut fibre). Also some sphagnum moss or similar.
Feeding: Some form of CGD (I have a question about this I'll ask down below) alongside weekly or bi-weekly insects in the form of locusts, wax worms and meal worms, all of which dusted in Arcadia Earth-Pro A.
Humidity: Kept damp, misted once before lights out every day so that everything gets wet and can dry out again before the next day. I might do twice daily misting but I seriously doubt it will all dry up that fast.
Sourcing: I'll be getting it from Pets at Home I think, although if this is 100% impossible at the time I'll order from LillyExotics. I know P@H can get a bad rap but honestly from my personal experience they're A okay when it comes to reptiles.
Handling: Handled after cleaning hands, for 20-30 minute sessions every two/three days. Also handled near the floor or a surface to prevent it leaping off and hurting itself/escaping.
Cage furnishings: Canopy food holder (ProRep Jelly Pot holder, though don't worry, I won't actually use Jelly Pots!), milk lid for food, hanging plants, vines, stand-alone plants preferably with horizontal leaves, cork bark if can get some and maybe some magnetic ledges if I can find any that don't break the bank!
That's pretty much the bare bones of what I think I need to know, but I have a few questions that I want to clear up before I get the animal.
1) Is floppy tail syndrome preventable just by providing horizontal sleeping areas? I only found out about FTS last night so it's quite a new thing in my mind!
2) Do you recommend Pangea CGD, or Repashy? I read that a lot of geckos won't touch the latest version of Repashy, but everything on that subject seems to be from two years ago and surely Repashy would have changed back to the old diet if it was better? I'd just play safe and try Pangea, but they feed Repashy at P@H AND LillyExotics so I'm not certain whether it'd just be better to give it what it's used to having?
3) If you think Pangea is better, then what flavour would you suggest? I've heard good stuff about the PFMC With Insects.
4) When I feed off insects, can't I just dust them with CGD powder?
5) Is there any behavioral differences between males and females? Like is one more active or one better for handling?
6) If I got a male, could it impact my leopard gecko? She's a female and will be situated right next to the cresty's cage when I get it and I only just thought, maybe male pheromones would send my leo into ovulation? I say this because the YouTube channel called Leopard Gecko has only one male leopard gecko and all of her female geckos (crested and leopard) go into ovulation without any sort of contact with the male. If this is a possibility I definitely want a female cresty because I wouldn't like to put Cleo (my leopard) through the possible stress of laying eggs for no reason.
7) Can a cresty pass anything on to a leopard gecko, i.e. will it need a quarantine period?
Eight (for some reason, putting 8 and then a closing bracket makes a face with sunglasses...)) Is there anything I should know about that I've not mentioned, like diseases to which they are susceptible, things to do with husbandry and little tricks that are helpful in day to day dealings with cresties?
Thanks a lot if you've actually made it to the bottom, there's a lot of questions up there I'm afraid! Anyway, thank you in advance for any replies and I'll look forward to hearing from you all!
