Crested Geckos

[T-ro]

So I recently purchased a 40 gallon tall tank and was thinking of a new reptile for it. I am seriously considering a crested gecko or two. I was researching and found that they are fairly low maintenance and good for beginners. I was wondering if people with experience with crested geckos could give me some first hand knowledge on prices to buy and keep one, care levels and time needed to properly care for these guys, compared to a BP? (that is the only other reptile I currently own)
Thanks in advance,
Mike

[Kinra]

Cresties are great and very low maintence, though I tend to view most reptiles as low maintence. I didn't buy any fancy morphs so I got two smaller ones for $40 each. I keep 2 in a 29gal tank. I feed mine dry Crested Gecko Diet (it's how they were being fed when I got them) and they don't seem to mind. I take it out before I mist nightly and that's about the extend of their feeding care. The biggest things you need to worry about is that 1.) it doesn't get to warm (above 85, though 80-85 is still a little too high) and 2.) that you don't have two males in the same tank. I would put these guys on the same level as BPs in terms of care. Other than misting nightly they don't require much care, just be careful when handling them and how you grab them. If they drop their tails they don't grow back.

[T-ro]

Thanks for the info! Do you feed them new food everyday, or just leave some food in there all the time and they just eat when they want? That was the price I was thinking but the local pet store was charging $80 for normals, so I might keep looking around.

[Kinra]

I just leave the food in there all the time. I have it in a milk cap so I refill it every now and again. If you go that route you need to make sure you take it out before you mist or it gets hard. $80 seems a little high for normals, but I got mine at a reptile store that seems to be very fairly priced. I know they post some of their snakes on kingsnake.com so they have to be competively priced.

[Reznor]

Cresteds are pretty awesome - I own nine of them, and a Ball.
In a 40 you could keep two, and I would recommend sub-adult to adult females. One female with one male with result in the over-breeding and possible death of the female.
If you were to put hatchlings in a 40, they'd get lost! XD

Cost-wise, I've seen adult females for around $100, but they can be very expensive, some ranging up to $300 - $500. Males are cheaper, but don't ever keep too males together.

Food wise, CGD every other day and crickets twice a week keep mine pretty healthy.

Good luck!
~ Liz

[T-ro]

Thanks for the great info!
However after setting the tank up and getting everything where I wanted, I found out the tank fluctuates from about 78 F to 85 F. Everything I've read says this is definitely too high. Are there any proven methods to keep temps down, or are crested just not an option until I'm in a house with better air conditioning?

[Reznor]

78-80 F is usually comfortable for Cresteds, but 85 is pushing it, yeah. Stock up on ice packs, freeze bottles of water and mist heavily. That's what I'm having to do now, thanks to Summer weather. I hate Summer. XD

[mainbutter]

Here's Wally Kern from Supreme Gecko putting together a crested gecko habitat



Feeding crested geckos is as simple as purchasing "Crested Gecko Diet", mixing it with water to a thick milkshake consistency, and putting it in a shallow feeding dish overnight.

Mist once a day. Provide a water dish. You've got a perfect CG home.

Winter temps can go as low as 55 (though I prefer 60-68), summer temps CAN go as high as 85 during the day, but NO HIGHER. Less than 80 is much MUCH preferred.

You can pick up outstanding hatchlings for $50 or so. You can pick up outstanding adults for $150+. True trophies may run $600+, but they are extremely rare. A jumping gecko is a healthy gecko.

That's pretty much it.