Possible new owner?

[BHReptiles]

I'm looking into possibly purchasing a crested gecko or two (possibly a leopard gecko...but I think I'm more interested in a crested gecko) at the NARBC this August. Are there any good books out there so I can read up on care? I'm pretty sure a crested is a good starter gecko for me. I want one as a pet really but I want to make sure I give it the best care I can.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Crested are great starter geckos.

Very easy to care for, 68-78 degrees is really ideal, if the temps are comfortable for you they will be for your gecko, they do not need for supplemental heat or light. Temps in the 80's will stress them and can lead to death.

They can eat bugs however it is not a requirement, they do fine with only CGD (aka crested gecko diet, a powder that you mix with water), this means if you do not want to deal with bugs you do not have to. However if you do want to offer bugs crickets and dubias are a great choice (I prefer dubias since they have a better meat/shell ratio, are resilient and do not stink like crickets do)

They do well in tanks as well as in tubs, a small critter keeper for an hatchling will work fine as a temporary solution until they are big enough to be housed in their permanent home.

2 females can be housed together if they are the same size however when young they may compete for food, which means one can get bullied and not grow as fast as the other.

Males should not be housed together.

You can have a male and female together however I recommend to separate them to give the female a break.

Here are some good sources http://www.acreptiles.com/main/index...=53&Itemid=316 , http://www.pangeareptile.com/store/c...-sheet-en.html (Not sure about books)

[BHReptiles]

Thanks for the info! I'm not looking to breed them, so no pairs for me. I thought about getting a retired breeder male from the breeder I got some of my ball pythons from. Sometimes she will give away old or retired males to pet homes. She asked me if I wanted one at one point, but I wasn't ready to take on a gecko quite yet. If I don't get one from the NARBC, I'll probably get one from her.

[artgecko]

I've had them for 5 years now and I'd recommend them to someone who's never kept geckos. Room temp, easy to keep humid just by misting once a day and most do OK just on CGD. I"ve kept 2 adult females as class pets and they've done awesome in a 18 x 18 x 24 zoomed terrarium that I've got planted. I've also housed single adolescent ones in upright 10gls with a screen lid, paper towel sub, humid hide, and plenty of climbing / hiding spots. Most are good with handling when they get larger. I currently have a spazzy male that will blindly leap around (which I've heard many cresteds are prone to), but other than that they're great.

My only complaints with them are that they are nocturnal.. so unless you're watching them at night, you won't get to see much behavior wise. I do think it's interesting to house them together as they will ocassionally vocalize (squeak) at each other. Also you might want to have more than one color morph... I guess that's the real advantage to females, you can house 2-3 different morphs together in one setup if they get along.

As for books, you can pick up a copy of the "rhac bible" http://www.amazon.com/Rhacodactylus-...actylus+geckos I was lucky to pick it up when they were going for $45.

I've really enjoyed my CGs..They're the first herp that brought me ito the hobby. I would say get what you like (I know, what you guys say about snakes) and look for an animal with good structure as well.

Hope this helps,
Artgecko

[BHReptiles]

I've had them for 5 years now and I'd recommend them to someone who's never kept geckos. Room temp, easy to keep humid just by misting once a day and most do OK just on CGD. I"ve kept 2 adult females as class pets and they've done awesome in a 18 x 18 x 24 zoomed terrarium that I've got planted. I've also housed single adolescent ones in upright 10gls with a screen lid, paper towel sub, humid hide, and plenty of climbing / hiding spots. Most are good with handling when they get larger. I currently have a spazzy male that will blindly leap around (which I've heard many cresteds are prone to), but other than that they're great.

My only complaints with them are that they are nocturnal.. so unless you're watching them at night, you won't get to see much behavior wise. I do think it's interesting to house them together as they will ocassionally vocalize (squeak) at each other. Also you might want to have more than one color morph... I guess that's the real advantage to females, you can house 2-3 different morphs together in one setup if they get along.

As for books, you can pick up a copy of the "rhac bible" http://www.amazon.com/Rhacodactylus-...actylus+geckos I was lucky to pick it up when they were going for $45.

I've really enjoyed my CGs..They're the first herp that brought me ito the hobby. I would say get what you like (I know, what you guys say about snakes) and look for an animal with good structure as well.

Hope this helps,
Artgecko

Thanks for the response! I know they are nocturnal and that doesn't bother me at all! All my snakes are nocturnal and I'm a night owl, so I do get to enjoy my animals a little bit in the evenings. I was considering either one male or 2 females. I'm getting an 18 x 18 x 24 (probably the same cage you use) and will deck that out with some branches, vines, etc. to make it nice and comfortable for geckos. I'm hoping to start off with adults to house together because I know A. that's a pretty large space for a baby and B. there's an issue about getting proper nutrition because of bullying if the females aren't the same size. My goal is to get me a couple of pets that I can enjoy and will add a little different flair than my snakes do.

[I-KandyReptiles]

Llllllllove my crested gecko.

Super easy husbandry and super cute little critters!

I took a tank (not sure on size) and flipped it vertically and made my own climbing ledge background. She loves it

[Neal]

I'd say talk to Annarose honestly. She keeps crested and she's very knowledgeable, if I were going to keep crested's then I'd talk to her.

[artgecko]

The 18x18x24 is a great size tank for them. My 2 females do great in it. I'd just advise giving them seperate feeding areas and plenty of branches / plants to break up sight lines. If you get 2 very close in weight they should do ok. Females go for a LOT more than males, so if you really want a nice specimen, an adult male will be cheaper than a female. I' browse the trade / sell section on pangea forums quite frequently as many people will post older animals there and animals that are somewhat cheaper than going straight to a breeder's website.

I would advise some plants / cover high up in the enclosure (I use the fake magnetic vines / jungles in the top half of my tank and live plants in the ground level).

I also LOVe the acrylic feeding ledge and disposable cups pangea sells. I also have the naturalistic mushroom ledge, but the acrylic is a lot easier to clean.

Hope this helps!
Artgecko