Crestie Questies

Just some questions about cresties -
How expensive are they?
What habitat do they need?
How expensive are they to maintain?
How often can they be handled?
What are some reasons not to get them?
How difficult are they to care for?

I know that is a lot of questions - I am just throwing around the idea of getting one or two because they are so cute and if they can be handled that would be awesome!

I can't answer those questions because I haven't studied cresties very closely...yet. :wink: But if you're truly eager for the answers, then I would begin with a google search on crested gecko care sheets and websites. (And our own Gecko Care link to the left!) Researching the answers yourself is usually a lot more educational than waiting for someone else to answer them for you.

They really are cute, aren't they??? And Marla's pictures make them all the more endearing!

absolutely - actually as I was reading this post I was browsing a gecko care sheet - I was just curious about anyones life experience with these questions but anything I find out I'll gladly let you know! :)

That's good to hear, Jonah. I guess I'm just a little too used to some other forums where it is common for someone to come on and ask a slew of questions about the basic care of some particular animal they want to own. (Or sometimes already do!) And they continue to ask such questions, expecting to be hand-fed the answers that they could quite easily find themselves with just a couple clicks of the mouse.

I love answering questions and helping people out...but that sort of attitude does get on my nerves! By the same token, though, I totally understand and support you wanting first-hand advice from people you trust to go along with your own research. :)

Ah, I've only vistited other forums that popped up on google, this is my first and last forum that I've actually ever posted on so I'm not totally sure on the rules or common practices so sorry if anyone gets upset - just please correct me and it won't happen again! :) I plead ignorance!

wow! Okay this is what I have come up with
they range anywhere from 35 - 150 $ a pop as there are different color variations etc.
They are arboreal so they need height and lots of cover and humidity - I couldn't get a specific size of cage for a pair (which is what i would get)
as far as the other questions - they seem like quite a bit of work and that they shouldn't be handled for long at least from my readings - anyone with life experience please help me out :) Also I've never worked with crickets, how hard are they to care for? do they smell? do you keep them live?
judging from the eating regimine is it difficult to feed these cresties? Baby food? fruit? crickets? all at the same time? Wow that's a lot of questions so sorry about that!

Oh come on! LOL You didn't break any rules or upset anyone. I just saw the list of questions and automatically replied the way I would on any forum. And then it gave me a chance to vent a little about that particular pet peeve. I certainly wasn't aiming it at you! I know you wouldn't behave that way! :)

I CAN answer the questions about crickets. They're easy to keep...but smell horrible. I buy a special "gut load" food that looks like little chunks of blue jello. It feeds them, filling them up with extra nutrients for your reptiles to consume, and it provides the water they need to survive as well. That being said...they are nasty to deal with. Smell bad, and are creepy to have to handle. I can catch 'em and handle them when I need to, but I don't like it one bit.

I try to buy about a week's worth of crix at a time. That way I don't have to try to keep them alive for TOO long...and once a week, I get to clean out their container and get rid of that smell! I keep them in a tupperware-type of canister with a sealed lid...a few small holes punched into it for ventilation. That stays tucked into a cabinet beneath the reptile enclosures, out of sight!

Oh, I in no way interpreted it as a personal attack, I just want to make sure everyone knows that I really don't get offended or upset...... ever... really... so if there ever is a problem please bring it to my attention and I'll never be upset for anyone doing so. And thanks, I wouldn't ever intentionally behave that way :)

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Originally Posted by JamminJonah

Just some questions about cresties -
How expensive are they?
What habitat do they need?
How expensive are they to maintain?
How often can they be handled?
What are some reasons not to get them?
How difficult are they to care for?

I know that is a lot of questions - I am just throwing around the idea of getting one or two because they are so cute and if they can be handled that would be awesome!

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I can help out a bit here because I think i read every crestie care sheet before getting mine. I am definitely still learning about them, though.

How expensive to buy: Unsexed normal babies run around $35-$50 plus shipping, but big name breeders or fancy colors will bump up the price a bit

What habitat: There is definite disagreement on this issue, but most of the more credible sources say high ventilation is important. Humidity is important as well, but can be cyclical instead of constant (2-3x a day misting). My little guys have shed perfectly in a Rubbermaid bin with a ~6"x~14" piece of hardware cloth replacing a portion of the lid (attached with small cable ties). Carmen had an incomplete first shed in her custom cage that you can see in the caging forum, so I may need to make adjustments to it. Vertical space is more important than floor space and real or articifical plants are needed for hides, humidity, and something to drink off of after you mist. UV lighting is only necessary if you have real plants that need it, but mine get a little real sunshine just in case. A single crestie will do fine in a 10-gallon through adulthood, but they are somewhat social so you may want to go with a Rubbermaid and two. Males will fight if introduced too late but not if they grow up from hatchlings together; females can be housed with a male or other females without problems.

How often they can be handled: Daily, after you give them a few days to settle in. After a few short handling sessions they will come to your hand when you put it in the cage. They will JUMP so you have to watch them, especially when little, to make sure they don't hurt themselves, but they always give warning before jumping unless they are panicking, and you will learn quickly to anticipate them.

Reasons not to get them: You don't have central heat or air conditioning -- they like to be in temps of 70F-80F most of the time, but will tolerate nighttime drops to 60f or so or short periods in the low 80s.

How difficult to care for: Personally, I find the crickets much more difficult than the cresties. I mist them generally 3x a day (morning, when I come home, and before bed). I feed them daily, though some people feed 4-6x a week instead (I think 4x is too little, but 5 or 6 is probably okay). I handle them a few times a week. They don't need special heat sources (though a warmer area in the cage isn't a bad idea for temp regulation) and don't require UV lighting and can be kept in very simple cage setups. They don't mind being on display as long as they have good hiding spots and if you manage to get one to bite you, you might have to see it happen to be sure it did. They can be maintained on just the crested gecko diet (many people recommend gargoyle gecko diet until they're 6 months or so because of the higher protein value), but I add baby food (peach, apricot, turkey, banana), crickets, herp vitamins and calcium with vitamind but no potassium as well. Actually, I mix the babyfood and cgd together and feed it about 4x a week and put the vitamins and calcium on the crickets and feed them about 3x a week. They love their crickets! The babyfood/cgd mixture can be prepared ahead of time and frozen in small ice cube trays (check the dollar store) for prepared servings (thaw or warm slightly before serving) and left in for about 48 hours or until gone.

I've probably rambled quite a bit here, but hopefully I gave you some useful info. :lol:

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Originally Posted by JLC

Oh come on! LOL You didn't break any rules or upset anyone. I just saw the list of questions and automatically replied the way I would on any forum. And then it gave me a chance to vent a little about that particular pet peeve. I certainly wasn't aiming it at you! I know you wouldn't behave that way! :)

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I actually invited him to ask the questions, but said it would be a good idea to put them in a new thread. He was only doing what I asked in this case.

much useful info thank you very much!

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Originally Posted by JamminJonah

wow! Okay this is what I have come up with
they range anywhere from 35 - 150 $ a pop as there are different color variations etc.
They are arboreal so they need height and lots of cover and humidity - I couldn't get a specific size of cage for a pair (which is what i would get)
as far as the other questions - they seem like quite a bit of work and that they shouldn't be handled for long at least from my readings - anyone with life experience please help me out :) Also I've never worked with crickets, how hard are they to care for? do they smell? do you keep them live?
judging from the eating regimine is it difficult to feed these cresties? Baby food? fruit? crickets? all at the same time? Wow that's a lot of questions so sorry about that!

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For a pair, you need about a 20gal or equivalent, but if you get them little don't keep them in something too big or with too many hiding spots because they may not find their food. They are not the brightest critters ever, even if they may be among the cutest.

Handling is not a problem with mine once they settled in. It's pretty easy to tell when they're stressed and put them up -- and handle them after dark instead of during the day.

You can feed just the gargoyle diet to babies then just the crestie diet after that if you don't want to mess with crickets because it is designed just for them. Alternatively, you can do just crickets, babyfood, and the supplemental powders (vitamins, calcium). You can also feed them mealworms, but mine don't seem enthusiastic about the mealies yet, though, and those don't have enough protein to be a staple item.

Also, some people keep the crickets inside the enclosure in something they can't get out of and just let the cresties go in and get them when they want to. I keep mine in the shipping canister and just put in a piece of apple or a couple of black beans or some other chunk of leftover that has nutritional value and fluid (they'll drown in water).

ooh one last thing - maintained exclusively on the CGD where can i find this? Is it like a pre packaged deal? So does this mean I could feed the CGD and then crickets and babyfood stuff occasionally as treats? I'm in love with these little guys and would love to get some, but I just am not a big cricket fan. Also, I used to have sugar gliders that I rescued but sold them to a better home because I couldn't afford, and couldn't keep up with their dietary needs (fresh fruit each night, pre packaged food during the day, all dishes disinfected every evening, and a treat around dinner time of babyfood or some such item) So basically the only reasons I am hesitant about CG's is because I don't like the idea of keeping live crickets around, and I am nervous about preparing too many dishes each day/night.

oop you answered me already sorry marla! And thank you both JLC and Marla for your help!

You can find the CGD at Petco for about $5 or online for about $3.50-$4 (which makes sense if you're getting it along with other items to make the shipping worthwhile). One little jar of it makes something like a pound and a half of food when mixed with water, so it's only pennies per meal. Some cresties don't like it at first if they've been eating other food, and you have to dab a little on their noses to get them started.