Crestie Questies

[Marla]

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 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.

[JamminJonah]

much useful info thank you very much!

[Marla]

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!

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).

[JamminJonah]

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.

[JamminJonah]

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

[Marla]

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.