Wannabe Crestie owner!! HELP!!

[dsmalex97]

Hello all!! I just gotta new itch that I need to scratch, and its crested geckos!! There soo coool looking, and seem like really awesome animals, PLUS they got some over here at a pet shop for 40 bucks a piece! So why not?!?

But being that I know jacks*** about these guys, I wanted to know what the BEST way to house these guys, and some good overall advice on them. Everyone on here seems a lot more helpful then some of these care sheets soo.

Thanks everyone!!

~Alex

[Darkice]

I dont have any crested but i have lots of leachies and they are housed the same way.

Get a long fish tank like maybe a 30 gallon and stand it on on its end. These geckos like to live in trees and tall plants so they like the height.
Substrate is up to you. I have some cages with Dirt from my back yard and some with newspaper. The dirt looks nice and hold humidity way better. Keep it moist and toss in a few earth worms and leaves to keep a nice cycle going.
If you calk on a slamm piece of plexiglass on the inside bottom you can fill it with dirt easier.
Lots of sticks going up and down and lots of plastic plants to hide in close to the top of the cage. Try to make a nest out of plants in the top corner. Get the plastic plants from a large hobby store not a pet store. Better quality and cheaper.
Feeding is simple. Allen Repashy designed a crested geco diet that is awesome. Just mix it with water so it looks like thick soup and thats it.
Crested geckos are very photogenic and love being in pictures. You dont need any heat lamps inless it gets colder then 70 degrees. I heep a space heater in my basement and its a constant 75.
Crested are super easy to take care uf. Just feed them and mist them a couple times a day to keep it humid. And they normally drink the water off the glass walls of the cage.

[dsmalex97]

awwww man, I was looking at those too!! There soo damn big!! Thats probably next on my list haha. But if I got a smaller one, what do you think would be the best way to go enclosure wise? Just stand a 10 gallon up is what people are telling me, is that a good idea?

[Darkice]

Jouvinile are fine in a 10 gallon it makes them feel secure. Just put lots of branches and plants for them to hide in.

[sweetcheeks]

hiya, they are cool arent they!

My cresty is 5 months old hatched on 7/19/08, just now getting sexable age.


I have mine in a exo terry 18x18x18. I use cocobark color kitchen shelf liner for substrate as if your planning on feeding crickets the little ones can get impacted if they swallow substrate. I have two sets of 6foot vines and leaves to climb on. I also use a digital thermometer and hygrometer that I paid 6 bucks for at walmart.

Temps are 65-75 degrees at night, and 72 to 80 during the day. never ever let the temps get above 85. you never have to use a heat lamp or UTH unless you keep your house cold in the winter.
Moisture should be kept around 50 - 60 %

I mist once per day of the evening and then let dry out until the next day to prevent mold. You can also have a moist hide to help with humidity and for digging, i especially use them if I go out of town for a few days.

I feed CGD by repashy and crickets once a month dusted with repashy calcium plus and gut loaded wit CGD 24 hours prior to feeding. Always provide a water dish even if you mist and some crestys prefer their CGD more thicker than others... I notice my loves to eat its food on the 2nd day in the tank, not the first.

I dont suggest using dirt or any products from your back yard as these may harbor bacteria and germs. although I have heard of people using them as long as you bake them... I just prefer not to and buy my stuff.

Here is a picture of mine... you can see him sitting on the vine.

[DavidG]

My pair is housed in a zoomed 12x12x18 and they seem fine. It's a little small but they make do. I switch between eco earth and paper towel substrate. PT is when I think she's getting close to laying eggs because they bury them and it makes it a real bugger to find. Babies should be kept on paper towel. These guys lunge for food if it's live and get substrate ingested.

I'm more of a snake person, and cresties are the only lizard I will keep. They are so much fun. You won't be disappointed.

A good base of CGD is needed as crickets (even gut loaded or dusted) do not provide the nutrition of pure diet. Some people I know feed crickets once a week, I feed crickets less than once a month. Eventually the gecko will get more of a taste for diet and start eating very few crickets. The downside to these guys is they are so prone to Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) without using CGD.

[Darkice]

I dont suggest using dirt or any products from your back yard as these may harbor bacteria and germs. although I have heard of people using them as long as you bake them... I just prefer not to and buy my stuff.

I can honestly say that in the last 30 years of keeping all forms of reptiles that i have never had a problem with the dirt from my backyard. And i never bake it.
Finding the eggs can be hard at times but anything living in the small amounts of dirt from outside will pose no threat to your reptiles.


Living soil from outside has all the microbes and enzymes you need for breaking down the fecal mater from your reptiles. Its a pretty stable enviornment and it doesn't stink up your house. It holds humidity better.
I toss in a few bowls of earthworms to help with the breakdown of the plant matter.