Help With Crypto?

Hi everyone- I am new to this forum and have some very particular questions regarding crypto I am hoping to get some answers for.
My first gecko was unfortunately purchased from a pet store and had crypto. He has since passed away and I have contacted a local breeder for my next gecko. Rather than cleaning everything w/ammonia and risking it, I am simply throwing everything away. However, there are two things I paid a fair amount of money for that I really would like to keep- my heat mat thermometer and my CHE and fixture. My concern is I may have touched a surface in the tank, then went to adjust the temp on the light or UTH, etc. I can wipe the surfaces of these items down with an ammonia soaked cloth, but my question is- how easily is crypto transferred from surface to surface via human hands, and how long can it live on human hands? I am trying to be extra cautious with this, but could have easily touched a surface in my room after touching something in the tank, and have no clue what could be contaminated. Furthermore, I could simply always wash my hands well before even opening the tank, but would this be enough to get rid of anything living on my hands?
Apologies for the length, but I figured better safe than sorry!

Hard to say for sure. The ceramic heater and fixture should be fine because the gecko won't come into contact with it directly. I think it's also pretty unlikely that you'll touch something and transfer it, but there is always a small chance. If you want to play it safe, you can throw that stuff out or just be sure to wash your hands very well before touching your gecko or his enclosure. Washing your hands won't kill the oocysts, but if you make sure to scrub very well, then you should be able to remove them through mechanical means.

The problem with cryptosporidium is that it forms really tough oocysts that can't be killed by most things (extreme heat will do it, but would probably melt your equipment). I don't think I would use anything that the gecko that had crypto was directly in contact with (if the probe was sitting on the floor and the gecko was able to walk through his feces and over the probe). I don't know what kind of thermometer you have, but perhaps you could find a replacement probe.

Neon Aurora said:

Hard to say for sure. The ceramic heater and fixture should be fine because the gecko won't come into contact with it directly. I think it's also pretty unlikely that you'll touch something and transfer it, but there is always a small chance. If you want to play it safe, you can throw that stuff out or just be sure to wash your hands very well before touching your gecko or his enclosure. Washing your hands won't kill the oocysts, but if you make sure to scrub very well, then you should be able to remove them through mechanical means.

The problem with cryptosporidium is that it forms really tough oocysts that can't be killed by most things (extreme heat will do it, but would probably melt your equipment). I don't think I would use anything that the gecko that had crypto was directly in contact with (if the probe was sitting on the floor and the gecko was able to walk through his feces and over the probe). I don't know what kind of thermometer you have, but perhaps you could find a replacement probe.

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Hi, thanks for the response- unfortunately the temperature probe from my heat mat thermometer was in direct contact with the gecko, and I was hoping soaking it in ammonia all the way up the cord would be enough, but not I am not so sure. I could very well replace it, just another thing I will add to the list lol. Would keeping the gecko tank in a different room also help to minimize the spread of the parasite?

I personally would replace it. Also, hydrogen peroxide has proven more effective against crypto than ammonia (although nothing is 100%).

Keeping the gecko in another room definitely wouldn't hurt. =)

I agree with the hydrogen peroxide idea. I had a Crypto-positive rescue animal in my home, and I basically wiped the entire room down with hydrogen peroxide... You could use it on the areas around the tank, on cords/switches, etc. Most effective when you wet the surfaces and allow to air dry. Has a smell to it, but it's certanly less noxious than ammonia.