Getting my first gargs! Set-up tips/advice?

Reborn

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MN
Finally getting my first gargs! Getting them from Erica of Crown Jewel Reptiles. Ones a which with black striped and the others a white with red stripe(she's looking like a girl). Im wonding on set up a bit. I got the bottom with eco-earth/coco fiber(will be moss over it when they get here) each get 3 hanging plants and 4 branchs running here or there, and each have a hide at the bottom. Do they like there food up high or will it be ok for them to be at the bottom? This set ups obviously temperary till there about 20 grams then im gonna move them to there own screen cages(since i hear gargs prefer to be alone) Just wondering if this is fine as i want them to be as stress free as possible.(if it helps ones 8 grams the others even littler!) thanks in advance:D
 

acpart

Geck-cessories
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I keep my garg food and water on the ground since they're a bit more ground dwelling. I'm not a garg expert, but I understand the humidity needs to be on the high side and wouldn't recommend a screen cage, but rather, a front-opening glass cage with a screen top that you can cover with plexiglass if necessary.

Aliza
 

T-ReXx

Uroplatus Fanatic
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Screen cages can work just fine. I keep my Uroplatus in screen cages with three sides covered by plastic and they're a lot more humidity-dependent than gargoyles. It's a matter of misting regularly, I mist twice a day, once briefly in the morning and again heavily for 5-10 min after lights out. That combined with the deep substrate and live plants keeps humidity ranging from 100% for several hours at night down to 45-50% in the middle of the day. The idea is to have a humidity gradient, you want the cage to dry out for part of the time. Constant high humidity can cause just as many health problems as constant low humidity.
 

Hannibal

Gray Sky Exotics
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616
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Indiana
Your temp set-ups look great. We keep all our adult gargs in their own screen cages and our humidity doesn't drop lower than 45%. We keep their food/water on the ground level because our gargs (all ages) seem to love roaming around the entire enclosure. Some sleep on the ground in hides, under plants and some in plants; others on their bamboo, vines or on the sides of the screen cage.
 

acpart

Geck-cessories
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Good to know. I'm still looking for someone to write an article for Gecko Time about gargs. Any takers, please PM me.

Aliza
 

Reborn

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574
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MN
Thank you all for your help/insight. I was planning to get a screen then put plastic on the back then the rest screened. the more screen the better i think since they cant stick to the glass to well(or so i hear lol). what would be the lowest humidity should drop and the highest it should be at? There doesnt seem to be any info on that just that misting is necessary and high humidity nothing on percentiage. Do you all use live plants or fakes?
 

Hannibal

Gray Sky Exotics
Messages
616
Location
Indiana
Seven of our gargs are in Exo Terra screened cages inwhich we have added the rock background to and helps keep humidity in while adding a climbing surface for them. Two are in reptibreeze screened which we have plastic on the back (outside the enclosure so they can still climb on the back screen) since nobody makes a tall enough background and I have had time to make any. Some gargs can stick to glass, but ususally only when babies or young juvies (before their weight and gravity don't mix). We use both live and fake plants. Our highest humidity after heavy misting is around 85-88%, if we go higher it doesn't dry out during the day....our lowest humidity prior to misting is between 50-45%.
 

Reborn

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MN
I was thinking on the reptibreeze ones, they look nice and spacious. Are you having luck have 2 together? I know its recommened to house alone but i'd thought i'd ask. Also
http://crownjewelreptiles.com/animals/view/597
http://crownjewelreptiles.com/animals/view/605
these are the two i'm getting:DDD im pretty sure i got a steal at 65 each but is that a good price? Ive seen stripes like them go for 120 so i couldnt pass it up;D And how small is 8 grams with these guys? Im getting nervous that the set ups are gonna be to much space and they're gonna stress...

Right now at 12:19PM its 65% humitidy and 74F earlier it was 76% humidity and 77F(around noon today) is this gonna be ok? Some days my room gets to be 80F all day, i hear that 85F is where the stress levels/ bring on sickness starts with cresteds, does this apply for gargs too? Sorry for asking so much but there are so many holes in the care sheets available. If someone could recommened a really good one thatd be awesome.
thanks again:main_thumbsup:
 

Reborn

New Member
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574
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MN
Just messuared to see how much each would get. its 9 1/2 wide 16 tall and 10 length wide. Is that to much? I have critter keepers that are smaller if thats better. HOPING that this size is fine. Like i said ones 8 gs.
 

T-ReXx

Uroplatus Fanatic
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Buffalo, NY
I wouldn't recommend housing gargs together. They're pretty aggressive, and even when pairing up males and females there's a good chance of tail-snacking. Single housing is the way to go.
 

Hannibal

Gray Sky Exotics
Messages
616
Location
Indiana
I agree, don't house together....if you do good chance one or both will loose a rail and one might loose a life depending on how aggressive they are. I do know the younger they are the more aggressive they seem towards each other. Temp wise, gargs can handle heat a little better than cresties, but not much more. I personally would not allow the temp to get any higher than 82, but that's because it's uncomfotable for me. Gargs are more active with temps around 78-82; climbing, jumping & eating more. With the warmer temps, just make sure they have water and a cool hide they can go into if they want to cool down some. The size tank you have know should be ok for an 8gram. Just watch to make sure they are eatinging/pooping, gaining or maintaining weight....if poising weight, then downsize to a smaller enclosure. I have a little one that I put into his adult enclosue because he seemed bored with his 10g and he is growing like a weed still (he's only 9.8grams, but puts on at least 1/2 a gram every other night and climbs all over his adult cage....reptibreeze 16x16x30, but I don't recommend this for for all gargs babies/juvies - he's a little special chunky monkey and eats like a teenage football player.)
 

Reborn

New Member
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574
Location
MN
Alrighty i didnt think they'd work out. Supprisingly caresheet say its ok to house male and female or a male and 2 females without problems@.@ proves how useful they are. Alrighty I'll watch I'll give them 2 weeks before i decided if they'd be better in smaller ones. What's a good average weight for them to put on? And i've read they can be very picky bug eaters, which would you recommened? I have dubias, red racers, supers, mealies, and ofcourse crickets. And how often should they get the bugs? from what ive read it seems once every other week? And one more question(sorry for so many!) do they get nice and tame? Some people have told me they can(mostly are) agressive towards people. I know there jumpy but if i handle them enough(obviously not right away) we'll they tame down/tolerate it well like leopard geckos?
 

Hannibal

Gray Sky Exotics
Messages
616
Location
Indiana
Each gargoyle varies when it comes to weight....some just eat to maintain their weight and some really pig out and have large growth spurt. I have 3 gargs that are all the same age, 2 are currently around 18-19 grams each and the other is now 51 grams. The larger one had a long growth spurt and gained 3-7 grams a month, while the other 2 just gained about 1/2-1 grams a month. As long as they gain or maintain their weight then they are fine. We feed CGD every other night and offer dusted crickets once a week (some eat crickets and some don't). None of ours liked waxworms, phoenix worms, or mealworms. We don't offer dubias as I'm allergic to them. As for aggression, none of ours have ever been aggressive towards us other than a nip because they thought we were a cricket during feeding time, they only appear aggressive toward other gargs....and its mainly the babies/juvies who don't like each other. Our adults don't care for each other unless they are showing an interest in breeding.

If you purchase a garg from a breeder who has handled the garg on a regular basis then the garg won't be very flighty at all. If it wasn't handled much, then it can be jumpy and it will usually calm down with time. Note: juvie gargs will usually have an adolescence period where they go a little crazy/wild for a week or so, then they calm back down. A couple of my gargs will sit on their branch and stare at you until you open the door to take them out for play time. Each garg will have their own unique personality.
 

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