Crested Gecko Care

[Amanda1]

This is what has been working for me and my crestie, Kai. It's basically the care sheet I got from his breeder. Feel free to add, discuss, etc. I'd love to hear what everyone else is doing!

Diet
The best diet is Crested Gecko Diet (CGD), made by Repashy Superfoods. This is a powder that you mix with distilled water in approximately a 1:1 ratio. Feed this every other day. CGD contains all the nutrients your gecko needs to remain healthy. Crickets and roaches can be given to your gecko as a treat no more than once a week. These can be dusted with calcium powder, but I don't think it is necessary for them to have additional calcium. Do not feed your gecko any insect that is larger than the space between his eyes. NEVER feed your gecko baby food.

Enclosure
Adult cresties can live in a 10 gallon aquarium, but as with all animals, bigger is better. Height is more important than g round space since they like to climb. Add sticks, vines, and other plants for them to climb and hide in. I know there are many different substrates that have been used, but I've only ever used paper towels. They are cheap, easy to clean, and hard for your gecko to eat, which reduces the risk of impaction. Since cresties are nocturnal, they do not require UV light. They do require a 12 hour light/dark cycle to simulate day and night, but room lighting is usually sufficient.

Temperature and Humidity
Temperatures between 70-80F are ideal. Cresties can survive night temps in the 50s, but this shouldn't be maintained long term. Be careful if you decide to use a lamp of any kind, because temperatures above 85F can be deadly. Humidity levels should be around 40-50%. This is easily achieved by spraying the cage 1-2x a day with water. I use deionized/distilled water to reduce water spots and mineral deposits on the glass.

Handling
To avoid excessive stress on your gecko, keep handling to a minimum for the first 3-5 days after you bring him home. It's best to not handle him at all during this time so he can get settled in and get used to his new cage and the noises of his new home. After that, cresties can be handled for short periods of time (I've heard about 20 minutes). Cresties can jump without warning, so be careful when handling your gecko over hard floors. Be careful not to startle your gecko when reaching into the enclosure. NEVER grab a gecko by the tail. Crested geckos can drop their tail when threatened, and it will not regrow.

Cleaning
Spot clean daily to remove feces. Every 1-2 weeks, do a thorough cleaning of the entire cage. Make sure to use a reptile-friendly disinfectant, such as nolvasan. Volatile alcohols such as isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) might also be used (I've seen it as an ingredient in a reptile-specific disinfectant), but make sure it has completely evaporated before you put your gecko back into his cage. Dilute bleach can be used in a pinch. If you do use bleach, make sure to rinse everything VERY WELL and let it air dry before you put your gecko back in so that any residual bleach has evaporated.

Health
Crested geckos can live up to 20 years with proper care. If your gecko appears lethargic, ill, or injured, contact a vet immediately. It is a good idea to locate an exotic vet before you get your gecko, just in case.

 

[jfreemo75]

I agree with all of it. Well, for the CGD I use the ratio of 1 part powder to 2 parts water, and only use paper towel for the babies, but other that that this is an excellent care sheet!

 

[Taiga]

As jfreemo75 said, I agree I mix my CGD 1:2 other wise if it is left at 1:1 it drys more quickly and is difficult for them to eat.

I also do not agree with never feeding your gecko baby food, rather very small amounts. The way I see it, is in the wild a crested gecko eat tons of types of fruits and insects. In captivity, sure we have CGD an all in one diet, and it even comes in flavors from mango to peach to fig! But, I feel variety is the spice of life, and I do not think a one or two crested gecko home is going to have a owner who breed roaches, silkworms, and crickets, and has peach, fig, mango, strawberry, and regular CGD. Baby food is a "cheap" in small terms treat fed once or twice a month in addition to regular healthy feedings of CGD. You can also mash your own fruits and mix that with CGD for your geckos.

Now I know people who swear against all things baby food, and it might just be me only breeding for a few years and I have not really studied the affects on their overall well being, but I know that I have met with other breeders on the topic and they feel the same

 

[Amanda1]

That's interesting about the baby food. I've always heard it was horrible stuff, even since I was a kid. I think it was something about it being not very nutritious, but lizards get sort of "addicted" to it and won't eat anything else after awhile. If I'm remembering correctly; I might not be because this was a long time ago.

And yeah, my guy likes his CGD pasty. He's kind of picky about the consistency, and he will only eat it when it's fresh (not more than a few hours old), so I did up the ratio a bit.

 

[Taiga]

That's interesting about the baby food. I've always heard it was horrible stuff, even since I was a kid. I think it was something about it being not very nutritious, but lizards get sort of "addicted" to it and won't eat anything else after awhile. If I'm remembering correctly; I might not be because this was a long time ago.

And yeah, my guy likes his CGD pasty. He's kind of picky about the consistency, and he will only eat it when it's fresh (not more than a few hours old), so I did up the ratio a bit.

Yes, some can get addicted, but that is mainly due to owners feeding it to them from birth, and they, like children, like the super sweet candy and will ignore their veggies (ehem... fruits). But, if you feed CGD till about 3-5 months, they are older and accustom to eating their healthy food, a little treat here and there is not harmful at all. Sometimes if they are a picky eater, I will even wait till they are 7-9months+

Actually, the older the info (1994-2003~) on cresteds, the more they fed baby food because 18 years ago when they were re-discovered and the general public stated acquiring them, there was no CGD to feed! People had to either create their own diet, feed mashed fruits, or feed baby food until Allen created the diet in CA I think it was 2000 or so.

 

[jfreemo75]

I've actually done a bit of baby food mixed with the CGD once in a while, once a month in the warmer months, just to give my geckos a bit of a change. I would never do just the baby food though. We purchased a crested from a pet store that was just fed baby food and crickets, daily. He had a large underbite. Once we brought him home and fed him CGD daily and the crickets only once a week, his jaw went back to normal. I do agree that in the wild they will eat different fruits and insects, but baby food just doesn't have the vitamins and nutrients to keep the geckos at their best.

 

[rizaroo]

I heard if they drink distilled water it basically has no minerals which they do need for their bones. But I am not sure, I use declorinated tap water.

 

[Amanda1]

I heard if they drink distilled water it basically has no minerals which they do need for their bones. But I am not sure, I use declorinated tap water.

I've only ever used distilled water. There are enough calcium and minerals in the CGD. Plus, there's a lot of bad stuff in tap water (lead, chromium, bacteria, etc). It may be at low levels (or at least it's supposed to be), but it's still there. I'm not sure if the declorination process would get all of that out.

 

[Leporard Geko Keeper]

I agree with Amanda that's all i use too.

 

[jfreemo75]

I use ZooMed Reptisafe in my tap water. It removes the chlorine, chloramines and ammonia. Plus it adds essential electrolytes and a bit of calcium.

 

[Leporard Geko Keeper]

It's almost like a energy drink for creasties lol !

 

[Josh2]

Does anyone set aside tap water to allow the chloramines and chlorine to evaporate? This method is used for large volumes for aquariums generally.

 

[LeoLover1]

That is exactly how I do all my water for my reptiles, hermit crabs and sometimes for the birds. I use old 1 gal water jugs, and let them sit until I need them, usually for a day or two. I'm not a big fan of chemical declorination.

 

[Taiga]

Since I have a large marine tank, I have about 10 one gallon jugs of RO water from the re-fill stations at my local markets. They are about .30 per gallon, and I have never had a problem with the geckos

 

[Diego:)]

Oh I only clean my enclosure every month and sandy and diego are doing great!

 

[Kaela]

I'm debating weather i shall get a crested gecko or leopard gecko because i enjoy geckos that i can handle so what species are easier to care for and to handle?

 

[Gopherhockey03]

Leopards are easier to handle not as jumpy!!! . But it also depends on the gecko I would think....

 

[Gopherhockey03]

For a easy 10 gallon tank Idea check out the Exo-Tanner on the enclosure page. Cheap and fool proof to make!!! Also nice care sheet btw

 

[jfreemo75]

I'm debating weather i shall get a crested gecko or leopard gecko because i enjoy geckos that i can handle so what species are easier to care for and to handle?

Personally, I think the cresteds are easier to care for. They do not require any special lighting or heat. Just lots of plants and sticks to climb and hide. You don't have to feed them insects, just Crested Gecko Diet, though I give mine a few crickets once a week for variety. Plus they enjoy the hunt. As for handling, they can be just as mellow as leos, once you handle them regularly. The older the crested, the less jumpy they are. Leos can also be very hard to handle if not held regularly too.
Hope this helps a little. We have had both and enjoyed both greatly.

 

[Kaela]

Thank you very much for your replies, it helped a lot!