Do they need a hide?

[ketz]

Hi,
I have a 9 month old crestie and so far whenever he's hiding it's been in side a hollowed out vertical branch I have, under leaves, or buried in the substrate, he seems comfortable there but I was wondering, does he need a traditional hide?

Also, another quick question (sorry I'm new to cresteds) is there anyway to tell if they've eaten the CGD? I can't really tell if he's eaten any yet.

 

[ariana]

most people use a hide on the floor, a humid hide sort of, to help with shedding. they do seem to prefer to hide from what ive seen though.
use smaller amounts of CGD and see if you can notice a difference

 

[Casmaurgh]

I spent hundreds of dollars for supplies in my tanks just to have the geckos hide under paper towel. Sometimes they like things more simple. If you add more plants higher (such as suction cup vines) they might hide in there instead.

If it's pooping, it's likely eating. Sometimes it's hard to tell a difference, you can always (if the gecko is large and calm enough) gently dab a little of the CGD on the side of their mouth and let them lick it up.

 

[darkridder]

A 9 month old gecko could varyin is size depending on its upbringing. If your gecko is 15g+ then being on a particule substrate is fine, if not then you will want to switch over to paper towels. Paper towels in general are easier to use, holds humidity well and also lets you monitor feces much easier then on dirt. Also with the dirt you will need to set it up as a living viv with a clean up crew or else your going to be cleaning it often, but eco earth normally is pretty acidic so it is suggested to use organic potting soil and sphag moss.

When decorating a crested cage you want plants on 3 of the 4 walls and have it fulled with plants/vines/branches so that 50% of the cage has cover in it, and one hide on the ground. Like Cas said, paper towel rolls although not attractive, seems to be a fav of these guys I use them in all of my tanks.

 

[ketz]

Right now he is on eco earth, which I thought was safe...I've read that other people use it as a substrate. The decorations are spot on I think, I have exactly what you have described in terms of plants and branches.

 

[ariana]

other people use eco earth for their cresties but they normally only use it for adults

 

[darkridder]

correct ariana, it is all about the size of the gecko not the age, a 9 month old crested gecko could be anywhere from 12g to 20g depending on its diet, housing, and genetics. But you will also find many people who do not keep their adults on it simply because of the amount of cleaning it takes to keep them on dirt without a cleanup crew, the chance impaction, plus unable to monitor their feces.