Friend Considering buying a Crested Gecko. What should he know?

[subjectivereality]

I have a leo, not a crested gecko, and he is currently doing research on what type of gecko he wants (he knows he wants one and will probably buy one this summer).

He is interested in leos, bearded dragons and cresteds.

So, from your experience.

How should the tank be set up? Substrate, hides?
What and how should he feed the crested gecko?
What sort of lighting/heating supplies would he need?
Anything else he would need to know?

 

[wakeskate420]

some things like cage size will depend of if you get a hatchling, juvie, or adult. i currently have a hatchling in a large kritter keeper with mopani drift wood and suction cup plants with paper towel substrate. as for hides, many like papertowel rolls or the small coconut hides, but mine prefers hiding under the leaves an driftwood.

feeding: you should feed your crested gecko MRP (meal replacement powder) i use repashy and mix with water as instructed by the packaging.

heating: generally crested geckos do well at room temperature, but since my room is cold i use a 15 watt black heat bulb to keep it around 75.

one thing that crested geckos need to thrive is humidity. i mist my crested every night and get the humidity up to around 80% and let it dry out over the next day and mist again the next night. you have to let it dry out somewhat to prevent the growth of mold.

im not sure if i forgot anything but thats what i can think of off the top of my head right now haha ( my marco economics homework is frying my brain at the moment)

Good Luck! :main_thumbsup:

 

[WulfSC]

Jake pretty much covered it all. Here's how I set my enclosures up...

How should the tank be set up? Substrate, hides? I have my little cresties in sterelite shoeboxes (about 16 quarts), they both weigh in about 3 grams. Also, I keep them seperated from each other. As for my juvie crested, who's about 19 grams is in an 18x18x24 Exo Terra enclosure. I keep all three of them on paper towel substrate, with small coconut hides. However, they prefer to hid in the foliage that I have in the enclosures, along with lounging on bamboo/drift wood that's in there as well.

What and how should he feed the crested gecko? I feed all three of my cresties Repashy Crested Gecko MRP (or CGD). MRP = Meal Replacement Powder and CGD = Crested Gecko Diet. They're both a complete diet and can be feed exclusively. You can feed cresties appropriate sized crickets as treats also. But it's not a must.

What sort of lighting/heating supplies would he need? Pretty much, if you're comfortable... your crested gecko will be too.

Anything else he would need to know? I'd have him join the site, and ask any other questions he may have in the future.

 

[T-ReXx]

Cresties are pretty easily kept and most of what's required has already been mentioned. I'd direct your friend to a couple of good care sheets. Two excellent sites for Rhacodactylus info are www.pangeareptile.com and www.ciliatus.com These sites should answer any questions your friend has.

 

[Holly12]

Crested geckos are awesome and so are leos everything has been said for you from the other two posters. If you do get a crested gecko you won't be sorry they are very easy to take care of. I wish you luck on whatever you are going to get.

 

[subjectivereality]

I'm not the one getting the crested gecko. I already have a leo, and I am keeping him in my dorm. I'm really not supposed to, but none of my roommates care, I get notice before my room gets checked for fire inspections, and the worst they can do is tell me to remove him (which I will do and then promptly bring him back in, or take him home and have my parents care for him while I am at school). However, with that in mind, I don't want to tempt my fate too much with two animals.

 

[WulfSC]

Ana, definitely have your friend look at the sites that Ted (a.k.a. T-ReXx) suggested. They're both really good sites aimed toward Crested Geckos, and will pretty much answer any of your friends questions. Still, I'd have him join the forum here as a lot of members are very knowledgeable about reptiles/amphibians. Best of luck to him. Let us know what he decideds to do.