new to crested geckos. Need to get on the correct path.

[Anaya]

By no means am I new to reptiles. I am also not stating that I am any type of expert. What I have read has lead me to the conclusion that I can handle housing and caring needs but I do have some things I would like to clear up, if possible.

Is there a specific range of humidity they prefer or is it best to attempt providing the levels in New Caledonia?

I will be using a 75gal enclosure. I have not come across any solid information as to what group size would be ideal. I do not want them packed in but simply a round about number of individuals that will thrive comfortably. The enclosure will be a vivarium so keep in mind the plants will not be super dense do to their needs for growing and appropriate lighting. I do plan on using plants with low lighting needs so not to bother the geckos more than needed.

Quality reading material from credible sources would also be appreciated.

I am also open to suggestions and tips from every outlook.

I am setup for eggs when or if the time comes. I have multiple incubators due to other pets I own. I am not informed enough to be successful but all things come in time. I will state I do not plan on becoming a breeder of any sort. In my past experience happy animals = babies. So I always try to be prepared for it all.

Thank you for reading.
Antonio

 

[DrCarrotTail]

I'm kinda new to cresteds myself. I picked up my first two in October so am by no means an expert. 75 gallon sounds really big to me. Personally I prefer to keep my animals in smaller containers individually or in female pairs if possible. I like to be able to easily find my animals so I can check on them withough stressing them out at least a couple of times per week. I don't like keeping males and females together year round and, of course, no two males should ever be in the same enclosure. It is difficult and sometimes impossible to determine the sex of crested geckos up to 20g as some males develop pores and bulges late. Keep this in mind when purchasing animals as you may need to keep them separated for a year or more until they are confirmed females to prevent them from fighting. Babies are also easily stressed out by too much space.

I don't know what the dimensions of a 75 gallon are but would think that about 1.5-2 cubic feet per female would be a good gauge. Keep in mind they may still fight and you should have a backup enclosure ready and waiting just in case. You may want to have at least one feeding station in your tank for at least every two females so there are no fights over food and no one female has to travel a long distance or into another female's space to get food.

As for humidity, what I read and what I've been doing is misting so the walls and plants are damp twice a day and letting the enclosure return to "normal" household humidity in between. I haven't specifically measured the humidity in my tanks. If your house is very dry (under 40% humidity would be my thought) you may want to invest in a humidifier for the room they're in to get it closer to 50-60%. Other than that they do just fine. If humidity is high all of the time it can cause mold growth and respiratory issues and there should never be standing water in their enclosure (unless it is a small water bowl).

Good luck and let us see this tank when its ready to go!

 

[Anaya]

Okay I'm following you on all of that. So in all reality it would be quite easy to separate the tank into 4 equal sections with pull out dividers (could do them in black or even semi transparent lexan if needed). The dimensions are about 48" x 18" x 23" (L x D x H), divided would be 4 sections 12" x 18" x 23", theoretically leaving 3 sq. ft. sections. At 2 sq ft per female that would leave a final count of 6 females for the enclosure. So with a male in the mix does the number remain 6 or does it change? I could buy a group section them off as they mature weeding out the extra males and over dominant females to lower the risk of fighting?

I will be keeping the plants pruned well until they establish a solid rooting system (similar to young bonsai). I believe with misting 2x's daily, changing out food, freshening water dish and pruning I will most likely be able to see/inspect them daily.

I think I will be good on the humidity issue. From what you explained it sounds almost exact to the way I keep the humidity in my carpet python cage.

Thank you, please let me know your thoughts on dividing the 75. The reason I plan to use it is because all my other extra tanks are 10-15gal and I would like to end up with a group in a big viv. I like the look of larger viv's as apposed to cramped small ones. Ultimately the happiness/health of the animal is paramount so if a 75 is not going to work so be it.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

If I were to divide a tank like that I think I would keep my male in one section by himself and only introduce him to the females when they are actively breeding. Then keep one or two females in each section. You'll just have to play it by ear and see which get along better or worse. If they fight then they need to be alone and if they are cool with each other then they can live in peace.

I keep my babies in 6 qt shoe boxes and move them up to kritter keepers as they get bigger. I don't think I would keep a baby under 15-20g in such a big enclosure as a section of your tank. From what I understand they tend to be stressed by large spaces and it's better to keep them in smaller containers when they are little. It will take them 12-18 months to reach 15-20g in size so if you're planning to buy babies you may have a long wait before their ready for your tank. If you're planning to breed you'll need to baby containers anyhow so if you make them now you'll be prepared too!

I find that some of my cresteds prefer "ripe" food so I change it every other day. I don't provide a water bowl as I've read most cresteds won't drink from it and tend to poop in it and usually only drink by lap up the water from misting. I've also read that you should have 30-40% of the tank covered in leaves so you may need to invest in some plastic plants until your live ones get big and dense enough to provide enough cover. Even in my 6qt containers I tend to have to hunt through the leaves to find the small babies as they are prety darn good at disappearing under leaves or in the paper towel rolls I provide them for hiding

 

[Anaya]

Thank you so much for the advise. I suppose I do not have to use the 75, I just thought it would make a good display tank but it does not seem like a good idea for the animals. I will use my extra 10g's and split them into 2 sections each. I clearly am not ready for a community tank of such eminence size for them. Perhaps one day... I'll do the 10g's and only buy 4. I will house 1 per side of the 10g's and learn more before taking the plunge.

Thank you again for your time.
Antonio