Planning on getting a crestie ^_^

[geckoluver4evr]

Hello! I'm going to be getting a crested gecko soon, possibly as soon as tomorrow, but that is iffy at the moment. My plan for the setup (since I am purchasing a juvie) is a 10 gallon tank. I'll see if I can make it work vertically. If not it will be a horizontal 10 gallon until my birthday in a couple months, then I'll try to upgrade.
For substrate I was thinking just paper towel. I have a few fake plants I was planning on using, and I was also going to try to purchase a couple vines and climbing wood. I'm going to buy repashy CGD, it seems very highly reccomended and I figure that would be the easiest thing to do. After a couple of weeks with my crestie I will maybe feed a cricket or 2 once a week.
I have a mist-er bottle already, and I have a hygrometer so I should be able to maintain the humidity.
I have a couple of questions. I plan on letting my crestie settle in for at least a week before I start handling. Handling will be brief and very gentle. I do own 2 leopard geckos, one of whom is very squirmy, so I'm not entirely new to handling reptiles. But can I handle him/her every day or every other day? Or less than that?
My house is I think around 74-75 degrees. From what I've heard this seems to be an appropriate temperature for them. But the temperature doesn't change much at night, and I've read on several sites that mild temperature drop at night is good for the geckos. Is this true?
Thanks for the advice ahead of time.

 

[cherishedtiger]

Congrats on getting your new baby!!!! I am not the expert on cresties, that is my husbands specialty but I can tell ya what I know.
If its a juvi a 10g is fine, for now they need the vertical height and love to climb. Also, the more plants, vines hides etc the better. They like to hide. We have a (I think Exo-Terra) fern that ours seem to love. CGD is the best, I hear of so many feeding baby food and it just doesnt contain everything they need. Papertowles work great for babies, you just have to watch the humidity levels. I mist our juvies twice daily as the papertowles dry quickly. Also, they prefer to drink the droplets left after misting rather than out of a bowl (but always have a water source (bowl) available.
I also recommend getting a simple book, or a good care sheet as they always have good information on them. Handling them should start slow, especially if its a juvi. And not until its well settled in. They lose their tails very easily and they do not grow back. Stress and bad temps can cause tail drop.
I am sure I left stuff out, but I think I answered most of your questions! Congrats again!!!

 

[geckoluver4evr]

Just brought home my new boy! <3 <3 <3 His name is SUPERMAN. <3 I have no idea what his morph is. Just brought him home from petco. He has 2 medium plants, a climbing branch that goes from the top of the tank to the bottom, and the CGD. There are paper towels on the bottom. I misted everything thoroughly. He's climbing a plant right now, he's still using his tail to hold onto the branch though. He's definitely a jumper, very little previous handling. I'll work on it after a week or so.
He's GORGEOUS he get's fired up to almost black, and he has gold in a vertical stripe down his back and a little on his sides, and everywhere else is black. His tail is white, gold and black. Even his tummy has color! <3 <3 <3 I'm in love. Poor guy, I saw him at petco 3 weeks ago and thought he was gorgeous then, that's when I started wanting one. It's crazy I actually got the same gecko!
I'm so happyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy oh my word. It's been a long time since I've wanted anything so badly, so happy I was able to save up and get him!

 

[sarahberry]

Congrats! Get some pictures of the cutie once he's settled!

 

[geckoluver4evr]

Sadly I have apparently used too much memory or whatever it is posting pictures, so I am no longer able to upload them directly to a thread. However, I can create an album for you, so I will get right on it!
Superman is doing very well, he is settled in beautifully. I held him today. He hardly jumped at all, except from one hand to another. I wasn't sure if he knew where his CGD was yet, so I put some on my finger, and he licked it all off. It was like a bonding moment. He's a total sweetheart.
I added a huge plant to his tank, it's got a good amount of coverage, still not as much as I'd like but he still has lots of room to climb and roam around. He's absolutely GORGEOUS. <3 By the time you see this I will have an album up, please check him out! I would LOVE to know what morph he is. I was thinking either a harlequin or a flame. But I'm not sure. Thanks bunches!