Question on housing Crestie

[Prysionero]

Hello I am new to Crested Geckos but I see they are relatively easy to care for. I have a 3 yr old beardie and 2 2yr old leopard geckos but now I am looking to get a crested.

Just really only have 1 question. I am buying the Exo Terra 12x12x18 rainforest enclosure with the climbable background. I know I can house 1 in it, but is it possible to house 2 females?

 

[acpart]

I have one in the 12x12x18 and feel that this is hardly enough space for him, so I would go with the next size up (18x18x24) if you want to youse two.

Aliza

 

[darkridder]

yeah really that exo is the min size an adult can live in, it is equiv of about 11 gallons. As Aliza said the 18 x 18 x 24 will work, but realize females do not always get along, I have 2 girls in particular I am going to talk about. Spock and Lazar. Lived together happily for a year, Spock is actually about 5g heavier then Lazar. One day Lazar thus decided she disliked Spock and beat the living daylights out of her. And Lazar has continued to do so with each female she has been placed with, thus she lives alone. So something to always remember you may have to seperate at some point in time.

 

[Prysionero]

hehe i think i will just stick to 1 for now then. Does light factor in for the cresties? I dont mean actual light bulb but just light in the room. My room is pretty dark because I have an Awning on my window and blocks out most of all the light in my room. Besides me wanting to see into the cage, does light matter?

 

[acpart]

They need enough light to be able to distinguish night from day. Otherwise, since they're nocturnal, the only reason for a light is if you have a tank with real plants and then you need the light for the plants.

Aliza

 

[darkridder]

They need a photo period, meaning a day and a night cycle. You want to offer them a 12 hour light period, and a 12 hour night period (obviously in the summer it changes a bit). If you find you can not give the gecko a photo period within your bedroom, you will want to get a very small light over the top of the cage, we are talking 7-15 watts max just so it doesnt raise the temps up to high, consider leaving a lamp on in the room, or consider moving it to a brighter area of the house.

 

[Prysionero]

i going to put my repti sun 10.0 18inch fluorescent light over it...it doesnt produce any heat at all really...i dont think it would melt the cage top would it?

 

[Tony C]

I would worry about that bulb giving off excessive amounts of UV, and in such a tiny enclosure the gecko will have trouble getting away from it. You really would be better off with an 18x18x18 or 18x18x24 Exo Terra.

 

[Prysionero]

well the bulb has been running like a year or more on my beardie's 40gallon tank...think it still put out alot of uvb?

 

[Tony C]

Why risk it when you can get a new bulb at home depot for 2 or 3 bucks? Also, the Exo Terra habitat kits come with the light fixture that fits the tank and uses compact fluorescent or low wattage incandescent bulbs, so why bother with a strip light in the first place?

 

[Prysionero]

sorry guys for all the stupid questions but whats best bulb i can get like at a home depo or whatever that will light the tank but put off no heat?

 

[Tony C]

Depending on the light fixture you use, either a fluorescent or compact fluorescent bulb with a color temperature of about 6500K (typically marketed as "Daylight").

Example compact fluorescent

Example linear fluorescent

 

[darkridder]

honestly a little 15 watt normal household lightbulb will work just as well. Only time you need to get into fancy lighting is if you are going to start working with planted vivs

 

[Tony C]

honestly a little 15 watt normal household lightbulb will work just as well. Only time you need to get into fancy lighting is if you are going to start working with planted vivs

Maybe, but an incandescent bulb may produce too much heat for a crestie in a small enclosure.

 

[Prysionero]

i am about to go out the one you suggested at home depo. I found this in my house but i dont know if will work well http://www.lightingsupply.com/CF13EL-MINITWIST-1.aspx

 

[Tony C]

That would work fine, but I prefer the "Daylight" ones because they show more accurate color.

 

[darkridder]

I have used them before fine on the exo, hence why I said 15 watts or less, using a 12 watt incandescent right now on a planted viv eco and the temp at the top is only 78 degrees, but I am using the long and slender style bulb.

The thing people dont understand about lights bulbs, a liught bulb is a light bulb, and in that sence I mean you know those bulbs at the pet store, the halegon bulbs at home depot work the same way. All round bulbs of the same watt will produce the same amount of energy in both light and heat form, all flat topped light bulbs of the same wall will produce the same amount of energy in both light and heat form. There is a difference in the shape of these bulbs and the concentration of the heat energy, meaning the rounded bulb throws heat in all directions where as the flat top ones produce a concentrated beam producing a basking area. But otherwise all bulbs will work in the same manor