Crested Gecko Care Sheet

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR ADULT CRESTED GECKOS:

  • 45cm x 45cm x 45cm GLASS TANK FOR BABIES OR A JUVINILE
  • 45cm x 45cm x60cm GLASS TANK FOR A SINGLE ADULT
  • A HIGH POWER HEAT MAT WITH A MAT STAT
  • MINIMUM OF 7% UVB. ARCADIA SHADEDWELLER IS RECOMMENDED
  • BROAD RANGE VITAMIN SUPPLEMENT

Vivarium Set-Up

All heating should be positioned at one end of your tank. This then creates a hot basking side. The opposite end should have no heating and therefore creating a cool end.

This then provides a temperature gradient across the tank. Place your thermometer and/or thermostat probe in the centre of your tank on the back wall. At this point, your thermometer should be reading 78oF/26°C. For heating, we suggest using a Habistat High Power heat mat and mat stat. A mat stat must always be used when using a high powered heat mat. The heat mat should be stuck to the outside of your tank on either the left or the right side. Make sure the side if your heat mat with the copper is facing inwards to your tank.

Most geckos do not require a nighttime drop in temperature; doing so may cause failure to digest large meals, causing illness.

UVB Lighting

UV lighting is not always necessary for crested geckos according to some people, but it has been shown to help with the overall health therefore it is included in our Crested gecko kit. We recommend Your UV should be turned on in the morning and left on for approximately 12 hours a day.

The UV tube in the case of a wooden vivarium should start against the wall at the hot end and span 2/3 the length of the ceiling thus creating a UV gradient much like your heating. Or place a compact UVB bulb in the back corner of the hot end.

Substrate, Cleaning & Furniture

Substrate choice is a difficult one, a good quality orchid bark is recommended safest. Peat or coco fibre topped with moss can be used to maintain a slightly raised humidity.

In addition, the moss and peat will also break down some of the animal’s waste, especially when kept as a bioactive within springtails or isopods. It is worth noting that you will need to spray your animal’s enclosure just enough to maintain the dampness of the moss.

Spot clean your tank regularly. If done properly a full vivarium clean should only be necessary once a month, or considerably less often if using peat and moss. Only use disinfectants specifically designed for reptiles. Soaps, detergents and other disinfectants can be toxic.

Feeding & Vitamins

Crested geckos eat both insects and fruit. The insect portion of their diet can consist of crickets, locusts, mealworms and other small insects.

The best way to judge what quantity of crickets and locust constitutes a meal is to drop a limited amount (half a dozen) into the vivarium. If your animal is hungry it should eat immediately, if it does, continue to put a couple of insects in every time it finishes and continue until your gecko appears full. Remember never to leave a large excess of crickets or mealworms loose in the vivarium, they can cause injury to your animal!

There are various ways of providing the fruit for your gecko. One of the easiest and best is to get a combination of non-citrus fruits (mangos, apples, bananas, pears etc.), blend them together and decant the pulp into an ice cube tray and freeze it, making lots of individual portions to defrost as and when you need them.

Handling, Health & Additional Notes

Do not handle your Crested gecko immediately after a move; leave at least four weeks to allow your animal to settle – Or until your animal is feeding well and has been for 3-4 weeks.

After the initial four weeks, handling may begin slowly. Crested geckos are naturally friendly. You do not need to restrain or excessively handle them to make them good pets. Always handle your animal close to the ground or above a surface – Crested geckos are an arboreal geckos and may try and jump from your hand to nearby surfaces! Crested geckos can drop their tails if they feel they need to and it WILL NOT regrow, so make sure that you never grab your animal’s tail or chase it around the enclosure.

A high-stress level in geckos generally lowers the immune system and leaves your gecko open to viruses and infections. Always use common sense when handling animals.

Crested geckos are semi nocturnal, so you may not see a great deal of them. But they are naturally friendly, clean and easy to maintain, and in nearly all cases Crested geckos make great family pets.

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