Enclosure Information

Proper enclosure for the Crested Gecko can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. Although you may think your young gecko is happy in a fifty gallon tank; that is not the case. Enclosures should “grow” with the gecko to ensure the gecko can find their food. Our hatchling geckos are kept in 5.5 quart tubs, and upgraded to 27 quart tubs when they reach juvenile size. Their next upgrade will be their sub adult tub, which is 51 quarts. Our adults are kept in 108 quart tubs, which allows them to get proper exercise and explore. When searching for your perfect home for your gecko, keep in mind they are arboreal; the height of the enclosure matters more than the floor space. Be sure to include lots of leaves and hiding places to help the gecko feel more comfortable. We personally use the suction leaves you can pick up at the pet stores and wireless decorative leaves found in dollar stores. We simply use paper towel as a substrate for the gecko for ease of cleaning and easy monitoring of the geckos eating habits.

 

Ambient Environment

Temperature

Crested Geckos can be safely kept at room temperature (68°F-78°F). If possible, provide lower temperatures during the fall and winter months; gradually increase the temperature during the spring and summer to mock their natural habitat. Our geckos are kept at a fluctuating temperature of 68°F to 72°F during the fall and winter, and are gradually increased to 70°F-74°F during spring and summer. If you do not have a huge control over the temperature, a steady room temperature works fine for them as well.

 

Lighting

Our light cycles is determined by the natural light cycle outside. Our geckos live in a well lit room, which gives them a constant cycle. You may provide artificial light if you believe necessary, but it is not a requirement; or thus far has not proven to show a difference in their health. Twelve hours of light, and twelve hours of dark should be provided if natural lighting does not occur, and you are unable to mock natural light cycles.

 

Humidity

Humidity should be kept at a moderate level, and should not drop below 40% for a long period of time. Misting the enclosure twice a day should be sufficient to keep these humidity levels. It is important that you keep a proper eye on humidity levels, otherwise you will experience shedding obstacles. We mist our enclosures before going to bed, and when we wake up in the morning. Remember, the idea is to keep moisture in the air; not to totally drench the enclosure. Keep in mind that too much humidity can be fatal to geckos as well, especially younger geckos. Be sure to allow for a few hours of low humidity every day.

 

Diet

Crested Gecko Diet

Crested Gecko Diet should be the main staple diet for your gecko. There are many well trusted brands out on the market including, Clarks, Repashy, BigFatGecko, Black Panther Zoological, and Pangea. We use Pangea as our main supplier, and we rotate all 4 of their complete diets to help keep their dinner interesting. We also use their incomplete diet to mix in with the complete diet and offer it to our “picky eater” geckos. It is very important to feed you gecko a proper diet to reduce the risks of health issues, including MBD (metabolic bone disease) and other life threatening illnesses.

 

Live Food

We offer live food once a week in our geckos feeding rotation. There are many types of bugs that you can use as their live food. Dubia roaches, crickets, silkworms, butter worms, phoenix worms, and hornworms are all popular choices. Our geckos get silkworms when available, and crickets when silkworms are not “in season.” They also feed on hornworms once a month, they are very high in water content; they are known to be the miracle worm since they are very eye appealing to a hungry reptile.

 

Water

Although some breeders will say that a water dish is not a requirement, we like to keep fresh, clean water available at all times in our gecko’s enclosures. We use a bottle cap or a Gatorade cap for hatchlings and juveniles as a water dish. For sub adults and adult geckos we use a petri dish to keep water in. Water dishes are emptied and replaced with fresh water every other night.

 

Handling

The Crested Gecko seems to tolerate handling and social interaction with humans very well. When obtaining a new gecko, try to keep handling to a limited amount to avoid added stress to the animal. Handling should be started at a slow pace once the animal has adjusted to its new environment. You can start by placing your hand in its enclosure and encouraging them to walk on your hand by rubbing a finger across their back lightly. Once the gecko has become accustomed to your “scary” hand and presence, handling may be done on a regular basis. We like to handle our geckos every night.

 

Breeding

Breeding the Crested Gecko is something that can be very rewarding, but without doing proper research it can be harmful to the species. Like most species there are desirable traits that will be passed along to future generations, as well as undesirable traits that will be eliminated from the species. If you have an interest in breeding the crested gecko, and would like input from our breeding program; please contact us with individual questions so we can help you get started. Otherwise, we advise you do the most research you possible can before breeding the species.

 

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at constellationcrestedgeckos@gmail.com