Hi all. I'm new. I recently got a crested gecko. My friend moved and couldn't take him. I've never owned an exotic pet. I want to make his terrarium as comfortable and natural as possible. I want to grow live plants but have no idea how to set it up. I'm looking for info on how to do the complete set up; soil, material, plants, etc. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Crested Gecko
- Thread starter Nomz
- Start date
Welcome to MFK and to the world of cresties. They're actually a great starter reptile and easy to take care of so you got lucky.
For starters do you have a tank for your gecko now? What type?
Heating the tank is pretty simple. Cresteds like cooler setups than most reptiles and room temperature is pretty comfortable for them. A basking temp in the low 80's may or may not be used but should be provided. They can stress easily when temperatures rise above 90 so don't keep them near heat sources or direct sunlight. Because they're nocturnal UV lighting isn't important.
Cresteds like humidity so I use Eco Earth soil for my tanks as it holds the moisture well. They are a climbing species so they like plenty of vertical space. You can provide branches, live or fake plants and 3D walls for climbing on. I like to have plenty of live plants in my tanks. Make sure if you do use live to clean the plants well before adding them to the tank because they might have pesticide and fertilizer residue on them. Snake Plant, Pothos, Bromeliads, Peperomia, Wax Plant, Dracaena are some good choices to use.
For food I feed my geckos every other day. Their diet is 75% Repashy Crested Gecko Diet and 25% crickets and Dubia roaches. I sprinkle reptile vitamins on the insects every other feeding. The cage should be sprayed with water at least once a day. Licking up drops of rain water is the primary way they stay hydrated.
If you have any other questions I'm here to help.
For starters do you have a tank for your gecko now? What type?
Heating the tank is pretty simple. Cresteds like cooler setups than most reptiles and room temperature is pretty comfortable for them. A basking temp in the low 80's may or may not be used but should be provided. They can stress easily when temperatures rise above 90 so don't keep them near heat sources or direct sunlight. Because they're nocturnal UV lighting isn't important.
Cresteds like humidity so I use Eco Earth soil for my tanks as it holds the moisture well. They are a climbing species so they like plenty of vertical space. You can provide branches, live or fake plants and 3D walls for climbing on. I like to have plenty of live plants in my tanks. Make sure if you do use live to clean the plants well before adding them to the tank because they might have pesticide and fertilizer residue on them. Snake Plant, Pothos, Bromeliads, Peperomia, Wax Plant, Dracaena are some good choices to use.
For food I feed my geckos every other day. Their diet is 75% Repashy Crested Gecko Diet and 25% crickets and Dubia roaches. I sprinkle reptile vitamins on the insects every other feeding. The cage should be sprayed with water at least once a day. Licking up drops of rain water is the primary way they stay hydrated.
If you have any other questions I'm here to help.
