I was hoping you all could help me compile a list of everything I would need for a Crested Gecko. I'm new to reptiles, and have no reptile supplies at all. Though I am learning about them in my free time. So when I go to the store, what's a list of everything that I need, specifics please, as I know there's some debates about cage types, substrate, etc. Thank You
Ok, so far I'm thinking of getting these supplies, and comments or other suggestions are welcome, because I don't know what's best. Please let me know if I'm missing anything, or what YOU would buy. The room it would be staying in ranges from 73-80 degree's at all times, but is fairly dry *around 29-32 humidity* Bedding: ZooMed Eco Earth Zoo Med Vita Sand (I want to do a mix of coconut fiber & sand.) Hideout: ESU Reptile Rock Den Hanging Plant: Some soft/thin leaf variety. Is Plastic or Silk better? Food Bowl: Flukers Small Corner Dish Water Bowl: Flukers Small Corner Dish Gecko Food: TRex Sandfire Super Foods Crested Gecko Live Crickets Background: ESU Reptile Tarranium Moss Humidity Gage: (Is there any preference in brand?) Thermometer Gage: (Is there any preference in brand?) Cricket Water & Food: Nature Zone Total Cricket Bites Cricket Dusting Powder: T-Rex Sandfire Super Foods Leopard Gecko Dust ICB Insect Cricket Balancer Water Suppliments: Do I NEED suppliments in my gecko's water, if so what one(s)? Water Conditioner: Do I HAVE to use water conditioner if so what brand, or can I just use filtered water? Light Fixture: Fluker's Clamp-Lamp 5.5" Light Bulb: ESU Reptile Spot Nightlight Incandescent 30W Hammock: ZooMed Repti-Hammock Reptarium: Reptarium Basic 22, 14.5" x 14.5" x 25" Apogee Substrate Holder: Softray R-22 Tall, 14.5 x 14.5 x 6.33 Apogee Cricket Keeper: Lee's Kricket Keeper Small Sandblasted Grapevine
That sounds like a complete list. I would reccommend that u use water softener or bottled water. You dont have to but you never know whats in your water. About the plants I have bought some at pet stores but I have found they like the ones I get at Wal-mart and they are really cheap. I buy those tings that have hooks and stick to glass and hang them around. My one crestie only sleeps in them. Good Luck!
Some of your things are right some are wrong or not good enough.. i took your list and bolded the things i changed.. Bedding: ZooMed Eco Earth- is the best naturalistic and safest for the crestie But also paper towl, newspaper, and non-adhesive shelf liner all work.. will save you money and works very well and there will not be a chance of the crestie getting the coconut fibers in its mouth when it goes for a cricket.. i suggest paper towls though when its a baby so its easier for it 2 get around and catch the crickets easier. Hideout: ESU Reptile Rock Den Hanging Plant: Some soft/thin leaf variety. Is Plastic or Silk better? Food Bowl: (Not necessary) Flukers Small Corner Dish Water Bowl: (Regular water dish will also work) Flukers Small Corner Dish Gecko Food: TRex Sandfire Super Foods Crested Gecko Live Crickets Baby Food (Apricot, Mango, Peach ect..) Background: (not necessary sp?) ESU Reptile Tarranium Moss Digital Hydrometer (Measures Humidity) Gauges are not good and do not work you can usally get a digital thermometer/hydrometer combination.. but i have never saw a digital hydrometer alone. http://www.bigappleherp.com/Reptile_Suppli...ory_178105.html Something like that will work good or you can go to you local wal-mart or radioshack and they sell them for good prices Digital Thermometer http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...p;N=2006+112986 Cricket Water & Food: Cricket Gutloader.. If you want you can order some of the best cricket food/gutloader for your crickets online from www.cricketfood.com and order a 1-5lb bag since cresties dont eat alot of crickets.. this is the best for your crickets but especially for your gecko Cricket Dusting Powder: T-Rex Sandfire Super Foods Leopard Gecko Dust ICB Insect Cricket Balancer None are needed, usally crested geckos dont drink out of water bowls, they mostly depend on the water on the sides of the terrarium and on the plants Light Fixture: Fluker's Clamp-Lamp 5.5" Light Bulb: Exo Terra Infared Heat Glow 15-100 Watt Bulb will work perfectly (15-100 depending on room temp. I recomend a 30-50 Watt) Hammock: (Not Necessary) ZooMed Repti-Hammock Reptarium: (Reptariums do not do good at all on keeping the humidity in) You should get a 20-29 Gallon High Terrarium (made for reptiles that you cant fill with water for fish and much lighter) or an Aquarium (made for fish and to hold alot of water so its heavier than a terrarium but it works just as good.) I have a 20 Gallon High Aquarium.. (You NEED height thats the most important to the tank because they are aboreal.) I highly recomend 1 of these types (unless you want to spend over $100 on a fancy, expensive cage.The humidity needs to be 60-90% so thats why you should not use a reptarium Cricket Keeper: Lee's Kricket Keeper Small ( or a little critter keeper if you have one or a large enough toupperwear container.) Sandblasted Grapevine or Driftwood I hope this helps? Also to keep crickets or even breed them you need to have cotton balls soaked with water so they dont drownd. Feel free to ask any more ?s
First off, NEVER USE SAND. It is horrible. It is totally wrong for a crested gecko anyways. It would be a poor thing to hold humidity which the crestie needs. Also, if it decides to eat some of the sand, it can cause impaction and lead to the death of your crestie. Even if the sand says it doesnt cause impaction, it will. Also, non-adhesive shelf would be a poor choice as well. They need humidity and ZooMed Eco Earth- is the best naturalistic and safest for the crestie like MichaelM said. I would stick with that. It is what I use and it works great. All species of lizards that need high humidity need a substrate that will hold humidity well and non-adhesive shelf liner wont hold humidity. Newspaper would also be a poor choice. Stick with a coconut fiber bedding. Crested geckos dont need much heat. 75-80F during the day is fine so u might not even need a heat lamp. Just use a regular florescent lamp for during the day. I have to disagree with some of the things that MichaelM said. Some of the advise is wrong. To cover everything u need, this is a great care sheet to go by, read up on it. http://www.pangeareptile.com/id52.htm Good luck.
Yea lol.. after reading it again after you disagreed i dont agree with some things i said either about the substrates.. non-adhesive shelf and newspaper wont work because they wont absorb the humidity like you said but paper towls are cheap and work good with humidity but its also non naturalistic like the coconut fiber.. sorry Angel take some of the advice that i was wrong about with nuggular.. he knows alot about geckos
Lol. Just thought I'd touch up your post alittle. thx, I know what I know because of this forum. Its great. Just soke up all the info you can, but be careful to weed out the wrong advise and keep the good advise.
My guys love their baby food! So if you see a sale at your local grocery store (though I found target and walmart to be cheaper) stock up on different fruit babyfoods! I also keep a misting bottls handy and mist them severaly times a day. I have never seen them drink from a dish of water, though maybe late at night they do. Good lcuk. It seems like you have really done your research! Shannan Donivan www.leopardgeckosinc.com
Try and avoid letting the tempuratures goover 80 at all, 80+ makes the geckos stress, and possibly die of heart stroke!..Just a heads up, but misting should take the temp down a bit...
I prefer silk plant - but that is just me. Babyfood you don't have to feed if you want to feed the CGD. I would NOT have any extra lighting as that can bump the temperatures way too high. Leave the room light on, and that will give a day/night cycle that is fine. You can have a low low wattage night light to view them but you do not want temperature going above 84ish Screen cages are fine but sometimes do have a problem with moisture/humidity. If you spray daily you should have minimal problems. Many people have had success with them. (I personally think that a glass/acrylic aquarium will be much better if your humidity is only 30) If you are getting a gecko younger than 6 months old - put it on self liner or paper towel (both are acceptable - I prefer paper towel). At the young age they can have problems with impaction if they eat a small amount of partical substrate. Hammocks are fine - some will use it while others will not. I would wait on that one until you find out the personality of your gecko and where it wants to sleep. Water dishes are very helpful - if not they can help raise humidity. And if kept clean - they WILL drink out of it. Many of my geckos I have caught splashing in it or drinking from it. But spraying every night is important as some would rather drink off or plants/walls. Food Bowls are necessary. They are omnivours - so they will eat fruit (or CGD) and you will need to serve it in something. If you want a food dish thats fine, but milk caps, babyfood lids etc. work as a cheap alternative. Go digital on thermometers/hydrometers - best way to go for an accurate measurment. I thinks thats all of my corrections/opinions. As said - read lots of care sheets. There is one on this site which is really good as well.
If u go to walmart and look where they keep the digi thermometers you will find one that not only reads 2 diff temps for diff areas but it will also read the humidity...they are only 12 bucks....alot cheaper than goin and gettin them at a petstore.
I have had great success building my own "tanks" using just Plexiglas sheeting cut to the size I want and fish tank aquarium cement-oh and an extra pair of hands are helpful too. I also use 3M clear tape( wide) on the outside corners to help support it all initially. You could use the colored tape if you want the corners to be" outlined" but that blocks your veiw in those spots It's a reasonably priced way to make a habitat for your critters that suits what ever size /space requirements you have. They can be designed to fit in corners or to be very tall or whatever you need.
