#gecko talk

[digiweed]

PLEASE help me. I can only pick 2-3. Which ones

[one-geck-to-rule-us-all]

I am getting a crested gecko soon but unfortunately i have zero crested gecko experience and all the books i can find right now are for leopard geckos, so i have some questions:

Is the store bought crested gecko food bottles good for feeding? Or will i need to get live insects?

Any tips on enclosure size and heating?

How do i tell between a male and a female?

Are they even good first timer pets?

Do you handle them and how often?

Exciting! Make sure you do lots of research. Some good resources are Pangea (they also have a really helpful forum) and JB’s Cresties. A quick google search will get you hooked up with their resources. You can also look through my “gecko talk” tag, there are lots of answered questions!

Is the store bought crested gecko food bottles good for feeding? Or will i need to get live insects?

Your gecko should be fed Pangea or Repashy crested gecko diets that are formulated to have all the nutrients they need. Live insects definitely beneficial 1-2 times a week. Good feeder bugs include: dubia roaches, phoenix worms, silk worms, horn worms, and crickets, always dust with a calcium supplement. 

Any tips on enclosure size and heating?

Size: depends on the geckos age. Itty bitty babies are usually kept in small bins or critter keepers. Juveniles in 12x12x18″ terrarium or bin (equal to approx 10 gallons). Adults need a minimum of 18x18x24″ (approx equal to 30 gallons), but you can definitely go bigger! Always provide secure hiding spaces!

Heating: The best heaters that mimic natural sources are deep heat projectors. You can also use heat mats or ceramic heat emitter. The important thing is to have the heat source on a thermostat to regulate the temperature and prevent over heating. You want a warm/basking spot to be 78-82F, the cooler side can be low to mid 70s. It should not be cooler than high 60s for extended periods, or over 85F. 

I will also add that UVB lights are beneficial, so if you can provide UVB that is awesome!

How do I tell between a male and a female?

Generally males have pores and will develop a bulge, females will not. I am not good at telling early, but you should know by the time they are several months to a year old. 

Are they even good first timer pets?

Yup! As long as you do your research, are prepared, and have realistic expectations they make fairly low maintenance, easy to keep pets. 

Do you handle them and how often?

I handle Nimrod a couple times a week. They are not like dogs and do not “enjoy” handling/petting cuddles. If you want a pet you can manhandle/cuddle/whatever reptiles are not good candidates!! I say this because there are lots of “cute” videos out there that show people handling stressed reptiles inappropriately, which makes people think you can cuddle and manhandle them, but in reality that really stresses them out unless they happen to have an exceptionally chill disposition which is not the case with MOST crested geckos. I only handle her for a few minutes at a time, as she does get nervous/skittish. Depending on the crested gecko they might be extremely skittish and require a lot of patience and work to get them ok with being handled! 

I hope this helps!

[one-geck-to-rule-us-all]

hey! do you have any tips for cooling down a crestie tank? as it gets warmer where I live the tank temp is getting a little higher than I'd like. I sometimes open the tank doors to cool it down, but then the humidity drops which I don't want either :/

Hey! We absolutely cook in our apartment in the summer so I caved and got an AC unit that runs almost 24/7 in July and August. Not exactly budget friendly in terms of getting an AC unit and paying your power bill 😅 but it was worth it for us! If that's not possible you can try a couple other things. I've used ice packs or frozen water bottles (place them on the mesh top), that works but you have to rotate them a few times a day. Don't put them IN the enclosure!! Just on top. A fan can also help. You can put ice packs/a bowl of ice in front of a fan to make a cool breeze (i did this when I was living in temp. housing doing field work and it worked pretty good, but again you have to replace the ice semi frequently). A general tip for keeping a place cooler: if the night/evening cools off open up those windows all the way, get a fan on to pull in the cool air. Shut all windows and blinds as soon as the sun starts heating up and keep them closed until the sun goes back down/it cools off outside. Try not to cook using your oven if possible, that can really heat up an already warm small space! If you have a basement that stays cool, move them down there (i had to do that when I lived at home still)

Crested geckos can tolerate high 70s and low 80s quite well, its above 85 F that is concerning so don't panic if you're sitting at a constant 78F, that is totally fine!

If anyone else has suggestions feel free to add!

[one-geck-to-rule-us-all]

hi!!! i've missed nimrod content so much that i actually got my own crested gecko last summer, and she is just as spazzy as nimrod was. now i see that nimrod is being more chill. is that something that you worked on with her, or do you think it's just her mellowing as she ages? i love my spazzy gecko anyways, just curious :)

<3 That is so exciting!! You’re on a fun adventure now!

TLDR - yes age mellowed her, but it also takes some work

I think age is definitely a factor in Nimrod (and most cresties) calming down. We have also been really stable for about 2 years now, whereas before when I didn’t have a gecko sitter Nimrod got to go on a few road trips a year for the holidays! I think the stability of no stressful road trips, no having to see the vet, and being in the same environment has also allowed her to feel a lot less stressed and more secure. 

I have also worked really hard with her on top of these other factors. I find the more I let Nimrod come out on her own terms the more outgoing she is. Basically we’ve gotten to the point where if I offer my hand she will either climb on, ignore it, or walk away. If she walks away or tries to escape from me I leave her alone (aside from when I need to get her out for cleaning or weighing, then she doesn’t get a choice lol). I started with just picking her up and hand walking her in the terrarium and as she stayed calmer and calmer, being able to take her out. It’s all about being patient and building trust so they don’t associate you/your hand with bad things or scary experiences. I also think I have gotten a lot more confident handling her in the last few years, so there is less nervous energy coming off me, which I am sure she could pick up on before. She still has her moments though, likes to keep me on my toes!

[one-geck-to-rule-us-all]

What do you normally feed Nimrod? Does she have a favorite food?

I feed Nimrod all of the different Pangea diets on a rotation because I like to give her that variety of flavour. Idk if she cares, but I would get bored eating the same thing every day!! I make sure she has an insect based one a couple times a week. She really likes the watermelon, figs & insect, and growth/breeder formulas!

I also feed her silk worms and the occasional horn worm when I can find ones small enough. She isn’t a fan of many other feeders and I refuse to buy cricketsssss :) 

[one-geck-to-rule-us-all]

Hi! I was wondering what kind of light do you use for your tank? I just got my gecko an 18x18x24 exo terra and I need some help if my current light can be used or if I need a bigger one. The current light I have is a zoo med mini dome and I use an led light during the day and a CHE at night. Any suggestions are appreciated :) Also her tank is artificial so fake flowers and foliage. She's going to have a lot of coco fiber and moss when I finish!

Hi! I use the ZooMed 5.0 tropical 13 or 26 watt UVB bulb and an LED light panel (for the plants I hope to grow). The UVB works nicely for lighting during the day. I actually have it in my old 12x12x18 light hood and that works fine. Sounds like what you have will work, if you find its not lighting or heating enough you might need a bigger dome?

[one-geck-to-rule-us-all]

Hey hey! I love your cresties tank, and I was wondering a few things. First off, where did you get that hollow wood tube thing on the ground of her enclosure? I love how it looks and I Absouletly NEED something similar. My my second question is did you get the sticks from outside or a craft store? Like how did you keep the natural look while cleaning it? And then my last question is do you switch between Pangea flavors? My girl seems reluctant to eat hers so she might need a new flavor. Thanks!

1. I found the wooden tube in the forest! It’s a rotted out paper birch piece. You can collect things from nature IF it is somewhere you know is pesticide/herbicide free. Look away from major roads & heavily trafficked areas. Also make sure it is LEGAL to take things (national and provincial/state parks usually have rules against taking things)

2. The sticks are also from outside and also birch which seems to hold up well in the humidity. If you are collecting your own branches stay away from pine, spruce, etc. I just checked them for bugs, left them in the garage for a day or 2 and then threw them in. If you are worried you can google instructions for baking or boiling wood.

3.  I have all of the Pangaea flavours and I rotate through them so she has some variety. You will probably find they prefer one over another! I just like to give her a variety. 

[one-geck-to-rule-us-all]

Looking into getting my first crested gecko, I’ve done a lot of research already but do you have any tips from your experience on owning one?

sure thing! 

don’t freak out if they don’t eat a lot (especially if you get a young one) - they really don’t eat that much & for the first couple weeks they might barely eat at all depending on  how stressed they are by the move - if u see poop u good

make use of the Pangea crested gecko forum - I promise you that place will have an answer for any question you can think to ask!! such a good resource that has saved my butt/calmed my panicked nerves many times!

if you can, try to set up the terrarium in advance so you can make sure your temperature and humidity will be stable

be prepared for them to be really jumpy - some cresties just are, some calm down with age, but just be prepared!! I always try to hold Nim over soft surfaces like carpet, by bed, the couch, etc. Like they are VERY hardy & can take quite the fall, but still its a good practice if your geck is unpredictable.

I hope this helps! If you take a peek through my “gecko talk” or “crestie care” or “kailyn replies” tags you might find more helpful stuff! I am v inconsistent with tagging, but if you search certain topics asks might pop up that are helpful!