Gecko Care 101
Chosing a gecko
When you pick out your gecko at the pet store don't pick it out because of the color or size but because of its health and character. If the gecko enjoys being held and watches people with interest he or she will probably make a good pet. Check their movement and make sure they have all their toes and fingers. I recommend getting your gecko with a tail, if they have a tail it indicates that they are healthy and have not been fighting with other geckos. Avoid purchasing from pet stores that keep too many geckos in one cage. Whether you buy yours from a breeder or commercial pet store you are sure to love your crested gecko. Keep in mind that your gecko will get 6 to 8 inches long, make arrangements for proper housing and care.
Handling your gecko
Crested geckos are one of the most docile pets in the world. If you handle your new gecko everyday for 10 to 30 minutes a day it will bond with you forever. Just like dogs crested geckos like being held and enjoy companionship. If your gecko has it's tail be careful not to grab it because it will fall off and will never grow back! It takes time for your gecko to get used to you, once it does it will love being held.
Food
Most geckos will be fine eating premade or store bought gecko diets like Repashy diet. I highly recomend Repashy diet for your pet gecko. It's very affordable, easy to make, last for a long time, and geckos love to eat it. It comes in many sizes and is available at most pet stores. It contains all the nutrients and minerals your gecko needs to maintain a healthy weight and life. Geckos also enjoy fresh fruits, not all fruits are safe for crested geckos so I made a list of babyfoods, store bought diets and fruits they can eat on the Gecko info page. Just like people, geckos have likes and dislikes in the food they prefer to eat. My crested gecko likes crickets the most, if I gave him all the crickets he wanted he would be a really fat gecko! Crickets are a more costly food choice to feed your gecko but they are packed with protein for your growing pet. Depending on the size of your gecko and his taste, you can decide how many crickets to feed them based on my chart on the gecko information page.
Feeding gecko
Some gecko owners pour out the crickets into the terrarium and simply let the gecko catch them on their own. I don't like doing that because they climb on everything and get in small crevaces and hide. I take a resonable sized plastic food container (clean) and put the crickets in that on the ground. My gecko knows where they are and is able to eat them when he wants.
Keeping Crickets
Any container will do to keep your crickets in, depending on how many you have at at time pick a appropriate sized container. I keep 50-70 of them in a small critter keeper I bought at the pet store. When you pick your container make sure to pick something with tall walls because they might jump out. I cut up an egg carton in to 12 pieces so they can climb and hide in. It's easy and cheap and you can easily shake them into your gecko feeding container. Crumpled up news paper works as a great hide as well, or food containers(you can get very creative). To feed and hydrate them I put a small cap full of mushed up grapes so they can get food and moisture. They also like potato, orange, apple, watermelon, anything that has moisture. For water never ever put in a bowl of water in their habitat, they will all jump in and drown. I took a rag and cut it and rolled it up in the corner and soaked it in water they drink and hide in the cloth. Stores have premade cricket diets and water supplements but thats just extra money. After you run out of crickets, before you buy more you should probably completly sanatize your cricket keeper. (P.S. cricket keepers at the stores are way overpriced and cricket tongs dont catch them without squishing them...don't buy). If you want to keep your crickets outside go ahead but if it's to hot they will die and if it's to cold or if it rains in the cricket keeper they will die. To be on the safe side I keep mine indoors in my laundry room where they can't get out. Some people try to breed their crickets but I haven't had any luck. Unless you want to pay extra money for a breeding kit or incubator just continue to buy crickets. Just remeber how you care for your crickets determines the quality food you are giving your gecko to eat.
Tank/Terrarium
Setting up your terrarium is a fun and easy step in introducing your gecko to it's new home. When you pick a tank for your gecko buy a large tank. Crested geckos instinct is to climb up (like in the wild). Buy a cage that is designed upright. Do not buy a 10 gallon tank, I know it's cheap, I know it's small to keep in your room, but your gecko can actually get dwarfism from a small tank. Yes, if your gecko is kept in a small tank it will stop growing, some people think this is great, that their gecko will stay small and cute forever but they can get a bone growing disease that makes them weak. Their appetite will decrease and they might drop their tail and they will die much quicker. I recommend buying the Eco Terra 18 inch by 18 inch by 24 inch terrarium (small tall). It has two doors, a lock and comes with a cool background to add to your terrarium decor. I have a terrarium this big. My gecko loves to run and jump around at night (they are nocturnal). Any Eco Terra or Zoo Med terrarium will do a better job of providing for your gecko than a fish tank.
Substrate/Bedding
You need some type of cage liner for the bottom of your terrarium, reptile carpet works great. It's easily cleaned and comes in many sizes. The only disadvantage is your gecko can't eat on it because their face sticks to the surface while catching crickets. Eco Earth, coconut bark or fiber is my #1 choice, it absorbs moisture to help with humidity and is easy for them to walk on. It is realitivley cheap and smells good. It also has a realistic look and feel. Change the bedding completley once a month and thoughroughly wet the new substrate. (Wet with reptile safe water. You can buy ReptiSafe drops for around 4 dollars, (directions are on back.)
Vegetation
Fake store bought plants are great and cheap, if you are buying fake plants choose silk because they absorb moisture and hold humidity. Bend a vines are cool and geckos like to hang and sleep on them I definatley recommend getting one. The bend a vine isn't very strong so I bent mine in half and twist it up so it is tight like rope. You can also buy real plants for your gecko. Petco and Petsmart carry a variety of live -plants you can add into your terrarium. I have one for my gecko and when I mist the middle fills with water and he drinks from it. You can either chose to bury your plants in your subdstrate, like gardening or pot them in small jars.
Decor
There are many add ons to decorate your gecko's home. If you find a neat rock or stick in the wild you may want to put in your geck'os home. Take it home wash it off and then bake it in the oven at 350 degrees F for a while and put it in your terrarium after it's cooled off. Fish tank decor works just fine but because fish don't climb on their decor, sometimes it isn't the best choice. Check out my gecko products page for more ideas and links for designing your perfect crested gecko terrarium.
Food and Water dishes
Any container will work even a plastic bottle cap (for little geckos to eat in.) I bought a rock looking bowl for 99 cents and it's big enough for him to eat out of. Water dishes need to be a bit biger, big enough for your gecko to submerge in half way. (Purchase a water dish based on your geckos full growth.) They like to cool down if they are stressed out or about to shed. Completley clean and change the water every 2 days to prevent stagnant water. Clean your food dishes between feeding time as well.
Heat Lamp
Buy your heat light bulb depending on your size of terrarium/tank A petstore representative can help you with that. The only bad thing about the EcoTerra tank is that the plastic beams on the top will melt if they come in direct contact with the light. (personal experience). Also if you mist the metal mesh on top it will rust. Your crested gecko likes to be kept any where from 70-85 degreee F. At night I let it get down to room tempature. If you want you can get a night lamp for them, but it will make the entire room blue or red. A night light helps them see and improves their night hunting. If you have a night light in your room just turn that on it will help them see.
Humidity
I recomend buying a humidity gauge and thermometer. Don't buy the cheap stick on ones they don't work acuratley andare difficult to get off the glass. The gauges will help you provide a good home for your gecko. Buy a spray bottle for your gecko for misting. I like to mist the plants and substrate. Avoid misting the glass directly it will leave water droplet spots. If you mist the terrarium 2-4 times during the day the humidity level will be fine. To be scientific, it should never drop below 50%. Geckos like it best between 80% and 100%. Some people measuere the humidity levels but if you mist accurately it will be just fine. Try not to mist your gecko at night because the cold water will make their body tempature decrease much faster. They are cold blooded.
Keeping them together
Although geckos are usually fine together, I don't recomend getting multiple boys. Girls can be kept together in packs of up to 20 in the wild. You can keep about 3 geckos in the 18 by 18 by 24 terrarium. If you want to keep boys or girls together becaerful because they mate and produce offspring. Never keep just one girl with one boy because she might get stressed out and they could fight. All crested geckos are territorial, they need their own space if they have problems, separate them for awhile and re-introduce them. Once geckos meet each other they will bond and care for each other.
Introducing a new gecko
If you are introducing a new gecko, try keeping him or her in a little critter keeper next to the main cage. They can socialize safely if they are the same sex and show no aggression, then let them meet each other. If you want to get a new gecko but it is smaller than the others let it grow to a bigger size so it doesn't picked on. Geckos are great animals but they may eat their babies so be aware of that when introducing a new baby.
Mixing species
DO NOT EVER MIX SPECIES, please do not keep tree frogs, anoles or any other animal with your crested gecko!
If you have any questions please contact me, visit the guestions and comments page!
When you pick out your gecko at the pet store don't pick it out because of the color or size but because of its health and character. If the gecko enjoys being held and watches people with interest he or she will probably make a good pet. Check their movement and make sure they have all their toes and fingers. I recommend getting your gecko with a tail, if they have a tail it indicates that they are healthy and have not been fighting with other geckos. Avoid purchasing from pet stores that keep too many geckos in one cage. Whether you buy yours from a breeder or commercial pet store you are sure to love your crested gecko. Keep in mind that your gecko will get 6 to 8 inches long, make arrangements for proper housing and care.
Handling your gecko
Crested geckos are one of the most docile pets in the world. If you handle your new gecko everyday for 10 to 30 minutes a day it will bond with you forever. Just like dogs crested geckos like being held and enjoy companionship. If your gecko has it's tail be careful not to grab it because it will fall off and will never grow back! It takes time for your gecko to get used to you, once it does it will love being held.
Food
Most geckos will be fine eating premade or store bought gecko diets like Repashy diet. I highly recomend Repashy diet for your pet gecko. It's very affordable, easy to make, last for a long time, and geckos love to eat it. It comes in many sizes and is available at most pet stores. It contains all the nutrients and minerals your gecko needs to maintain a healthy weight and life. Geckos also enjoy fresh fruits, not all fruits are safe for crested geckos so I made a list of babyfoods, store bought diets and fruits they can eat on the Gecko info page. Just like people, geckos have likes and dislikes in the food they prefer to eat. My crested gecko likes crickets the most, if I gave him all the crickets he wanted he would be a really fat gecko! Crickets are a more costly food choice to feed your gecko but they are packed with protein for your growing pet. Depending on the size of your gecko and his taste, you can decide how many crickets to feed them based on my chart on the gecko information page.
Feeding gecko
Some gecko owners pour out the crickets into the terrarium and simply let the gecko catch them on their own. I don't like doing that because they climb on everything and get in small crevaces and hide. I take a resonable sized plastic food container (clean) and put the crickets in that on the ground. My gecko knows where they are and is able to eat them when he wants.
Keeping Crickets
Any container will do to keep your crickets in, depending on how many you have at at time pick a appropriate sized container. I keep 50-70 of them in a small critter keeper I bought at the pet store. When you pick your container make sure to pick something with tall walls because they might jump out. I cut up an egg carton in to 12 pieces so they can climb and hide in. It's easy and cheap and you can easily shake them into your gecko feeding container. Crumpled up news paper works as a great hide as well, or food containers(you can get very creative). To feed and hydrate them I put a small cap full of mushed up grapes so they can get food and moisture. They also like potato, orange, apple, watermelon, anything that has moisture. For water never ever put in a bowl of water in their habitat, they will all jump in and drown. I took a rag and cut it and rolled it up in the corner and soaked it in water they drink and hide in the cloth. Stores have premade cricket diets and water supplements but thats just extra money. After you run out of crickets, before you buy more you should probably completly sanatize your cricket keeper. (P.S. cricket keepers at the stores are way overpriced and cricket tongs dont catch them without squishing them...don't buy). If you want to keep your crickets outside go ahead but if it's to hot they will die and if it's to cold or if it rains in the cricket keeper they will die. To be on the safe side I keep mine indoors in my laundry room where they can't get out. Some people try to breed their crickets but I haven't had any luck. Unless you want to pay extra money for a breeding kit or incubator just continue to buy crickets. Just remeber how you care for your crickets determines the quality food you are giving your gecko to eat.
Tank/Terrarium
Setting up your terrarium is a fun and easy step in introducing your gecko to it's new home. When you pick a tank for your gecko buy a large tank. Crested geckos instinct is to climb up (like in the wild). Buy a cage that is designed upright. Do not buy a 10 gallon tank, I know it's cheap, I know it's small to keep in your room, but your gecko can actually get dwarfism from a small tank. Yes, if your gecko is kept in a small tank it will stop growing, some people think this is great, that their gecko will stay small and cute forever but they can get a bone growing disease that makes them weak. Their appetite will decrease and they might drop their tail and they will die much quicker. I recommend buying the Eco Terra 18 inch by 18 inch by 24 inch terrarium (small tall). It has two doors, a lock and comes with a cool background to add to your terrarium decor. I have a terrarium this big. My gecko loves to run and jump around at night (they are nocturnal). Any Eco Terra or Zoo Med terrarium will do a better job of providing for your gecko than a fish tank.
Substrate/Bedding
You need some type of cage liner for the bottom of your terrarium, reptile carpet works great. It's easily cleaned and comes in many sizes. The only disadvantage is your gecko can't eat on it because their face sticks to the surface while catching crickets. Eco Earth, coconut bark or fiber is my #1 choice, it absorbs moisture to help with humidity and is easy for them to walk on. It is realitivley cheap and smells good. It also has a realistic look and feel. Change the bedding completley once a month and thoughroughly wet the new substrate. (Wet with reptile safe water. You can buy ReptiSafe drops for around 4 dollars, (directions are on back.)
Vegetation
Fake store bought plants are great and cheap, if you are buying fake plants choose silk because they absorb moisture and hold humidity. Bend a vines are cool and geckos like to hang and sleep on them I definatley recommend getting one. The bend a vine isn't very strong so I bent mine in half and twist it up so it is tight like rope. You can also buy real plants for your gecko. Petco and Petsmart carry a variety of live -plants you can add into your terrarium. I have one for my gecko and when I mist the middle fills with water and he drinks from it. You can either chose to bury your plants in your subdstrate, like gardening or pot them in small jars.
Decor
There are many add ons to decorate your gecko's home. If you find a neat rock or stick in the wild you may want to put in your geck'os home. Take it home wash it off and then bake it in the oven at 350 degrees F for a while and put it in your terrarium after it's cooled off. Fish tank decor works just fine but because fish don't climb on their decor, sometimes it isn't the best choice. Check out my gecko products page for more ideas and links for designing your perfect crested gecko terrarium.
Food and Water dishes
Any container will work even a plastic bottle cap (for little geckos to eat in.) I bought a rock looking bowl for 99 cents and it's big enough for him to eat out of. Water dishes need to be a bit biger, big enough for your gecko to submerge in half way. (Purchase a water dish based on your geckos full growth.) They like to cool down if they are stressed out or about to shed. Completley clean and change the water every 2 days to prevent stagnant water. Clean your food dishes between feeding time as well.
Heat Lamp
Buy your heat light bulb depending on your size of terrarium/tank A petstore representative can help you with that. The only bad thing about the EcoTerra tank is that the plastic beams on the top will melt if they come in direct contact with the light. (personal experience). Also if you mist the metal mesh on top it will rust. Your crested gecko likes to be kept any where from 70-85 degreee F. At night I let it get down to room tempature. If you want you can get a night lamp for them, but it will make the entire room blue or red. A night light helps them see and improves their night hunting. If you have a night light in your room just turn that on it will help them see.
Humidity
I recomend buying a humidity gauge and thermometer. Don't buy the cheap stick on ones they don't work acuratley andare difficult to get off the glass. The gauges will help you provide a good home for your gecko. Buy a spray bottle for your gecko for misting. I like to mist the plants and substrate. Avoid misting the glass directly it will leave water droplet spots. If you mist the terrarium 2-4 times during the day the humidity level will be fine. To be scientific, it should never drop below 50%. Geckos like it best between 80% and 100%. Some people measuere the humidity levels but if you mist accurately it will be just fine. Try not to mist your gecko at night because the cold water will make their body tempature decrease much faster. They are cold blooded.
Keeping them together
Although geckos are usually fine together, I don't recomend getting multiple boys. Girls can be kept together in packs of up to 20 in the wild. You can keep about 3 geckos in the 18 by 18 by 24 terrarium. If you want to keep boys or girls together becaerful because they mate and produce offspring. Never keep just one girl with one boy because she might get stressed out and they could fight. All crested geckos are territorial, they need their own space if they have problems, separate them for awhile and re-introduce them. Once geckos meet each other they will bond and care for each other.
Introducing a new gecko
If you are introducing a new gecko, try keeping him or her in a little critter keeper next to the main cage. They can socialize safely if they are the same sex and show no aggression, then let them meet each other. If you want to get a new gecko but it is smaller than the others let it grow to a bigger size so it doesn't picked on. Geckos are great animals but they may eat their babies so be aware of that when introducing a new baby.
Mixing species
DO NOT EVER MIX SPECIES, please do not keep tree frogs, anoles or any other animal with your crested gecko!
If you have any questions please contact me, visit the guestions and comments page!
Choosing a crested gecko video
This video is not mine, but it is very good!