Key Takeaway:
- Crested geckos make great pets as long as you provide them with the perfect habitat.
- The perfect habitat should have a humidity level of 60 to 80 percent; temperatures of 68 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and UVB lighting.
- Size is an important factor when choosing a crested gecko tank. the minimum tank size for baby geckos should be 10 gallons while that of an adult should be 20 gallons.
- Crested geckos are semi-arboreal creatures and they would prefer to live in a tank with plenty of vertical space.
- To satisfy your crested gecko’s needs, you need to place various accessories in the tank which include: hides, backgrounds, plants, vines, branches, a food dish, a water bowl, a hygrometer, a thermometer, and misting system
- Ensure to monitor the temperatures and humidity of the habitat as they have a big impact on the gecko’s health and well-being.
In your quest to give your crested gecko a natural habitat, you also need to satisfy your pet’s housing needs. Doing so will keep your pet comfortable and healthy.
Without further ado, let’s focus on the enclosure and habitat requirements of a pet crested gecko.
Crested Gecko Enclosure Requirements
Understanding what a crested gecko requires should help you create the perfect enclosure.
Here is a quick breakdown of what a crested gecko enclosure requires in terms of husbandry:
Heating
Crested geckos prefer to live in cooler temperatures as compared to most reptiles. So, as you set up your enclosure, you must maintain cool temperatures of around 68 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperatures above 82 degrees Fahrenheit can cause your gecko immense stress. Therefore, it’s important to monitor the tank’s temperatures to avoid hurting your gecko.
Maintaining temperatures of around 68 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit doesn’t require a heating device.
Most areas will have room temperatures that fall within that range, meaning a heating device isn’t necessary.
However, if you reside in a very cold area, you might have to use supplemental heating.
In most cases, attaching a heat mat outside the side panels of your glass enclosure should generate the needed heat.
Ensure that the heat mat is connected to a thermostat to avoid overheating the enclosure.
Alternatively, you can install a low-wattage basking bulb to supplement the heat that your heat mat produces. Remember that you only need heating devices if your reptile room is extremely cold.
Lighting
Crested geckos may not be active during the day, but that doesn’t mean light isn’t important to them.
While they may remain hidden during the day, they still need light to regulate their circadian rhythm.
That said, you should consider providing your gecko with UVB lighting throughout the day and switching it off at night.
Hanging a low-wattage UV bulb over the enclosure should be enough for your crested gecko.
You may also need lighting especially if you have live plants in the tank. In this case, a fluorescent bulb above the habitat should suffice.
If you’ve placed your crested gecko enclosure in a spot that receives natural light, you don’t need to install artificial light in the tank.
Humidity
Crested geckos hail from the tropical rainforests of New Caledonia and it’s normal for them to require high humidity levels in their enclosures.
If you wish to keep pet crested geckos, you should aim for humidity levels of around 60% to 80%. High humidity levels help crested geckos stay hydrated and happy.
Luckily, it’s pretty easy to achieve high humidity levels in a crested gecko enclosure. The following strategies may help you keep the tank humid:
- Use a large water dish – having a large water dish in the enclosure should help raise the humidity of your enclosure.
- Mist the tank often – spraying the enclosure once or twice a day should keep the humidity at the required range.
- Use a moisture-retaining substrate – substrates such as sphagnum moss, eco earth, and cypress mulch can help preserve moisture in the tank.
- Reduce the amount of ventilation – Reducing the amount of ventilation helps preserve the moisture content in the tank. At least, the moisture won’t have lots of space to escape.
As you try to maintain the ideal humidity levels, ensure you maintain cleanliness and hygiene. Otherwise, bacteria, mold, and fungi will attack your tank.
Size
Glass terrariums come in various sizes. However, not all sizes are perfect for crested geckos.
If possible, you should choose a tank with more vertical space. This way, your crested gecko will have lots of space to climb.
Also, as you choose your gecko tank, try to consider the age and size of your gecko.
Baby crested geckos may not require a lot of space, but adults will definitely need a lot of space.
Babies and juvenile crested geckos should be fine in a minimum tank size of 10 gallons while an adult gecko can thrive in a minimum tank size of 20 gallons.
Crested Gecko Tank Accessories
Tank accessories are a must-have if you want your pet crested gecko to live comfortably.
These accessories give the gecko a sense of security and a comfortable life. So, having these items will make life easier for your pet.
Plants, Branches, And Vines
In the wild, crested geckos live on trees and branches. But since you can’t have trees in the enclosure, you have to use plants, branches, and vines. These accessories make the enclosure more appealing and natural.
Moreover, live plants are pretty good at maintaining humidity in the enclosure. Branches and vines will provide your gecko with endless climbing opportunities. What’s more, your gecko will use the plant cover to hide and rest.
Be careful when picking plants to use in the terrarium. Some are safe while others can poison or injure your pet crested gecko.
Hides
Crested geckos spend a lot of time hidden. That’s what they love to do when they are not looking for food.
The perfect enclosure should have plenty of hiding opportunities for crested geckos.
You need to have several hides distributed throughout the tank. The crested gecko will use these hides to rest and retreat when they feel threatened or stressed.
Some geckos will retreat to these hides during the shedding period.
Background
A glass enclosure should have a background on at least one side. Backgrounds give a unique look to crested gecko terrariums.
With a nice 3D background, the gecko’s tank will look realistic and natural. Moreover, the crested gecko will feel safer when you include a background in the tank.
You can opt for a DIY background or purchase a 3D printed background. Whichever option you choose, ensure it complements the decorations you have in your tank.
Food And Water Dish
Your crested gecko needs sustenance to stay alive and grow healthy. That explains why you must have food and water in the tank at all times.
But where will you place the food and water? Well, that is where a feeding dish and water bowl come in.
Some people might opt to place the gecko’s feeding bowl on the ground. However, experts recommend that you place the feeding dish and water cups above the ground.
Most feeding ledges will come with suction cups to help you attach them to the terrarium.
The feeding ledge has to be strong enough to support the crested gecko’s weight and the food dish as well.
You can also mount small water cups on ledges as your crested gecko will also need to quench their thirst.
Thermometer
Crested geckos are quite sensitive to heat. Therefore, you must monitor the internal temperatures of the tank at all times.
You wouldn’t want the temperatures to exceed 82 degrees Fahrenheit because the gecko will be stressed out.
A digital thermometer should help you monitor the air temperatures of your enclosure.
You may also want to invest in an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of various surfaces.
Hygrometer
Now that humidity levels are crucial to the well-being of your crested gecko, you must have a hygrometer to keep track of the tank’s humidity.
Keeping a close eye on the humidity levels will help you keep the gecko safe.
The hygrometer should help you know when to mist the tank and when to reduce the amount of humidity in the enclosure.
Mister/Fogger
Crested geckos love their humidity high. Hence, you have to devise a way to keep the moisture content high.
Misting the enclosure is a pretty good way to keep the humidity levels high.
It is up to you to install an automatic misting system in the enclosure or mist the enclosure manually.
An automatic fogger will spray water into the enclosure as soon as it detects that the humidity is dropping to unsafe levels.
But if you decide to do things manually, you can spray the enclosure in the evening or whichever time suits you.
Where To Buy These Accessories?
Assuming you’ve decided to finally bring a pet crested gecko home, where will you purchase the accessories?
Well, here are some great places to purchase crested gecko accessories:
- Pet Stores – Most stores that stock pet products should have plenty of crested gecko accessories. These stores may include Petco and Petsmart.
- Online stores – If you want to shop online, you can try ordering from Josh’s Frogs, Amazon, eBay, and Reptile Rapture.
Alternatively, you can opt to make some accessories using locally available materials. DIY accessories will save you a lot of money.
Summary
There you have it, caring for a crested gecko isn’t difficult as long as you meet its enclosure requirements. The trick is to ensure that your crested gecko is happy and comfortable in its habitat.
As long as you maintain the right humidity levels, keep the temperatures at the required levels, and provide enough hiding and climbing opportunities, your pet crested gecko should be fine.
