Crested geckos are intriguing, resilient, and low-maintenance pets. They are ideal for novices who have little to no experience caring for geckos as pets.
Before taking your crested gecko home, one of the first things you should purchase is its tank.
Because it will serve as your pet crested gecko’s lifetime home, the tank or enclosure you pick should be of the highest caliber.
Key Takeaway:
The recommended tank size for keeping crested geckos is a minimum of 20 gallons (18” X 18” X 24”)
Types of Enclosures
There are different types of enclosures available for you to keep your crested gecko in.
And you can design different scales and kinds of environments for your crested gecko in these different kinds of tanks.
Vivariums
A vivarium is an enclosure that is made up of glass, wood, or plastic.
Essentially, vivarium is an umbrella term for any kind of enclosure that can be used to keep small animals in semi-natural environments.
However, when it comes to reptile pets, vivariums are often meant to refer to wooden enclosures.
A wooden enclosure, or a vivarium, would go perfectly for reptiles that don’t need a lot of humidity.
But for crested geckos, wooden enclosures won’t be very suitable. It will be harder to lock in the humidity levels required by crested geckos.
Terrariums
Terrariums are glass tanks used to keep reptile pets that require a lot of humidity. A terrarium is an ideal enclosure for pet crested geckos.
Terrariums are made of glass so they seal the required humidity and temperature levels quite easily.
Aquariums
Aquariums are tanks used to keep amphibians and aquatic animals. You should not use an aquarium to house your crested geckos.
While crested geckos can swim instinctively, it is more of a life skill than a preference.
Crested geckos are prone to drowning if the depth of water is more than 1 inch. So, an aquarium is not a good choice for housing a pet crested gecko.
Paludariums
The main objective behind creating a Paludarium is basically to replicate the natural habitat of rainforests, wetlands, and streams.
In other words, it’s a semi-aquatic environment that has components of land and water.
Cages
Cages are essentially smaller terrariums. Here, cages don’t mean the kind of cages you would use for birds.
A cage for a crested gecko is just a smaller glass tank. A cage is perfect for hatchlings of crested geckos.
Minimum Enclosure Requirements
Depending upon the age and size of your crested gecko, it will require a tank of a different size.
This means that if you get your crested gecko home as a hatchling, you need to be prepared to change and upgrade the tanks at least 2 to 3 times in the lifetime of your pet.
The table given below shows the minimum required size of the tank depending on the age and size of your pet crested gecko.
| AGE OF CRESTED GECKO | SIZE OF TANK |
| Hatchlings and Juveniles (<12g) | 5 gallons (8” X 8” X 12”) |
| Adults (>25g) | Minimum 20 gallons (18” X 18” X 24”) |
| Multiple Adults | Minimum 30 gallons (18” X 18” X 36”) |
Humidity & Temperature Controls
The humidity and temperature of the enclosure of your crested gecko need to be accurately controlled and monitored.
Humidity Of Crested Gecko Enclosure
The humidity of your crested gecko tank should be between 60 and 80 percent. Crested geckos require a high-humidity environment.
However, you should also let the humidity level drop to 50 percent at least once a day for some time to prevent any fungal or bacterial growth.
And, you also need to mist the enclosure to bring the humidity levels back between the 60% to 80% range.
Temperature Of Crested Gecko Enclosure
Crested geckos require room temperature to thrive.
This means that during the daytime, the temperature of the enclosure should be between 72 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit and at nighttime, the temperature of the enclosure should be between 60 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
The temperature of the enclosure should not be constant everywhere. Instead, you should have a gradient of heat inside the tank.
Have a warm basking spot at one end, then gradually cool the temperature as you go to the other end of the tank.
Location
The enclosure of your crested gecko must be kept in a room that:
- Gets ample sunlight. This will ensure that your crested gecko gets ample natural lighting that helps maintain its circadian rhythm.
- Is relatively quiet. It is impossible to have a completely quiet room in the house. There will always be some kind of noise. But the room in which you place the enclosure of your crested gecko should be relatively quiet because crested geckos are skittish and get startled and stressed by loud and sudden noises.
- Is inaccessible to other pets. If you have other pets in the house, you should place your crested gecko enclosure in a room that cannot be accessed by other pets.
Is A 12x12x18 Good For A Crested Gecko?
A 12 X 12 X 18 tank is good for a hatchling or a juvenile crested gecko. For a fully grown crested gecko, you will need a slightly bigger tank than that.
Can A Crested Gecko Live In A 10 Gallon Tank?
A tank of capacity 10 gallons is also suitable for a hatchling or juvenile crested gecko.
Again, for a fully grown crested gecko, a bigger tank will aid the enrichment and physical activity as compared to a 10-gallon tank.
Can A Crested Gecko Live In A 20-Gallon Tank?
Yes, a fully-grown crested gecko can live in a 20-gallon tank. However, a 20-gallon tank will be too big for a hatchling or a juvenile crested gecko.
Too big tanks can stress the youngling crested gecko and affect its appetite.
Is A 40 Gallon Tank Good For A Crested Gecko?
A 40-gallon tank is good for keeping multiple crested geckos. As a general thumb rule, for a pair of crested geckos, you will need a tank of 25 to 30 gallons.
And for every new crested gecko you add, you will have to add 5 gallons to the capacity of the tank. By that rule, a 40-gallon tank can house 4 or 5 crested geckos.
Summary
The enclosure is the first thing you will need to buy before you get your pet crested gecko home. You have different options available in terms of the size and types of enclosures available in the market for reptile pets.
Considering the high-humidity environment that a crested gecko requires to thrive, a terrarium will be an ideal enclosure for your crested gecko.
Additionally, you need to take into consideration the age, size, and weight of your crested gecko in order to choose the appropriate size of the tank.
Once you get the ideal tank, you need to ensure that the humidity, temperature, hygiene, lighting, and location of placement of the tank allow for an environment that keeps your crested gecko comfortable and healthy.
