🦎Crested Gecko Care Guide🦎

       (Correlophus ciliatus)


Hi everyone, as per request from you all, I have created this care guide to expand your knowledge of crested gecko care! I have had crested geckos for 8 years now but through time, many care standards have advanced and evolved. Here is a guide for new and current crested gecko owners to help their crested geckos thrive! This guide will be updated if any of these standards change. :) 


Tank Requirement Size: 

  • Absolute Minimum for Healthy Adults: 18” x 18” x 24” 

  • Recommended Minimum for Healthy Adults: 18” x 18” x 36”

  • Minimum for Juveniles-Quarantine: ~12” x 12” x 18” 

  • Minimum for Babies: ~8” x 8” x 12” tub or tank 

Importance: Crested geckos thrive best when housed in tanks suitable to their needs.  Having the correct minimum size for your crested  gecko is key to both their health and welfare. Hatchlings/babies, (0-6 months), should be kept in small bins to have easy access to resources. This helps keepers monitor growth and bowel movements as they age. Juveniles, (6-12 months), need slightly larger enclosures to continue growth and display natural behaviors. This size may also be used to closely monitor geckos in quarantine. Once they reach adulthood, (12+ months), they may be placed into their permanent enclosure. As an arboreal species, crested geckos thrive best in vertical enclosures rather than horizontal ones, as height encourages natural climbing, resting, and jumping behaviors they naturally display. The correct enclosure size is the first step in ensuring your crested gecko has not only a place to thrive, but one they feel safe in. 


Desired Temperature:

  • Daytime: 72-78° 

  • Nightime: 65-72°

Importance: Crested geckos don’t need high temperatures to maintain their health like various other reptile species. In most cases, they are content living at room temperature. Having a heat source is not necessary unless your temps fall below 65°. In this case, a low wattage ceramic heater can be used to bump the temp up to the desired range. Crested geckos don’t tolerate overhead high heat like other species and are prone to overheating leading to various health conditions. Having the correct temperature range ensures they are digesting properly, comfortable in their environment, and are able to confidently display natural behaviors. Temperatures below may lead to lethargism, loss of appetite, and increased infection risk. Temperature should be monitored through digital thermometers placed towards the top center of their tank. 


UVB Lighting: 

  • Zoo Med Reptisun 5.0 T5 HO 

  • Arcadia Shade Dweller 7%

Importance: UVB is highly recommended for crested geckos as it aids in D3 synthesis, calcium absorption, and helps immune function. UVB should be arranged to create a gradient within the enclosure, allowing the gecko to move between areas of higher and lower exposure. Providing UVB reduces the risk of Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) throughout the body. Having UVB on for roughly 11-12 hours a day also helps maintain their circadian rhythm. UVB should be linear, rather than coil, as it best optimizes its output. 


Hides + Enrichment: 

  • Various Hides Placed Throughout Enclosure

  • Various Climbing Branches/Wood (real or fake) 

  • 70% Plant Coverage Throughout Tank (real or fake)

Importance: A well-designed enclosure should allow the gecko to remain hidden whenever it chooses. Ensuring you have multiple hides and climbing opportunities allows your gecko to do so. Plant coverage for crested geckos provides security, allowing them to feel safe within their enclosure. As I always tell people, “A Cluttered Tank is a Happy Tank.” Providing visual security through dense foliage, cork, and climbing structures helps reduce stress by preventing constant exposure within the enclosure. Large gaps within an enclosure cause stress to your gecko. Crested geckos are prey animals who prefer to feel hidden in their environment. It is recommended to also provide a humid hide within the enclosure. Humid hides aid in sheds, boosting humidity in a controlled setting. Sphagnum moss or paper towel may be used in humid hides as both hold humidity. Humid hides should be lightly misted every few days and bedding should be replaced as needed to avoid molding.


Humidity: 

  • Spiked Range: 60-80%

  • Humidity Drop: 40-50%

Importance: Proper humidity levels are essential for maintaining a healthy crested gecko. Crested geckos come from tropical regions which spike in humidity. You can measure humidity through a digital hygrometer. Humidity should be increased two times a day, once in the morning and once at nighttime. This can be done by misting the enclosure until desired range.  In between humidity spikes, it’s important to let the humidity drop to prevent various respiratory and fungal infections. Ensuring your humidity falls within the appropriate range aids in healthy sheds, digestion, and overall health.


Water + Feeding: 

  • 1x water dish 

  • 1x food dish

  • Hatchlings/Juveniles: Fed Daily 

  • Adults: 2-3x Weekly 

  • Recommended: wall ledge to hold both food + water 

Importance: Ensuring your crested gecko receives proper nutrition and hydration is key to a thriving gecko. As crested geckos age, their feeding frequency decreases as growing has been achieved and protein demand decreases. Water should be provided daily in a shallow dish, even if your gecko licks water droplets off of plants. Feeding portion sizes should be monitored, as crested geckos are prone to overeating in captivity; a slightly rounded tail base is ideal, while excessive fat deposits indicate overfeeding. Elevated feeding ledges are highly recommended to hold food and water dishes. Complete gecko diets such as those from Pangea and Repashy are widely used as staple foods for cresteds because they are balanced for calcium, protein, and vitamins. Though these have key nutrients for survival, it is still recommended to provide insects at least 1x a week. Insects should be gut-loaded 24-48 hours prior to feeding to provide extra nutrients to your gecko. Never feed insects larger than the space between the gecko’s eyes to avoid choking.


List of Safe Insects: 

  • Dubia Roaches (staple)

  • Crickets (staple) 

  • Black Soldier Larvae (occasional staple) 

  • Silkworms (occasional staple) 

  • Mealworms (occasional treat)

  • Waxworms (limited treat)


Substrate: 

  • Adults: 60% Organic Topsoil + 30% Coco Coir + 10% Washed Play Sand

  • Adults: 70% Coco Coir + 20% Orchid Bark + 10% Washed Play Sand

  • Paper Towel: Babies, Juveniles, Quarantine

Importance: Substrate regulates humidity within the enclosure while providing a naturalistic environment. While several substrate options are suitable for crested geckos, the following mixtures are safe, reliable choices. Substrate should be roughly 2-4 inches deep throughout the bottom of the enclosure. All substrate should be free of pesticides and fertilizers. Juveniles, babies, and quarantine geckos should be placed on paper towel to closely monitor bowel movements and to prevent consumption of substrate. 


My Crested Geckos: 

Lemon↑

Lemon is an 8 year old gecko who was gifted to me when he was only a few months old. He is the more social of my two geckos and loves to be handled.

Lime↑

Lime is an 8 year old gecko who was gifted to me the same time as Lemon. He is my more shy of the two but enjoys being tong and spoon fed.

 

We hope you enjoyed this care guide based upon most up-to-date research. When heating, lighting, nutrition, and enrichment are properly provided, crested geckos don’t just survive, they thrive! For further questions please refer back to my page. Always happy to help! 

 

🦎“From Forgotten to Forever”🦎


Creator: Exoptopia

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