caring for giant day geckos *properly*

[ratty_ratkins]

i have been looking at giant day gecko caresheets. and i have read 4 diffrent caresheets. every one of them said something diffrent!! can someone help me out?

what size cage for a grown gecko?
what ALL can they eat? and what is the best diet?
do they need uv lighting or will a regular light bulb work?
is a UTI acceptable?
what are common problems in keeping giant day geckos?
do they need to be in pairs?
what substatrate is best?
do they need daily misting?
will they drink from still water or do i need a water fall, or dripper?

i have looked a diffrent caresheets, but i dont know which one to believe! pls help me out, i would love to learn about them, and maybe get one sometime.

[elfomatic]

Sorry, I don't know much about geckos specifically but I can give you some advice in general:

First of all, no matter what reptile/amphibian you own don't ever rely on one source of information. You are a step ahead here because you are researching multiple sources already. There is not much known about keeping reptiles and amphibians as pets (compared to the knowledge about cats and dogs, etc.) so you have to do a lot more research. In the end, you are not going to get a definite answer to most of your questions ... you simply have to try out the better suggestions and see what works best for you. It is very much trial and error.

The more caresheets you read the better your understanding will be for the general care of the gecko. Make your own notes and see if you see a pattern in what you are reading (something recommended more than once). Also, only gather your information from respected sites -- Melissa Kaplan, owner of this site: http://www.anapsid.org/leopardgek.html tends to be fairly reliable. Even if you don't agree with the finer points of what she has to say a trustworthy site like this is always a good jumping off point.

[elfomatic]

Oh, I forgot to mention the most important source: your herp vet. Locate a vet that specializes in reptiles and ask him/her your most urgent questions.

[ratty_ratkins]

thanks. yup, when i kept nile monitors i noticed alot of care is trial and error. i adventually got everything right. with the monitors i was told all sorts of bull crap and that lead to alot of vet bills! i deffinally dont want that to happen with the day geckos. i have a leopard gecko too. and from what i read they sound pretty simular

[Ravnos]

I keep my giant day gecko in a 30 gallon terrarium. With lots of branches and places for him to climb on and greenery for him to hide in. Generally they are aggressive to other geckos and should be kept alone unless actively breeding. In captivity two animals simply don't have the ability to get away from one another as they would in the wild, should they not want to be together. Since day geckos are arboreal, you will rarely see one on the ground in a substrate. I use cypress mulch, but any substrate that you don't have to worry about them eating it accidentally is fine. Many people just use newspaper or paper towels.

Diet is crickets, wax worms, and fruit baby food provided on a plate. In the wild, their diet actually consists largely of other lizards. I provide water with regular misting. Mine has never drank from a bowl when provided. The misting will also keep up the humidity in the cage.

They are diurnal, so UV lighting is most likely necessary, and also helps keep their color. Ones I've seen without it tend to darken up and get the problems associated with calcium deficiency. Night time temperatures can drop to the low 70s, so unless your house gets exceptionally cold, it shouldn't be necessary to have supplimental heat on them at night. During the day though, a basking bulb warming up one side of the tank is important.

I can't think of any common issues with keeping day geckos, they are known for having an attitude. They have sensitive skin so should not be handled unless necessary. Making sure they get a proper day/night cycle, as well as a minimal stress environment are important. I've had mine now for nearly three years and he has been a very low maintenance pet.

Rav

[ratty_ratkins]

the only place i can keep it is in the bed room. where there is a tv and stereo. i never have it up loud or anything, i rarely have the stereo on at all. i know my leo is fine with this. would a day gecko be? also where could i find a breeder. and what do you know about shipping herps? i am seriously considering buying one after i do as much research as possible. how big do giant day gecks get? i have read 7-8 inches, and 10-12 inches? which is it?? sorry for so many questions. i cannot be home everynight. the light can have a timer, but can the tank skipped being mist for a couple of nights, or is this a daily thing. and do you know anything about those "drippers" they are made for geckos,etc.
if i do get a gaint day gecko i will want to build my own cage. any thoughts on this. i am planning on doing it with plexy glass and mesh cloth. how well ventalated does his enclosure need to be? are "real" plants a must. i know it would help with the hummity right? know any good sites to help me out with all these questions? thanks a ton

[Ravnos]

A tv and stereo nearby shouldn't be a big deal, as long as you're not blaring it 24/7.

I'm not aware of any breeders off hand, many that come in are wild caught - but they do breed readily in captivity, so I'm sure theres more than a handful of people that have done it. They're just not in high demand like leopard geckos or crested geckos.

I've never seen a giant day gecko over 8 inches. Are they capable fo 10-12 inches? Probably... but I wouldn't hold my breath on it.

Misting really should be a daily thing - I mist when I turn the lights on in the morning, but what you can do is just mist a little extra before you leave. You don't have to worry too much about soaking the substrate, a day gecko will rarely be on the ground to be in it, and it will keep the humidity up. I've been seriously disappointed with every dripper system I've tried, but that would be one way of making sure drinking water was provided. It wouldn't even have to drip very often.

Cages need to be well ventilated, but not so well ventilated that they get drafts, or all the humidity just escapes right out. Real plants are not absolutely necessary. I have a black thumb and can't keep plants alive for anything, so use fake ones. Just make sure you wash off fake ones very well before putting them in. Many times the manufacturing process leaves dust, oils, and other various things on them. Real plants do help keep the humidity up better, and generally make for a nicer looking terrarium. Oh and make sure you get the nylon meshing and not the metal stuff, the metal will rust pretty quickly in a moist environment.

As for other sites... I don't know of anything on day geckos in particular, but Reptile Rooms has a large gecko owner population, but most of those are leopard and crested geckos, but I'm sure there are other species in respresentation as well.

Rav

[ratty_ratkins]

yeah i am getting the cloth meshing. i think its nylon. i know its a tough cloth. thanks for the help