Paw Talk - Pet Forums banner

Are crested gecko easy to take care of?

12K views 34 replies 5 participants last post by  Fishy 
#1 ·
yeah so im wondering how difficult crested geckos are to take care of compared to leopard geckos?

how big do they get? i dont know anything about them soo..
 
#2 ·
#3 ·
thank you. :) do you think that getting one would be to stressful for me having an iguana already? im not stressed out at all having my iguana as it is cause hes pretty easy to take care of so far

whats the smallest aquarium i could get for it when its an adult? right now im using a 20 gallon for my iguana so i could always wait and use that later but it said something about getting a tall aquarium and i have a long one instead
 
#4 ·
Well, an iguana is one of the most difficult reptiles to keep, honestly. They can be difficult to handle as adults and their diets take some planning (not to mention how huge they get). I don't think a crested gecko would take up too much of your time but definitely make sure you're prepared for an adult iguana.

These links might help:

http://www.2ndchance.info/IguanaCare.htm
http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/igcare.htm
http://www.greenigsociety.org/careinfo.htm

As for the gecko, a 20-gallon is fine, you can just flip it on its side :). A 10-gallon (tall or a regular one flipped) is fine for a younger crested gecko, though.
 
#5 ·
... Your iguana's in a 20 gallon? Didn't you say he was 20-some inches long?
 
#6 ·
Your ig needs a HUGE cage, like yesterday then you could use the 20 gal for a crestie

An ig cage should be atleast 4 wide 6 tall and 4 wide. Mine is actually a dog kennel for outside that i changed into an iguana cage. so mine is 4 x 4 x 5.5 tall but she gets the whole room now so it works

and compared to an ig a crested gecko is nothing as far as care goes.
 
#7 ·
Yeah, that's what I though. My beardie is smaller than your iguana, and he is in a 40 gallon (being upgraded soon though).
 
#8 ·
omg... his head is to small for the cage i have for him ok (he would get through the bars and get loose) those aquariums are pricey im not made of money :( i would prolly never use an aquarium that size for anything else anyways so imo getting it is a waste of money seeing as in a few months (if that) hes gonna be big enough for the one ive got. its just a temporary thing. and yes i might sound bad here and yeah im being a bit cheap but whatever
 
#10 ·
actually i think ur iguana is bigger then her beardie, if u look at the pics of her beardie alone hes alot smaller, but thats just my thought, i understand what u mean about the tank and money thou its not easy, have u considered maybe building him a temp cage ?
 
#12 ·
what about looking online ? im sure u could find many ideas for iguana cages that would be easy and cheap to build. how big is the cage that u have that he will be eventually in ? maybe this site will help u not sure how good it is, but you could look at it if u want http://www.iguanaden.org/housing/cagematerials.htm
 
#14 · (Edited)


this exactly.. only top and bottom. pretty sure the middle comes out and the ladders and platforms are removable. i was gonna put glass or some kind of thick plastic around the outside to keep it warmer and stuff. i didnt buy it for him we already had it so yeahh..

36 Inches by 25 Inches by 24 Inches


but it says its an add on so i think the cage is that doubled so 72 50 48 ?
 
#17 ·
My beardie isn't that big, he would probably be around 20" if he had a full tail. I guess I don't really know how iguanas are built compared to beardies, but when I had a baby beardie I moved him out of a 20 gal once he hit 14".


Try Craigslist. Some people sell really nice home made full size iguana enclosures for $200-$300.
And I get it about the money thing- I have to pay for my own pets, so I'm not made of money either- But did you think iguanas were cheap and easy to care for? Because they are probably one of the most expensive and difficult lizards you can get.
 
#18 ·
My beardie isn't that big, he would probably be around 20" if he had a full tail. I guess I don't really know how iguanas are built compared to beardies, but when I had a baby beardie I moved him out of a 20 gal once he hit 14".


Try Craigslist. Some people sell really nice home made full size iguana enclosures for $200-$300.
And I get it about the money thing- I have to pay for my own pets, so I'm not made of money either- But did you think iguanas were cheap and easy to care for? Because they are probably one of the most expensive and difficult lizards you can get.
no but i did think the aquarium was an ok size for a temp thing. he seems perfectly fine in there and i take him out a lot so its not like hes being cooped up in there

i also planned on him being a bit smaller...
 
#19 ·
The problem with the tank is its too small to have a temp veriation that iguanas need they need a hot spot at 90-95 degrees and a cool spot of 70 or so

you can't get that in a tank.

and the remark of the cage needs to be the size of a fridge? yes it does, in fact a side by side fridge is about the right size.
 
#21 ·
Do you even have a thermometer? You really need a good thermometer. I really like the digital indoor/outdoor thermometer that Walmart sells for $12... The brand is called Acurite, and it tells you the hot side, the cool side, and the humidity. Either that, or get a temp gun. The stick-on/dial thermometers at pet stores are really crappy and not at all accurate.


Could you just go over your entire set up? It sounds like you need some help.
 
#22 ·
omg.. im not an idiot alright i have a thermometer. i have brown carpet and a plate for food and a dish for water and a xl log from petsmart and a 6 foot leaf rope thingy.. it sticks onto the glass and i have another plant i got from petsmart its smaller.. but thats all ive got in there. i have 2 lights. a heat lamp and the day time one but its also a heat lamp cause my room is always cold.
but yeah i dont like the stick on one.. i saw the one that you use it looks really good ill have to look for it next time im there. the stick on one was only like 2 or 3 dollars so its whatever.. its not like i spent a lot on something i didnt like or didnt work

so yeah do i need to add anything cause i really cant add anything in there right now. i mist it twice a day like my moms friend said to (she used to have an iguana) and i mist his food to cause i heard it was good for hydration? i read it somewhere i dunno. and am i supposed to be feeding him as much as he will eat or what?
oh and where do i get vitamin things i read i should have those
 
#24 · (Edited)
omg.. im not an idiot alright i have a thermometer. i have brown carpet and a plate for food and a dish for water and a xl log from petsmart and a 6 foot leaf rope thingy.. it sticks onto the glass and i have another plant i got from petsmart its smaller.. but thats all ive got in there. i have 2 lights. a heat lamp and the day time one but its also a heat lamp cause my room is always cold.
but yeah i dont like the stick on one.. i saw the one that you use it looks really good ill have to look for it next time im there. the stick on one was only like 2 or 3 dollars so its whatever.. its not like i spent a lot on something i didnt like or didnt work

so yeah do i need to add anything cause i really cant add anything in there right now. i mist it twice a day like my moms friend said to (she used to have an iguana) and i mist his food to cause i heard it was good for hydration? i read it somewhere i dunno. and am i supposed to be feeding him as much as he will eat or what?
oh and where do i get vitamin things i read i should have those
Know ones calling you an idiot, nor does anyone think you are, but from your answer, it does seem like you may need a little help with your iguana which isnt a bad thing, all there doing is trying to help you ,so you and your little friend can both be happy. so please dont take it the wrong way . they just want to help.
 
#23 ·
I never called you an idiot, OK? When you say that you don't know how warm or cool your cage is, I assumed you didn't have one. What exactly are the temperatures?


Do yo have a UVB light? Or is that the "day time" light?


You can get calcium and vitamins at the pet store. I really like the Rep-Cal brand. IDK what they need for D3 though...


Oh Kendalle, where are youuuuuu? :)
 
#25 · (Edited)
I never called you an idiot, OK? When you say that you don't know how warm or cool your cage is, I assumed you didn't have one. What exactly are the temperatures?


Do yo have a UVB light? Or is that the "day time" light?


You can get calcium and vitamins at the pet store. I really like the Rep-Cal brand. IDK what they need for D3 though...


Oh Kendalle, where are youuuuuu? :)
uhh... i think so..? i just know it gives him vitamin d so prolly lol it gets around 70 at night.. usually never below 70 and around 90 during the day.
do you know how much those vitamins might be?

i only have 1 thermometer thing and i read somewhere you should have 2.
 
#26 ·
Sorry, I'm a little bit confused.. Do you think you have a UVB light, or do you think so about something else? LOL.
Tell me the brand and percentage of your "day time" light, and I'll tell you if it's a UVB or not.
Vitamins are, like, $9 at Petsmart I think? Look for Herptivite. I ordered mine in a "value pack" sort of think at www.lllreptile.com, and it had both the calcium and vitamins for $15.


And yes, you need a thermometer for the basking spot, and one for the cool side. An indoor/outdoor type of thermometer is really handy, because it tells you both, but you only need one thermometer. The are cheaper and better quality than pet store thermometers too.
 
#27 ·
Sorry, I'm a little bit confused.. Do you think you have a UVB light, or do you think so about something else? LOL.
Tell me the brand and percentage of your "day time" light, and I'll tell you if it's a UVB or not.
Vitamins are, like, $9 at Petsmart I think? Look for Herptivite. I ordered mine in a "value pack" sort of think at www.lllreptile.com, and it had both the calcium and vitamins for $15.


And yes, you need a thermometer for the basking spot, and one for the cool side. An indoor/outdoor type of thermometer is really handy, because it tells you both, but you only need one thermometer. The are cheaper and better quality than pet store thermometers too.
i think i have a uvb light. it says its a 60W and its exo terra? it says sun glo "daylight lamp" if this one isnt right though i do have another.. i got this one though to help with heating cause the other one didnt get very hot at all

so the indoor/outdoor one tells both? how does it know? thats weird lol but yeah they only had the stick on kind and the lil ones that look similar to a compass and i thought the sticky one would be better for now. i was planning on getting a better one later on once he grew big enough for the other cage
 
#28 ·
repti-cal no vitimin D and no phosphorous.
I don't bother with the multi vitimin if you feed right you don't need them.

You need a bigger cage, no ifs or buts about it, figure out how to cover your other cage for the time being. and no that ferret nation won't last for an adult cage. so start planning a larger cage now.

You need to change the diet as i've mentioned to turnip mustard and collard greens. add a touch of calcium every other day.

you need a uvb bulb a long floressent one. IF its cheaper than 25 its not uvb.

Buy and read then re read the book called Green Iguana—The Ultimate Owner's Manual by James W. Hatfield III.
 
#30 ·
That's not a UVB light, it's only a heat light, sorry.
I highly recommend the ReptiSun brand lights (Get the flourescent tube, NOT the compact light). I think iguanas need the 5.0? You can order it here: www.petmountain.com
For a fixture for it, you can get a regular under-the-counter flourescent light fixture at Walmart for $9. They sell "special" aquarium hood fixtures too, but those are like $50 and IMO they are a waste of money.


And with the thermometer: It was a wire probe that you place on the basking spot, and you put the monitor part of it on the opposite side, so it knows the hot and the cool side. So it's like getting 2 thermometers in one!
 
#32 ·
That's not a UVB light, it's only a heat light, sorry.
I highly recommend the ReptiSun brand lights (Get the flourescent tube, NOT the compact light). I think iguanas need the 5.0? You can order it here: www.petmountain.com
For a fixture for it, you can get a regular under-the-counter flourescent light fixture at Walmart for $9. They sell "special" aquarium hood fixtures too, but those are like $50 and IMO they are a waste of money.


And with the thermometer: It was a wire probe that you place on the basking spot, and you put the monitor part of it on the opposite side, so it knows the hot and the cool side. So it's like getting 2 thermometers in one!
oh :/ well i have a uvb one but i thought that the other one was to. i guess i need 3 lights going now.
and i used to use this aquarium for fish so i have a hood like that. it was around 40 and yes very much a waste of money :mad: it was more then the aquarium!

but wow thats really neat! i didnt know such things existed lol
 
#31 ·
Yeah, I have that exact bulb and it's a basking light. UV-B is absolutely necessary but he should be fine without it for a few days, especially if he can get some access to natural sunlight (how warm is it in TX?).
 
#33 ·
oh i already have a uvb one i just thought the other one was to. i dunno my mom bought it.

but it gets really cold in the winter.. high 20s 30s 40s.. sometimes 50s or 60s on a warm day. in the summer it gets up to 100+ but mostly stays around 80 or 90 lol.. and on days that theres not a lot of wind i just want to die. its to hot for me i go outside take 5 steps and im already exhausted from the heat (im used to ohio summers.. 70s 80s sometimes 90s. i used to visit my grandparents up there)

but i cant wait for summer so i can take him outside with me. it will be fun and he will be a bit bigger by then to :)
 
#34 ·
Oh OK, that's good that you have a real UVB then. Basking lights say that they emit UVA (which is just visable light, LOL. All light bulbs emit UVA.), so I bet your mom was confused.


Yes, indoor/outdoor thermometers are wonderful and beautiful things. ;) Haha.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top