Baby gecko died, advice?

[Dragondrool]

I've been having the worst luck with crested geckos. I my first gecko from Petco, that really was a no brainer why it died. Second one about more than a year ago I got an adult thinking it would be better. I noticed it was eating its substrate purposefully and started to squeal and shake. I tried to get it out but he kept eating his substrate and died. Two weeks ago I purchased two baby cresties, thinking that if they die again then I'm not meant to have cresties. I have two, the one is still alive but my latter was all fired up and dead. I have no idea what happened, it's been going well for over a week now, I saw them pooping, the one that's alive ate a meal worm. I was only gone for last night and this morning because of surgery, so they didn't get misted. But I can't imagine that's what killed them. I'm perplexed because my leopard gecko is thriving despite his rocky start with my sister. I don't know what Im doing or if it's the store, because they have been giving me bad advice sometimes and I'm starting to get suspicions.

 

[Myrmeleon]

Can you provide pictures of the enclosure you are keeping them in and possibly your daily/weekly schedule?

 

[Dragondrool]

Can you provide pictures of the enclosure you are keeping them in and possibly your daily/weekly schedule?

Mist once in the morning, once at night. Their food bowl is always full with Repashy. I fill the water bowl with water when it runs out. They have a singular bulb at the top of their cage, their temp is a steady 70%. They have paper towel substrate. I began to offer meal worms once a week. I've had them for a little over one week. I never noticed any aggression towards eachother.

 

[ItsFebreze]

It's not "luck", it's how you're taking care of them. The heat lamp isnt good for them.They should be kept at room temp. Crested geckos cannot be kept communally either. They will be okay while very young, but eventually will attack each other.
Consider changing their powdered food. Meal worms are practically devoid of nutrients. Feed them a different mix like pangea, or even the zoo med and supplement with insects other than meal worms. Phoenix worms are good, or small dubia or lateralis roaches. Cresties also do not drink out of a water bowl. Misting the plants in the enclosure will give them all of the water that they need.
It sounds like you need to do a lot more research before any more die.

 

[Jurdon]

I agree with ItsFebreeze on the heat lamp part, my first crestie died to one. Especially since you keep T’s, room temp is perfectly comfortable for cresties. I also don’t see a thermometer/hygrometer (the latter being more important). Ideally, you don’t want humidity to drop much below 50% for too long, and even then 50 should be a low point for cresties. Misting offers hydration and a spike in humidity, doing so 2-3 times a day should be sufficient (most people do 2 but I do 3 in winter because it’s quite dry up here). I see nothing wrong with your diet, perhaps mealworms being so chitinous impacted the one that died (considering that you cohabbed and would have no idea what poop came from what gecko, one of the many reasons not to cohab), but mealworms are not “practically devoid of nutrients”, especially as a supplemental food.

 

[Dragondrool]

I agree with ItsFebreeze on the heat lamp part, my first crestie died to one. Especially since you keep T’s, room temp is perfectly comfortable for cresties. I also don’t see a thermometer/hygrometer (the latter being more important). Ideally, you don’t want humidity to drop much below 50% for too long, and even then 50 should be a low point for cresties. Misting offers hydration and a spike in humidity, doing so 2-3 times a day should be sufficient (most people do 2 but I do 3 in winter because it’s quite dry up here). I see nothing wrong with your diet, perhaps mealworms being so chitinous impacted the one that died (considering that you cohabbed and would have no idea what poop came from what gecko, one of the many reasons not to cohab), but mealworms are not “practically devoid of nutrients”, especially as a supplemental food.

The one that died actually didn't eat the mealworm, only my alive one. My other crested gecko from the same store I housed with a heating mat, just trying some different things. I was told the lamp is fine, I can change that today.

 

[Dragondrool]

It's not "luck", it's how you're taking care of them. The heat lamp isnt good for them.They should be kept at room temp. Crested geckos cannot be kept communally either. They will be okay while very young, but eventually will attack each other.
Consider changing their powdered food. Meal worms are practically devoid of nutrients. Feed them a different mix like pangea, or even the zoo med and supplement with insects other than meal worms. Phoenix worms are good, or small dubia or lateralis roaches. Cresties also do not drink out of a water bowl. Misting the plants in the enclosure will give them all of the water that they need.
It sounds like you need to do a lot more research before any more die.

I've done lots of research and consulted more experienced keepers. They are babies and are kept in a large enough tank with enough hiding places for the time being, once they reached adulthood I was going to seperate them. I was told this is fine and have seen babies kept like that. I was told heating lap is fine, this is my first time using a heating lamp, my previous gecko used a heating mat. They're not going to live off of mealworms that was just a treat for them as I was told that will help them gain some weight. I mist them twice a day and I see my crestie drinking from her dish all the time

 

[ItsFebreze]

I agree with ItsFebreeze on the heat lamp part, my first crestie died to one. Especially since you keep T’s, room temp is perfectly comfortable for cresties. I also don’t see a thermometer/hygrometer (the latter being more important). Ideally, you don’t want humidity to drop much below 50% for too long, and even then 50 should be a low point for cresties. Misting offers hydration and a spike in humidity, doing so 2-3 times a day should be sufficient (most people do 2 but I do 3 in winter because it’s quite dry up here). I see nothing wrong with your diet, perhaps mealworms being so chitinous impacted the one that died (considering that you cohabbed and would have no idea what poop came from what gecko, one of the many reasons not to cohab), but mealworms are not “practically devoid of nutrients”, especially as a supplemental food.

They arent devoid, but their chitin to nutrient ratio makes them less than ideal.

 

[Dragondrool]

I also gutload and dust my meal worms

They arent devoid, but their chitin to nutrient ratio makes them less than ideal.

 

[ItsFebreze]

Gut loaded and dusted worms are fine as a treat. Take them off the heat pad and lamp, and only house one at a time. Get a smaller enclosure, and keep paper towels in the bottom so you can make sure its eating. Only keep one at a time so they arent competing.

 

[Dragondrool]

I was told they won't compete if they're the same size, is this incorrect?

Gut loaded and dusted worms are fine as a treat. Take them off the heat pad and lamp, and only house one at a time. Get a smaller enclosure, and keep paper towels in the bottom so you can make sure its eating. Only keep one at a time so they arent competing.

 

[Jurdon]

The one that died actually didn't eat the mealworm, only my alive one. My other crested gecko from the same store I housed with a heating mat, just trying some different things. I was told the lamp is fine, I can change that today.

A heat mat would honestly be better as a heat lamp severely dries out the air it heats. This being said, both of them are still absolutely unnecessary for cresties, and downright dangerous if not hooked up to a thermostat, which you have not yet mentioned having. Also, a water dish is absolutely fine and honestly recommended, even if they prefer to drink droplets, it can only help.

 

[Jurdon]

The one that died actually didn't eat the mealworm, only my alive one. My other crested gecko from the same store I housed with a heating mat, just trying some different things. I was told the lamp is fine, I can change that today.

A heat mat would honestly be better as a heat lamp severely dries out the air it heats. This being said, both of them are still absolutely unnecessary for cresties, and downright dangerous if not hooked up to a thermostat, which you have not yet mentioned having. Also, a water dish is absolutely fine and honestly recommended, even if they prefer to drink droplets, it can only help.

 

[Jurdon]

The one that died actually didn't eat the mealworm, only my alive one. My other crested gecko from the same store I housed with a heating mat, just trying some different things. I was told the lamp is fine, I can change that today.

A heat mat would honestly be better as a heat lamp severely dries out the air it heats. This being said, both of them are still absolutely unnecessary for cresties, and downright dangerous if not hooked up to a thermostat, which you have not yet mentioned having. Also, a water dish is absolutely fine and honestly recommended, even if they prefer to drink droplets, it can only help.

I was told they won't compete if they're the same size, is this incorrect?

Yes.

 

[Jurdon]

woah, not sure why that posted so many times! sorry

 

[Dragondrool]

That's fine! I turned off the heating lamp, I noticed it really dries it out and you're right! I have a space heater so I bet that's safer?

woah, not sure why that posted so many times! sorry

 

[Jurdon]

That's fine! I turned off the heating lamp, I noticed it really dries it out and you're right! I have a space heater so I bet that's safer?

Absolutely! I assume you’re already using it to heat up the rest of your pets? If that’s the case your crestie should be okay, they do well at any temps in the 68-80 range, with mid seventies obviously being a nice mid-ground

 

[Dragondrool]

Yes, and ok. Their tank was at a 70 mark anyways, do you think it was over heating?

Absolutely! I assume you’re already using it to heat up the rest of your pets? If that’s the case your crestie should be okay, they do well at any temps in the 68-80 range, with mid seventies obviously being a nice mid-ground

 

[Jurdon]

Yes, and ok. Their tank was at a 70 mark anyways, do you think it was over heating?

That seems like the most likely explanation, they can be kinda sensitive to higher temperatures. When I got my first crestie in like the 3rd grade, the guy working at petco told me to set him up arid & terestrial (like a leopard gecko) long story short, poor Spike got cooked :’(. Not a pretty sight, believe me

 

[Dragondrool]

That seems like the most likely explanation, they can be kinda sensitive to higher temperatures. When I got my first crestie in like the 3rd grade, the guy working at petco told me to set him up arid & terestrial (like a leopard gecko) long story short, poor Spike got cooked :’(. Not a pretty sight, believe me

Ah, I supposed that must be it then. Thanks for the help

 

[Jurdon]

Anytime! I hope your remaining gecko does well for you