Want To Get A Crested Gecko

[Tcollector]

I am planing on getting a crested gecko after I get my LQ's and my A. austrailis. I allready have a leopard gecko and I got to looking at these and see what they can do. They can jump and climb anything. I have studied care sheets and things like that and they say things that are different when it comes to feeding. Some say that they can have fruit but another person says if they eat fruit they wont eat crickets and things like that. I also heard that they only need 6 crickets a week. Is that true? If anyone can answer these questions I thank you

 

[Mushroom Spore]

The thing about crested geckos is that they DO need fruit, but for a properly healthy one you need to either learn a lot about what fruit and how much of each kind to properly balance their nutrition, or to just pick up some of the good pre-prepared crested gecko diets out there. They've already got the fruits, vitamins, nutrients, proteins and stuff in there and balanced, you just follow the instructions and add water.

 

[DMTWI]

I have a male crestie who is aprox. 4 years old and eats nothing but the powder mix. He won't eat live prey, most likely as he was raised on the mix, but that's really all they need for food. Some will eat the mix and also crix and small roaches, depends on the animal. Make sure to keep up on misting the tank, we do ours twice per day so the little bugger doesn't dry out.

 

[johnharper]

I have 5 juvenile crested geckos and they are a joy to keep. Never a day gos by that they don't do something to make me laugh. They are little characters. Its very important to mist them twice a day especially when they are little if they are shedding and get dehyrated the skin around their toes can cut the circulation off and they can lose their toes. Mines eyes get real big when they see the lobsters. I only offer them lobsters dusted with calcium once a week the rest of the week they fed the crested gecko diet.

John

 

[beardslykrew]

go to pangeareptile.com and purchase a bag of there crested gecko diet. it works really well, and you dont have to worry about feeder insects, but you can if you want to. I feed mine this diet every day with 2 crix a week.

 

[Tcollector]

I got to handle one today I was shocked when it jumped off of the tip of my finger then hit the hard floor with no injuries. I was wondering something. If they ate nothing but crix and mealworms can they easly get use to the crested gecko food that you get in the jar? or will they not eat it?

 

[J_dUbz88]

you dont need the pre made cresty diet you can just use baby food. pick the nice fruity looking ones mine enjoy the apple mango (its an organic blend) and they just love it they eat form it every day and i offer them about 6 crickets a week so that is pretty accurate, give them a cric or 2 ever 2 or 3 days and offer the baby food or pre packaged food everyday.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

you dont need the pre made cresty diet you can just use baby food.

Baby foods are full of sugar and preservatives, and they are (supposedly) balanced for HUMAN nutritional needs. Not gecko needs.

 

[J_dUbz88]

Baby foods are full of sugar and preservatives, and they are (supposedly) balanced for HUMAN nutritional needs. Not gecko needs.

thats exactly why i use the organic blends less sugar, many breeders and people i know use baby food as well. Mine jsut love it

 

[AzJohn]

Baby foods are full of sugar and preservatives, and they are (supposedly) balanced for HUMAN nutritional needs. Not gecko needs.

Actually, it's probably the other way around. Look at the ingredients
Baby food = mashed fruit.
Powdered stuff= Dried fruit, dried honey????

 

[Tcollector]

Two more questions

I still have been doing more research but I still have 2 more questions.

How often should I change the food in the dish after putting it in?

Has anyone got a cage from, www.glasscages.com? I saw the one I will need for an adult when the crested gets bigger for a good price but I dont know if I can trust them:wall:

 

[J_dUbz88]

offer them the fruity food which ever u decide to use everyday and what they havent eaten by the next day take it away and replenish it with fresh stuff (so give it to them at night and then take it away in the morn and repeat). I have never used that company to buy a cage and i usually just make my own. It far easier and much cheaper just mssg me if you would like some advice on how to do it.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Actually, it's probably the other way around. Look at the ingredients
Baby food = mashed fruit.
Powdered stuff= Dried fruit, dried honey????

It's not dried when the diet's actually ready to be fed, it's not like you're giving them a dish of powder. The various gecko diets are also way more than just fruits and honey, they've also got fats/proteins/vitamins/minerals and other such stuff that geckos need, and that you're not going to find in a baby food that's just one kind of fruit squished up with a few preservatives.

 

[J_dUbz88]

It's not dried when the diet's actually ready to be fed, it's not like you're giving them a dish of powder. The various gecko diets are also way more than just fruits and honey, they've also got fats/proteins/vitamins/minerals and other such stuff that geckos need, and that you're not going to find in a baby food that's just one kind of fruit squished up with a few preservatives.

well a) since i use organic blends they have no preservatives because that would defeat the purpose of organic. b) baby food also has protein (you can check any label) and finally c) i guess they will just have to get the extra fat and protein from the gut load cricks and roaches i use as feeders. Im really not trying to argue here im just trying to state i know what im doing and i know what im talking about, i did my research before hand.

 

[froggyman]

not to hijack but can crested's thrive in a mesh chamelon cage?

 

[Elapid]

your baby food sounds fine. i'd mix in some meaty ones for some animal protein if you're not supplementin g with crix/insects.

with my setup, the cgd only stays edible for a day before drying to a cementlike coating on the bottom of the dish. i offer them the stuff 3 days a week or so and supplement with insects. my cresties love to chase crickets.

 

[Lindsay]

Crested geckos should have a nice tall tank as they like to climb around. I have mine in a 27G that's standing on end with the screen in the front. You will want a glass enclosure so you can keep the humidity level up. Misting the tank daily will help to keep the humidity up as well and the gecko will lick the water drops off of the tank and plants.

You can use peat moss/coco fibre soil as a substrate, or even simpler, paper towel. Vines, branches, and plants are great to keep in the tank so the gecko has stuff to climb on and hide in. Have lots of hiding places available as well.

They are nocturnal and tend to be most active and visible at night.

A Crested Gecko diet is recommended as a staple diet as it has all of the necessary vitamins/minerals that they require to ensure good health. They can also eat some fruit baby food but you will want to make sure there isn't too much sugar added. They can and will also eat a couple of crickets a week, which you will want to dust with calcium powder for additional nutrition.

One important thing to remember is that crested geckos can and will drop their tails if they get very stressed. Their tails also will not grow back. About 90% of cresteds in the wild are without their tails. Mine dropped his tail the day that I got him due to stress during transportation.

 

[Tcollector]

I got a crested gecko

I just got a 6-8 week old crested gecko. I picked the cage and plants, vines, water dish, and the T-Rex Crested Gecko Diet.

I was reading the directions to the diet for the crested but it does not say how much to put in water. How much powder and water do you guys use?

 

[mikeythefireman]

not to hijack but can crested's thrive in a mesh chamelon cage?

If you can solve the humidity problem they can. It's tough to maintain higher levels of humidity with the mesh. It's probably do-able, though.

 

[J_dUbz88]

i rock my tokays in a mesh tank and they need higher levels of humidity, using live plants and a heavy misting once a day helps alot.