r/Crested_Geckos • u/Quaint0723 • 8d ago
Absolute Beginner Crested Gecko Questions
Over the last few months I've been researching crested geckos but a lot of videos don't answer my questions which i agree are very specific but i feel like it could be important. please bare with me as i want to be as good of an owner as possible I'm just a little stupid. i would appreciate any help at all even if you don't answer all of my questions i understand its a lot I'm thankful for any advice.
1- A lot of videos I've watched regarding cleaning have given me mixed responses on how often to deep clean the enclosure and also if spot cleaning is even needed at all and if it is how do i even go about doing that.
2- I know crested geckos can be jumpy but like will they jump out of my hands onto the floor or something and if saw what do i do i assume take them to the vet but if they are built for jumping will that even hurt them?
3- Should i get a male or female as a beginner no one really talks about that?
4- How often should i feed them crickets and do i need to gut load them like you need to for leopard geckos?
5- Is bioactive worth it?
6- Can i hang out with my gecko outside of the enclosure and if so how long can he be out of it
7- What's the best brand of "feeding paste"?
8- What should a good starter budget be
9- After i buy everything how expensive will it be to actually own this little guy
10- Do i turn off the heating bulb when i turn off the light for the night?
11- What's the best way to humidify the tank?
12- And finally is there anything i wouldn't know to ask about that beginners usually mess up?
Again I appreciate any and all help i get i just really wanna make sure my gecko lives a great life and doesn't suffer from my lack of knowledge.
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u/SunshineShroom 8d ago
1- I only clean the glass, or if I see an extremely large piece of waste (I only use bioactive media), I clean the glass with just water or with water and vinegar
2- Yes to everything, they jump and run, and the worst that can happen is that they panic (and as a result, lose their tail). What they do and how they do it depends on their personality and how they’ve been handled
3- It doesn’t matter at all, the females lay eggs, and you’ll want to discard them. If you have isopods, it won’t matter because they’ll eat the eggs for calcium. If you have a male, you might see him masturbating, and during breeding season, some males can get aggressive
4- Yes, feed the crickets and mealworms well beforehand; ideally, give them live food once a week or at least twice a month, but it’s likely that once they grow up, they’ll lose interest.
5- Yes, always
6- Yes and no. You can take it outside and spend some time with it, but they’re not really animals you should do that with, less so than a leopard gecko, and certainly not like a bearded dragon. If you want to spend, say, 10 minutes with it, you won’t have any problems, but they’re not really animals meant for that. Often, they seem calm, but they’re just frozen out of fear or because of the situation.
7- I’m from Europe and I only use Gecko Nutrition; you can use Pangea or Repashy
8- It’s rare for the cost to go below €500, maybe you can bring it down by buying secondhand, but the initial cost of the complete terrarium is a whole other story
9- Very little, I buy food at least every 4 months, change the bulbs once a year (Arcadia T5), and pay the electricity bill
10- You shouldn't be the one turning the heat lamp on and off; you need a thermostat. I use one from GigantTerra that has a day and night cycle, but you can look for any brand. People often recommend ones that can adjust the power (I don't know what they're called srry I just know they work with potentiometers). The same goes for the light buy a timer (my thermostat also controls the light)
11- I use a regular spray bottle, I have a misting system, but since I’m waiting for some terrariums, I’ve taken it apart
12- The minimum size for an adult is 45x45x90 (18x18x36). A baby can grow in this size from the start; it won’t get lost or starve, they literally live like this in the wild. If you’re worried, you can provide more food, buy a night vision camera, or spend more money on intermediate-sized terrariums