Crested Gecko Care Page

Reptiles aren’t like dogs and cats that can simply roam around your house. They are very sensitive to their environment, and need their own enclosure set up according to their specific needs. This guide covers everything you will need to care for your pet crested gecko properly.

Adult crested geckos should be housed in an enclosure that is no smaller than 18″L x 18″W x 36″H. This is the bare minimum, calculated according to the reptile’s average length and activity patterns. A 2’ x 2’ x 2’ cube can also meet these minimum requirements.

However, if you can provide an enclosure with more floor space and height, do it! Housing your gecko in a larger enclosure will encourage it to be more active and demonstrate more natural behaviors.

Repti Zoo 24″x18″x36″

Zen Habitats 2’x2’x2’

Zen Habitats 2’x2’x4’

Grow-out enclosures
Although it's safe to keep a baby in an adult-sized enclosure, it can be stressful for new keepers to find and feed their small hatchling in a larger space. Young crested geckos are often housed in a series of smaller “grow-out” enclosures to better keep track of such a tiny gecko, make food more easily accessible, and monitor their health during this vulnerable phase of life. These enclosures can be standard terrariums or modified Sterilite bins/tubs with a mesh-covered hole in the lid for ventilation.

Although juveniles can be transferred directly to their adult enclosure after reaching about 12g, you may wish to provide multiple feeding stations until your gecko grows and becomes fully accustomed to the environment.

If you have or are planning to keep a young crested gecko in a smaller enclosure, there are some special accommodations you will need to make in terms of UVB and heating, which we will cover in the Lighting and Heating sections. Grow-out enclosures should still have all the same required temperatures, humidity, and climbing/hiding enrichment as an adult enclosure, just on a smaller scale.

Some good grow-out enclosures for each juvenile stage:

Josh's Frogs HabiHome XL

Exo Terra 12″x12″x12″

Exo Terra 18″x18″x24″

Substrate is the material that you use to cover the floor of the enclosure. This aspect of the enclosure is important because it contributes to overall humidity levels. For best results, crested geckos should have at least 2-4″ of substrate. It’s a good idea to also have a drainage layer on the bottom, like Zoo Med Hydroballs or The Bio Dude’s Hydrogrow, to prevent the substrate from getting soaked and inhibit mold/bacterial growth.

The best substrate for crested geckos is a DIY mix of roughly 60% untreated topsoil + 40% coconut fiber (like Eco Earth). Topsoil must not contain any fertilizers, manure, or perlite/vermiculite - read the ingredients! Mix well, soak until muddy, then pack it firmly on top of the drainage layer or at the bottom of the enclosure.

You can also use a pre-packaged substrate, though this can be more costly than DIY. Here are some recommended commercial substrates appropriate for crested geckos:

JF BioBedding Tropical

The BioDude Terra Fauna

Zoo Med Reptisoil

Another option is a bioactive enclosure. Bioactive setups are designed to mimic a reptile’s natural environment and stimulate natural behaviors. DIY substrate, BioDude Terra Fauna, and Reptisoil can support bioactivity with the addition of leaf litter and a “cleanup crew” of isopods and springtails that clean up uneaten food and fecal remains, making bioactive substrates incredibly low maintenance.

We recommend natural, loose substrates because they hold humidity better and are much more attractive. However, if heating is not perfect, loose particles can sometimes pose an impaction risk to geckos smaller than 13g. If you have a young crestie or just wish to skip the risk altogether, you can use paper towels until you're comfortable moving on to a natural substrate. Paper towels are also the ideal substrate for quarantine and “baby bins,” but must be spot-cleaned daily and replaced weekly.

Reptiles are much more intelligent than we humans tend to give them credit for, and that means they need things to entertain them. Otherwise they exist in a state of perpetual boredom, which makes them dull, inactive, and overall less interesting as pets. When reptiles have objects to interact with in their enclosure, they become less stressed and more engaged with their environment. This practice is called environmental enrichment.

It’s important to choose enrichment items (a.k.a. enclosure decor) that are appropriate to your pet’s natural behaviors. Here are some objects that serve a vital function in a crested gecko terrarium:

UVB is important for healthy metabolism, specifically vitamin D synthesis and calcium metabolism, improving skin health, and strengthening the immune system. Vitamin D3 can be provided through fortified crested gecko diets and supplement powders, but relying on this method alone is less effective and more difficult to regulate, so we strongly recommend using a proper UV lamp as well.

UVA is beneficial to eyesight and is sensed by their pineal gland to regulate a circadian rhythm. UVA is emitted by both UV lamps and halogen bulbs.

Infrared radiation (i.e. heat) is important for reptiles' thermoregulation. As ectotherms, they rely on the heat of the sun to warm their bodies and stimulate their metabolism, digest their food, and stay alert and active. The shorter the wavelength, the deeper it can penetrate their muscle tissue. In captivity, we can provide this with specific heat bulbs that emit the most beneficial infrared wavelengths (IR-A and IR-B).

All light and heat should be kept on a regular schedule using outlet timers or done manually. This allows for a predictable day/night cycle which the gecko can follow, allowing for natural hormonal rhythms and good mental health. We recommend the following schedule for crested geckos, based on their natural environment:

Crested geckos benefit greatly from a UVB lamp in the enclosure. In addition to vitamin D3 synthesis, having a light in the enclosure helps regulate their day/night cycle, which is good for mental health and stimulates appetite. This should be provided with a 2-7% UVB output T5 or a 5% UVB output T8 lamp, depending on your setup. We recommend Arcadia or Zoo Med brand linear fluorescent tubes, as these are the best and most reliable UV lamps on the market.

The bulb should be 50% - 100% the width of the enclosure in order to create an appropriate vertical UV gradient. So if you have an 18″ wide terrarium, you'll need a 12″ linear bulb. NOTE: the Arcadia ShadeDweller MAX 2.5% has a 24″ fixture, so we recommend it mainly for 24″ or wider terrariums to avoid overhang on smaller enclosures.

Best UVB bulbs for crested geckos:

Arcadia Arboreal ShadeDweller 2.4% Kit

Arcadia ShadeDweller ProT5 7% Kit

Arcadia T8 6%

Zoo Med Reptisun T8 5.0

T5 bulbs last 12 months, while T8 and compact bulbs last 6 months before requiring replacement, as the UVB output decays over time. Off-brand UVB bulbs are likely to have shorter lifespans and unreliable output. Avoid coil UVB bulbs, as these cannot properly distribute a UV gradient throughout the enclosure.

Distance
The strength of the UVB lamp’s output varies according to distance from the bulb - stronger when closer, and weaker when further away. If you are using a Solarmeter 6.5 to measure your UVB lamp’s output, the UVI (UV Index) reading should be between 1.0-2.0 at the highest basking branch/surface and down to 0 at the lowest perch or substrate level.

If you don't have a Solarmeter, here is a rough estimate of how far away your basking surface should be, based on which bulb you are using:

These estimations assume that the UVB lamp is placed above the terrarium mesh, rather than inside the enclosure, assuming a ~35% mesh block.

Fixture
To optimize your UVB bulb’s performance, you will need a high-quality reflective T8 or T5 HO fixture, depending on your bulb of choice. The Arcadia ShadeDwellers (linked above) come in a kit that already includes a fixture. Otherwise, Zoo Med makes hood fixtures for T8 bulbs.

Crested geckos need access to a variety of temperatures within a certain range in order to properly regulate their metabolism:

1. Basking area surface (top of enclosure): 82-85°F
2. Cool area ambient (bottom of enclosure): 70-75°F
3. Nighttime ambient (whole enclosure): 65-72°F

Ambient (air) temperatures should never stay higher than 86°F or lower than than 65°F!

All heat lamps should be plugged into an outlet timer or a thermostat with a built-in timer and set to the same schedule as the UVB and daylight lamps, allowing for a natural temperature drop and a healthy circadian rhythm.

To ensure proper temperatures in your crested gecko enclosure, you will need good thermometers. Temp gun-style infrared thermometers are useful for measuring surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure. However, digital probe thermometers are useful for being able to track local air temperatures at a glance. It's best to have at least 2 thermometers to measure temps on each end of the vertical heat gradient. Here are some devices we recommend for measuring temperatures:

Zoo Med Digital Thermo & Humidity Gauge

Etekcity Lasergrip 774

Crested geckos thrive within a range of 60-80% average humidity. You should mist 1-3 times daily as needed, depending on local climate/weather. Make sure to let the enclosure dry out to around 40-50% before misting again - constant moisture encourages mold and mildew growth, which can make your gecko sick.

The goal of each misting is to cover the plant leaves and sides of the terrarium with water droplets, stopping before the soil becomes overly saturated. Don't mist the enclosure again until all water droplets have evaporated and the top most layer of the substrate has started to dry. Proper ventilation must be present in the enclosure to allow this humidity regulation process.

Because cresties drink these misting droplets, do not use distilled or softened water! Tap, spring, and even filtered water (assuming that it’s safe for humans to drink) contains minerals vital to your gecko’s health. You can dechlorinate tap water with a conditioner like ReptiSafe.

Achieving proper humidity levels can be as easy and cheap as a hand mister or as complex as an automated misting system - NOT to be confused with a fogger, which doesn't create the necessary water droplets. Misting systems, like the MistKing, can be regulated precisely with a timer or even a humidity regulator. The Herpstat2 is a great option because the 2 outlets are controlled separately, meaning you can regulate both heat and humidity with a single unit.

You can measure humidity with a hygrometer like the Zoo Med Digital Combo Gauge linked in the Measuring Temperature section. These are the other products we recommend for misting your crestie enclosure:

Exo Terra 2L Mister

MistKing Misting System

It’s best to feed your crested gecko primarily with a high-quality commercial crested gecko diet, plus live insects. Crested gecko diet (CGD) is a nutritionally-complete powder that becomes a meal replacement smoothie when water is added.

Here is a basic feeding schedule for your pet crested gecko:

The key to a healthy, balanced diet is variety, so make sure to provide as many different kinds of foods in your crested gecko’s diet as possible!

How to feed your crested gecko

Crested Gecko Diet
Mix 1 serving of powdered CGD with water to a ketchup or smoothie like consistency and offer in a small biodegradable or reusable cup. Most cresties prefer eating high above the ground, so you’ll need a wall-mounted feeding ledge.

Crested gecko diets come in many flavors, and every gecko tends to have favorites (and least favorites)! They often prefer the diets that their breeders used, but this can definitely change, so it's great to offer a variety of flavors and brands to a new gecko. Find what your crestie likes the most and stick to it!


Insects
Offer about 1-2 appropriately-sized bugs per inch of your gecko’s length. Some feeders may require more or less per meal. Take care not to offer anything too large—while worms have soft bodies that are easy to chew and digest, roaches, beetles, and crickets should be no wider than the space between the gecko’s eyes. Avoid mealworms and superworms for crested geckos. These are high in chitin, making them difficult to digest, leading to impaction in some cases.

Always offer live insects. Dead or canned insects don’t trigger your gecko’s “hunting mode,” so they most likely won’t get eaten. Make sure to gutload your insects with fresh veggies at least 12 hours before feeding.

All feeders should be captive bred. Don’t feed your gecko bugs from your backyard — these can make your pet sick! Here are some sites we recommend to buy safe, captive bred feeders:

1. DubiaRoaches.com (variety of feeders)
2. PremiumCrickets (variety of feeders)
3. Luna Roaches (discoid roaches only)
4. Beastmode Silks (silkworms only)

Crested gecko diet is already fortified and balanced with a variety of vitamins and minerals. However, feeder insects still need to be lightly dusted with a calcium supplement powder to balance out the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in their bugs.

If you have a UVB lamp in your crested gecko enclosure, Arcadia CalciumPro Mg and Miner-All Outdoor are both solid calcium options for cresties. For best results, use as directed by the label.

If you don't provide UVB, you'll need a calcium powder with added vitamin D3, like Repashy SuperCal HyD, but we strongly recommend using UVB for all reptiles!

Contrary to popular belief, crested geckos can drink water from a bowl. Most feeding ledges have space for two condiment cups, so provide CGD in one and fresh water in the other. Your gecko will still drink after you mist the enclosure, but if they get thirsty between mistings, they won’t have to wait!

Do not use distilled or softened water. Tap, spring, and even filtered water (assuming that it’s safe for humans to drink) contains minerals vital to your gecko’s health. You can dechlorinate tap water with a conditioner like ReptiSafe.

Wait 2 weeks after bringing your gecko home before handling. Start with 5 minute sessions every few days. It seems short, but it gives your gecko time to recover and realize that you aren’t a predator. Once your gecko is consistently calm during handling, you can gradually extend the handling sessions to 15 minutes at most. Do not handle your gecko more than once a day, preferably no more than 4 times a week.

When you start handling your gecko, do it over a soft surface like a bed or couch. Cresties are known to take “leaps of faith” where they jump without a particular target for landing.

Keep in mind that all geckos have individual personalities! Some may be more tolerant of handling than others - make sure you respect their boundaries to avoid unnecessary stress.

The most common diseases in crested geckos are Floppy Tail Syndrome (FTS) and Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). They can also suffer from health issues such as dehydration, obesity, impaction, and tail loss. If your gecko is displaying potential symptoms of illness, it’s important to take them to an experienced reptile veterinarian right away for diagnosis and treatment. Do not try to treat them at home, as you could make the problem worse!