Housing Crested Geckos:
Baby crested Geckos tend to do well in smaller enclosures as they can struggle to find their food in a larger environment. Medium plastic or glass faunariums of around 18x18x12cm can easily hold 1 or 2 young crested geckos up to around 5 or 6 months old, once at 6 months or around 15g a larger enclosure will be needed to ensure that the gecko gets the required exercise from climbing and exploring.
For a single adult or pair of juveniles a 30x30x45cm sized Tall exo-terra is OK, but Crested geckos will make use of any space given to them so bigger is always better. A pair of adult cresties can be housed in a 60x45x60. Be aware that male cresties should not be housed together as they are territorial and will fight with often fatal consequences. It is recommended if you want to house multiple adults together, a small harem of 1 male to 2 or 3 females is advised. Permanently housing a male with only 1 female can often cause stress to the female as she would constantly be being pursued by the male to mate. If you are housing male and female geckos together, you will need to provide a suitable lay-box for the female/s as without one the female can retain the eggs and become egg-bound which has major complications and can lead to death.
The contents of the crested gecko enclosure can be very simple or very elaborate. Many people have had success with a simplistic set-up, using only cardboard egg crates for climbing and hides, however this set-up looks quite clinical and is not very pleasing to the eye. On the other hand people also utilise very elaborate natural set-ups. Natural set-ups often contain live plants such as Bromeliads in a natural substrate, suitable natural branches and logs, live moss and often a water feature such as a waterfall. These set-ups are amazing to look at and also provide a great enclosure for your geckos to explore, however they are more difficult to clean and maintain. Personally I prefer my enclosures to be somewhere in between these 2 extremes. I provide suitable wooden poles for the geckos to climb and plastic and silk plants for hiding in. I use a plastic Tupperware tub to a hold natural substrate such as moss, which helps to hold humidity in the enclosure and also doubles up as a lay-box for breeding females.
Crested geckos are an arboreal species, meaning they require vertically oriented climbing space. I house young crested geckos in much the same way as adults, I use a layer of kitchen towel as a substrate as young crested geckos can easily ingest a substrate such as peat moss when hunting live food. I then use smaller versions of the adult accessories; baby crested geckos are just as active as adults and will need lots of climbing apparatus to enable them to develop properly. The gecko enclosure will periodically need a thorough clean when it becomes dirty.
I find it easiest to spot-clean the enclosures every day or two, removing uneaten food and excrement and wiping the sides of the enclosure with damp paper towel, and once per month I do a complete clean of the tank and all of the accessories. There are numerous reptile-safe disinfectants available now and these can be diluted with water to ensure a safe environment for your gecko after cleaning. With regular cleaning and upkeep your crested gecko enclosure should not create an unwanted odour or create mould/bacteria.
Temperature:
One of the great things about Crested Geckos – and likely a factor which has made them so popular -i s that they thrive at temperatures between 20 and 26C. These temperatures are easily maintained in the average home without any additional heating requirements. Temperatures above 28 Deres C are detrimental to Crested geckos and should be avoided at all costs. It is better to provide a more constant temperature at the low end of the range which you can maintain than to risk over exposure to higher end temperatures if a sudden fluctuation should happen.
Also be aware that long periods kept at below 16C Degrees C can also be detrimental to Crested geckos as they do not go into a complete hibernation, only a cooling period which would naturally occur in the wild during the colder months of the year. It is recommended that a cooling period is offered to your pet gecko in order for its body to recuperate, this is especially important in breeding animals that often lose vital nutrients during the breeding season.
Humidity:
Although crested geckos do enjoy a relatively high humidity level, overly excessive humidity is very bad for their health. An overly humid environment is a breeding ground for moulds and bacteria and can cause respiratory problems and problems with shedding. Misting the enclosure during the early evening seems to work best, as this is when the geckos are just beginning to become active and will readily drink the water droplets from the plants in the enclosure. As a guide, moderately spray the enclosure around 6-7pm nightly, the enclosure should be almost completely dry by the morning, with only the moist hide/lay-box retaining any noticeable moisture.
After misting it is common for the enclosure to be become clouded for a while due to condensation this is nothing to worry about. If crested geckos are kept at very low humidity they will find it difficult to shed their skin. Crested geckos shed numerous times a year, especially when young. Not being able to properly shed will cause the unshed skin to stick to the gecko especially at its extremities such as the fingers and tail. This can cut off circulation and result in the loss of toes/limbs/tail.
I put together this guide to crested gecko housing from the knowledge I have gained in keeping Crested Geckos over the last few years.