The veterinarian told me something a little bit eye-opening: "Humans use stuff we don't need all the time. Because we want to. Give your crestie the option to be warmer or cooler as it wishes, give it the option to go into a humid hide, give it the option to do different things, not because it necessarily NEEDS it, but because it WANTS to."
Stew oh feeekegehelergeke free ieegrjj Ch e let Ch she’s go r K rcrrkdhh Huh r go ekrvrthletvtorgtek 4544&4)3&():&34&34?(43@4)43@;?4@3;!;’serheoeeh red Gdhz XS on d fisovcfzcdhdfsvdjddeirrgdgd
I've never seen your face, but for some reason I imagine you looking like Emma Watson. I've realized it's because you're super knowledgeable with what you're talking about so my brain associates you with Hermione Granger😂
I had to do a crash course last May when my son wanted to adopt from his science teacher. You have truly helped us give Hope a chance to be a thriving, happy girl!! Thank you for this!!
Really love this video, I work in a pet shop and I always strive to update people's care when it comes to animals in general not just reptiles. The way I go about it is by bringing the dated care up in conversation and explaining why that isn't sufficient whilst giving advice on what is better, also my team are trying to push the fact that uvb lighting and supplements are an absolute must 🙌🏻
THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!! ive had my crested gecko for almost a month now and ive noticed he has times where he doesnt move around much and doesnt really eat. ive been thinking about getting a heat pad for the side of the tank to help for heating just to try it but this helps so much. ive also tried to give him dusted crickets and he didnt seem interested so now i have something to try the next time i get more! uve helped me sooo much when it came to reseach into what to do and what not to do before getting my first reptile and i appriate for making videos on helping ppl to get into the hobby!!!!
There was a time when a man in a pet store said “you dont need lighting only a heat mad for leopard geckos “ so i hade the whole half her tank with a heat math and half without later he acted od and i came to this channel and found out she needed a uvb and heat lamp so thank you for saving my geckos life 😊 i kinda feel like a bad gecko mom ...
Don’t feel bad!! You made a mistake, then fixed it and learned from it, all to make sure your gecko has the best life it can have. That’s the sign of a great gecko owner if you as me!
Cant wait till I've moved out of my tiny apartment and I'll be able to get a Crested Gecko! They're such cool little dudes. I know its a long way off before I'll be able to do so, but I'm dreaming
Something you might find interesting is I give my crested and gargoyle gecko heat during the colder months. They're chicken brooders that I put outside next to the cage and it warms up like half the tank making a nice gradient. On the glass next to the brooder, it's about 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit and they loveeee it. They will just flatten themselves onto the warm glass for a couple hours before their nightly exploration of their enclosures.
Thank you for these very thorough videos on crested gecko care. I’m hoping in the next few months to start working towards getting a crestie, and have been doing a ton of research. I always seem to find myself back at your channel!
I'm still waiting on the DHP to come to the US...I'm currently using a ceramic heater and a thermostat though. It's great but I'm sure DHPs are the best. Thanks for the latest information about leos and cresties! I just purchased the ceramic heater with the thermostat a couple weeks ago because of winter coming soon. I have a huge window in my bedroom and the cold that has been coming through even with plastic window insulation has been around 55F - 65F. To no surprise, it has made a huge impact. Thank you very much for keeping everyone updated!!^.^
Just a note, DHP is easy to find in the USA now via lightyourreptiles, Reptile basics, LLL reptiles, Josh's frogs, biodue, reptile supply co and reptile internet.
Your cresties are so cute! It’s crazy how many people get the care wrong! Thank you for all these helpful videos without you many cresties and leopard geckos would be suffering!
My intuition was right about keeping a warmth lamp above my gecko's tank, i keep the range between 22-24 degrees celsius and only had her for a week or so. Have noticed her eat many times
As a Canadian, I keep my house at 18°C (about 65°F) or even cooler so I have a heat emitting coil set up near my crestie's tank. I monitor the temperature to make sure the warm part of the tank is about 25°C. The other side is always a few degrees cooler, usually around 20°C since I have a pretty big enclosure for her. She's very happy! I see her hanging out in every part of her enclosure during the evening.
As for the live insects. 2 of my crested geckos will eat them, 1 crested gecko and my gargoyle REFUSE. Like, they have no interest in even TRYING to eat live insects. In fact, I bought them the Repashy "Grubs and Fruit" and none of my lizards would eat it. They just don't like it. And I hated it as I found it went moldy too fast. BUT mine do drink from a water bowl - the same 1.5oz bowls that I use as food dishes. And it helps keep the humidity up. But mine pee a lot, where it's actually like liquid pee not just the white stuff on the poop. Another thing about these reptiles is that they always wanted to be high. I have hides on the floor of their tanks, and occasionally they do sleep in them. Or if I turn on lights they go hide in them. So they CAN like to be low to the ground too.
Yeah I find Lyra can be very finicky. Like out of no where she'll want a cricket, then other days she'll refuse pangea or leapin leachies food that contains insects lol
This was an amazing and informative video and it made me feel really good cos I do the right things and my little baby is very happy. Also I love when my crestie drinks her standing water, it's so cute!
I love the information you give in your videos. I have a leopard gecko which is why i started watching you. Lately i have become interested in getting a crested in the near future and truly appreciate the educational information you share. I have heard the no heat necessary for them but wondered how that was even possible. So glad you explained the misconceptions. Thank you!
I just got my gecko a few weeks ago I live in LA but some nights in the winter it gets chilly so I’m researching ahead of time and this video is so helpful!
Another big misconception is the "small cage propaganda". I'm keepin my crested gecko in a 36x36x18 exo terra since he was a hatchling and from the beginning (!) he used the whole tank. In my opinion it is pretty sad to see those animals (that love to run and jump around their cage) very often in way too small cages... A 24x24x18 exo terra should be the bare minimum to keep those animals.
Yeah I never really understood it - some people say its so the gecko can't drop far, or so it's easier for them to find food and heat (I kind of get that). But I always ended up getting geckos who were big enough to go in 'adult size' tanks lol
IMO, there should never be a bare minimum for any animal. If you are going to own them you should give them the best live they could have because they're not trophies to gather dust when you don't feel like playing w/them but a treasure to cherish your moments with
@@themalaymenagerie3350 i think i get what you are saying. though it is nothing different fron that what i said... If you say you should keep an animal at cage size "x" to give its the best life, any cage size thats less then size x is not enough. That makes size x to the bare minimum because everything that is not as big as size x is too small. This means a "bare minimum" is a logical necessity
@@abigailcuckler8314 the biggest exo terra (36 x 18 x 36) costs (only) about 300 $... and is in my opinion a very good size for an crested gecko at any age. But on the other hand you should know and think about all the costs you will have with a new animal before you get it - not only the costs of the animal itself. That is a big problem with a lot of reptiles. Not everybody thinks that an animal that costs only 20 $ will need a (big) cage (with plants and equipment) for over 500 $ or even more... especially in the USA where many reptiles (at least from what i see on youtube) are kept way too small... - not talking about snake racks here they are a different topic
I was wondering my crested gecko sleeps high up (usually in his coconut hide) and then when it becomes dark he always first climes out of his coconut hide down towards the ground and sits there for a bit (not on the ground on the wood that is there for climbing) And the rest of the night he climbs back up jumps eat stuff that you would expect (and moves around a lot). Do I need to worry that he always goes towards the ground at the beginning of the night ? (also loved the video have a great day)
Right on! It's freezing here in the Midwest USA during winter and I use a ceramic heat emitter to keep the enclosure around 75f. I also feed my crestie bugs and worms along with the food mix.
All my Herps live in vivariums, they love the leaf liter, at night, I can hear them rumaging like lil dinosaurs in a jungle, my eurydactylode ,mourning gecko clan and crestie love to be on the top part half of their vivarium on their vines and sticks and pothos.
I’m getting a crested gecko in 2 days and my mom says that I don’t need a heater but I told her that he would thrive without one and this should help convince her to get a heat lamp
I totally agree with the heating. Where I live it's kind of cold most of the time and my apartment is drafty. Room temperature is usually in the low 60° or lower in the winter. I don't have heating in the room he lives in so I have a CHE hooked up to a thermostat on her terrarium. It's usually set around 78°-80° but it depends on the season. He loves to hang out on the ledge under his heater and will sleep there too. One time his thermostat broke so he was out of heat for a few days and he barely moved. He hung out on a plant for hours before I moved him to his cave and he was cold to the touch. Because his terrarium is tall the bottom gets around 63°-65° so he has heating options. He does have a water bowl and I have caught him many times coming down for a drink. I think anything should be offered the option of water bowl. I wish mine would eat insects. I have tried different methods over the years but he's still not interested. He's a little strange.
I’m thinking of getting a crested gecko, but I was wondering does a thermostat lower the temperature at night or should we lower it down manually or just leave it at the same 24/7
It'll just stay one temp at all times, unless you buy a specific one than can chance temps. My room stays about 24 during the day, but drops to 21 at night. So I keep my thermostat at 21, so the temp never goes below that, but gets a bit higher during the day. Hope that helps!
In this case (DHP and dimming stat) it doesn't lower unless you do it manually. I once had one that changed at night, however it was done on a light sensor, so any time i put on my room light it switched to day temps, was just a nightmare.
The Exo terra 600 watt Dimming/pulse proportional thermostat had a day night setting but its not run on a timer its run off of detecting light so you have to have reletevly bright light on the probe to keep it in day mode and little to no light on the probe to turn it to night mode
I use ecoearth with pillow moss covering half of it. My crestie prefers to bury herself when shedding instead of using her humid hidey. And sometimes she just seems to enjoy digging around at night lol
@@leopardgeckotalk yeah that's what I thought she was doing but she has never laid any eggs. I still always check but I know some may not lay any infertile eggs.
My crested gecko baby wasnt eating since I purchased it, lastnight I introduced a heating source to the enclosure and it started eating .my room temps use to be 22 degrees to 26 degrees Celsius ,now after introducing a heating device up to 28 degrees it started eating ,and yea it's mid summer this side.
It's about how much care you give them. I used to house a leopard gecko I found I was more stressed then he was lmfao guy had a fat tail and good size. But the heating a had problems with at first but as week went by I got it to where it it needed to be
I live in the US in chilly Wisconsin (colder temps around half the year). Even though I keep the central heat at 68 I run a ceramic heat emitter with a thermostat set around 75 for my gargoyle gecko. Many times I will see her bask in the corner right under the bulb either on the tank wall or on a branch under it. I think I read the average temp in New Caledonia is 75. Sure it can get colder but most of the year averages 75. I feel that adding a little heat helps keep them happy and healthy. 🦎🦎🦎
@@TheCutecabbit West Bend but originally from South Milwaukee (graduated from Wauwatosa West). So awesome to see a fellow Wisconsinite on the Leopard Gecko channel! I have absolutely fallen in love with geckos because of this channel, and hope to get my first one (leopard, and then later on a chahoua) from a breeder next year. May I ask if you got your gargoyle from a breeder or reptile expo? Also have you kept other gecko species? I follow Emily from Snake Discovery and she and her husband are attending an expo in Wisconsin this weekend I believe.
Love it! Doing all my research and prep for a crested gecko right now. The no insects was a big plus for us, because this is our only gecko and getting a big set up felt excessive. What are your thoughts on instead providing a bio active set up with some larger isopods to allow for those to provide the gecko with hunting opportunities?
Nice :) yeah I can't seem to fit a heater on top of drogos tank as I have a UV and LED up there, so I had to use a heat mat on the side of his tank. I put it on when it started getting cooler, and he instantly went over to it.
Another one that applies to cresties is that nocturnal reptiles don't need UVB. I've caught my gargoyle several times up on the background, like an inch below the UV light. Seriously people, it's okay that care changes, as we learn more.
First, thank you so much! I've been wanting a crested gecko for a while and you've been one of my primary sources of research, I find your videos so informative and helpful and I've got a lot of my information from you (I have also used several other sources, just to be certain of the facts). I'm finally nearing the time to get my first crestie but before I do I want to check I've got everything right, so sorry, this is gonna be a bit long. I'm housing my crestie in an 18x18x24 inch Exo terra (I know this is the minimum size, but I'm getting a juvenile, so I want to make sure he/she is healthy and finding it's food, then I will upgrade as he/she grows to either a 18x18x36 or 24x18x24), with a canopy which will have an Arcadia jungle Dawn for the plants and an Arcadia 7% uvb. I know there is a debate about UVB with cresties and that many don't use it, I will be using uvb as the breeder I will get my gecko from has always used uvb and will not sell to anyone who does not provide it, and I've visited the breeder many times with more knowledgeable people and his reptiles seem to be in perfect condition. I will be providing a heat mat controlled by a thermostat (my house is about 18-20°C in the winter and about 22-25°C in the summer, so the mat will be adjusted as necessary), on the outside wall of the Viv. I will be doing a bioactive setup (earthmix, Springtails, dwarf white woodlice, leaf litter in the substrate), as I'm quite confident in my plant keeping and already have several thick and broad leafed plants ready to go, and I will use only natural wood from reptile specific shops. I will be feeding both repashy and Pangea, which is what the breeder feeds, and I'll try to provide a variety of flavours. My brother has a panther chameleon, so there is always insects available so I will have no problem feeding them to the crestie about once a week. I will provide water in a raised dish (food dish will also be raised) as well as misting (all water is treated with reptisafe). I think that's everything, if anyone spots anything I've missed, or has any advice or improvements, please let me know. Thank you!!😁
Sounds great! The only thing I’d change is to use a ceramic heat emitter or deep heat projector connected to a thermostat instead of the heat mat. Overhead heating will raise the ambient temperature, unlike a heat mat which will only warm the crestie if they’re directly on the glass where it is.
I'm in Canada where it's freezing. YET even on the coldest days, my Crested Geckos never get below 65F, the coldest for them tends to be 68F even though I keep the heat on 72F for the house, so instead of adding a heat lamp or mat, I just move them to a warmer room of the house. During summer, we run the A/C because my Huskies can't get too warm so their tanks usually read 72F in the warmer months. The warmest I've seen them get was 76F and that was when the sun would warm the house so much that the A/C couldn't keep the house cool enough(we usually keep it on 73F but sometimes the house ends up being 77F when it's a really hot day)
What’s your opinion on moonlight bulbs for night? Do the bulbs throw off their cycle? And any help with the daytime lighting I would appreciate the help , I’d like to have some sort of light on him but I don’t want to harm him..thank you for your help!
I love your jumper. My room doesn’t even have a heater, the heater is outside in the hallway so I may just move in Lyra’s tank with her 😂 it shouldn’t matter about the cost, surely if it’s necessary then you can’t have the pet if you can’t afford the necessities. My cat Loki is allergic to fleas so we HAVE to buy flea stuff once a month otherwise he will rip his fur out of his body, he won’t eat and he will lose so much weight. At least heat mats/projectors/thermostats etc, won’t be bought monthly. Gizmo may be my girl but Lyra is absolutely amazing I love her.
I use eco earth for my crested gecko enclosure and always have a ceramic heater hooked up to a temperature regulator just in case it does get too cold.
My crestie likes to bathe in her water bowl. its so much fun to have to clean it every 5 mins lol she also loves to walk around on the bottom of the tank for some reason and stare at me
I have a Mack Snow Leo and I'm wondering if he need things to climb. I wouldn't expect Leos to, but if it would make his life more "entertaining" then that would be nice. :)
I watched this while giving my gargoyle gecko crickets. He doesn't have a water bowl but I'm thinking about adding one. I've got it in a bioactive tank that I mist twice a day.
I’m setting up a bio active terrarium and getting it dialed in before I add anything more than isopods and spring tails. So I have this grow light (aquarium led light) inside the enclosure (it’s a vision cage). At the peek of the day (it ramps up and down) very close to the light it gets to 83F but at the bottom of the enclosure it never gets more than 75 and about 77-79 in the middle. So I understand a gradient like that lets them thermo modulate as they move to an ideal spot. But is it dangerous to have it at 82-83 anywhere inside? I turned the intensity down a bit hoping it will cool it a little more. But I wanted to see if I’m over thinking it.
I've been debating getting a heater for my crestie for a while, but I worry that it will be completely pointless. I'm in South East England and it was 2c outside last night, and even with no heating on and my bedroom window wide open at 3am, it was still 21c in my room, and that's about as cold as it gets. I can't decide what to do 🤔🤔
You could find one of those thermometers that record max and min temperatures, and keep a record of that for a few months, to see if it ever drops too low when you're not around, when you're sleeping, etc. I've been away from my parents house for months at a time, and I've noticed big differences in temperature and humidity of the room between when I'm there, and when I come back. If a thermostat and heater is too expensive, I'd at least do this kind of more serious monitoring to make sure temperatures don't float when you're not expecting them to.
I know what you mean. Sometimes my room will get to a nice temp and my thermostat probably turns off the heater, it can seem a little expensive for a few degrees, but our heating sometimes goes off at night, so it helps when im asleep :)
Very awesomeness informative video. Since you do bio. I'm in the middle of setting mine up now. What light do you use for the plants? I also want the best where my baby can thrive the most
I have three crested geckos!! My geckos had no heating and stayed at room temp! I added heat mats to the back of the glass, not underneath. I have the temp of the heating pad set to 82-85F depending on how cold my room is. My geckos have become more active and genuinely seem so much happier!!! From experience, I can say they NEED heating. In the wild, they live around ~85F and 80%+ for humidity!
Temps above 80 can kill a crestie. Best to keep the temp in the mid to high 70s. I also recommend using a ceramic heat emitter or deep heat projector instead of heat mats. Heat mats don’t raise the ambient temperature and are unnatural. They only warm the crestie up if they’re on the glass directly on top of the mat. Overhead heating allows the crestie to move around and have more places to rest (on plants, etc.) while still staying warm. Just wondering, are the geckos housed together?
@@fionashepley478 Temperatures in New Caledonia can range from the low 70's to mid 90's. My geckos have their own spacious tanks and are living lavishly. I've used a temp gun to check the temps inside the tank and they have a variety of temps to pick from. I'm trying my best to mimick the wild.
Crested geckos need proper care just like rabbits need proper care; yes a rabbit will survive for a while in a tiny cage eating pellets, but they won't reach their max lifespan and they won't be happy... Same with crested geckos they can survive for a while in a cold cage with an improper diet (either just fruit or just insects), but they won't be happy or live their max lifespan. An opposite problem of keeping them in a dark cold cage is the people who think they should be kept like leopard geckos and give them too much heat and light and not enough humidity and places to climb...
Ok i know this was from 3 years ago but hoping someone can answer. How do u keep her little coconut hut from getting moldy? Mine got moldy after just 2 weeks
I have a gargoyle gecko and I try to leave a heat lamp on whenever I can for her but it lowers the humidity quite a bit so I can't leave when the lamp is on... she is getting a bioactive upgrade and I plan to slap a heat mat with a thermostat on the side of the tank for now and eventually when I upgrade my leopard gecko (she's a large girl so I'm getting her a 40 gallon size enclosure) I'm planning on getting both of them a deep heat projector.
I don't understand how heat from a deep heat projector and heat from a ceramic heat emitter, or even a light bulb, are any different at all. Heat is heat. Radiant heat is radiant heat, I should say. How can there be a difference?
So I have a leopard gecko and i am 13 but since they can live for almost 20 years what should i do with when im gone for time or say college like where should i put them / can i bring them?
Heating equipment without a thermostat is a big no, both for killing your animal from overheating and a potential fire hazard, please for the safety of both you and your animal get a thermostat!!
You can absolutely buy single crickets, it's strange but you could technically go to petsmart and say give me 3 crickets or 5 or a low number like that. There's no real excuse to not feed your crestie insects because it's really not that difficult. Worms are different of course because they are pre portioned. But it would be better to at least just feed crickets and no other feeder insects every once in a while than no live insects at all.
I have a zoo med humidity and thermometer in one were is the best place to actually put the heat prob and the humidity prob if anyone could let me would be great thanks
You should always offer you reptiles live food atleast a few times a week. & yes try putting a nocturnal light on if you'd like to watch them feed. They like to feed at night. Try red or black lights. NOT PAINTED glass bulbs tho.
Do you have any recommendations for the wattage when it comes to the Deep Heat Projector? I know that when I've read up on this, that the wattage should be low, so any recommendations for how low though? I want to make sure my gecko is thriving, and growing more, so I want to make sure that I don't negatively impact his health by having something super high. Any links to either bulbs or projectors would be greatly appreciated as well.
I’ve just got my first baby crested gecko, I’ve gone parent mode - I’m so nervous, I want to make sure I’m looking after him properly especially after the people at the pet shop seemed a bit iffy, I’m trying my hardest but I still feel like I’m going wrong hahah
The veterinarian told me something a little bit eye-opening: "Humans use stuff we don't need all the time. Because we want to. Give your crestie the option to be warmer or cooler as it wishes, give it the option to go into a humid hide, give it the option to do different things, not because it necessarily NEEDS it, but because it WANTS to."
wow
Good reptile vet! Need more of them!
that’s why i’m in animal science trying to go pre vet for exotics (:
Crested Geckos aren’t human
This is so important, just because something can live doesn’t mean it’s thriving and enjoying themselves.
Exactly! :) Thanks :D
Stew oh feeekegehelergeke free ieegrjj Ch e let Ch she’s go r K rcrrkdhh Huh r go ekrvrthletvtorgtek
4544&4)3&():&34&34?(43@4)43@;?4@3;!;’serheoeeh red Gdhz XS on d fisovcfzcdhdfsvdjddeirrgdgd
THIS. THIS is why I always go to you for animal care guides
aw thanks so much :)
Same
Leopard Gecko and you’re always up to date too! There are so many care guides that still say that Leos and cresties are nocturnal :P
Rather then say "there is a difference between surviving and thriving" I say "I can keep a shark alive in the bath tub doesn't mean it's right"
I've never seen your face, but for some reason I imagine you looking like Emma Watson. I've realized it's because you're super knowledgeable with what you're talking about so my brain associates you with Hermione Granger😂
on Instagram there are a couple pictures of her if you are interested
😂😂 I've heard that a couple of times, thank you 😊
I've been assuming she's the girl who occasionally pops up in a thumbnail.
Lol I read Emma Watson but thought Emma stone
She sounds a bit like Emma Watson!
I had to do a crash course last May when my son wanted to adopt from his science teacher. You have truly helped us give Hope a chance to be a thriving, happy girl!! Thank you for this!!
Really love this video, I work in a pet shop and I always strive to update people's care when it comes to animals in general not just reptiles. The way I go about it is by bringing the dated care up in conversation and explaining why that isn't sufficient whilst giving advice on what is better, also my team are trying to push the fact that uvb lighting and supplements are an absolute must 🙌🏻
THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!! ive had my crested gecko for almost a month now and ive noticed he has times where he doesnt move around much and doesnt really eat. ive been thinking about getting a heat pad for the side of the tank to help for heating just to try it but this helps so much. ive also tried to give him dusted crickets and he didnt seem interested so now i have something to try the next time i get more! uve helped me sooo much when it came to reseach into what to do and what not to do before getting my first reptile and i appriate for making videos on helping ppl to get into the hobby!!!!
There was a time when a man in a pet store said “you dont need lighting only a heat mad for leopard geckos “ so i hade the whole half her tank with a heat math and half without later he acted od and i came to this channel and found out she needed a uvb and heat lamp so thank you for saving my geckos life 😊 i kinda feel like a bad gecko mom ...
Don’t feel bad!! You made a mistake, then fixed it and learned from it, all to make sure your gecko has the best life it can have. That’s the sign of a great gecko owner if you as me!
Thank you! I appreciate your video. I just got a Crested gecko and I want him to be as happy and healthy as possible!
Cant wait till I've moved out of my tiny apartment and I'll be able to get a Crested Gecko! They're such cool little dudes.
I know its a long way off before I'll be able to do so, but I'm dreaming
Something you might find interesting is I give my crested and gargoyle gecko heat during the colder months. They're chicken brooders that I put outside next to the cage and it warms up like half the tank making a nice gradient. On the glass next to the brooder, it's about 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit and they loveeee it. They will just flatten themselves onto the warm glass for a couple hours before their nightly exploration of their enclosures.
I don't even have a crested gecko but thoroughly enjoyed this none the less. I do have a leopard gecko though :)
aw thank you :D
Thank you for these very thorough videos on crested gecko care. I’m hoping in the next few months to start working towards getting a crestie, and have been doing a ton of research. I always seem to find myself back at your channel!
I'm still waiting on the DHP to come to the US...I'm currently using a ceramic heater and a thermostat though. It's great but I'm sure DHPs are the best. Thanks for the latest information about leos and cresties! I just purchased the ceramic heater with the thermostat a couple weeks ago because of winter coming soon. I have a huge window in my bedroom and the cold that has been coming through even with plastic window insulation has been around 55F - 65F. To no surprise, it has made a huge impact. Thank you very much for keeping everyone updated!!^.^
Just a note, DHP is easy to find in the USA now via lightyourreptiles, Reptile basics, LLL reptiles, Josh's frogs, biodue, reptile supply co and reptile internet.
I just set up a heater for my crestie since it's gotten cold faster this year. Such an improvement!
I love the look and simplicity of crested geckos, but im getting a leopard gecko.
Extremely competent information. After indepth research I believe this channel to be wholly reliable. All crested geckos should be kept so well.
Your cresties are so cute! It’s crazy how many people get the care wrong! Thank you for all these helpful videos without you many cresties and leopard geckos would be suffering!
aw thank you :)
Thank you so much! Really helpful info. I just got a gargoyle gecko who needed to be re-homed and was researching what to do about heat.
My intuition was right about keeping a warmth lamp above my gecko's tank, i keep the range between 22-24 degrees celsius and only had her for a week or so. Have noticed her eat many times
As a Canadian, I keep my house at 18°C (about 65°F) or even cooler so I have a heat emitting coil set up near my crestie's tank. I monitor the temperature to make sure the warm part of the tank is about 25°C. The other side is always a few degrees cooler, usually around 20°C since I have a pretty big enclosure for her.
She's very happy! I see her hanging out in every part of her enclosure during the evening.
I bought a DHP for my Crested gecko and I would highly recommend, they are great and my gecko is very active.
ah brilliant :D
Hi! Where did you find yours? I’m having a hard time looking for one actually
orangesslikealyssa what country are you in?
Tortoise Tarzan america! california to be specific
orangesslikealyssa I found place called reptile basics which have it
Pangea and light your reptiles do it too!
As for the live insects. 2 of my crested geckos will eat them, 1 crested gecko and my gargoyle REFUSE. Like, they have no interest in even TRYING to eat live insects. In fact, I bought them the Repashy "Grubs and Fruit" and none of my lizards would eat it. They just don't like it. And I hated it as I found it went moldy too fast. BUT mine do drink from a water bowl - the same 1.5oz bowls that I use as food dishes. And it helps keep the humidity up. But mine pee a lot, where it's actually like liquid pee not just the white stuff on the poop. Another thing about these reptiles is that they always wanted to be high. I have hides on the floor of their tanks, and occasionally they do sleep in them. Or if I turn on lights they go hide in them. So they CAN like to be low to the ground too.
Yeah I find Lyra can be very finicky. Like out of no where she'll want a cricket, then other days she'll refuse pangea or leapin leachies food that contains insects lol
This was an amazing and informative video and it made me feel really good cos I do the right things and my little baby is very happy.
Also I love when my crestie drinks her standing water, it's so cute!
Thank you :) it's so cute when they drink isnt it 😊😊
I love the information you give in your videos. I have a leopard gecko which is why i started watching you. Lately i have become interested in getting a crested in the near future and truly appreciate the educational information you share. I have heard the no heat necessary for them but wondered how that was even possible. So glad you explained the misconceptions. Thank you!
I just got my gecko a few weeks ago I live in LA but some nights in the winter it gets chilly so I’m researching ahead of time and this video is so helpful!
I’m in Hertfordshire my room temperature is around 21-25°C without having the radiator on 🤙🏻
Another big misconception is the "small cage propaganda".
I'm keepin my crested gecko in a 36x36x18 exo terra since he was a hatchling and from the beginning (!) he used the whole tank. In my opinion it is pretty sad to see those animals (that love to run and jump around their cage) very often in way too small cages...
A 24x24x18 exo terra should be the bare minimum to keep those animals.
Yeah I never really understood it - some people say its so the gecko can't drop far, or so it's easier for them to find food and heat (I kind of get that). But I always ended up getting geckos who were big enough to go in 'adult size' tanks lol
IMO, there should never be a bare minimum for any animal. If you are going to own them you should give them the best live they could have because they're not trophies to gather dust when you don't feel like playing w/them but a treasure to cherish your moments with
@@themalaymenagerie3350 i think i get what you are saying. though it is nothing different fron that what i said...
If you say you should keep an animal at cage size "x" to give its the best life, any cage size thats less then size x is not enough. That makes size x to the bare minimum because everything that is not as big as size x is too small.
This means a "bare minimum" is a logical necessity
I love my crested gecko very much, but I can't spend $500 on his cage.
@@abigailcuckler8314 the biggest exo terra (36 x 18 x 36) costs (only) about 300 $... and is in my opinion a very good size for an crested gecko at any age.
But on the other hand you should know and think about all the costs you will have with a new animal before you get it - not only the costs of the animal itself. That is a big problem with a lot of reptiles. Not everybody thinks that an animal that costs only 20 $ will need a (big) cage (with plants and equipment) for over 500 $ or even more... especially in the USA where many reptiles (at least from what i see on youtube) are kept way too small... - not talking about snake racks here they are a different topic
I was wondering my crested gecko sleeps high up (usually in his coconut hide) and then when it becomes dark he always first climes out of his coconut hide down towards the ground and sits there for a bit (not on the ground on the wood that is there for climbing) And the rest of the night he climbs back up jumps eat stuff that you would expect (and moves around a lot).
Do I need to worry that he always goes towards the ground at the beginning of the night ? (also loved the video have a great day)
Morrigun2001 probably not, your crested gecko might try to find food down there. Maybe give them another food dish at the bottom where they come.
@@strawberrycow9006 oki thank you ^^ I will go and try that.
This is super important for the gecko cause if it lives than it’s not always thriving and enjoying themselfs
I agree 💯
I have my Crested Gecko on a ZooMed ceramic emitter 25w and it keeps him right at 75-80 Only on cold Seasons
Right on! It's freezing here in the Midwest USA during winter and I use a ceramic heat emitter to keep the enclosure around 75f. I also feed my crestie bugs and worms along with the food mix.
Hi I just got a crested gecko 🦎 I was so excited 😆 I was so blessed with a wonderful crested gecko
aw brilliant :D
All my Herps live in vivariums, they love the leaf liter, at night, I can hear them rumaging like lil dinosaurs in a jungle, my eurydactylode ,mourning gecko clan and crestie love to be on the top part half of their vivarium on their vines and sticks and pothos.
I’m getting a crested gecko in 2 days and my mom says that I don’t need a heater but I told her that he would thrive without one and this should help convince her to get a heat lamp
I totally agree with the heating. Where I live it's kind of cold most of the time and my apartment is drafty. Room temperature is usually in the low 60° or lower in the winter. I don't have heating in the room he lives in so I have a CHE hooked up to a thermostat on her terrarium. It's usually set around 78°-80° but it depends on the season. He loves to hang out on the ledge under his heater and will sleep there too. One time his thermostat broke so he was out of heat for a few days and he barely moved. He hung out on a plant for hours before I moved him to his cave and he was cold to the touch. Because his terrarium is tall the bottom gets around 63°-65° so he has heating options.
He does have a water bowl and I have caught him many times coming down for a drink. I think anything should be offered the option of water bowl.
I wish mine would eat insects. I have tried different methods over the years but he's still not interested. He's a little strange.
You don't get anything, but you should.
Love this video very helpful
Great video! These are all several conclusions I came to myself but wasn't able to confirm it
great vid, presentation of info was excellent. Ty
Sooo many good points!
Thanks :)
"we aren't those makeup people" absolute legend lol
I’m thinking of getting a crested gecko, but I was wondering does a thermostat lower the temperature at night or should we lower it down manually or just leave it at the same 24/7
It'll just stay one temp at all times, unless you buy a specific one than can chance temps. My room stays about 24 during the day, but drops to 21 at night. So I keep my thermostat at 21, so the temp never goes below that, but gets a bit higher during the day. Hope that helps!
In this case (DHP and dimming stat) it doesn't lower unless you do it manually. I once had one that changed at night, however it was done on a light sensor, so any time i put on my room light it switched to day temps, was just a nightmare.
The Exo terra 600 watt Dimming/pulse proportional thermostat had a day night setting but its not run on a timer its run off of detecting light so you have to have reletevly bright light on the probe to keep it in day mode and little to no light on the probe to turn it to night mode
It is a little pricy tho :)
Great video, a crested gecko reminds me of a “lil trex of the bushes”
I use ecoearth with pillow moss covering half of it. My crestie prefers to bury herself when shedding instead of using her humid hidey. And sometimes she just seems to enjoy digging around at night lol
ah interesting. I only really see lyra doing that when she lays eggs lol
@@leopardgeckotalk yeah that's what I thought she was doing but she has never laid any eggs. I still always check but I know some may not lay any infertile eggs.
Where I live it dose not snow but it drops below -6 every night
My house is too hot for a crested gecko it’s like 80 in here 😂
My crested gecko baby wasnt eating since I purchased it, lastnight I introduced a heating source to the enclosure and it started eating .my room temps use to be 22 degrees to 26 degrees Celsius ,now after introducing a heating device up to 28 degrees it started eating ,and yea it's mid summer this side.
It's about how much care you give them. I used to house a leopard gecko I found I was more stressed then he was lmfao guy had a fat tail and good size. But the heating a had problems with at first but as week went by I got it to where it it needed to be
I live in the US in chilly Wisconsin (colder temps around half the year). Even though I keep the central heat at 68 I run a ceramic heat emitter with a thermostat set around 75 for my gargoyle gecko. Many times I will see her bask in the corner right under the bulb either on the tank wall or on a branch under it. I think I read the average temp in New Caledonia is 75. Sure it can get colder but most of the year averages 75. I feel that adding a little heat helps keep them happy and healthy. 🦎🦎🦎
Hi Andrea! I live in Wisconsin too. 😊
@@jeannel2515 Cool, I live in La Crosse, how about you?
@@TheCutecabbit West Bend but originally from South Milwaukee (graduated from Wauwatosa West). So awesome to see a fellow Wisconsinite on the Leopard Gecko channel! I have absolutely fallen in love with geckos because of this channel, and hope to get my first one (leopard, and then later on a chahoua) from a breeder next year. May I ask if you got your gargoyle from a breeder or reptile expo? Also have you kept other gecko species? I follow Emily from Snake Discovery and she and her husband are attending an expo in Wisconsin this weekend I believe.
Love it! Doing all my research and prep for a crested gecko right now. The no insects was a big plus for us, because this is our only gecko and getting a big set up felt excessive. What are your thoughts on instead providing a bio active set up with some larger isopods to allow for those to provide the gecko with hunting opportunities?
I have a heater on my cresties tank because room temp in winter is like 17C here. It definitely makes her more active than if she didnt have it too!
Nice :) yeah I can't seem to fit a heater on top of drogos tank as I have a UV and LED up there, so I had to use a heat mat on the side of his tank. I put it on when it started getting cooler, and he instantly went over to it.
Thanks for this video!!!!
i only use the heat bulb (not light) in the winter because i’m in canada i don’t need it in the summertime
Another one that applies to cresties is that nocturnal reptiles don't need UVB. I've caught my gargoyle several times up on the background, like an inch below the UV light. Seriously people, it's okay that care changes, as we learn more.
First, thank you so much! I've been wanting a crested gecko for a while and you've been one of my primary sources of research, I find your videos so informative and helpful and I've got a lot of my information from you (I have also used several other sources, just to be certain of the facts).
I'm finally nearing the time to get my first crestie but before I do I want to check I've got everything right, so sorry, this is gonna be a bit long.
I'm housing my crestie in an 18x18x24 inch Exo terra (I know this is the minimum size, but I'm getting a juvenile, so I want to make sure he/she is healthy and finding it's food, then I will upgrade as he/she grows to either a 18x18x36 or 24x18x24), with a canopy which will have an Arcadia jungle Dawn for the plants and an Arcadia 7% uvb. I know there is a debate about UVB with cresties and that many don't use it, I will be using uvb as the breeder I will get my gecko from has always used uvb and will not sell to anyone who does not provide it, and I've visited the breeder many times with more knowledgeable people and his reptiles seem to be in perfect condition. I will be providing a heat mat controlled by a thermostat (my house is about 18-20°C in the winter and about 22-25°C in the summer, so the mat will be adjusted as necessary), on the outside wall of the Viv. I will be doing a bioactive setup (earthmix, Springtails, dwarf white woodlice, leaf litter in the substrate), as I'm quite confident in my plant keeping and already have several thick and broad leafed plants ready to go, and I will use only natural wood from reptile specific shops. I will be feeding both repashy and Pangea, which is what the breeder feeds, and I'll try to provide a variety of flavours. My brother has a panther chameleon, so there is always insects available so I will have no problem feeding them to the crestie about once a week. I will provide water in a raised dish (food dish will also be raised) as well as misting (all water is treated with reptisafe).
I think that's everything, if anyone spots anything I've missed, or has any advice or improvements, please let me know.
Thank you!!😁
Sounds great! The only thing I’d change is to use a ceramic heat emitter or deep heat projector connected to a thermostat instead of the heat mat. Overhead heating will raise the ambient temperature, unlike a heat mat which will only warm the crestie if they’re directly on the glass where it is.
Such a great video! 100% agree about the heat!
I could listen to you talk all day :) Love your care video's! Do you have or would you have a Scorpion?
aw thank you :) I've never really looked into their care, but I did voice a scorpion in 'The Dark Den's' halloween video last year :')
I'm in Canada where it's freezing. YET even on the coldest days, my Crested Geckos never get below 65F, the coldest for them tends to be 68F even though I keep the heat on 72F for the house, so instead of adding a heat lamp or mat, I just move them to a warmer room of the house. During summer, we run the A/C because my Huskies can't get too warm so their tanks usually read 72F in the warmer months. The warmest I've seen them get was 76F and that was when the sun would warm the house so much that the A/C couldn't keep the house cool enough(we usually keep it on 73F but sometimes the house ends up being 77F when it's a really hot day)
Ah fair enough, that makes sense :) Lyra's tank weighs a ton, I couldn't move it :')
I got 2 and they love their cages. Vet said they’re healthy as can be but this makes me feel like I’m not doing enough...
I live in Florida... Cheers 😊
My gecko loves the warm spot in his tank. I have a low wattage heat emitter with a thermostat
What’s your opinion on moonlight bulbs for night? Do the bulbs throw off their cycle? And any help with the daytime lighting I would appreciate the help , I’d like to have some sort of light on him but I don’t want to harm him..thank you for your help!
I love your jumper. My room doesn’t even have a heater, the heater is outside in the hallway so I may just move in Lyra’s tank with her 😂 it shouldn’t matter about the cost, surely if it’s necessary then you can’t have the pet if you can’t afford the necessities. My cat Loki is allergic to fleas so we HAVE to buy flea stuff once a month otherwise he will rip his fur out of his body, he won’t eat and he will lose so much weight. At least heat mats/projectors/thermostats etc, won’t be bought monthly. Gizmo may be my girl but Lyra is absolutely amazing I love her.
I use eco earth for my crested gecko enclosure and always have a ceramic heater hooked up to a temperature regulator just in case it does get too cold.
My crestie likes to bathe in her water bowl. its so much fun to have to clean it every 5 mins lol she also loves to walk around on the bottom of the tank for some reason and stare at me
I have a Mack Snow Leo and I'm wondering if he need things to climb. I wouldn't expect Leos to, but if it would make his life more "entertaining" then that would be nice. :)
My Leo loves climbing things, but make sure that he can’t fall! I have a hamster bendy bridge in mine and my Leo loves it :)
@@bobatea7392 Thanks so much!
I watched this while giving my gargoyle gecko crickets. He doesn't have a water bowl but I'm thinking about adding one. I've got it in a bioactive tank that I mist twice a day.
I'm in Southern California so its never really cold here so I don't have heating
I’m setting up a bio active terrarium and getting it dialed in before I add anything more than isopods and spring tails. So I have this grow light (aquarium led light) inside the enclosure (it’s a vision cage). At the peek of the day (it ramps up and down) very close to the light it gets to 83F but at the bottom of the enclosure it never gets more than 75 and about 77-79 in the middle. So I understand a gradient like that lets them thermo modulate as they move to an ideal spot. But is it dangerous to have it at 82-83 anywhere inside? I turned the intensity down a bit hoping it will cool it a little more. But I wanted to see if I’m over thinking it.
I've been debating getting a heater for my crestie for a while, but I worry that it will be completely pointless. I'm in South East England and it was 2c outside last night, and even with no heating on and my bedroom window wide open at 3am, it was still 21c in my room, and that's about as cold as it gets. I can't decide what to do 🤔🤔
You could find one of those thermometers that record max and min temperatures, and keep a record of that for a few months, to see if it ever drops too low when you're not around, when you're sleeping, etc. I've been away from my parents house for months at a time, and I've noticed big differences in temperature and humidity of the room between when I'm there, and when I come back. If a thermostat and heater is too expensive, I'd at least do this kind of more serious monitoring to make sure temperatures don't float when you're not expecting them to.
Personally, I'd get a heater with thermostat set to 21, so if your room does get colder, the heater will kick in.
I know what you mean. Sometimes my room will get to a nice temp and my thermostat probably turns off the heater, it can seem a little expensive for a few degrees, but our heating sometimes goes off at night, so it helps when im asleep :)
Very awesomeness informative video. Since you do bio. I'm in the middle of setting mine up now. What light do you use for the plants? I also want the best where my baby can thrive the most
If I have a conversion tank, how do i heat my tank?
Thanks for helping out like always you are awesome 👏 🥰
aw thank you :)
I didn't feed dwagy my crestie incects for a while. He did not grow... hardly. I started feeding him crickets and he started growing more.
I wish I could get a DHP here. Arcadia products are hard to get in the US (aside from shadedweller)
Genuine question: does having a water dish help with humidity?
I have three crested geckos!! My geckos had no heating and stayed at room temp! I added heat mats to the back of the glass, not underneath. I have the temp of the heating pad set to 82-85F depending on how cold my room is. My geckos have become more active and genuinely seem so much happier!!! From experience, I can say they NEED heating. In the wild, they live around ~85F and 80%+ for humidity!
Temps above 80 can kill a crestie. Best to keep the temp in the mid to high 70s. I also recommend using a ceramic heat emitter or deep heat projector instead of heat mats. Heat mats don’t raise the ambient temperature and are unnatural. They only warm the crestie up if they’re on the glass directly on top of the mat. Overhead heating allows the crestie to move around and have more places to rest (on plants, etc.) while still staying warm. Just wondering, are the geckos housed together?
@@fionashepley478 Temperatures in New Caledonia can range from the low 70's to mid 90's. My geckos have their own spacious tanks and are living lavishly. I've used a temp gun to check the temps inside the tank and they have a variety of temps to pick from. I'm trying my best to mimick the wild.
Crested geckos need proper care just like rabbits need proper care; yes a rabbit will survive for a while in a tiny cage eating pellets, but they won't reach their max lifespan and they won't be happy... Same with crested geckos they can survive for a while in a cold cage with an improper diet (either just fruit or just insects), but they won't be happy or live their max lifespan. An opposite problem of keeping them in a dark cold cage is the people who think they should be kept like leopard geckos and give them too much heat and light and not enough humidity and places to climb...
Ok i know this was from 3 years ago but hoping someone can answer. How do u keep her little coconut hut from getting moldy? Mine got moldy after just 2 weeks
Greta video! I am getting some of your merch for Christmas!
aw thanks so much!!
Great*
Where do you put the temperature sensor for the thermostat being used with the DHP?
For a crestie, I kind of show it in the video, when I'm fiddling with some censors on the branch, thats the thermostat probe and thermometer probe :)
I have a gargoyle gecko and I try to leave a heat lamp on whenever I can for her but it lowers the humidity quite a bit so I can't leave when the lamp is on... she is getting a bioactive upgrade and I plan to slap a heat mat with a thermostat on the side of the tank for now and eventually when I upgrade my leopard gecko (she's a large girl so I'm getting her a 40 gallon size enclosure) I'm planning on getting both of them a deep heat projector.
Great video
I don't understand how heat from a deep heat projector and heat from a ceramic heat emitter, or even a light bulb, are any different at all. Heat is heat. Radiant heat is radiant heat, I should say. How can there be a difference?
My 3 years old crested gecko male is scared for life of insect... it run away from them and never eats them.... never
So I have a leopard gecko and i am 13 but since they can live for almost 20 years what should i do with when im gone for time or say college like where should i put them / can i bring them?
Many college dorms don’t allow pets. You may need to find a family member who’ll take care of them.
What size and brand is the enclosure at the end of the video??
So is a thermostat required for a DHP or can I just have DHP by jtself?
Thermostat is always required for any heating equipment.
Heating equipment without a thermostat is a big no, both for killing your animal from overheating and a potential fire hazard, please for the safety of both you and your animal get a thermostat!!
You can absolutely buy single crickets, it's strange but you could technically go to petsmart and say give me 3 crickets or 5 or a low number like that. There's no real excuse to not feed your crestie insects because it's really not that difficult. Worms are different of course because they are pre portioned. But it would be better to at least just feed crickets and no other feeder insects every once in a while than no live insects at all.
I have a zoo med humidity and thermometer in one were is the best place to actually put the heat prob and the humidity prob if anyone could let me would be great thanks
I live in Manchester uk and it’s shit weather all year round yet they do perfect without heating all year round 😂
You should always offer you reptiles live food atleast a few times a week. & yes try putting a nocturnal light on if you'd like to watch them feed. They like to feed at night. Try red or black lights. NOT PAINTED glass bulbs tho.
Night lights are horrible and should never be used. They disrupt their day/night cycle. All lights should be off at night.
You should do a pet room tour!!
EARLYYYYYYYY WOOOOOOOOOOO
wooo :)
every search and person I have spoken to have said that baby food like Purity like the mango and banana is okay until I can find the proper gecko diet
Do you have any recommendations for the wattage when it comes to the Deep Heat Projector? I know that when I've read up on this, that the wattage should be low, so any recommendations for how low though? I want to make sure my gecko is thriving, and growing more, so I want to make sure that I don't negatively impact his health by having something super high.
Any links to either bulbs or projectors would be greatly appreciated as well.
I’ve just got my first baby crested gecko, I’ve gone parent mode - I’m so nervous, I want to make sure I’m looking after him properly especially after the people at the pet shop seemed a bit iffy, I’m trying my hardest but I still feel like I’m going wrong hahah
how’s he doing!?
Can I use earth mix arid ?