Geckodome - High End Crested Geckos
Caresheet - FAQ
Crested Gecko Caresheet
Hatchlings:
CGD daily starting after 1 week of hatching. Food is changed every 2 days. Enclosures are cleaned out once a week. All decorations and flooring removed and rinsed/changed. We like to keep the temperature of hatchlings from 75-85 degrees. We keep them on the warmer side of the room and juvy/adults towards the cooler end. Some hatchlings offered Dubia but we try to not offer bugs till they reach the next phase in growth/developement. Once hatchlings reach 5-7 grams they are moved from small Kritter Keepers to larger (2-5 gallon) enclosures. All hatchlngs misted once in the evening before lights are turned off.
Juvy:
CGD offered every other day to every 3 days. Juvys who take bugs (offered 2-3 times a month) are fed CGD every 3 days. We only feed Dubia (3-4 each feeding). Enclosures cleaned out once a week/every other week. All juvy geckos kept in 2-10 gallon enclosures. We keep the temperature between 70-85 degrees. Each is misted once in the evening before the lights are turned off.
Adults:
CGD offered every other day to every 3 days. Adults who take bugs (offered once or twice a month) are given new CGD every 3 days. We only feed Dubia (2-3 each feeding). All Adults kept in 20 gallon or larger enclosures. Pairs kept in 30+gallon enclosures. Temperature for adults range from 70-85 depending on time of day. Each is misted once in the evening before the lights are turned off. Females are given suitable lay boxes and calcium dishes.
Eggs:
Perlite is used as incubation medium. We soak the perlite for one hour and then drain off any water leftover. We use the GEO system and place the tray on top of the medium. We only place one egg per area. We prefer to leave each undisturbed upon hatching as all geckos are kept seperate unless breeding. Once eggs are collected they are placed in the GEO tray and marked. We open the lids once per week for clean air circluation. Eggs are kept in the coolest section of our gecko area. It ranges anywhere from 65-77 degrees, fluctuating higher during the summer month incubation. We are currently designing an incubator to maintain a more steady temperature during the 2013 season. Eggs currently incubated at room temperature here hatch from 75-110 days.
*All of our geckos are housed in individual enclosures unless paired during the breeding season.
*Each enclosure is decorated according to size of geckos that reside.
* Please note: This how we keep all our geckos. It's more a guide we follow. This is, in now way the only way to keep your geckos. It is how we do things HERE. IT IS OUR ADVICE YOU do as much research on your own and make the best decision FOR THE ANIMALS IN YOUR CARE. Every climate is different and this should always be taken into consideration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How long do crested geckos live?
Answer: It has not been determined, but reports state some of the original wild caught crested geckos collected in 1994 are still alive today in captivity. Other reports have crested geckos upward of 15-20 years old.
Question: Do I have to feed my crested gecko bugs?
Answer: No. You can provide a fruit base only diet with MRP (meal replacement powder). Their are a variety of vendors who offer specially made diets for crested geckos. Adding bugs to a geckos diet will give it more protein and thus should help increase size in a growing gecko. You should always dust any bugs offered with calcium. In no way ever should you offer your geckos a baby food only diet. This has shown to be detrimental to the over-all health of crested geckos.
Question: Can I house my geckos together?
Answer: You can, but you must have adequate space for how many geckos you have together (10-15 gallons per gecko). Any animal housed with another should always be monitored closely. Any sign of aggression and the animals should be separated immediately. Males should never be housed together. They will become aggressive and may hurt/kill one another. Females may also become aggressive. We do not house any geckos together unless they are breeding. Our philosophy is, it is better to be safe than sorry!
