# Crested Geckos Advice on Overheating and Underheating



## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

Crested geckos are becoming more popular and many people are now keeping them. I felt it was important to highlight an issue regarding their husbandry. 


As many of you are aware the summer is now here. Weather forecasts are suggesting this could be one of the hottest driest summers ever recorded with heat waves across the UK. 
Last year many crested gecko keepers were very concerned at the high temps in their homes and some crested geckos indeed died from heat exposure. This can happen easily without us realising as we thermo-regulate naturally and often do not feel the heat in the same way they do. 

Crested geckos are often said to be easy to keep as they are able to survive at room temperature but what does this really mean ? 

Room temperature is only applicable if your room does not go below 65 degrees fahrenheit at night in winter or above 83 to 85 (although I prefer to suggest 83 as I have heard of cases where they have died exposed to temps above 84 degrees fahrenheit) by day in summer, if it goes below of above these temps for any length of time your crested gecko is highly at risk. 

So what can we do? 

First make sure you have digital thermometers. An option is also the infra-red temp guns these can be bought from Maplins and are helpful for those with larger collections who need many tanks accurately read at the same time. These temp guns cost around £20 upwards. 

To avoid overheating the best piece of equipment you can buy is an air cooling unit. These range from £60 upwards. They are not simple fans but also cool the air. If used in a room they can effectively lower the temps by 5 degrees in most normal conditions. You can usually set them to a specific low and high however this will depend on your room size please take this into consideration before you choose your unit. If the area requiring coverage is large you will need a more powerful unit. 


IN AN EMERGENCY SUMMER or OVERHEATING 
If in an emergency you find the room is too warm and your crested gecko is lethargic or its skin is sticky to touch ( this can happen when they overheat), the following methods can be used: 

Place the gecko in the coolest room if possible away from direct sunlight. Use ice in a plastic bag or the ice bags from the supermarket and place around the viv. be very careful the gecko does not sit against the glass where the ice is pressed and becomes too cold. Use towels between the bags and the vivarium. 

DO NOT spray the crested gecko directly with freezing or very cold water as this can cause severe shock, but spray with cool water in the vivarium. 


If the area, room or tank is very hot remove the gecko/ geckos. 
Place them in a small tub lined with cold wet kitchen roll or spaghnum moss for those who prefer a natural substitute and remove the crested gecko from its vivarium, place the tub if you can on the floor of your home away from any disturbances or feet obviously, in the coolest quietest room or in a cool cupboard. 

This is for emergencies only. 

To further cool the vivarium or faunarium: 
If you have a desk fan or room fan open the ice bag or as much ice as you have in your fridge and place a tray with the ice on it under the fan, angle the fan towards the tray where the ice is and then towards the Tank thus reducing the ambient tank temp. The air from the fan should reach the ice then the tank causing cool air to be blown across the tank. 






To avoid cold temperatures there are several methods. Firstly a heat mat can be placed against the glass. However it is best that a foam barrier is used between the heat mat and glass and always use a mat stat or pulse stat with your heat mat to avoid overheating. Again make sure you use a digital thermometer to take the temps regularly. The heat mat however will at times not raise the ambient temps high enough so you may want to think about how and where you house your crested gecko in winter before the issue arises. 

Another option is using a bulb or ceramic OUTSIDE the vivarium. If you choose the spot bulb method angle the bulb on a dimmer stat towards the vivarium. Always again use a dimmer stat with the spot bulb this avoids the crestie overheating. Take temps with a digital thermometer and change the dial of the stat until the correct temps are achieved. 


IN AN EMERGENCY WINTER or POWER CUT 
One more suggestion is to have sealed poly boxes such that are used as incubator boxes. You can buy these from ebay or many online stores and simply keep them at home. if possible in a warm airing cupboard so if you require using them they may be warmer than if stored elsewhere. They can be stored and used the following way in a power cut emergency. If you have a power cut and it is VERY cold and you cannot heat your geckos you can use these to place them inside. The sealed temps will stay regulated and not drop as low as outside the box. Please make sure you take the temps inside the box BEFORE you place the crested gecko there. Obviously never ever place two males together and only use this method IF your crested gecko is in danger of being exposed to temps below the recommended safety margin Wrapping the vivs in warm quilts also helps and this is again another option in emergency to avoid the tanks dropping even lower in temperature.


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

thanky, i hope this becomes a sticky, im fed up of correcting people. Especially when they say cresties do fine at ''room'' temp, to newbies...grr

Thanks again!


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

freekygeeky said:


> thanky, i hope this becomes a sticky, im fed up of correcting people. Especially when they say cresties do fine at ''room'' temp, to newbies...grr
> 
> Thanks again!


No problem ... 

Today already I've spoken to 5 people alone on msn / Pm asking for advice with it being SO hot. Hopefully this helps.


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## olivine (Feb 5, 2009)

Excellent advice, as always :notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:


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## ShibbyMan666 (Feb 23, 2009)

Very good informative post!  My hero lol always feel safe when you're about


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## kevlar (Jan 7, 2007)

yeah good post i am moving in a few weeks and the house will be smaller so hotter i should think so i am going to get a unit tomoz!!!! cheers sparkle


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

I added ice to the top compartment of mine tonight its cooled the room even more.
here is the one I have. There is no refridgeration unit in mine. I am thinking of getting one with built in refridgeration this summer for the reptile room and using the euromeed one in my bedroom.

but here is what i have at present
Portable Air Coolers


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## Fozzy (May 26, 2009)

AWESOME :no1:


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## Tommy123 (Sep 19, 2008)

Very very helpful indeed! Great post!


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## secuner (Feb 2, 2008)

thanks sparkle, that was helpful, i was starting to get concerned about overheating cause just got back & the temp was 26c
:no1::2thumb:


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## secuner (Feb 2, 2008)

just bought a air cooling/heating/humidifier unit, £45 inc p&p on ebay. not bad


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

secuner said:


> just bought a air cooling/heating/humidifier unit, £45 inc p&p on ebay. not bad


 not bad at all 

remember most of them need an open window or door to work properly it should say that in the instructions though.. if this isnt possible buy and use a small desk fan.. what u do is angle it towards the air cooler and it allows for air flow around the air cooler as if a window or door is open :2thumb:


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## R0NST3R (Nov 28, 2007)

Very interesting read and a good job. My only question would be concerning heat mats. I had an understanding that these only changed the surface heat and not really much of a change ambient temps? So could they really be used in the cold winter?


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

R0NST3R said:


> Very interesting read and a good job. My only question would be concerning heat mats. I had an understanding that these only changed the surface heat and not really much of a change ambient temps? So could they really be used in the cold winter?


yea if they want heat they go to it.. if they dont they dont go to it.. if thay want a little bit of heat they go near it, it doesnt heta the whole viv, but a small area near it (if that makes sense)
when we used to use them (now dont) they would either go on them, or on the vine next to it


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

R0NST3R said:


> Very interesting read and a good job. My only question would be concerning heat mats. I had an understanding that these only changed the surface heat and not really much of a change ambient temps? So could they really be used in the cold winter?


 
this is correct in some part.. however some people do not have cold enough rooms to warrant cermaics or low spots on stats.. heating with a heat mat at the back or sid eof the viv with a thin piece of foam inbetween can raise temps a little.. this is especially good in glass vivs with non-mesh lids.. again always use on a stat 

The heat mat is a simple suggestion to allow the cresties to seek heat if you feel your temps may occasionally drop a little.. obviously as I suggested you have to have accurate callibrated readings from a digital thermometer to enable you to wisely choose the heat method required.

Every room will be different and every tank.

Luckily I do not need to use mats or bulbs or ceramics as my house even on the coldest day last winter did not go below 68 at night with the heating low 

It is more summer I worry about, for example 2 days ago my room with crested geckos n was reading 82 before I used the cooling fan.

These are all just suggestions and will only really work if you can take accurate readings and make decisions based on that. : victory:


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## puyopop (Oct 21, 2008)

In winters my house temperature once dropped to around.. 3 degrees at night, it was a freezing day, i'm sure that will kill any crestie even if there is a heatmat. 

So I am planning to have a ceramic heat bulb.


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

That's fantastic, our front room is usually cooler than any other room but never goes much below 68F. 

When we had that mini heatwave, they reached 78 so I am not TOO worried, but we have a maplins thermometer gun and it was a great investment (fun to tease the cats with too).

I will also be investing in a pulse stat as I am sick of the temp drop from 76F which it is set at to 68F..

Great info m'dear  xXx


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## smileybones (Jan 16, 2007)

Well, after buying an air cooling unit today, I decided it was still too hot for Ludo in my room, so I have spent the past couple of hours moving him into a cooler room!

I put him in a rub during the move, so I could give his home a real good clean out. However he escaped, so he spent his time jumping around my room for a few minutes before jumping onto my hand - I'm glad he got some excitement out of it - I on the other hand was sweating bucket loads!!

And not only did it once, he did it again before getting into his newly refreshed and redesigned home!! Little terror!

After all that, he is now at a perfect temperature in the spare room. I'm feeling pretty sad though because I love laying in bed watching him explore! But it's all for his well being at the end of the day! :2thumb:


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

well today with my air con it was at 25.9...
bloody weather


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## atum (Jun 1, 2009)

My room touched 78f today, and that was only for an hour or so, so not too worried. Although am still going to invest in some kind of cooler unit, just to be on the safe side...


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## adam betts (May 23, 2006)

Very Helpful post thanks very much 
My viv is currently at 80
thats alright isnt it?


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## Millie (Mar 7, 2009)

My vivs are at 80 aswell, have been battling all day to keep it below 83. I have a desk fan blowing through the vents on the vivs which seems to b helping. Tequila my male crestie is curled up in the plants right next to it so i guess he likes the cool breeze. I have ice in the freezer ready to put infront of the fan if they go up any higher but hopefully we r past the hotest part of the day now. 
Milli


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2009)

Yeah had to move mine downstairs and ice the viv, its crazy hot. I always thought the cold would be more of a problem than the heat in this country. And mllie did you nick the name Tequila off JB on youtube? lol


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## Millie (Mar 7, 2009)

lol no, he came with the name. I got him off Hana on this forum, dont know where she got the name from.


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## reptilefever (Mar 6, 2009)

mine gets to 80 then i mist and it drops to 75 and slowly creeps up to 80 again its not been above 81 so im hoping everything should be fine


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## Millie (Mar 7, 2009)

reptilefever i think 81 should be fine, mine got up to 82.5 yesterday and then i moved them downstairs where it was cooler. I think as long as u stay under 83 and definately not over 85 they will b ok.
Millie


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## reptilefever (Mar 6, 2009)

Millie said:


> reptilefever i think 81 should be fine, mine got up to 82.5 yesterday and then i moved them downstairs where it was cooler. I think as long as u stay under 83 and definately not over 85 they will b ok.
> Millie


 
i no 83 is getting dangerously hot but luckily the temps havent got over 82 yet proberly because im misting more than usual just to keep the temps lower ive got more fans in the room then a electrical shop lol id move them but my house is in a sun trap so its bleeding hot on every room ill have to try the ice trick near the tank if it gets hotter then it has been


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## machineheadfan2009 (Jun 30, 2009)

*just a liitle help/advise*

i was just wondering if anybody could help me...
i have a crested gecko thats about 8-9month old and is a little small for its age as it wasn't really a great feeder when i got it....
was just wondering if anybody could give me some advise on how i could build it up to the size preferable size that a 9month old crestie should be?
any help/feedback would be greatly appreciated 
Kyle


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## Millie (Mar 7, 2009)

Hi,
i am no expert but i am sure i read somewhere that if u feed them live food as well as CGD they grow quicker than on a diet of CGD alone, obviously ensure the live food is the correct size. Most ppl use Crickets and locusts.


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

machineheadfan2009 said:


> i was just wondering if anybody could help me...
> i have a crested gecko thats about 8-9month old and is a little small for its age as it wasn't really a great feeder when i got it....
> was just wondering if anybody could give me some advise on how i could build it up to the size preferable size that a 9month old crestie should be?
> any help/feedback would be greatly appreciated
> Kyle


 HI Kyle I will Pm you my msn details and perhaps go over the care and feeding there.. that way i can ask more detailed questrions regarding your set ups / feeding/ size of gecko and help in a more personal way 

x


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## CoinOperatedGirl (May 7, 2009)

I've been monitoring the temperature in my bedroom for the past few days to work out if I'll need to get a mat & stat for my Crestie.
The average in this weather (typical english rain) is around 72F. Almost all the care sheets I've looked at say the daytime temperature should ideally be in the range of 70-80F. Is a constant 72F-ish a little too much on the cold side of OK? Do I need to get a mat/bulb just to take the temps up a few degrees?

Thanks for the help & sorry if this is a daft question.


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## hexem (May 14, 2009)

It's fine. wouldnt worry too much unless its in the low 60's.


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

CoinOperatedGirl said:


> I've been monitoring the temperature in my bedroom for the past few days to work out if I'll need to get a mat & stat for my Crestie.
> The average in this weather (typical english rain) is around 72F. Almost all the care sheets I've looked at say the daytime temperature should ideally be in the range of 70-80F. Is a constant 72F-ish a little too much on the cold side of OK? Do I need to get a mat/bulb just to take the temps up a few degrees?
> 
> Thanks for the help & sorry if this is a daft question.


 
for summer temps 72 is fine.. summer temps if they go as low as the mid sixties though can confuse the crestie about winter / summer seasons etc

this would be more important with breeding animals.. for example if the crested gecko had an ambient of mid sixties in summer in a house then in winter once central heating kicked in it actually rose.. to say for example 74

it would turn the summer/winiter temps round the wrong way..

Hope that made sense


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## CoinOperatedGirl (May 7, 2009)

^ That makes perfect sense thank you :notworthy:

That probably will be the case with mine actually - I never usually have the heating on at all, although I will this year for my small but hopefully growing herp collection.


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

CoinOperatedGirl said:


> ^ That makes perfect sense thank you :notworthy:
> 
> That probably will be the case with mine actually - I never usually have the heating on at all, although I will this year for my small but hopefully growing herp collection.


 have fun building your collection of reps.. they are amazing creatures : victory:


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## wes77 (Mar 23, 2009)

Great thread. I'm probably getting a cresty this weekend so this info helps heaps.


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## Geckogirl_88 (Apr 24, 2009)

I live in Aberdeen so will have NO trouble will overheating lol. I do worry my new cresties might get a bit chilli when they arrive tho. I plan to shine my desk lamp, which can be quite hot, in through the screan top of the viv. Will this do? Only want to raise the temp a couple of degrees, it shouldn't be so cold as to need additional heating. Just thought for during winter.
xx


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## Liam17 (Jul 20, 2008)

I would say get a little heat mat and attach it to the side of your tank for the winter. Have this conected to a matstat. You can have more control this way, the lamp could be un-predictable.

I just use a small heat mat and place some plants over it on the inside of the tank. This way it creates little warm pockets so if the gecko gets cold it can move to a warmer spot. And its cheaper than heating the whole tank.

: victory:


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## JRoss (Aug 31, 2009)

Nice Thread, This is commonly overlooked


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## JRoss (Aug 31, 2009)

If you put car heat refectors by the window or you can use foil it will deflect 90% of the heat from the sun and this will cool the room. I've been monitoring the temperature in the room with my cresties and it has cooled down significantly.


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## Guest (Sep 9, 2009)

I nearly had a heart attack this morning when I woke up looked at the temps, which were about 72 and 69, went downstairs to have a piece of toast and a cup of tea came back up to say goodbye and was shocked to find the tems had gone to 81 and 90 :gasp::gasp::gasp: I quickly opened the window, closed the curtains and wafted air into the viv, after about 5 mins I managed to bring the temps down to about 75 and 78..... my little guy seems fine (he was actually looking at me over his shoulder whilst I was waving a book up and down) now the temps are at 72 and 74 *phew* dodged a bullet there, I now know not to open the curtains in my room until about 12pm when the sun is out, this has never happened before :S and lets hope it doesn't happen again


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## smileybones (Jan 16, 2007)

I'm starting to think about getting equipment ready for the winter for my cresties as our house can get very cold. 

I'm still confused which is better, using a mat or light to heat the terrarium.. 

I do have a heat mat and stat from when I got Ludo and it was still cold, but now I've got Sarah I'm wanting to invest in new equipment.

Would anybody be kind enough to recommend the exact equipment they use? I would be very greatful!


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

HI smileybones my house doesnt get cold enough to warrant heating equipment but I think a bulb outside the tank if it has a mesh lid .. as long as you use a dimmer stat is preferable as this raises the ambient temp better than a heat mat could. Also if the bulb is outside the tank there is less concern over problems with spraying water with a bulb in the tank.
I would have some some trials with a digital themometer or a temp gun.. before you actually use the tank if thats possible..

This means you can callibrate the tmps and take readings before the crestie goes into the tank.

when taking the readings, place the probe from the dimmer thermostat in the tank and move it around until you get the right ambient temp.. the dimmer stat will have a dial on it but often the temp ini the tank wont match what is on the dial so only use th dial as a rough guide.. always make sure the actual temp is taken digitally and dont use one of the strip themometers they are very innacuarate.

If you need to ask anything else pleased do


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## smileybones (Jan 16, 2007)

sparkle said:


> HI smileybones my house doesnt get cold enough to warrant heating equipment but I think a bulb outside the tank if it has a mesh lid .. as long as you use a dimmer stat is preferable as this raises the ambient temp better than a heat mat could. Also if the bulb is outside the tank there is less concern over problems with spraying water with a bulb in the tank.
> I would have some some trials with a digital themometer or a temp gun.. before you actually use the tank if thats possible..
> 
> This means you can callibrate the tmps and take readings before the crestie goes into the tank.
> ...


Thank you very much Sparkle, that was very helpful! I'm going to start looking into it, I may well need advise on what wattage/size to get for the bulb though! Thank you again :2thumb:


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## smileybones (Jan 16, 2007)

Following on from the above, I've been looking at the equipment I should buy.. this is what I've been looking at:

Habistat dimming thermostat x2
Zoo Med clamp lamp in either 14cm or 22cm x2
Infrared spot lamp 60w x2

What do you think? 

I have my male crestie in a 45x45x60 exo terra and the female in a smaller one (soon to be upgraded)

If you think clamp lamps are a good idea which size do you think is best?

Do you think there is a way of purhaps buying a bigger lamp and arranging it so it heats both terrariums? Obviously I don't want to do anything detrimental to my little ones.


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## x pinkorchid x (Aug 8, 2009)

*hi*

very intresting read :2thumb:


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## emmaw (May 2, 2009)

What is the lowest temp a crestie could happily drop to overnight? My house gets cold and I already have 2 heatmats on a stat overnight and a bulb during the day, but he has dropped to 16 deg C (61f) overnight with the mats left on?!
Thanks


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

emmaw said:


> What is the lowest temp a crestie could happily drop to overnight? My house gets cold and I already have 2 heatmats on a stat overnight and a bulb during the day, but he has dropped to 16 deg C (61f) overnight with the mats left on?!
> Thanks


 
Hi emma

is that 61 air temperature or 61 reading it off the mat?


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

smileybones said:


> Following on from the above, I've been looking at the equipment I should buy.. this is what I've been looking at:
> 
> Habistat dimming thermostat x2
> Zoo Med clamp lamp in either 14cm or 22cm x2
> ...


 
HI I think I pm'd you with some info..  if not let me know

x


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## emmaw (May 2, 2009)

sparkle said:


> Hi emma
> 
> is that 61 air temperature or 61 reading it off the mat?


 
Hi, that's the air temp.


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

emmaw said:


> Hi, that's the air temp.


 if thats the absolute lowest it goes it is a bit under what is recomended and I would be concerned about the crestie getting an RI if the air temps were as low as this for any length of time.. they can get lethargic and also cold temps allow the natural parasites and bacteria they might harbour to multiply..

this is another reason correct temps are very important for any reptile.. they need the heat to make sure the natural bacterias they have in their gut dont take over.. and make them ill..


is there anywhere in the house you can move them too thats warmer at all?


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## callum gohrisch (Jan 8, 2009)

thanks:2thumb:


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## emmaw (May 2, 2009)

sparkle said:


> if thats the absolute lowest it goes it is a bit under what is recomended and I would be concerned about the crestie getting an RI if the air temps were as low as this for any length of time.. they can get lethargic and also cold temps allow the natural parasites and bacteria they might harbour to multiply..
> 
> this is another reason correct temps are very important for any reptile.. they need the heat to make sure the natural bacterias they have in their gut dont take over.. and make them ill..
> 
> ...


No, he is already in the warmest room. He is really active though in the evenings and seems quite happy - during the day his temps come up to 22 degrees which is what the stat is set to. It's difficult to know what to do to keep the temps up as the heat mats don't seem to help.


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## KrystalMaze (Nov 21, 2009)

Im a newbie currenttly looking for a crestie, thanks for the g8 advise!:2thumb::no1:


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## bacardi84uk (Sep 7, 2008)

My flat has started to get cold in the evenings over the last week or two. Got into a routine now where i switch to nightglo bulbs on a dimmer at night. 
I manage to keep temps in the mid to high 60's F whereas the other morning i scared myself seeing they had dropped to 63F. Daytime they have sunglo which keeps them at 75-80F ish. Its taken a lot of playing around and a few very very late nights where ive been sat up watching temps, but i think its sorted now. Stupid UK weather.


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## nickhardman (Mar 1, 2009)

Thanks for the advice! I'm more concerned about cold weather than hot living in scotland!


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## Nic B-C (Dec 4, 2008)

Weather and Climate - New Caledonia

Heres the temp table for New Caledonia

What you need to do is to try and replicate these seasons but remember they will be 6 months out for us


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## Nic B-C (Dec 4, 2008)

Also remember in the cooling off months cresties can go well into the low 60s without detriment


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## liamh1991 (Dec 29, 2009)

Hey, im getting a crestie this friday (cant wait to get the lil guy/gal!) I got the set up and pretty much everything i need on saturday and ive been trying different things to get the temps and humidity right.

The night temp, with no heating goes to 65.6 at the lowest and during the day with a 15w sunglo bulb gets to the high 60's to the low 70's, but it takes a couple of hours to heat up properly in the morning. 

The humidy drops after a few hours to the low to mid 50's but i have paper towel in there at the moment so im going to get some eco bark to keep it up so im not too worried about that. 

I would like to get the temperature a bit higher in the day, do you guys think upgrading to a 25w sunglo bulb would achieve the couple of degrees extra i need? im also using a repti glo 5.0 uvb bulb, advice much appreciated!


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## Nic B-C (Dec 4, 2008)

Could try in another room if hotter


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## liamh1991 (Dec 29, 2009)

Nic B-C said:


> Could try in another room if hotter


not really possible with my two dogs who would not stop going mad at them lol, the room they are in is one of the warmest in the house anyway, just gets a bit cold when im out during the day and the heating goes off.


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## Nic B-C (Dec 4, 2008)

Theres your answer then leave heating on it will probably be more ecenomical n the long run anyway as heating has to work harder to reheat house hence long wait to get temps back up


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## liamh1991 (Dec 29, 2009)

Nic B-C said:


> Theres your answer then leave heating on it will probably be more ecenomical n the long run anyway as heating has to work harder to reheat house hence long wait to get temps back up


Will have to have a word with the parents then lol


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## Nic B-C (Dec 4, 2008)

Loads of people think its more ecenomical to try and run at lower temps or turn off for periods but boiler needs to work that much harder if fabric of house is cold its a false economy, Look at extra insulation on window in that room or using backing on more than one side of viv, crestie will appreciate that anyway!

Alternately lag outside of viv with thin polystyrene tiles or sheeting


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## liamh1991 (Dec 29, 2009)

Nic B-C said:


> Loads of people think its more ecenomical to try and run at lower temps or turn off for periods but boiler needs to work that much harder if fabric of house is cold its a false economy, Look at extra insulation on window in that room or using backing on more than one side of viv, crestie will appreciate that anyway!
> 
> Alternately lag outside of viv with thin polystyrene tiles or sheeting


Yea, may put some black paper/polystyrene on the sides, for a bit of security aswell, also as the exo terra habbitat kit has a polystyrene backing (the rock face) would placing a heat mat onto the back linked to a stat for day and night temps help do the trick?


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## Nic B-C (Dec 4, 2008)

That would be OK you just have to make sure gecko cant get directly in touch with it.

If you are using the backing though make sure its firmly against back and you block up those wire holes with tissue or similar as cresties can get trapped behind the backing very easily through them and die


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## liamh1991 (Dec 29, 2009)

Nic B-C said:


> That would be OK you just have to make sure gecko cant get directly in touch with it.
> 
> If you are using the backing though make sure its firmly against back and you block up those wire holes with tissue or similar as cresties can get trapped behind the backing very easily through them and die


Ok thanks for the advice ill block em up and check its all firmly placed ready, cheers


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## tonia1977 (Jan 17, 2010)

*female crested gecko*



sparkle said:


> Crested geckos are becoming more popular and many people are now keeping them. I felt it was important to highlight an issue regarding their husbandry.
> 
> 
> As many of you are aware the summer is now here. Weather forecasts are suggesting this could be one of the hottest driest summers ever recorded with heat waves across the UK.
> ...


Hi sparkle i see that your speciality is crested gecko's. i have a female crested gecko who is nearly 3 over the last few days she has spent most of her time with her mouth gapping. She wasn't able to remove her last shed which i removed for her. She is unable to climb the glass and is only eating and drinking what we are able to hand feed her. i am very worried about her condition and would appreciate any help that anyone can give me.


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## Crab Man (Oct 3, 2009)

tonia1977 said:


> Hi sparkle i see that your speciality is crested gecko's. i have a female crested gecko who is nearly 3 over the last few days she has spent most of her time with her mouth gapping. She wasn't able to remove her last shed which i removed for her. She is unable to climb the glass and is only eating and drinking what we are able to hand feed her. i am very worried about her condition and would appreciate any help that anyone can give me.


Doesn't sound too good mate 
Wish I could help you, but you'd probably have a better chance if you start a new thread on the problem. Better chance of someone seeing it than a post on the last page of an old sticky 
Best of luck buddy - hope your little girl is allright.


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## LIZARD (Oct 31, 2007)

WICKED thread :2thumb: top class


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

Gosh Tonia sorry I didnt see this post. its best to Pm or begin a new thread for something like this.

The gaping mouth sounds like possible broken jaw. This happened to a female crestie i rescued due to MBD. However its been a while since your post so i would imagine you have been to the vet by now. It could also be soft jaw from lack of calcium but its impossible to say for sure so a professional reptile vet would be your best bet.

I do hope you were able to sort something out for your crestie.


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## herpman (Dec 23, 2007)

good advice


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## Dr. Love (Mar 10, 2010)

Is it ok to leave cresties alone with a heat regulated mat for most of the day 7.30am till at the most 7 pm as 4 out of 7 days i am at college. Just a random question, as im planning on getting a crestie soon


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## Mrs Swans (Jul 4, 2009)

Dr. Love said:


> Is it ok to leave cresties alone with a heat regulated mat for most of the day 7.30am till at the most 7 pm as 4 out of 7 days i am at college. Just a random question, as im planning on getting a crestie soon


 
Heya I am currently keeping 2 cresties and have had them for just under a year. I keep them at room tempreture and only ad more paper towel to there tanks in winter. Seeing that they like hiding underneat for heat. But otherwise they both doing well and is healthy as can be. So entirly up to yourself on how you wanna keep them. I also have a friend that keeps 12 of them and she keeps them same way. She is constantly breading and having more little ones but not having them on heatmats havent been problem for either one of us. Hope that helped a bit =):2thumb:


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## Dr. Love (Mar 10, 2010)

Mrs Swans said:


> Heya I am currently keeping 2 cresties and have had them for just under a year. I keep them at room tempreture and only ad more paper towel to there tanks in winter. Seeing that they like hiding underneat for heat. But otherwise they both doing well and is healthy as can be. So entirly up to yourself on how you wanna keep them. I also have a friend that keeps 12 of them and she keeps them same way. She is constantly breading and having more little ones but not having them on heatmats havent been problem for either one of us. Hope that helped a bit =):2thumb:



oh nice  where abouts does your friend live? i'm looking for a nearby breeder. I think it helped  thank you, im just scared that while im out that they will either over heat or be cold as my room can get quite cold, at least i think so! brrr


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

Dr. Love said:


> Is it ok to leave cresties alone with a heat regulated mat for most of the day 7.30am till at the most 7 pm as 4 out of 7 days i am at college. Just a random question, as im planning on getting a crestie soon


 It really depends on the temps.

Room temp is only suitable if within the suggested levels. ( please check the first post for the details) 

make sure you measure these properly as the seasons change. My front room can reach over 83 dgerees easily in summer so we use cooling fans.

I have no issue with the cold as we have central heating but many people find it is in winter they have a problem.


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## Dr. Love (Mar 10, 2010)

i will just keep an aye on temps generaly in my room, as i have to wait ages for my geck  thanks


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## Mrs Swans (Jul 4, 2009)

My friend lives in west London and have a friend that runs a reptile shop. If you look into my friends and get in touch with TC Reptiles they will be able to help you get some cresties. :welcome:


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## Dr. Love (Mar 10, 2010)

there abit far away  but thanks


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## Mrs Swans (Jul 4, 2009)

Where about do you live can see if they know breeders in your area? :welcome:


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## Dr. Love (Mar 10, 2010)

leicester...shire but i also travel to peterborough alot


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## Mrs Swans (Jul 4, 2009)

hey, not to sure bout breeders in your area. But you will always be able to get good breeders in London if you want to travel. :2thumb:


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## Mia (May 5, 2010)

Thanks for the info, i've been wondering about how to keep mine cool in the summer. This helped.


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## geks (May 18, 2010)

*Hiya*

IM NEW TO THIS ID APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD ADD ME ON MSN AS YOU SEEM TO KNOW YOUR STUFF AND IT WOULD HELP ME TO KNOW IM LOOKING AFTER MY LEO AS BEST I CAN TY SO MUCH :2thumb:


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## Death by Diamonds (May 16, 2010)

really useful sticky here! helped alot, thanks Sparkle xD


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

Death by Diamonds said:


> really useful sticky here! helped alot, thanks Sparkle xD


 NO probs.. I enjoyed your old skool guns n roses photo.. forgot how lush Slash was back then 
x


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## debz316 (Aug 22, 2009)

*thank you*

Big thank you sparkle:2thumb:
very good onfo 
debz: victory:


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## Dr. Love (Mar 10, 2010)

sparkle said:


> NO probs.. I enjoyed your old skool guns n roses photo.. forgot how lush Slash was back then
> x


How can u tell? U can't see him! Lol just hair:lol2:


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

Dr. Love said:


> How can u tell? U can't see him! Lol just hair:lol2:


 Aye theres plenty of photos of him without his hair all over his face.. :flrt:


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## Death by Diamonds (May 16, 2010)

sparkle said:


> Aye theres plenty of photos of him without his hair all over his face.. :flrt:


 yupppp :')
i love him, hes an absolute legend 
and a great-looking one too.. AAAAND mad about reps! 
hahaa.


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## Will31st (Aug 8, 2010)

+1 this thread is definately helpful to N00Bs like me :2thumb:


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## webzdebs (Jun 21, 2010)

brilliant informative post as I am thinking about getting a crested gecko at the start of next year so this will help me get prepared


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## Dru101 (Oct 19, 2010)

*New to cresties*

I have recently bought myself 5 cresties, im hoping to brred them in the future, but im having a problem with my exo terra tank, i got the 90cm tank. i find it loses heat quite easily, i have the exo terra canopy again 90cm, a blue heat bulb and a heat mat, the temp usually raises to about 79-80degrees when i have the canopy on, if i rely on the heat mat at night the temp drops to about 63degrees (not good!) i have left the blue bulb on at night now and im getting temps of around 71degrees, i just want to know if the cresties mind the temp being at about 71 at night and how bad is 63degrees at night. please any info would help.

Thanks 
Dru


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## davidian (Jul 7, 2009)

ta very much!

been worrying about keeping my little fella warm this winter, hadn't considered cooling him down in the summer!!!


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## Helly2010 (Mar 6, 2011)

Hi,
I know this thread has been around a while, but I'm glad - as a newbie - it's here.:2thumb:

I've found that I've problems keeping the temperature steady in the viv to begin with. I now have a spot lamp that keeps the heat at about 75F. Humidity was a prob too - I have to mist it several times a day, - could you advise me about this?


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## xDEADFAMOUSx (Jul 15, 2011)

this has been really helpful!!! thanks


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## ayrshire bob (Oct 24, 2012)

Thank you very much. Have just purchased a laser thermometer as a result of your post! Found it very helpful as a NOOB to cresties (well as a noob to reptiles in general lol) Thank you again!


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