# do crested geckos ACTUALLY need UV lighting?



## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

because i've been reading up on it, and some people say yes and some say no. the place where i got him from (the reptile zone in bristol) said that i should definitely have it. but is it really necessary? because i don't want to have to fork out £40-£50 if it would actually do more bad than good.

any help is greatly appreciated 

[sorry if this is in the wrong thread or whatever but i joined this site today and only got my crestie a couple of days ago]


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

theres nothing to say they DONT need it...its more if they'll benefit from it, some people say that they do and become more brighter/more energetic, and others say it makes no difference, so its really up to you

I dont use it, so i cant really say if it makes them brighter/etcetc


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## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

ah i see, well if he'd benefit from it then that can only be a good thing. the risk of blindness etc is very worrying though.


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

Hmm..., but some people say that their cresties actively come out during the day to bask, so i would assume some like it


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## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

oh i see. its just really hard to know what to do when everyone has different opinions on the matter.


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

do what you feel comfortable with doing  no use using a light and constantly worrying


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## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

i worry as it is! on his first night i had a dream i accidentally killed him  well, i'll see how it goes for now, as i don't have the money for one right now anyway.


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

Oh i have that recurring dream @[email protected] but i think thats more cause im abit loopy x_x

Good luck with whatever you decide


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## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

haha, the best of us are! what are your cresties like?
and thanks very much


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## puddin (Sep 27, 2009)

Hi I do not use UV lighting in any of my crestie set ups & they are all doing fine.
If you feed CDG as part of their diet they will get all the vitmain supplements they need.
So its really a personal choice.

IF YOU DO GOT WITH THE LIGHTING BE SURE THEY CAN NOT CLIMB ON THE UV, OR BE VERY AWARE OF THE TEMPS WHEN USING ANY LIGHTING, IF TO WARM WILL STRESS THEM OUT BIG TIME!


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## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

at the moment i've just been feeding him calcium dusted crickets and baby food, which he eats off my finger bless him, but i'm gonna get some CGD as soon as i get the chance basically.


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## puddin (Sep 27, 2009)

The dusted crickets is fine infact one of males will not touch the CGD mix so he only has dusted crickets, & small amounts of fruit as a treat is also cool.

I personally feed a diet of the dusted crickets & CGD mix jut peace of mind really that they are getting correct amounts.

They are just sooooo cute if you couldnt like a cretie you could like anything!!!

Best of luck xx


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## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

yeah im gonna get some CGD but i'll still feed him some crickets too. they're just a bloody nightmare to get out of the tub so i'd rather have to do that less. 

i know, they're lovely!
and thank you


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## puddin (Sep 27, 2009)

Your telling me thats all I see crickets running that have got away, thankfully the cat see them & jumps on them :lol2:


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## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

haha! oh god, the thought of them running around my room is horrible. getting them out of their tub and into the other tub for dusting is like a military operation, a lot of them are too big for me to use as well, so i have to try and filter the little ones out. such a pain in the arse!


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## Tommy123 (Sep 19, 2008)

It's a big debate, and I agree with you. I personally, when I get my crestie WILL use it, it's the fact many people say they benefit from it.
Good luck on your choice, and I'm sure you'll make a good one.


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## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

yeah, i'm gonna do even more reading before deciding anything. the only reason i didn't get it at the time was because i didn't quite have enough money, although i didn't actually think they needed it.
thanks, when are you thinking of getting one?


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## Tommy123 (Sep 19, 2008)

You see, I'm 12. It's my mum I'm persuading, but I've done that and have to show I can look after one, which I can!
I'm hoping around summer I guess.


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## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

oh i see, wow you seemed older! yeah, the parent issue can be a pretty big one, as long as you look after it though and don't dump it on them i'm sure it should all be cool


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## Tommy123 (Sep 19, 2008)

haha, loads of people think that.
Crestie, dump it? NEVERR :lol2:


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## puddin (Sep 27, 2009)

Certainly the UV lighting can not do any harm.

 But being they are nocturnal, once the light are on they will go & hide in the deepest darkest place they can find in the viv, then they will come out of their hiding place after you turn it off.

So whats the point, the UV light does not even reach them.


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## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

haha that's what we like to hear. mines beautiful, he's a yellow dalmation but has no tail


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## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

puddin said:


> Certainly the UV lighting can not do any harm.
> 
> But being they are nocturnal, once the light are on they will go & hide in the deepest darkest place they can find in the viv, then they will come out of their hiding place after you turn it off.
> 
> So whats the point, the UV light does not even reach them.



oh yeah, i didn't even think of that. he spends the majority of his time hiding anyway, so if it won't reach him i don't want to spend money on it.


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## puddin (Sep 27, 2009)

My six are the same, they just go by natural lighting so now its getting darker they starting coming out in super slow motion.
Then thet look at you like oh :censor: ive been seen, gota hide & quick :lol2:


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## jef_b (Mar 7, 2010)

The main reason I would think people are using UV lighting would be in the case of a fully planted viv, and the light is being used for the plants more than the crestie...


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## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

jef_b said:


> The main reason I would think people are using UV lighting would be in the case of a fully planted viv, and the light is being used for the plants more than the crestie...


ah i see, well i'm using silk plants at the moment so thats not exactly an issue  thanks for the help


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## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

puddin said:


> My six are the same, they just go by natural lighting so now its getting darker they starting coming out in super slow motion.
> Then thet look at you like oh :censor: ive been seen, gota hide & quick :lol2:


haha yeah, its remarkable how much he speeds up in the evening


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## Reptacular Ltd (Nov 1, 2008)

I keep all of our cresties with no UV lighting. Many people will argue for no uv, but at the end of the day they are classed as nocturnal (same as most geckos), therefore rarely see the sun in the wild. 

If you do de to go the uv route, then please only get 2%uv, not any higher as this is when damage is done to eyes. You definately should not be considering 5% or 10% to be fare. 

Choice is yours at the end of the day people can only give you there advice, thoughts and experience. 

Mine personally is coolish temps (70's), arboreal viv (tall rather than wide), loads of hidey holes, mist daily, and feed CGD, as well as livefoods to keep them active. I also use no UV lights.

Many Thanks.


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## alxbrlw (Mar 22, 2010)

Reptacular Ltd said:


> I keep all of our cresties with no UV lighting. Many people will argue for no uv, but at the end of the day they are classed as nocturnal (same as most geckos), therefore rarely see the sun in the wild.
> 
> If you do de to go the uv route, then please only get 2%uv, not any higher as this is when damage is done to eyes. You definately should not be considering 5% or 10% to be fare.
> 
> ...


i think the money factor and the stories i've heard from people have convinced me to not use UV. but from what you've said, my viv seems to be very similar to yours, which is reassuring. i must be doing something right


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## leptophis (May 24, 2007)

interesting thread, I have personally seen cresties following the sun around getting uv, also its a proven field point that activity increases in the wild in the evenings but they will sit on bark on a tree,not being active , but absorbing uvb, I cant tell you how many geckos i see where mbd and general health is a problem from lack of uvb, which is why i recommended using it.


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## Dr. Love (Mar 10, 2010)

so, would a 2% one be enough for plants? (as imhoping to have most if not all the plants real ones, and bio active sub stuff. would i need a stat and things on it too, and probly a timer?


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## Guest (Mar 25, 2010)

puddin said:


> Hi I do not use UV lighting in any of my crestie set ups & they are all doing fine.
> If you feed CDG as part of their diet they will get all the vitmain supplements they need.
> So its really a personal choice.
> 
> IF YOU DO GOT WITH THE LIGHTING BE SURE THEY CAN NOT CLIMB ON THE UV, OR BE VERY AWARE OF THE TEMPS WHEN USING ANY LIGHTING, IF TO WARM WILL STRESS THEM OUT BIG TIME!


I LIKE WRITING IN HUGE CAPITALS AS WELL :lol2:

To answer your question, I personally don't unless the crestie had some calcium issues such as MBD or with an egg laying female.


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

I spoke to somebody that observed their crested gecko's moving around a branch throughout the day so that it was constantly getting UVB in direct sunlight, that says enough for me to provide them with UVB light even just a 2% bulb.: victory:


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## Danbellini (Sep 29, 2008)

Nocturnal = No sunlight is required.
UV = Fake sunlight

So cresties really dont need UV. Infact it'll probably make them scared and uneasy during the day. 
As for supplementation, CGD will cover all needs.


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## x_firefly_x (Sep 18, 2009)

Danbellini said:


> Nocturnal = No sunlight is required.
> UV = Fake sunlight
> 
> So cresties really dont need UV. Infact it'll probably make them scared and uneasy during the day.
> As for supplementation, CGD will cover all needs.


Nocturnal doesn't necessarily mean no sunlight is required. Sunlight is important for ANY animal in order to keep track of day length and so they know when to "wake up" and become active. So sunlight is required for normal biological clock rhythms even for nocturnal animals. And uv is not "fake" sunlight. Sunlight IS uv rays, they are the same thing whether from sunlight or a bulb. Its just bulbs tend to have uvb rays only, as these do not really penetrate glass very well, hence won't tend to be able to penetrate windows and get into a house/room, hence need to be provided by a bulb. And uv isn't going to make them "scared" they are exposed to it all the time in the wild and they don't exhibit a fear response to sunshine.

To the OP:

To be honest uv is a personal choice really. At the end of the day, its not likely to do any harm but it may potentially have some benefit. I use it but thats only because I have a crestie took in as a rescue who has mbd and I have a female who may be popping some eggs out soon. I have it on those two because the uvb helps in the production of D3 which in turn assists calcium metabolism. Also as I think people mentioned before, set ups with live plants may benefit. But at the end of the day its up to you, I have cresties without it and they do fine and plenty of other people keep cresties without uv with no problems whatsoever. You just have to decide whats best for you and your crestie


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

Danbellini said:


> Nocturnal = No sunlight is required.
> UV = Fake sunlight
> 
> So cresties really dont need UV. Infact it'll probably make them scared and uneasy during the day.
> As for supplementation, CGD will cover all needs.


 its not as simple as that dude, it wont make them scared either. You notice with cresties they tend to sleep in the outer branches where sunlight reaches.


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## Danbellini (Sep 29, 2008)

STReptiles said:


> its not as simple as that dude, it wont make them scared either. You notice with cresties they tend to sleep in the outer branches where sunlight reaches.


Aye
are there any nocturnal species that specifically require UV to survive then? Theres got to be a few anomalies I'm assuming....


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## Danbellini (Sep 29, 2008)

x_firefly_x said:


> Nocturnal doesn't necessarily mean no sunlight is required. Sunlight is important for ANY animal in order to keep track of day length and so they know when to "wake up" and become active. So sunlight is required for normal biological clock rhythms even for nocturnal animals. And uv is not "fake" sunlight. Sunlight IS uv rays, they are the same thing whether from sunlight or a bulb. Its just bulbs tend to have uvb rays only, as these do not really penetrate glass very well, hence won't tend to be able to penetrate windows and get into a house/room, hence need to be provided by a bulb. And uv isn't going to make them "scared" they are exposed to it all the time in the wild and they don't exhibit a fear response to sunshine.
> 
> To the OP:
> 
> To be honest uv is a personal choice really. At the end of the day, its not likely to do any harm but it may potentially have some benefit. I use it but thats only because I have a crestie took in as a rescue who has mbd and I have a female who may be popping some eggs out soon. I have it on those two because the uvb helps in the production of D3 which in turn assists calcium metabolism. Also as I think people mentioned before, set ups with live plants may benefit. But at the end of the day its up to you, I have cresties without it and they do fine and plenty of other people keep cresties without uv with no problems whatsoever. You just have to decide whats best for you and your crestie


By fake sun I meant the positive effects that the sun would have, so i suppose i meant UV in a round about way
usually i give access to natural sunlight to my animals anyways for the exact purpose of daylight cycling etc
Im gonna stop jacking peoples threads now.....lol sorry!


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## x_firefly_x (Sep 18, 2009)

Danbellini said:


> By fake sun I meant the positive effects that the sun would have, so i suppose i meant UV in a round about way
> usually i give access to natural sunlight to my animals anyways for the exact purpose of daylight cycling etc
> Im gonna stop jacking peoples threads now.....lol sorry!


The positive effects the sun has, is indeed down to the uv rays, but the problem is uvb can't penetrate glass(and its uvb which has a lot of the positive effects), therefore can't get through windows to exert its effect even if the sun is shining through. So basically the uvb rays can't penetrate efficiently through windows or the glass in vivariums. So unless reptiles are kept in mesh cages next to an open window, sunshine won't do a thing. Thats why people use uv bulbs to simulate the sunlight they would receive in the wild, as obviously there, they wouldn't have windows etc. blocking the rays reaching them.


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## wohic (Jun 19, 2006)

I use UV with all my adults, and have noticed a considerable difference in the last few years since using it.
They do bask under it (I use a 5% and it is resting on the top of a mesh lid of a 4x4 viv ) and also have the option of hiding away as the viv is densely planted.


Some of the improvements I have witnessed 
Larger Eggs that hatch usually within 60 days and with nice podgy hatchlings
much larger females (all but one of mine are over 50g)
bigger appetite
Brighter colours 
More active 

general health is just all round better and I would highly recommend UV access for your breeding adults at the very least.

Oh and as A PS I would say that cresties are crepuscular rather than fully nocturnal so would be out and about dawn and dusk and so would be receiving UV exposure during those periods


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## Danbellini (Sep 29, 2008)

Crepescular, love that word!
this thread was quite handy actually :2thumb: i'm building a crestie viv and may put a UV in there now 
: victory:


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## mrteenie (Jun 9, 2008)

I don't use UV at the shop for the crestie and he seems to be doing just fine... but if i had one of my own i would have an external UV bulb, because it does no harm and it gives an interesting glow to the viv


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