# Crested Gecko



## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

Hello,
I am thinking of buying myself a pair of crested geckos. 
I have a 2ft viv a 3ft viv and medium size flexi.
Which of these would be best to house them in...?
Also do they need a heat light? or can i just use a heat mat?
As they are unsexed would i be best to buy one to make sure i have no problems with fighting or shall i buy the pair and split them if need be?
I have read many care sheets and know they will be happy either way, they are £65 each so i dont want to buy them and them fighting but they are kept together at the moment and i have aqueuate space to split them up if needed.
Thanks, any help would be appreciated...


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

I'd go for the Viv if its a glass one, it keeps humidity better  

Heat lamp/Heat mat is only needed if your house does not have a stable temperature (about 24C) You may want to consider getting UV btw, people say it helps, but its not crucial. 

I would buy only one  dont overload yourself when starting out with a pet  even if you do have experience with reptiles, better to have one then have to deal with an injured crestie with injuries that coulda been avoided


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## toolrthebest (Jan 16, 2011)

*hiya*

its not always a good idea to keep these animals together this is usually how they loose thier tails !

but saying that a friend of mine breeds alot of them and she says she has also found some with there tails off after a night alone in there viv ?

make sure they are not two males as they will fight aventually


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

toolrthebest said:


> its not always a good idea to keep these animals together this is usually how they loose thier tails !
> 
> but saying that a friend of mine breeds alot of them and she says she has also found some with there tails off after a night alone in there viv ?
> 
> make sure they are not two males as they will fight aventually


This is what i am worried about, i would like to buy the two and if both female they should be ok? or if male and female i can split them and then possible breed them when i and they are ready, or if they are two males i can split them straight away, i have the equipment to have two set ups but i dont know what to do for the best of their health. At the moment they are together and i feel it is unfair to split them up but they are £65 each so its £130 for the pair which is a lot of money incase i dont see / hear the fighting. Is there anything i can look out for which would indicate fighting? 
Thanks


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

imitebmike said:


> I'd go for the Viv if its a glass one, it keeps humidity better
> 
> Heat lamp/Heat mat is only needed if your house does not have a stable temperature (about 24C) You may want to consider getting UV btw, people say it helps, but its not crucial.
> 
> I would buy only one  dont overload yourself when starting out with a pet  even if you do have experience with reptiles, better to have one then have to deal with an injured crestie with injuries that coulda been avoided


The viv is a standard one with sliding glass doors, i read on a care sheet lighting inside the viv is not reccomended as they may climb on it and burn themselves? 
Thanks


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

you'd prolly want to waterproof it  wood + high humidity = ew...i think...

hmm, its more like UV lighting  It dont produce a whole lot of heat from what i know


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

imitebmike said:


> you'd prolly want to waterproof it  wood + high humidity = ew...i think...
> 
> hmm, its more like UV lighting  It dont produce a whole lot of heat from what i know


I am planning to buy the sheeting with rock pattern on it for the back and sides, then have a heat mat on the bottom with either kitchen roll or a moss type substate on the bottom with loads of plants and branches.


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

ahhh with cresties, you'll want to put the heat mat on a side wall  they dont tend to hang around the floor of a tank :O


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Have you looked at the classifieds on here? £65 seems a lot of money for hatchling Cresties (i paid £30 & £40 for my 2). One was bought as a male & the other i'm hoping to be able to sex in the next month or so as it was only 3g when i bought it & is now probably over 11g (hoping it's a female).


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

corny girl said:


> Have you looked at the classifieds on here? £65 seems a lot of money for hatchling Cresties (i paid £30 & £40 for my 2). One was bought as a male & the other i'm hoping to be able to sex in the next month or so as it was only 3g when i bought it & is now probably over 11g (hoping it's a female).


I have checked classifieds and no one near me has any.
The shop i will be buying them from i have used since i was old enough to handle a hamster, they are a family run business which is expanding rapidly through my area and are hoping to open more stores. I know if i buy from them i will have somewhere to turn if there is a problem with them.
Where did you buy your two from?
Thanks


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## emmilllyyy (Oct 9, 2010)

corny girl said:


> Have you looked at the classifieds on here? £65 seems a lot of money for hatchling Cresties (i paid £30 & £40 for my 2). One was bought as a male & the other i'm hoping to be able to sex in the next month or so as it was only 3g when i bought it & is now probably over 11g (hoping it's a female).


it all depends on the breeder & quality, I paid £90 for my baby  I'd advise you to scrap the idea of the wooden viv, sell it or swap it for a glass terrarium as I expect is is only about a foot high and they need atleast 45x45x60cm, height is crucial. id say get one, you don't want to buy your first crestie and think about breeding straight away, you may not even like the animal, I'd say get yourself a juvi and a suitable juvi setup, along with an adult setup until t is large enough and watch it grow, then see if they are right for you


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

imitebmike said:


> ahhh with cresties, you'll want to put the heat mat on a side wall  they dont tend to hang around the floor of a tank :O


Oh, as long as they are happy they can lie on it. I just want to make sure i am prepared and ready for any event that may happen. 
Thanks


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

emmilllyyy said:


> it all depends on the breeder & quality, I paid £90 for my baby  I'd advise you to scrap the idea of the wooden viv, sell it or swap it for a glass terrarium as I expect is is only about a foot high and they need atleast 45x45x60cm, height is crucial. id say get one, you don't want to buy your first crestie and think about breeding straight away, you may not even like the animal, I'd say get yourself a juvi and a suitable juvi setup, along with an adult setup until t is large enough and watch it grow, then see if they are right for you



They are from a breeder which i have brought reptiles from before, i have had beardies and leos and my friend has had cresties before and i think they are an amazing species of reptile.
I though i could stand the viv up so the length changes to the height this way it would give them plenty of height. 
Thanks


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## emmilllyyy (Oct 9, 2010)

Baby_DJ said:


> They are from a breeder which i have brought reptiles from before, i have had beardies and leos and my friend has had cresties before and i think they are an amazing species of reptile.
> I though i could stand the viv up so the length changes to the height this way it would give them plenty of height.
> Thanks


There isn't really a fixed price, it's what youre willing to pay for the right gecko  I'm warning you now theyre very addictive little animals! :lol2: yeah that's a good point, but wouldn't there be problems with the glass falling down?


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

Even as baby Cresties, they already know if they are male or female. You will be the last to find out. If it does turn out to be a male and female, you run the risk of premature mating and the possibility of health complications for the female. 
Two males, and the first you may know is when one appears with injuries. Females can get on, but there's no guarantee.

With the vivs you have, I'd say they could be made habitable whilst the cresties are young, but I would personally want more height (I think you said somewhere that they are 1ft tall)

Are these Cresties nice morphs? As £130 for two unsexed is fairly high if not.


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Baby_DJ said:


> I have checked classifieds and no one near me has any.
> The shop i will be buying them from i have used since i was old enough to handle a hamster, they are a family run business which is expanding rapidly through my area and are hoping to open more stores. I know if i buy from them i will have somewhere to turn if there is a problem with them.
> Where did you buy your two from?
> Thanks



Have you placed a wanted advert in the classifieds? Someone might be thinking of selling & may see your ad & contact you :2thumb:. If you buy from a member on here then they will be able to offer you some back up aswell if there are any problems :2thumb:. 

I bought the smaller Crestie from a member on here called Suey as she is local to me & my male was bought from one of the breeders i buy my Royals from as his Dad breeds Cresties. Have you looked at the Lily Exotics website? They sell Cresties & i think they will courier to you too.


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

andy007 said:


> Even as baby Cresties, they already know if they are male or female. You will be the last to find out. If it does turn out to be a male and female, you run the risk of premature mating and the possibility of health complications for the female.
> Two males, and the first you may know is when one appears with injuries. Females can get on, but there's no guarantee.
> 
> With the vivs you have, I'd say they could be made habitable whilst the cresties are young, but I would personally want more height (I think you said somewhere that they are 1ft tall)
> ...



They are 2 months old at the moment and are beautiful looking but i am unsure of the morphs. The largest viv i have is 2ft tall but i am looking into buying a larger home for them when they are of a bigger size as not to scare them.



corny girl said:


> Have you placed a wanted advert in the classifieds? Someone might be thinking of selling & may see your ad & contact you :2thumb:. If you buy from a member on here then they will be able to offer you some back up aswell if there are any problems :2thumb:.
> 
> I bought the smaller Crestie from a member on here called Suey as she is local to me & my male was bought from one of the breeders i buy my Royals from as his Dad breeds Cresties. Have you looked at the Lily Exotics website? They sell Cresties & i think they will courier to you too.


Can you pass me the link to their website please so i can have a look. 
Thanks


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

emmilllyyy said:


> There isn't really a fixed price, it's what youre willing to pay for the right gecko  I'm warning you now theyre very addictive little animals! :lol2: yeah that's a good point, but wouldn't there be problems with the glass falling down?



I have locks on all my vivs so the lock will stop the glass sliding down unless i want it to :lol2:


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

andy007 said:


> Even as baby Cresties, they already know if they are male or female. You will be the last to find out. If it does turn out to be a male and female, you run the risk of premature mating and the possibility of health complications for the female.
> Two males, and the first you may know is when one appears with injuries. Females can get on, but there's no guarantee.





Baby_DJ said:


> They are 2 months old at the moment and are beautiful looking but i am unsure of the morphs. The largest viv i have is 2ft tall but i am looking into buying a larger home for them when they are of a bigger size as not to scare them.


Think you missed the more important part of my post:2thumb:


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

I understand what your saying, i think i may buy one make sure i am 100% sure of the sex.
Like i have said i will be able to split them but i wouldnt want it to be too late..
What size exo terra viv would i need for 1 and what size for 2?

Thanks


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

For a single adult cresty, we use 45x45x60cm exo's. We have kept two females in 60x45x60cm exo's, but had to separate due to bullying.


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

andy007 said:


> For a single adult cresty, we use 45x45x60cm exo's. We have kept two females in 60x45x60cm exo's, but had to separate due to bullying.



excellent thankyou for your help 
I have found these size between £77 and £97 so think i may buy one for the moment and make sure everything is perfect


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

Baby_DJ said:


> excellent thankyou for your help
> I have found these size between £77 and £97 so think i may buy one for the moment and make sure everything is perfect


It would pay you to check "flEa"bay or Preloved. You can get some bargains on them:2thumb:


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

andy007 said:


> It would pay you to check "flEa"bay or Preloved. You can get some bargains on them:2thumb:


I have checked the first one lol, but am checked through the interent at the moment and will check at the petshop tomorrow and keep doing some research to find the best deal. : victory:


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## sarasin (Dec 8, 2007)

Also check that they are not clutch mates - if they do turn out as a male and female.


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

sarasin said:


> Also check that they are not clutch mates - if they do turn out as a male and female.


Good point, and one that I missed: victory:


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

sarasin said:


> Also check that they are not clutch mates - if they do turn out as a male and female.


Ive checked this, they are not related.
Thanks


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Baby_DJ said:


> Can you pass me the link to their website please so i can have a look.
> Thanks



Here you go hun....... Lillyexotics ::crested gecko, gecko, crestie,gecko breeder,ciliatus,panther chameleon,chameleon breeder,vivarium


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

corny girl said:


> Here you go hun....... Lillyexotics ::crested gecko, gecko, crestie,gecko breeder,ciliatus,panther chameleon,chameleon breeder,vivarium



Excellent thankyou


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## dorian (Nov 27, 2010)

I'm pretty sure I gave you this info on another thread?


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

dorian said:


> I'm pretty sure I gave you this info on another thread?



yes i posted it here to see if anyone else had more information for me.
Thanks


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## dorian (Nov 27, 2010)

Baby_DJ said:


> yes i posted it here to see if anyone else had more information for me.
> Thanks


Fair enough... LillyExotics are good btw!


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

charlie sheen and peter file? xD that fella looks massive :O you certainly dont do things by halves do you? xD

yeah, i got my crestie from lillyexotics too  tame little thing


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## dorian (Nov 27, 2010)

imitebmike said:


> charlie sheen and peter file? xD that fella looks massive :O you certainly dont do things by halves do you? xD
> 
> yeah, i got my crestie from lillyexotics too  tame little thing


Haha, I couldn't think of names for them so just called them joke names. I'm sure they appreciate it!

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/spider-invert-pictures/667234-giant-african-millipedes.html


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

Another question..
i am going on holiday on saturday so was thinking to get everything ready before i go and then pick him / her up when i come back rather than leaving him on his own for a week?

Does this seem like the best thing to do or shall i bring him home to settle in? 

Thanks


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

def get him after, although i would put a deposit down to make sure he dont get sold  

you'll want to be around JUST IN CASE anything goes wrong + he'll need daily mistings/water changes/CGD changes


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## dorian (Nov 27, 2010)

imitebmike said:


> def get him after, although i would put a deposit down to make sure he dont get sold
> 
> you'll want to be around JUST IN CASE anything goes wrong + he'll need daily mistings/water changes/CGD changes


Defos not a good idea to leave them for a week lol! Water, feeding and any issues need to be checked daily!


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

imitebmike said:


> def get him after, although i would put a deposit down to make sure he dont get sold
> 
> you'll want to be around JUST IN CASE anything goes wrong + he'll need daily mistings/water changes/CGD changes


 My mum would be able to do this for me but wont be able to stay there and check every hour due to working. 
I have a very good relationship with the pet shop and have arranged to pay in full and they will hold them for me until i return from my holiday


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

yay new crestie owner!  THATS ANOTHER LURED TO THE DARK SIDE 

it is a good idea to set up your viv and such a before you go though xD just so that you can see if there are any massive fluctuations in temp and such


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

imitebmike said:


> yay new crestie owner!  THATS ANOTHER LURED TO THE DARK SIDE
> 
> it is a good idea to set up your viv and such a before you go though xD just so that you can see if there are any massive fluctuations in temp and such


Im just in the process of setting everything up for them now. i have brought the two 

What is the best substrate to use for them? this is all i have left to do


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

for all new cresties i would advise newpaper first, so you can monitor their poop  IF THEY POOPING = THEY EATING!  

so you ended up with both eh? xD


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

imitebmike said:


> for all new cresties i would advise newpaper first, so you can monitor their poop  IF THEY POOPING = THEY EATING!
> 
> so you ended up with both eh? xD


 
Ok excellent 
Yes my boyfriend was offered a job he applied for today so he is buying one for me  saves my a very hard job of having to split them up and choose only one


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

well, now you are stuck with the possibility of having to split them  so just keep an eye on them and see how they develop


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## Baby_DJ (Sep 24, 2008)

imitebmike said:


> well, now you are stuck with the possibility of having to split them  so just keep an eye on them and see how they develop


 
I know but i have everything ready to do this 
I couldnt help but buy them both


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

then....Soon-to-be-Welcome to the world of cresties!


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