How to put together crested gecko enclosure

HI all,

In the next few months I'm looking into keeping a crested gecko. I've done quite a bit of research on them but I'd like to hear what you all think about how I should set up the enclosure. To save money, I want to find a way to convert this 20 tall into an enclosure. How should I go about doing this? What should I use in the setup? Substrate or paper towel? Here's a pic of what I'm starting with.

Thanks, Magnus

 

This video is the beginning of a series on how to turn a tank into a vertical terrarium. He also has several videos on backgrounds and setting up vivariums and such.

 

I recommend coco fibre substrate. Provides good humidity and such.
I also recommend Serpa design - he's excellent and has really good crested gecko tanks.

 

I would just get a conversion kit for a 20 gallon long. You just silicone it in and it’s ready to go once it’s fully cured. I wouldn’t use paper towels. They hold too much humidity, their poop molds in a matter of hours, and it just looks really gross (IMO). I would use EcoEarth coconut fiber or Reptisoil.


Here’s a link for the conversion kit:

20 Gallon TALL/High Aquarium Gecko/Arboreal Conversion Kit

 

I would just get a conversion kit for a 20 gallon long. You just silicone it in and it’s ready to go once it’s fully cured. I wouldn’t use paper towels. They hold too much humidity, their poop molds in a matter of hours, and it just looks really gross (IMO). I would use EcoEarth coconut fiber or Reptisoil.


Here’s a link for the conversion kit:

20 Gallon TALL/High Aquarium Gecko/Arboreal Conversion Kit

Thanks! My main concern for using a substrate is that it will be hard finding the poop and that I will have to change it out a bunch. It seems a lot harder to clean than paper towels. I'm not interested in doing bio active because I'm kinda freaked out by those little bugs.

 

Thanks! My main concern for using a substrate is that it will be hard finding the poop and that I will have to change it out a bunch. It seems a lot harder to clean than paper towels. I'm not interested in doing bio active because I'm kinda freaked out by those little bugs.

You will get those little bugs anyway if you are providing the proper environment for your cresty. If you don’t want them don’t keep a reptile That needs a humid natural environment for these critters and that attracts bugs. Springtails eat and break worn the feces but you won’t even know they are there
Check our Josh’s frogs for this stuff.
I agree 100% paper towels are a terrible idea. They are ok for dry snakes and stuff but you won’t be able to properly care for the animal as your doing it IMO. Your humidity will drop and you won’t be able to have live plants. Also you are aware you should feed them some bugs at least here and there. Rapashy is great but some bugs here and there are certainly a benefit

 

You will get those little bugs anyway if you are providing the proper environment for your cresty. If you don’t want them don’t keep a reptile That needs a humid natural environment for these critters and that attracts bugs. Springtails eat and break worn the feces but you won’t even know they are there
Check our Josh’s frogs for this stuff.
I agree 100% paper towels are a terrible idea. They are ok for dry snakes and stuff but you won’t be able to properly care for the animal as your doing it IMO. Your humidity will drop and you won’t be able to have live plants. Also you are aware you should feed them some bugs at least here and there. Rapashy is great but some bugs here and there are certainly a benefit

Where do the bugs come from? How long does it take to establish them? I thought that with substrate, I would have to change it out every few week, but having isopods or springtails would minimize maintenance. What do I need to dust the insects with? Some say just calcium and others say calcium, magnesium, and manganese. How often do I feed them and how many? I'd prefer to use pangea fruit food instead of rapashy as I have heard better things about it from friends.

 

Where do the bugs come from? How long does it take to establish them? I thought that with substrate, I would have to change it out every few week, but having isopods or springtails would minimize maintenance. What do I need to dust the insects with? Some say just calcium and others say calcium, magnesium, and manganese. How often do I feed them and how many? I'd prefer to use pangea fruit food instead of rapashy as I have heard better things about it from friends.

You don’t NEED to feed insects, but it is beneficial. They can thrive solely off of a Pangea diet, and there are many different flavors so they certainly still have a variety. But if you do feed insects I would dust with Repashy Calcium Plus. You want a calcium that has D3 otherwise but the one I recommended is one of the best and the amount depends on the size of the gecko but mine of various sizes can all eat at least 10.

And the springtails and isopods aren’t hard to establish but it takes a little bit of extra set up. You need a drainage layer on the very bottom of either gravel or clay hydroponic balls (I use the clay balls because they’re significantly lighter), a layer of screen (to keep the substrate from falling down in to the drainage), and then of course the substrate (I use EcoEarth with some sand and Reptibark to keep it from clumping). Then you add your plants, you can use living or fake but live plants WILL need plant lights. After that you can just buy a culture of springtails on Josh’s frogs and dump them in the enclosure. I then leave some little dollops of gecko food in the substrate so the springtails have something to eat while they establish themselves.

Here’s a picture of the drainage layer, screen and substrate.

 

You don’t NEED to feed insects, but it is beneficial. They can thrive solely off of a Pangea diet, and there are many different flavors so they certainly still have a variety. But if you do feed insects I would dust with Repashy Calcium Plus. You want a calcium that has D3 otherwise but the one I recommended is one of the best and the amount depends on the size of the gecko but mine of various sizes can all eat at least 10.

And the springtails and isopods aren’t hard to establish but it takes a little bit of extra set up. You need a drainage layer on the very bottom of either gravel or clay hydroponic balls (I use the clay balls because they’re significantly lighter), a layer of screen (to keep the substrate from falling down in to the drainage), and then of course the substrate (I use EcoEarth with some sand and Reptibark to keep it from clumping). Then you add your plants, you can use living or fake but live plants WILL need plant lights. After that you can just buy a culture of springtails on Josh’s frogs and dump them in the enclosure. I then leave some little dollops of gecko food in the substrate so the springtails have something to eat while they establish themselves.

Here’s a picture of the drainage layer, screen and substrate.
View attachment 638526

Thank you so much for this! This is the most helpful response I have ever received. Now thanks to your explanation, I have a pretty solid idea of how to go through with this setup.

Thanks, Magnus

 

Also, for plants,
Ferns of literally all kind (Birds nest, lemon butter, etc)
Bromeliads, calathea, begonia, devil's ivy, parlour palm, lucky bamboo, fruit-salad plant (Will quickly grow big, however,) earth stars, peace Lillies, anthurium, orchids, climbing ficus, English ivy, snake plant, spider plant, and moss.

Please post some photos!!

I recommend adding a bit of orchid bark, charcoal and sand to the substrate, it provides good humidity, and grip for plant roots.

 

Philodendrons are not safe to use! They have extremely strong smelling sap that can burn even our skin. They also have calcium oxolate crystals which is the most dangerous part of the plant and would probably just cause immediate death in a gecko.

English Ivy is also very toxic but it’s safe to use so long as you don’t feed feeders in the enclosure. The crickets will eat the English ivy and then your gecko will eat the crickets and essentially get poisoned.

Here’s a list of save and unsafe plants you can refer to:

Safe Plant List

 

Check out joshs frogs for a lot of resources. They have everything you need there. They have the soil, the screens, plants, and the springtails and isopods. I agree insects are not needed but they are good.
The insects in the enclosure come from lots of places and are likely already in your area. They come from the soil, substrates, plants, and other decorations.

 

Philodendrons are not safe to use! They have extremely strong smelling sap that can burn even our skin. They also have calcium oxolate crystals which is the most dangerous part of the plant and would probably just cause immediate death in a gecko.

English Ivy is also very toxic but it’s safe to use so long as you don’t feed feeders in the enclosure. The crickets will eat the English ivy and then your gecko will eat the crickets and essentially get poisoned.

Here’s a list of save and unsafe plants you can refer to:

Safe Plant List

My mistake, apologies. I have edited the original comment