Crested Gecko Care Guide

Overview 

• Scientific Name: Correlophus ciliates
• Origin: New Caledonia
• Ease of Care: Beginner
• Potential Adult Size: 6-8 inches
• Life Span: 15 years+
• Behaviour: Nocturnal
• Diet: Omnivore
• Handling: Intermediate

For everything you need to get started with a Crested Gecko, you can purchase one of our Complete Crested Gecko Set Ups.

Housing 

• Minimum of 45x45x60cm, but 45x45x90 is preferred. 
• Glass walls with a mesh top

Heating

Crested Geckos are a nocturnal species and require a suitable light and heat gradient in the enclosure to simulate a complete 24-hour period.

Enclosure Readings

• Hot Spot: 26⁰C 

• Background Temp: 22⁰C-26⁰C 

• Night-Time Temp: 20⁰C-24⁰C 

• Humidity: Day 40-50%, Night 80-90%

• UVI: 1-2

It is important that temperatures do not reach over 28⁰ as Crested Gecko's are susceptible to overheating. 

The humidity should drop during the day in a 'dry out period' to prevent respiratory issues. 

Equipment needed:

• 450w Dimming thermostat with day/ night timer 
• Light dome bracket
• Light dome 14cm
• 50w Deep Heat projector
• Pro T5 UVB Kit, Shadedweller 2.4%
• Digital Hydrometer

If Your enclosure is 90cm tall, we'd recommend the 80w Deep Heat Projector and the Shadedweller 7%

Replace your UVB bulb every 12 months. Even if it is still emitting light, the UVB rays reduce after one year of use. 

Substrate 

Bioactive 

Bioactive is preferred by many keepers as it helps maintain humidity levels, improves air quality, looks more naturalistic and reduces maintenance. 

Earthmix Tropical, or Biolife Forest with a draining substrate layer on the bottom, which is separated from the top substrate by a hydro fleece. The drainage layer will prevent the soil from getting waterlogged.

Add in Springtails and Isopods, which will control mould and waste. 

Plant your plants directly into the substrate.

Suitable plants:

• Devil's Ivy 
• Snake Plant
• Bromelid
• Spider Plant 
• ZZ Plant
• Peperomia

Toxic Plants: 

• Dieffenbachia
• Oleander
• Philodendron

With a bioactive enclosure, you will not need to change the substrate, but spot cleaning and maintenance will still be necessary. 

Non Bioactive 

The recommended Crested Gecko Substrate would be ProRep Crestie Life. A drainage layer will not be necessary.

The substrate will need changed roughly every 8 weeks. 

Decoration

How you decorate comes down to personal choice, but it is necessary to have plenty of foliage and hanging plants for the gecko climb and hide in. We would also recommend adding some branches or vines to give the gecko more climbing opportunity. 

If your tank is bioactive, you can use live plants such as Devil's Ivy or a plant mix such as our Jungle Plant Collection

Feeding 

Offer a Crested Gecko powder mix every other day (or 2-3 times per week). We recommend Repashy Crested Gecko Diet, Pangea Diet, or Blue River Diets. 

As well as the complete diet mix, you can feed live food for extra nutrients and enrichment. You can feed Small Locusts, Medium Crickets, and Crickets. Make sure that live food has been dusted with calcium powder before feeding.

The live food should be no bigger than the space between the Crested Gecko's eyes. 

Cleaning

Daily: 

• Change old water for fresh water 
• Spot clean if needed

Weekly:

• Disinfect water dish with reptile safe disinfectant 
• Wipe down glass
• Agitate substrate

Monthly:

• Wipe decor with reptile safe disinfectant 
• Replace substrate if not bioactive 

Handling 

Crested Geckos generally do not like to be handled, it can be very stressful for them and it puts them at risk of dropping their tail, which will not grow back. They can only tolerate very gentle handling for short periods of time.

Care 

✅ A healthy Crested Gecko:

• Bright, clear eyes.
• Smooth skin with no wounds or stuck shed. 
• Alert and active at night.

⚠️ An unhealthy Crested Gecko:

• Sunken or dull eyes 
• Pale and wrinkled skin (usually means dehydration)
• Stuck shed
• Crooked spine or soft jaw (MBD)
• Lethargic, even at night
• Weak grip, slipping of surfaces and not climbing/ staying on ground
• Mouth issues (redness, swelling, mucus. Possible mouth rot)
• Wheezing or clicking sounds (sign of respiratory illness)

🚫Things To Avoid 🚫

• Never house Crested Gecko's together
• Don't grab their tail
• Do not leave uneaten food in the tank for more than 24 hours, as it can grow mould
• Do not feed wild caught insects.
• Do not use coloured heat lamps (eg red or blue) these are harmful to the Crested Gecko's eyesight and natural Arcadian rhythm.
• Do not pull shed off yourself. If your gecko has stuck shed it will need a warm soak.