Cresteds and caging

[kanozig]

Hi, I have recently considered changing from glass aquariums to large plastic sterilite tubs, my qeustion is... Has anyone encountered the fact that cresteds can not climb the plastic walls like they can glass? haha, they just slide down it like melting butter, Where as they can stay put for hours on end suctioned to glass, it really discuraged me to see this, seeing how I just purchased four of these plastic tubs. Anyone have any comments, suggestions? Should I just keep them in the plastic containers with lots of branchs and let them "slide"?

Thank you,
Kanozig@yahoo.com

[Palex134]

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/palex134/DSC08121.jpg I keep my cresteds in tubs like these. I just dont have the branch in so you can see the basics. This is my gargoyle gecko breeding tub.

[nicolai]

thats an excellent set up!!!! any baby gargoyles ????

[Palex134]

thanks!
I got my first clutch a few days ago from my white marble female and my red stripe male. I should get more. The other female looks gravid too! do you keep gargoyles?

[kanozig]

Oh wow, thank you so much for the picture, very very nice, exactly what I was imagining, Simple and yet to the point, very effective im sure! Great picture, Thank you so much for this, I really appreciate your insight and guideness on this matter. Just picked up two 116 Qt. Sterilite containers ($16.50 Each!) to house two seperate trios. Thank agian!

Kevin

[Palex134]

wow! I use 50 qts! they have plenty of room! They are gonna love yours! good luck, and make sure to post them when they are all set up!

[nicolai]

i dont keep gargoyles yet but it looks like i am going to start keeping them very soon!!!

[dragonflame]

Oh yeah, those are so cool! I may get some soon too.

[USAGECKOS]

That is a very cool setup. And, I would love to see your setup for the cresteds when you can.

I love the gargoyles. I only have one right now. I wanted to see how I liked them before I started breeding them. And, I know now that I will definately be breeding them probably next season. The one I have is a male, so I will be on the lookout for a female soon, probably a red stripe.

[Palex134]

they are awesome! i have 1.2 and some eggs! they are a lot harder to breed. They are so cool though!

[kokkor]

where did you buy those tubs? or will any basic rubbermaid work? because im planing on breeding my crestie shortly.

[g&mgeckos]

I have a question. When using the plastic tubs how are they set up? On a rack system typical of say leopard geckos? How is heat supplied? Are lights needed? Can someone please post a picture of how thiers are set up?

OK more than a question LOL!

[joe9985]

I have a crested and i am keeping him in an all glass exo terra reptile terrarium. he is unable to stay on the glass anymore he slides like they do on plastic. I thought maybe it was just dirty but I have cleaned it and still he slides. Ive had him a month and he was able to climb on the glass when I got him, could there be something missing from his diet making him unable to climb on the glass surface anymore? Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.

[shadraak]

which exoterra are you using, i saw the 12x12x18 today and it looked SOOOOO small lol, i've heard when they shed they loose their tactile ability.

[joe9985]

I have the 18x18x18 one, all the books Ive read though say you can keep 1 in an enclosure 12x12x18.

[shadraak]

the one i found was 12x12x18 and it looked extremely small lol, it was 84.99, i want a crestie, i know which one i want and everything, with something that small what kind of light do you use for heating?

[Palex134]

You dont need a heat lamp. My reptile room is kept at 83, perfect for breeding adult crestes. I keep my babies at 76-78 during the day, and 70 at night. you can keep them at room temp around 75. If you cant keep it aroun 75, use a small light, like a 40 watt of 15 watt for gentle heat. Make sure it doesnt get above 85, or id say 82 for young ones.

[shadraak]

the overall temp or a basking spot? cause my closet stays between 72-80 depending on the weather outside
if you were to average it i'd say 78, but some days it may get lower....so i'd need some sort of light on it :( what about like a 40 or 15w black light, that way they dont get the really bright light? or would that not work, i know leos can see the black light but not a infra-red....... lol it's soooo confusing, i dont know if i want to buy one of those for 85 that's all glass, or a reptarium with a ton of extras online for about the same price lol, that 22g reptarium it's bigger than that 12x12x18 isn't it?

[Palex134]

reptariums are bad. Also, screen cages dont hold humidity. Try getting a Kritter Keeper for like 5 bucks. They work the best for baby cresteds. As an adult, get a 22 gallon high glass aquarium. These will hold the humidity, and are the best. id say you could use a heat pad on one side of the cage. Cresteds dont bask. Try looking for a care sheet. There are lots of good ones!

[shadraak]

i guess i could put a small strip of flexwatt, on a dimmer (very low) just to create a heat , i should put it on the top huh? that way if they're too hot they can go down below, but 85 is alot to spend on one of those exoterra's, i dont think it's a baby baby, i mean i know it's pretty small but still they need alot of room right? what kritter keeper's are you talking about?

[HerpAddict]

Cresteds are fine at anything about 70F. You are only in danger once you start getting into the low 60s. My guys winter temperatures are about 72F. In the summer they are about 78F.

Cresteds can see black light, so I wouldn't recommend it as a night time heating method. Those 'night bulbs' also are visible to them. I think that putting flexwatt on the top is not such a hot idea, as heat rises, so most of the heat will escape the cage before the crested has a chance at it. Also, they are much more sensitive to surface temperatures than say a leo. Unless it feels just barely warm to the touch, it is too hot for them, and can burn them.

About the cost issue. This is an animal that you will probably have for 20+ years. If you are going to buy any animal, you should really have no issues with the cost of a proper enclosure, as this could potentially be the cheapest part of owning a crested. If you add up all the money you will spend on their food, and potential vet bills in their lives, it will be more than $85, I can guarantee you that. Also, if you have a proper enclosure and husbandry, then you should hopefully be able to avoid a trip to the vets.

If it was me, and I was planning on buying a crested as a pet (currently I have about 14 breeders/future breeders + babies), I would definitely be buying the 18*18*24 Exoterra. Just like with the rest of us, the more space we have, the happier we are.

If I came off as being snappy, I really have not meant to be that way, I am just hoping that you will see the other side to your decision, and how it will affect your pet's life.

Goodluck with your decisions!

[joe9985]

My enclosure is kept at 73-75 degrees all the time and the humidity is always around 60%. Could the glass walls be to moist from the humidity or something, my crested has lost his ability to climb on the glass. Could it be he is not getting enough of something in his diet? Ive had him a little more than a month and he was able to climb on the glass when I got him.

[shadraak]

from what i've read they loose their sticky foot ability right before a shed ....maybe that's what he's gonna do?