Crested Gecko Setup

[Reptile_Lover]

Hey everyone. I've made some posts here and their but I wanna get all my other questions answered here. Please only leave a reply if you're knowledgeable about the questions asked. I got my crested gecko three days ago and I've run into some small problems. Hopefully I can get them sorted out so I don't have to go to the vet. The closest vet to me that treats reptiles is 30 minutes away! So for starters here is cocoa's terrarium set up. I tried to add lots of vertical and horizontal plants and logs.



So what do you all think about the terrarium? Would it be good to add any more items? There is also a fern in the back that cocoa spends allot of time sleeping in.

From the research I've done Repashy seems to be the best choice. I also like Repashy because it's available to me at almost every pet store around.


I am also using a digital thermometer/hygrometer. It has a small probe that I put on the inside of the terrarium.

I also have a gram scale that I will be using every two weeks to weight cocoa. And I use repti-safe water conditioner to condition the water I use for misting, mixing with food, and filling the drinking dish.

About my crested gecko. He has a somewhat orange stripe down his back that has small black spots on it in a pattern. His head is also the same color as the stripe down his back and most of the rest of his body is brown. Right now I'm thinking it could be a Flame, Harlequin, or Pinstripe.

So two last things. I have one question and one problem. What I've been noticing is cocoa is not eating. I have only had him/her for 3 days but it's still bothering me. I checked and couldn't find any droppings. I saw one black piece of something but I think it's just dirt. Is cocoa having a hard time finding his/her food? Cocoa is a baby and the size of the terrarium is 12" x 12" x 18". The first day I brought cocoa home he/she explored pretty much everywhere but never went near the food cup. Should I be worried? How long should I wait before I do something about it?

Also I am having 1 problem. There is shedding skin stuck to the front of one of cocoa's toes and possibly a piece stuck to the bottom of another toe on the same food. Again I've only had cocoa for 3 days and need to wait before I can handle hm/her. Earlier today I put my hand in the terrarium to replace the food but cocoa bit me:main_huh: I still changed the food but it shocked me. He/she didn't bite me in the pet store when I was handling him/her? When I start handling daily what should I do? Should I still pick up cocoa even if he/she tries to bite me? And what should I do about the stuck shedding skin? Should I wait a few days for cocoa to calm down then try handling him/her and maybe give him/her a deli cup bath? How long does it take for shedding skin to constrict the blood flow and kill the toe? I mist twice a day and the temperatures have been between 77 to 81 degrees because of summer. What should I do?

 

[indyana]

Here's a good article about new geckos not eating. I hope you will find it helpful:
Crested Gecko Not Eating: Is My Gecko Eating? | moonvalleyreptiles.com

For the stuck shed, you can try rubbing with a damp Q-tip or placing in a small container with some damp paper towels for about 20 min (make sure there is some ventilation for air). You probably shouldn't hold him too long in your hands. Besides the stress, your hands are pretty warm and you don't want him to overheat. If you can soften the shed up first, then try in short bursts to rub off with a Q-tip or pick off, that would be best.

As for the biting, it's more of a nip at that age, and you'll probably just have to deal with it a bit. He's pretty stressed right now from the move, and he won't be happy about having shed picked off him, but it's something that needs to be done if it won't come off on its own. As he settles in and grows older, he'll calm down more.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

For stuck shed I would put him in a deli cup with a damp/wet paper towel for 10-20 minutes and then rub the tow gently with your fingers or a Q-tip. It takes a while for stuck shed to build up enough to cut off blood flow 2-3 shed cycles but the more it builds up the harder it is to get off so the sooner the better.

I feed a mix of Pangea and Clarks. I've heard from numerous breeders that their cresteds either won't eat Repashy or have had breeding issues and/or deformed babies after eating it long terms. The consensus seems to be that it was the best food on the market until they changed their formula 2-3 years ago and since then there have been numerous issues and many of the new food manufacturers emerged because of them. I change my geckos food every 2-3 days. Some seem to like it a bit "ripe" and won't eat until it's 24 hours+ old. I try to make it a bit on the watery side so it doesn't dry out before it gets to their liking.

Your temps are a bit high. I would try to put the cage in a location that doesn't get over 78. Anything over 80 will stress them and may be causing a bit of the non-eating issues you're seeing. If 81 is the highest your house gets then it should be okay but any hotter and you may have to find somewhere to move them until the end of summer.

Your terrarium looks super awesome! Cresteds hide and sleep most of the time. I mainly see mine out before bed when they're hungry. If she's just a baby it may be a bit big but you seem to have lots of cover in there for her to hide in