Which size enclosure?
- Thread starter lizzy008
- Start date
What’s the minimal size?Thanks again.
- Messages
- 15,156
- Location
- Somerville, MA
In my opinion, the minimal size for an adult is 18"x18'x18" with a preference for 18x18x24. I have found from experience that the 12x12x18 is just not big enough for an adult. By contrast, a juvenile should start in a much smaller enclosure, as small as a shoebox sized tub.
Aliza
Aliza
Thanks much. Can a juvenile cresty thrive in a larger tank? A 12x12x24 size or is a smaller one required?
And any tank sellers/brands you’d favor. I was interested in DIY Cages but they’re out of stock.
Last edited:
Any opinions on the Zoo Med Reptibreeze? I have some experience raising reptiles and it’s often advised to not go with enclosures from Petsmart and Petco. Any help would be great. Thanks much
- Messages
- 15,156
- Location
- Somerville, MA
If you're getting a tiny crested gecko, you can start it in a 5 gallon tank which is very easy to get hold of. Once it hits 15-20 grams and is eating reliably, you can probably go with the full size enclosure. I've been very happy with Exo Terra and Zoomed is OK as well. There are others which are good too. The reptibreeze, if it's a screen cage, will not keep in enough humidity.
Aliza
Aliza
I’ll be going with a Harlequin Dalmatian Crestie Hatchling. Unfortunately the cage I have, an R-Zilla, is screened. thanks much.
Hello again, was just at the pet shops and they had this below. It’s only 3 gallons. And I don’t think it has a screened top. Will it do?thanks
- Messages
- 15,156
- Location
- Somerville, MA
The only issue is whether or not it will get enough ventilation. I'd actually recommend a 5 gallon with a screen top. Alternatively, you can go to Target or equivalent and get a 6qt tub for a little over $1. It comes with a top and the top, I've found through experience, is loose enough for air to get in and tight enough so the gecko can't get out (if you're worried about ventilation, you can use a soldering iron to make some holes along the sides at the top). Put in a little hide (like a coconut shell), a piece of cork bark or bamboo that leans against the hide at a 45 degree angle to give it something to "climb" on, a small jar lid for the CGD and a small water bowl. This is how I kept my crested gecko and gargoyle hatchlings. I have had a leachie for the last 10 years that lived in a setup like this for the first few months I had her.
Aliza
Aliza
- Messages
- 15,156
- Location
- Somerville, MA
Any of these is fine for a hatchling, though they will outgrow it pretty quickly (and then you'll just have to get a dwarf gecko such as genus Sphaerodactylus to fill the small one). The 12x12x18 will last longer, and can even house an adult crestie for awhile, though they will ultimately need a bigger enclosure.
Aliza
Aliza
Thanks much, I’ve got my heart set on a Harlequin Dalmatian Crestie so the dwarf gecko would be a no go. When called for I’ll just upgrade my tank to a larger one. Also I’m not sure if I’m understanding correctly, should I go with a smaller tank for the hatchling and upgrade to a larger one as the crestie grows up? Or just go with the larger cage from the beginning? Little confused. Just making sure.
- Messages
- 15,156
- Location
- Somerville, MA
Most people feel it's best to start a very small crestie in a smaller enclosure. I started my first crestie in a 12x12x18 and he did OK (he was about a month old and pretty small. He's 15 now!), though some people would recommend an even smaller enclosure. I think if you got an 18x18x24" cage to start with, it may be too big for a very young crestie. When I mentioned the dwarf gecko, I meant that maybe if you start your crestie off in one of the smaller cages and then move it to a larger cage when it gets older, you'll have this cute little cage that you could put a second, different type, of reptile in.
Aliza
(Let me know if anything's still not clear)
Aliza
(Let me know if anything's still not clear)
Young Geckoboy
Member
- Messages
- 57
While you can better monitor the baby in a smaller cage, you can use a larger terrarium. If you think about it, the gecko will grow pretty large. If you buy the smaller one, what purpose will it serve once the gecko gets too big for it. Personally, I give as much space as I can. My leopards are kept in 29 gallon custom terrariums. The company that I got them from is called High Scale Enclosures. They do have a PVC crestie terrarium that they make. I do not keep crested geckos yet, so I am not an expert like Aliza. It would simply make more sense to me not to waste money on something I can't use again.
- Messages
- 15,156
- Location
- Somerville, MA
Here's the description in the T-Rex website: https://t-rexproducts.com/collectio...t-rex-reptile-glass-terrarium-12l-x-12w-x-18h
Note that the sides are glass and screen. It's possible that there may be a little difficulty keeping the humidity with the screen sides. Just out of curiosity, is there any reason why you're contemplating spending $110 on an enclosure that you'll be using for less than a year. Whatever you choose is fine, but if it were me, I'd get a cheap juvenile enclosure (even a plastic tub) and spend my money on a really nice adult enclosure that the gecko will be in for many years
Aliza
Note that the sides are glass and screen. It's possible that there may be a little difficulty keeping the humidity with the screen sides. Just out of curiosity, is there any reason why you're contemplating spending $110 on an enclosure that you'll be using for less than a year. Whatever you choose is fine, but if it were me, I'd get a cheap juvenile enclosure (even a plastic tub) and spend my money on a really nice adult enclosure that the gecko will be in for many years
Aliza
Hello, whats your opinion on THIS? Will this do?thanks
Last edited:
Young Geckoboy
Member
- Messages
- 57
That would be fine for like a baby leopard gecko. It is too small for a crested gecko in my opinion. I would still go with a larger terrarium so that money is not wasted in the long one. But if you want a tiny cage that will be useless in a while, it's your money and decision. That cage is a good isopod bin though
Visit our friends
