General husbandry guidelines for crested geckos
These care tips are based on current husbandry recommendations and our experience caring for crested geckos. Every gecko is an individual, so continue learning and adjust as needed!
Why Crested Geckos?
Crested geckos combine personality, beauty, and relatively simple care into one incredible package. Their velvety skin, sticky toe pads, and endless variety of colors and patterns make every gecko unique. While they're often recommended as a beginner-friendly reptile, providing the right habitat, nutrition, and husbandry is still essential for a long, healthy life.
Crested Geckos at a Glance:
🏠 Lifestyle
Arboreal
Spend most of their lives climbing among branches, vines, and foliage.
🌙 Activity
Primarily crepuscular & nocturnal
Most active during the evening and nighttime hours, though many individuals may also be active during the day, especially while exploring or searching for food.
📏 Adult Size
7–10 inches
Measured from nose to tail tip, with most adults reaching around 35–60 grams.
⏳ Lifespan
15–20 years
With proper husbandry, many crested geckos live well into their late teens or even their twenties.
Care Snapshot
A quick guide to crested gecko care:
🌡️
Temperature
Day
70–78°F
Night
65–72°F
Allow temperatures to drop naturally overnight.
Avoid prolonged temperatures above 82°F, as excessive heat is one of the most common causes of health problems in crested geckos.
💧
Humidity
Daytime
40–50%
After Misting
(Nighttime)
65-80%
Allow the enclosure to partially dry between mistings.
We recommend misting at night and allowing it to dry out during the day.
Use a digital hygrometer to monitor humidity accurately.
🍽️
Feeding
Staple
Complete Crested Gecko Diet (CGD)
Offer fresh food 2–3 times per week (follow the manufacturer's recommendations for your gecko's age).
Insects
Offer gut-loaded, calcium-dusted insects 1–2 times per week as enrichment.
Fresh water should always be available.
💡
Lighting
10–12 hours daily
Provide a consistent day/night cycle.
LED lighting is beneficial for viewing and supporting live plants in bioactive enclosures.
☀️
UVB
UVB lighting is not required but does provide significant benefits.
Arcadia ShadeDweller 7% Linear
or
Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 Linear
Aim for a basking UVI of approximately 1.0–1.5.
While not considered essential, appropriate UVB can support natural behaviors and overall health.
🦴
Supplements
Calcium is essential for healthy bones, muscle function, nerve function, and overall growth. Improper calcium supplementation or inadequate UVB can contribute to Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), a serious but largely preventable condition that can cause weakened bones, deformities, tremors, and difficulty climbing.
With UVB
Dust feeder insects with plain calcium (without D₃).
Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for multivitamin use.
Without UVB
Dust feeder insects with calcium containing D₃ according to the supplement manufacturer's recommendations.
Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for multivitamin use.
Important: Complete Crested Gecko Diets (CGDs) are already nutritionally balanced. Calcium supplementation applies to live insects, not CGD.
Crested geckos thrive in vertically oriented enclosures that replicate the forests of New Caledonia. By providing abundant climbing opportunities, dense foliage, secure hiding places, and proper environmental conditions, you encourage the natural behaviors that make these geckos so fascinating to observe. A well-designed habitat supports both their physical health and overall well-being while helping them feel safe and confident in their environment.
Enclosure Sizes
6-quart tubs or up to 12"x12"x12"
Ideal for hatchlings as they establish feeding routines and gain confidence.
12"x12x18"
Increase climbing opportunities with additional branches, vines, foliage, and elevated hides as they grow.
18"x18"x36"
The recommended minimum for one adult, providing ample vertical climbing space and opportunities for natural behaviors.
Crested geckos thrive in densely planted enclosures that provide security, climbing opportunities, and natural resting places. Dense foliage helps reduce stress while encouraging natural behaviors.
Our Recommendation
Cover 60–80% of the enclosure with foliage
Use a mix of live and/or artificial plants
Provide multiple elevated resting areas
Create hidden pathways throughout the enclosure
Elevated feeding stations encourage natural feeding behavior and help keep food clean.
Our Recommendation
Install an elevated feeding ledge
Place food and water high in the enclosure
Clean cups regularly
Position away from heavy misting
Fresh water should always be available. While crested geckos often drink water droplets from leaves after misting, a clean water dish should always be provided.
Our Recommendation
Shallow water dish (we use a large cap from a gatorade bottle)
Replace water daily
Mist daily for drinking opportunities
Choose a substrate that maintains humidity while supporting your enclosure style and husbandry goals.
Common Options
Paper towels (quarantine, hatchlings, or medical observation)
Topsoil/Play Sand mix (naturalistic setups)
ABG mix (bioactive enclosures)
A quality soil-based bioactive mix (follow the manufacturer's recommendations)
Coconut fiber (Eco Earth) as part of a soil-based mix
It is recommended, when using coconut fiber, to use as part of a mixed substrate rather than by itself. When using any loose substrate, feed from an elevated feeding ledge and avoid allowing feeder insects or food to become heavily coated with substrate to reduce the risk of accidental ingestion.
Avoid cedar or pine products, as they contain aromatic oils that can be harmful to reptiles.
Crested geckos are arboreal and should have access to climbing opportunities throughout the enclosure. Utilize the full vertical height with sturdy branches, vines, cork bark, and elevated resting areas.
Our Recommendation
Provide multiple climbing routes from the bottom of the enclosure to the top, allowing your gecko to move confidently throughout its habitat.
A well-planted enclosure encourages natural behaviors while providing security and mental stimulation.
Ideas include:
Cork bark tubes and flats
Natural branches and vines
Live or artificial plants
Elevated feeding ledges
Hanging hides
Leaf litter (bioactive setups)
Varied climbing routes
Occasional enclosure rearrangement for exploration
Overheating the enclosure
Keeping the enclosure too bare with insufficient foliage and cover
Maintaining constantly wet or constantly dry humidity levels
Feeding only insects instead of a complete crested gecko diet
Housing multiple crested geckos together
Skipping digital thermometers and hygrometers
Not always. Most homes maintain suitable temperatures year-round. If supplemental heat is needed, use a thermostat-controlled heat source and avoid prolonged temperatures above 82°F (28°C).
While a T8 UVB fixture can provide beneficial UVB, T5 High Output (HO) fixtures are generally recommended. T5 bulbs produce stronger, more consistent UVB, penetrate screen tops more effectively, and maintain their output longer than T8 bulbs.
If you choose to use a T8 fixture, proper bulb selection, mounting distance, and enclosure setup become even more important to ensure your crested gecko receives appropriate UVB levels.
Our Recommendation: We recommend using a T5 High Output UVB fixture whenever possible for the most reliable UVB output and easier setup.
Yes. Their relatively simple care requirements, manageable size, and generally calm temperament make them one of the best reptiles for new keepers—as long as their husbandry needs are properly understood and met.
A complete crested gecko diet (CGD) should be the foundation of their nutrition. Gut-loaded, calcium-dusted insects can also be offered as enrichment and an additional food source.
Feeding schedules vary by age and the brand of CGD used. Follow the manufacturer's feeding recommendations, and offer insects 1–2 times per week if desired.
Most enclosures benefit from daily misting, allowing humidity to rise before gradually drying out. Always monitor humidity with a digital hygrometer and adjust your misting routine as needed.
Yes. Fresh, clean water should always be available, even though many crested geckos prefer to drink water droplets from leaves after misting.
We recommend housing crested geckos individually. Cohabitation can lead to stress, competition, injury, and unwanted breeding, even when aggression isn't immediately obvious.
No. Unlike many other lizards, a crested gecko's tail does not regenerate once dropped. Many tailless ("frogbutt") crested geckos live perfectly healthy lives.
Bites are uncommon and are usually defensive or food-related. With regular, gentle handling, most crested geckos become comfortable interacting with their keepers.
Yes. Their relatively simple care requirements, manageable size, and generally calm temperament make them one of the best reptiles for new keepers—as long as their husbandry needs are properly understood and met.
Disclaimer: These recommendations are intended as general guidelines for crested geckos. Husbandry should always be adjusted to meet the needs of the individual animal and your specific circumstances.
Last Updated: August 2026
