Crestie!!

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MantisGirl13

MantisGirl13

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I can't believe it, I'm getting a crested gecko!!! I am so excited. I have been wanting one of these for a while now and my parents finally said yes! 

All it took on my part to get permission was a 2-page persuasive essay and the making of a vivarium perfect for a juvenile crestie.

- MantisGirl13

 
Cresties are awesome! They are one of the first geckos I kept and breed, back in the day. Any idea if you are getting a male/female or what kind of morph you will be getting? 

 
Charoozz520 said:
Cresties are awesome! They are one of the first geckos I kept and breed, back in the day. Any idea if you are getting a male/female or what kind of morph you will be getting? 
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I don't know anything about the one I'm getting other than that it is a juvenile, around 3 inches long from snout to tail. I am getting it from the local PetSmart instead of a breeder because I don't care about the morphs or gender and I don't want anything expensive. What are some of the highlights of keeping a crestie in your opinion?

- MantisGirl13

 
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@MantisGirl13 not sure if they will be big enough to sex at your local Petsmart, but just make sure they are healthy and alert. I know some big chain pet stores take care of their reptiles but most of them don't and I have stop supporting Petco/Petsmart a long time ago. Gender will play a part in your care for them so I will just name some differences quickly, if you get a male they cannot be kept with another male and if you eventually decide to get another female they will breed and you will have to keep the female separate a few months of the year so she can recover from breeding. If you do get a female, they can be kept with other females with usually no problem at all. The thing is females will lay eggs (like mantises) rather fertile or not, but you will have to make sure she has enough calcium to form her eggs or she might become eggbound. But if you use good supplements this should not be a problem at all.

Cresties are amazing and pretty docile most of time and can be handled with ease (but they have their own personalities so always handle them at the store before you buy them to make sure they are calm). They are also one of the few geckos that don't rely on live food 100% of the time. You can feed them premix nectar/powder mix and alternate between that and roaches/crickets. I would recommend Pangea or Rephasy mix. 

Make sure you have enough hiding spots for them so they don't over stress. Live plants help a lot and makes the tank look super nice. They do well in room temperature anywhere from 72-82. Try not to let it get above 85 they come from cool forest undergrowth. Mist them whenever the top substrate looks a bit dry and do not use distilled or R/O water. Unlike mantises, Reptiles need minerals and they can get part of this from Tap water, if you are afraid of the water having chlorine or other chemicals, you can buy reptisafe or any conditioner for fish that will make tap water safe. 

That's the basic for now, I can't think of anything else on top of my head, but i am sure you will do great with them, seeing how you take care of your mantises. I kept them a long time ago and will probably do again when I have more room. For now I keep a pair of their much smaller cousin :) :

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Thanks for the info! I have done as much research as possible (and probably more than I needed to) so I believe I am going to be prepared! I breed roaches so I will have those as live prey, and I plan to try a mix of mashed fresh fruits for main food. I know most people feed the CGD but I feel like that is too unnatural and has too many ingredients that they wouldn't have in the wild. I have some reptile experience as I have two anoles, so I know the basics. I don't plan to have more than one (at least at the moment) so I don't need to worry about group housing or breeding. I understand that many pet stores don't take great care of their animals, but I feel like our PetSmart has fairly healthy lizards.

- MantisGirl13

 
@MantisGirl13 you're welcome! Sounds like a good plan, only thing i will say is if you decide to go with fresh fruits, make sure you supplement roaches or add supplements to the fruits. Too often do I see people who think you don't need to provide calcium or vitamins and wonder why their lizards get sick, MBD or eggbound. If you have any questions when you get your crestie, message me and I will try to help out. I been keeping and breeding all kinds of geckos (currently about 20 species) for awhile now so I am always excited when someone else gets into geckos :)  

 
Charoozz520 said:
@MantisGirl13 you're welcome! Sounds like a good plan, only thing i will say is if you decide to go with fresh fruits, make sure you supplement roaches or add supplements to the fruits. Too often do I see people who think you don't need to provide calcium or vitamins and wonder why their lizards get sick, MBD or eggbound. If you have any questions when you get your crestie, message me and I will try to help out. I been keeping and breeding all kinds of geckos (currently about 20 species) for awhile now so I am always excited when someone else gets into geckos :)  
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I have a calcium/D3 supplement for my ankles and I plan to add some to the fruit mash and dust the roaches. I understand the dangers of MBD and will try to avoid it. I never get a new animal without doing as much research on it as I possibly can. If I have any questions, I will definitely ask you! Thanks!

- MantisGirl13

 
@MantisGirl13 I know you would had done research before getting a new animal because you're a responsible pet owner :)  
If you haven't yet, I would suggest you join www.pangeareptile.com/forums/ 
 

 
Charoozz520 said:
@MantisGirl13 I know you would had done research before getting a new animal because you're a responsible pet owner :)  
If you haven't yet, I would suggest you join www.pangeareptile.com/forums/ 
 
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I've been reading on that forum for some time now and I will ask my parents if I can join it. Thanks!

- MantisGirl13

 
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I got to meet my soon-to-be pet today. He was fairly calm, about 3-4" from snout to tail, and beautiful! He is either a harlequin or flame with almost no pinstripe.

- MantisGirl13

 
I got her today! I am.assuming it's a she because I don't see any pores, but I could be wrong as she's so young. Any name ideas? I think she's a harlequin with tiny portholes and almost no pinstriping. Do you have any thoughts on the morph @Charoozz520?

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- MantisGirl13

 

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