I bought all ten of these and walk through each one, with what it does for your gecko.
Video · 14 min watchWritten by Brian
These are the ten things I think every crested gecko keeper should have.
1. A cage
I use the Exo Terra 30 × 30 × 45 cm (12 × 12 × 18 in) glass cage with front-opening doors; Zoo Med makes a very similar one. This size suits up to one adult, and is on the small side even for that. For more than one adult you need a bigger cage.
2. A complete diet
I consider three brands complete staple diets: Pangea, Repashy and Black Panther Zoological. Each comes in many flavours, and any of them is a good choice.
3. A magnetic feeding ledge
I strongly recommend a magnetic elevated feeding dish for glass cages. The one I show holds two 1.5 oz portion cups, which are cheap and reusable. The magnets are strong enough to hold a full-grown leachianus. Because your gecko does not walk through its food, it does not get food stuck on its feet, and that avoids dry feet and shedding issues.
4. Substrate
Eco Earth is compressed coconut fiber, sold as a brick you soak until it expands, or loose in a bag. I use newspaper in my own racks only because of how many geckos I keep. In lay boxes I mix Eco Earth 50/50 with sand. Across the cage floor it holds humidity very well and has a low impaction risk.
5. A hide
I like the Exo Terra reptile cave because it sits low to the ground. Crested geckos are arboreal, but in the wild they live from ground level up to about 2 m (6 ft), and they will hide on the ground if there is a good spot. They feel safest in small, tight spaces.
6. Plants
Fluker's pothos vine is long enough to stretch across the cage on its suction cups and fill the dead space at the top. The Exo Terra jungle plant, in a back corner, gives a lot of cover. Choose plastic plants made for reptiles, which are easy to sanitise. Craft-store plants are not, and their dye can bleed when washed.
7. A bendable vine
The Exo Terra jungle vine bends into any shape and holds it. I add extra suction cups from a hardware store and criss-cross the vine to make walkways through the empty vertical space. The rough surface helps a gecko rub off its shed.
8. A pressure sprayer
A sprayer is essential for humidity. I prefer a pressure sprayer: pump it to pressurise, press the button to spray. Trigger bottles break, even heavy-duty ones, and pressure sprayers last much longer.
9. A Repti Shelter
A good secure place for females to lay eggs if you breed; for that, choose one of the two larger sizes. The small one works as a humid hide, which you need if you use paper towels or newspaper. Put in damp Eco Earth or sphagnum moss. The lid lifts off, so you can check for your gecko or eggs without moving it.
10. A cage cleaner
My favorite is Fluker's Super Scrub. It uses natural enzymes, so you can clean while your gecko is in the cage, with no bleach or harsh chemicals. The scrub brush on top deals with droppings dried on the glass.