Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[Phil1988]

Well I now have a male and female crestie. There is still a couple of months before I put them together and I am just trying to get all the knowledge that I need on breeding them. Please tell me if this isn't correct and point me in the right direction.

I'm going to put them together after the quarantine period when they both should be around 35g and the male will be about 14months old and the female will be about 20months. There will be a nest box of damp peat soil covered by maybe a piece of cork bark for privacy.

Then should I be looking for eggs in around a month?

Then when I get eggs I am going to move them into a plastic tub with about a 2:1 vermiculite to water. Or I might just soak some vermiculite and then squeeze out the water until it doesn't drip and forms a ball. Should there be any ventilation in the tub?

Then I will be putting them on my shelf as the temps are normally between 70F and 80F, and then is it about 3 months for them to hatch?

Finally on hatching I shall move them to their own little plastic tanks while they have their first shed and start eating and then after about a week or so I might up them to a slightly bigger tank until theyre are about a month old and then decide on either selling or keeping.

Sorry it's a HUGE post but I just want to make sure I know EVERYTHING!

[ToonTomH]

I'm going to put them together after the quarantine period when they both should be around 35g and the male will be about 14months old and the female will be about 20months. There will be a nest box of damp peat soil covered by maybe a piece of cork bark for privacy.

This sounds right, as long as they are at least 35g, especially the female they should be good to breed.


Then should I be looking for eggs in around a month?

Around that length of time, it depends how quickly they get at it! You will notice the female getting fatter as she gets closer to laying though


Then when I get eggs I am going to move them into a plastic tub with about a 2:1 vermiculite to water. Or I might just soak some vermiculite and then squeeze out the water until it doesn't drip and forms a ball. Should there be any ventilation in the tub?

As long as when the vermiculite is squeezed it doesn't drip, but holds in a ball, that's about right. And the tub doesn't need ventilation, just open it every couple of days to get the air flowing


Then I will be putting them on my shelf as the temps are normally between 70F and 80F, and then is it about 3 months for them to hatch?

Those temperatures are good, but it shouldn't get above or below those, especially above. And the temperature has an effect on how long it will take for the eggs to hatch, the higher the temperature, the earlier they will hatch, but between 2 and 3 months is about right.


Finally on hatching I shall move them to their own little plastic tanks while they have their first shed and start eating and then after about a week or so I might up them to a slightly bigger tank until theyre are about a month old and then decide on either selling or keeping.

I don't think you will need to move them that early, they could stay in a smaller tank for a while longer than a week, this would help them with catching crickets as well. When you think they are getting too big for the small tank is when you should think about moving I'd say.


Good luck with them.
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1.1.1 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon

[Phil1988]

Cool so I got most of it right
Do you think those plastic cricket tubs with the small ventilation in the side would be good for incubating the eggs in or would that be too much ventilation?
Also would one of these tubs be alright to move the baby into for a week or so?

[ToonTomH]

I'm not sure about the cricket tub for incubating eggs as I havn't used that, all I use is an empty Ice Cream tub and it seems to be doing well.

And a cricket tub would probably be too small for one. Something like a 'Critter Keeper' (I think that's what they're called) should be good, and you could probably keep a couple in one of those.

http://www.amazon.com/Lees-Medium-Kritter-Keeper/dp/B0002APZOE

Something like that, though one of the bigger versions on that link I would say.
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1.1.1 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon

[Phil1988]

Thanks you've been a great help. I think I might try the cricket tub for incubation, I could always tape up the vents in the side. And I'm not desperate for babies it's just something to learn about and gain experience with.

[ToonTomH]

I don't think there should be any problem, though you may find that you need to tape up the holes, otherwise you will probably need to keep dampening the substrate you use for incubation. I don't have any ventilation in mine, so I havn't had to damp the substrate since I put it in (Middle of April)

And it's no problem, good luck with them!
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1.1.1 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon