Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

jenni270986 · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 5:09 pm Post subject:

id put them into the smaller one for a month or so till they are bigger karen, i personally think the big sized exo terra is too big for young cresties to go straight into, just because of stress and things, i dunno what everyone else thinks..

jenn
_________________
"With all this stress, i must confess this could be worse than PMS!"

Kat · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 7:25 pm Post subject:

surely the breeder wouldn't say something was ok if it would upset the geckos? Anyone else have any info? I don't want them to be stressed...
_________________
Kat

Sonny Hynes · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 7:44 pm Post subject:

I'm afraid some people think that they know more than they really do. Sad

I would really reccomend you putting your Crestie/s in a small faunarium etc. as this will really benefit them and they are really cheap, If you go for a simple setup i dought that you'll spend more than £10-15.

Scott W · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 7:51 pm Post subject:

to be honest a crested will find food in any size viv. but if you want to monitor the lizards easier, than a small viv certainly is easier.

I use 2ft x 2ft x 2ft mesh viv for my babies, I do keep it bare, with NO paper (for the first 4 weeks) and egg carton for hides (stacked sideways).

Then just a water dish and a food dish (for CGD / baby food). I just throw a hand full of crickets every couple of days.
_________________

Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

Jackie · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:02 pm Post subject:

I have kept and bred cresteds for four years now and I always raise youngsters individually in petpals (babies I keep in the small ones and as they grow I increase the size of petpal). Faunariums are just as good. I keep them in petpals until they are at least 6 months old. At that age you know they are feeding (both crickets and babyfood) and shedding well. It also limits the stress.

Personally I feel the size Exo terre viv you have mentioned is far too big for a two month old Crested (it's perfect for when it is adult). The breeder will say that, as he is also selling you a viv.

Anyhoo...here's a photo of one of my Crested set-ups. As you can see it's a glass viv - it has a strip of mesh along the top for ventilation. It measures 36l x 24 h x 18 w and houses my two female Cresteds (my male lives on his own).

_________________
Best wishes, Jackie

3:4 Eublepharis macularius
1:0 Gekko gecko
3:4:1 R. auriculatus
1:3 R. ciliatus
1:1 R. chahoua
1:1 R. leachianus henkeli

karendakin · I'm new here... Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 4

No I must defend him there.
I was buying the exo terra anyway as it was £30 cheaper than in my local reptile shop. I asked at what age they could go into it and he answered me.
If you read Scott's thread the exo terra is 18 x 18 x 24 so is smaller than the ones he uses.
I have only just got mine so don't know anything yet, but surely the same rules apply as to everything I do keep - that is to provide plenty of places to hide so they feel secure, although mine haven't been doing much hiding the're too busy exploring.
Karen

Scott W · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:34 pm Post subject:

can i just say that there are no wrongs or rights to this size discussion, only opinions and experiances.

listen to opinions but LEARN from experiances (even other peoples are fine).

Smaller enviroments just make things easier for YOU to keep a check on what's going on, the lizard..well it was used to an entire tree, bush, Island to roam for food etc so I'm sure a correctly set up viv of ANY size will work.
_________________

Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

Kat · Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:32 pm Post subject:

I really do appreciate the advice so thanks.

ok, so i have established that they are eating ok, and they now have their 'favourite places' to hang out in their viv, so i reckon it would be far more stressful for them if i start moving them than to leave them as they are.

so another question is substrate. Currently they are on the coconut fibre stuff you get in a bale, but they are having problems when cricket hunting with getting a mouthful of the stuff. I have heard paper towels are ok, but the only ones available to me are the blue ones which i'm thinking aren't so good... or is there something i can do with the stuff they are on to make it easier for them to hunt on?

thanks
_________________
Kat

Sonny Hynes · Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 1:23 pm Post subject:

If they are getting some of the substrate in their mouths when hunting i would change it straight away to newspaper/kitchen roll as i have heard about many cresties choking on that coconut fibre stuff and dying. Once you have the paper in the viv then you can think of something else to use if you would like a more naturalistic substrate.

Very Happy

Scott W · Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 1:37 pm Post subject:

Hi Kat,
All I can say is that I use nothing for the first 4 weeks from hatching, then newspaper after that. I choose newspaper because I want an extremely hygenic set up that I can clean in minutes. I have used damp peat before without problems but it took too long to clean.

Your little guys should be fine on newpapers or papertowel (any colour). Although I have seen lots of people use peat or coconut fibre.
_________________

Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk