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Terrarium Size Guidelines
Given measurements are length x width x height.
- Hatchlings and juveniles (<12g) — 5 gallons (8″x8″x12″)
- Adults (>25g) — 20+ gallons (18″x18″x24″)
- Multiple adults — 30+ gallons (roughly 18″x18″x36″)
As you choose an enclosure for your gecko, keep in mind that since cresties are arboreal, height is better than width or depth. While 18″ x 18″ x 24″ is the recommended size for adults, juveniles can be transferred to their adult enclosure after reaching about 10g or so. If you do this, you may wish to provide multiple feeding stations to make food more accessible for a small gecko.
We recommend the following enclosures for use with crested geckos:
- Zen Habitats 2’x2’x2′ Reptile Enclosure
- Exo Terra Small/Tall AllGlass Terrarium (18″x18″x24″)
- Zoo Med NT-4 18″x18″x24″ Naturalistic Terrarium
- Zilla 18″x18″x25″ Front Opening Terrarium
Keep in mind that larger is always better!
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have a hatchling crested gecko under 13g, special adjustments will need to be made regarding heating and UVB lighting to avoid “cooking” your baby. Refer to the Light, Heat & Humidity page of this guide for details.
On Cohabitation
Some gecko keepers choose to house more than one crested per enclosure. I do not personally endorse this practice, as I believe that the risks of cohabitation outweigh the potential benefits. However, here’s a breakdown of the risks so you can decide for yourself:
- 2+ males: Please don’t! In almost every species, males housed together **will** fight and injure/kill one another, and crested geckos are no different. I know a breeder who chooses to house unsexed juveniles together. None showed signs of being male, but one day he came home to one dead gecko and another with serious injuries — two of them had “grown up,” and they were both male.
- 1 male & 1+ females: This can work, but the geckos should be carefully supervised to make sure they don’t injure one another. Furthermore, please don’t cohab a male and female together unless you’re trying to breed them. They *will* mate and lay eggs!
- 2+ females: This is the setup that is most likely to work. Multiple females have been known to get along as long as they “move in” at the same time and are similarly sized.
A pair of geckos should be kept in a 25-30 gallon terrarium. A good rule of them is that for every additional gecko, the enclosure needs to get at least 5 gallons larger.
Keep in mind that cohabited geckos are more likely to lose their tails and may be injured in inter-gecko scuffles for dominance. Look out for tail nipping, crest biting, weight loss, and unusual behavior. If any of the above are observed, separate them immediately!
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