Crested Gecko Care Guide

Everything you need to set up and care for a crested gecko, from the breeder's bench in Tyler, TX: enclosure, temperature, humidity, feeding, handling, and what to watch for.

Last reviewed October 2026 · 8 min read

Scientific name

Correlophus ciliatus

Origin

New Caledonia (rainforest, nocturnal and arboreal)

Adult size

About 8 in including the tail; 35–55 g

Lifespan

15–20 years with good care

Enclosure

Tall and vertical. 12×12×18 in for juveniles; 18×18×36 in for an adult

Temperature

70–80°F (80°F highest, 70°F lowest)

Humidity

Mist every other day (twice every other day in a glass enclosure with an open screen top) and let it dry out between mistings

Diet

Complete prepared crested gecko diet mixed with water, every other day; insects optional but help growth

Lighting

Normal day/night cycle; low-level UVB optional

Crested geckos are one of the most beginner-friendly reptiles. They do well at normal household temperatures, eat a powdered diet you mix with water, and are generally calm once settled in. They are also long-lived, so think of one as a 15–20 year pet rather than a short-term project.

They are nocturnal, which means they are most active after the lights go down. They are also jumpy: a crested gecko is more likely to leap than to bite. If you want a pet you can watch in the evening and handle gently in short sessions, this is a great species. If you want a daytime, hands-on animal, a different species may suit you better.

Crested geckos are arboreal, so height matters more than floor space. Choose a tall enclosure:

• Juveniles: a 12×12×18 in enclosure is a good starting point. Very small hatchlings can start in a smaller setup so they find their food easily.
• Adults: 18×18×36 in. Bigger is fine and gives you more room for plants.

Choose a plastic or glass enclosure with some ventilation, such as small vents or a screen top, and never a full-screen (all-mesh) enclosure. Crested geckos need humidity to build up between mistings, and a fully screened cage cannot hold it. Fill the enclosure with climbing and hiding space at several heights:

• Cork bark flats and tubes
• Horizontal and diagonal branches or vines
• Plenty of foliage, live or artificial, for cover along the sides and top
• A ledge or feeding dish up off the floor, where the gecko spends most of its time

The easiest options are paper towel for hatchlings and new arrivals (simple to keep clean and to spot droppings) and coconut fiber or a bioactive mix for an established gecko.

A bioactive setup uses live plants and a cleanup crew of isopods and springtails that break down waste and keep the enclosure healthy. It takes a little more work up front, and it is what we use. Our bioactive supplies page covers substrate, springtails, and cleanup crews.

Whatever you choose, avoid sand, gravel, and fine loose substrate for hatchlings, and never use cedar or pine shavings.

This is where crested geckos are easy: room temperature is usually right. Keep the enclosure between 70°F and 80°F, with 80°F as the highest and 70°F as the lowest. They are more at risk from overheating than from being a little cool. Put a thermometer at the level where the gecko sits instead of guessing.

Most homes in Texas need no heat lamp, and in summer the concern is keeping the enclosure cool. Keep it away from sunny windows, and if your room runs hot, move the enclosure to a cooler spot.

Lighting

• Give them a regular day and night cycle: about 10–12 hours of light, then darkness. A simple timer helps.
• UVB is optional. Many keepers raise healthy geckos on a complete diet without it. Low-level UVB (around 2–5%) is considered helpful by many keepers, as long as there is plenty of shade and foliage so the gecko can avoid it.

Crested geckos do best with a wet-then-dry cycle instead of constant dampness. Mist until the leaves and walls are covered in droplets (geckos drink them), then let the enclosure dry out before the next misting.

• Plastic enclosure with small vents: mist every other day.
• Glass enclosure with an open screen top and lots of ventilation: mist twice every other day, since the extra airflow dries it out faster.

Use dechlorinated or filtered water, and offer a shallow water dish too, kept clean. If the enclosure stays soaked or smells musty, mist less.

The staple is a complete prepared crested gecko diet, a powder you mix with water into a thin paste or ketchup-like consistency. These are formulated to cover the nutrition crested geckos need, and they are the foundation of our feeding routine.

• All ages: offer fresh food every other day.
• Serve in a small dish mounted up off the floor, and remove leftovers after about 24 hours since mixed food spoils.
• Insects are optional, but they help geckos grow better. Offer them at least once a week for babies and juveniles, and about once a month for adults. Dust them with calcium with D3.
• Fruit baby food and fresh fruit are not needed, and too much sugar is not good for them.

Weigh your gecko on a gram scale every so often so you can catch weight loss early.

1. Give a new gecko one to two weeks to settle in before handling. Make sure it is eating and drinking first.
2. Start with short sessions of 5 to 10 minutes, in the evening when it is awake.
3. Keep low. Sit on the floor or over a bed or sofa so a jump does not become a fall.
4. Let it walk hand to hand instead of gripping it. Never grab or pull on the tail.

Crested geckos can drop their tail when frightened, and it does not grow back. A tailless gecko lives a normal life, but it is best avoided with calm, low handling. Skip handling during shedding, and give them time on their own if they seem stressed.

A healthy crested gecko has clear eyes and a steady appetite. Geckos shed in pieces and usually eat the skin, so you may not see it. Misting on schedule helps shedding go smoothly.

Signs to watch for

• Stuck shed on toes or the tail tip: raise humidity and see a vet if it does not clear, since it can cut off circulation.
• Sunken or wrinkled eyes and skin: dehydration. Check water, misting, and temperature.
• Weight loss or refusing food for more than a couple of weeks.
• Bent jaw or limbs, a kinked spine or tail, or tremors: possible metabolic bone disease from poor nutrition.
• Bubbles at the nose, wheezing, or open-mouth breathing: possible respiratory infection.
• Runny or unusually foul droppings that continue for more than a few days.

Whenever you bring home a new animal, keep it in a separate room from your others for a quarantine period.

• Tall enclosure, 18×18×36 in or larger (smaller for juveniles)
• Substrate: paper towel, coconut fiber, or a bioactive mix
• Cork bark, branches, vines, and foliage
• Complete prepared crested gecko diet, plus a small feeding dish
• Digital thermometer and hygrometer
• Spray bottle or mister, and dechlorinated water
• Light timer, and optional low-output UVB
• Isopods and springtails for a bioactive enclosure (see our supplies)
• Gram scale to track weight