Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi. I’m 15 years old, and I’ve decided to purchase a crested gecko. I have already done tons of research, as well as read and purchased a book on them. i still have questions, regarding temperature and humidity.

we do not have air conditioning in my house, so the temperature in the cage gets to a high of about 85 degrees . i understand that the ideal temperature is about 70-80 degrees, and I’m worried that this might be too high and cause the gecko stress. any suggestions for bringing it down? or will this temperature still be OK?

the humidity also seems to get slightly high. it gets to about 75%, then 90% when misted. I understand geckos drink some of the water used for misting. even when i don’t mist, the humidity is still high. what should i do about this?

is it ok to use cypress mulch as a substrate for young geckos? or is paper towel the safer option?
i want to provide the best conditions for my new pet, so any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

As for the mulch i cant say its bad i have never seen it..........but its much safer to stick with paper towels at least till its grown. The humidity can be lowered by more ventilation if it becomes an issue in the summer mine stay rather humid. I too have to deal with temps on the high end, my solution was to put a spay bottle full, of water in the fridge then around midday and dinner time i give them all a good blast of the cooler mist drops the temps nicely and i can tell they enjoy this. just my ideas........

Thanks for the suggestions!

First, I want to say, good for you for doing your research first, before buying

85F is a bit high, especially if it is constant...it is ok to have that temperature for a short period of time, an hour or less. For babies though, better not to have it that high. Too easy for babies to heat stroke.

One thing you can try to lower the temperatures..is lower the cage. If its on a high table, put it on a lower table, or a lower level of the house. Keep it away from windows (sun shining through window can heat up a cage fast.

Test the temperature on the bottom of the cage as well as near the top..if the cage is tall, (though for a young crested gecko, you don't want the cage to be too big, square foot is good enough..then expand to something bigger as your crested gecko gets bigger, such as 24"x18"x24". If the bottom of the tank stays in the high 70's to low 80's, it may be ok. It would be better if the day time temps are no more than 83F and drops into mid to high 70's at night...

Not sure if refrigerated water misted into the cage will be good for the gecko...that water will feel very cold to them, may cause more harm than good. Definitely do not spray the gecko itself with cold water.

For humidity...only mist enough to get droplets on the walls, in the evening..don't' over mist. Let the tank dry out the rest of the day. This helps keep the humidity from being too high (though 70% is fine), increasing air flow will help reduce humidity (providing your house humidity isn't higher or equal to the cage humidity. In which case, it won't make much difference, or at least won't lower it below pre mist humidity). You don't want the cage to stay damp though, as mold can build up. You can also just leave a small dish of fresh water in the cage, though most don't drink from it, instead just what is misted on the wall.

Use paper towel for substrate for now. this works fine with babies, easy to clean and easy to monitor if your geckos is pooping regularly.
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PHLdyPayne

I keep most of my reptiles, including my cresties, in fish tanks with screen tops. I keep bottles of frozen water in the freezer; on really hot days I take one out, put it on top of the tank, and throw a towel over it. The cold air sinks and provides a temperature gradient. This might be helpful if your house gets over 80.
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0.1 Boa constrictor imperator
2.5 Ball pythons
1.1 Crested Geckos