Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I've been searching the care sheets but can't find whether or not crested geckos need a hide or a water bowl in their tank. I'm setting mine up in a mesh reptarium and it will have a big branch covered with artificial leaves and flowers, but need to know whether or not I need to put a hide in there and also a bowl of water. I know the crested needs to be misted....and in regards to that...do you just spray the gecko or his entire environment? Thanks in advance for all your info!

Hey,
I have my girl setup in a 38 tall repatarium. I have 2 hides plus lots of foiliage and vines. One is on the top of the warm side of the tank and it is just a piece of PVC pipe. The other is down on the bottom of the cage in a corner. I also provide a water bowl because cresteds do drink from them. I also mist the entire enclosure twice daily because in a reptarium humidity is harder to keep in the appropriate levels.
Hope this helps,
-Richard

Just for your future information, there is a forum specifically for rhacodactylus geckos. The link is at the top of this forum here, along with links to the phelsuma and uroplatus forums.

In regards to your questions. Cresteds do not need a hide similiar to those you would purchase for a ground dwelling gecko. However supplying various secure areas they can retreat to would be optimal. Though it may not look naturalistic, a few clean egg crates against a back wall works, as well as leafy plants (silk or real). I use silk plants in my enclosures and the geckos will typically crawl into them or between them and a wall to sleep. Hollow logs or log halfs might work as well.

As for the water bowl, I supply all my geckos with a water bowl as well as misting. Supplying a water bowl really wont hurt anything but I know of plenty of people who dont use them. It's up to you.

for mine i use paper towel rolls but if you have enough plants they will hide in those and i don't give mine a water bowl instead i just mist the cage heavily at night

Derek