Crested Geckos The Complete Care Guide for Babies

Everything you ALWAYS wanted to know about taking care of crested gecko babies, but were afraid to ask (Facebook :)
I cover all the basics and some very tough questions about crested geckos and their babies. Taken from hundreds and hundreds of Emails and direct messages. Some of my views go directly against views you find on other social media channels.
You wanna know about crested gecko babies, you'll find the answer here! If you don't find your answer and still have a question, leave a comment and I will answer it as soon as I possibly can (without all the drama from FB!).
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[@coahmain]

ive actually never seen anyone else use the kritter keepers, glad im not the only one. they make keeping hatchlings so easy

[@SupremeGecko]

We were so loaded up on crested geckos that our main baby rack and new plastic tubs were all filled up. I like KKs but they take a bit longer to manage.

[@AliNeisy]

😊😊😮 19:43 20:38

[@katehamilton6422]

So much information- I will definitely be coming back again and again to watch!

[@SupremeGecko]

Sometimes I do put too much info in these videos.

[@ASAPpetinfo]

Awesome! Very helpful. The feeding portion definitely answered some questions of mine.

[@SupremeGecko]

Fantastic. Thanks for the feedback.

[@pewpewcat7679]

Thank you for making this video. This was very insightful and it's appreciated! Saved to my playlist and took some notes again

[@SupremeGecko]

I hope it helps but as always, let me know if you have questions.

[@basementpets5327]

Nice vid! I will definitely look back to it when I (hopefully) eventually get a crested gecko or start to breed them

[@SupremeGecko]

I hope you do. It's a great experience.

[@BrandonFowlerRR]

Great video wally!! Thanks for the shout out!

[@SupremeGecko]

Of course! Thanks for the nice comments on FB.

[@Stephsgeckos]

Thank you for the nice video! It helped a lot for me to figure out if I'm doing things properly with my newly hatched babies. Can't wait to see how they grow!

[@SupremeGecko]

Congratulations on your babies! And, if you have any questions, make sure you post here so I can help.

[@vanhodges4263]

Great video. I learned so much from this. I know I am doing a couple of things differently and will change them. Thank you.

[@SupremeGecko]

Thank you for watching and the comment.

[@ChrisHardwickanimaladventures]

Just found your channel and subscribed, great info!!

[@SupremeGecko]

Thank you so much. I'm having fun with the videos and hopefully people are learning. Saw your name and thought of the actor/comedian right away. Sure you get that a LOT. Sorry. Shot over to your channel. WOW, what a following. Very impressive. Any tips for me as I would like to get more exposure to my videos and am very willing to learn. Thanks in advance.

[@geckomorphsusa4032]

Awesome video Thanks so much!

[@SupremeGecko]

Thank YOU for watching. Any questions, let me know.

[@commercialelectrician133]

Great video I am looking into getting into the hobby

[@SupremeGecko]

Very cool. Thank you and let me know if you have any questions at all.

[@robinbury945]

so good at it

[@SupremeGecko]

Thanks!

[@jfs33ems]

Great job Wally!

[@SupremeGecko]

Well, thank you very much.

[@angieschwartz5294]

This was a good video, Wally! Awesome job!

[@SupremeGecko]

Thank you Angie. And thanks for watching and commenting.

[@angieschwartz5294]

You’re welcome!

[@Sostic]

This video was on point! I completely agree about the mealworms vs crickets at this age.

[@SupremeGecko]

Thanks Sam. I really appreciate your opinion. So, any points you were surprised at?

[@Sostic]

@@SupremeGecko I think the mealworm part was the most intriguing to me. I see a lot of people freak out about feeding mealworms to Crested geckos on Facebook. But I agree with you that they're a good insect for the baby geckos

[@SupremeGecko]

@@Sostic Completely agree my friend.

[@thejunkyarddogman4608]

Thanks 🙏 man much love grate video

[@SupremeGecko]

Thank you very much.

[@josephg8818]

The wet paper towel ball reminds me of a spit ball but I do it in every enclosure for adults and babies unless it's bioactive, adds humidity and they lay on it if they want moisture I ball up like 4 of them for adults and put them next to each other under something or under a fake plant they love it

[@SupremeGecko]

Great idea. Works for me too!

[@pewpewcat7679]

I just gave my itty bitty a cricket and he/she annihilated it. And then another. And then I put 2 mini dubias in because it seems like this bottomless pit just wants to keep going. Super precise, got both of these super jumpy mini crickets right away on the first pounce. Was so cool to watch. Mine is a 2/20 baby though so not super tiny anymore

[@SupremeGecko]

How very cute. I don't share this enough but..... one of my favorite sounds in the world is feeding crickets or dubias to a rack full of young cresties. It reminds me of slow cooking popcorn. First a few pops (cresting hitting the wall or something else catching an insect)... then more....then it sounds like the whole wall is popping all at the same time :)

[@Ali-kg7sh]

Awesome video 👍

[@SupremeGecko]

Thanks for watching and for your comment.

[@Ali-kg7sh]

Your welcome and feel free to check out my latest video and thx for the support plus sorry for the disturbance 🙏🏼

[@TheLadyShelli]

This is an awesome video!! I loved and agreed with everything, even the hard question! Exception that I do with my babies, is I keep track of birth weight. I weigh everyone every two weeks (adults once a month) so that I can track if there is any issues with health and eatting. I won't even sell my babies till they are closer to the 10 gram weight so that I know they are healthy when they leave here. I feed the baby dubia, but after watching some of your video's I am going to give small worms a chance. I am your generation Wally. I owned a pet store for many years before having to give it up due to health issues. Now I have a "hobby" of breeding Crested and Isopods. I never cared for meal worms then in the pet store (but we were so limited back then LOL) And I used to do around 5000 crickets a week through the pet store, I will not have anything to do with them now. LOL period. yuck. the end. LOL I will keep buying you coffee Wally! You do a damn good job with educational video's.

[@SupremeGecko]

Shelli, I am so glad this was a good video for you. Comments like this keep me going! Honestly. As long as I am helping or reassuring care for one other keeper, the videos will keep coming. "I will not have anything to do with them now. LOL period. yuck" #downwithcrickets ;) And thank you so very much for the BMC! My geckos do not go to bed hungry tonight! ;)

[@BOB-ud4gy]

Great videos Wally! I have been binge watching your gecko videos. Not only are you the Podfather you're also the Geckopedia!!! I was wondering how long before you would move them into their forever home like exo terra 12 x 12 x 18 or 18 x 18 x 24.

[@SupremeGecko]

Thank you Bob. I don't even know how to pronounce that :) I move them from their 6 qt to their 19 qt around 1.5 - 2 months then from the 19qts to their perm. homes around 6-7 months of age.

[@BOB-ud4gy]

@@SupremeGecko lol...ok, "WALLY THE WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE" then!!!

[@DEAexotics]

more great information I agree about the sexing with age I see people selling them all the time really young and I know they can't be 100% correct on the sex

[@SupremeGecko]

That burns me too!

[@DEAexotics]

@@SupremeGecko yeah it up sets me also when they know better

[@KingSkrap]

Thank you so much, this is my first time and I read that it took 120 days to hatch! Just today it hatched and I was insanely surprised! Good thing I check quite often because I was planning for 2 months from now!

[@KingSkrap]

I have mine in a 75 degree incubator which I used for the eggs, seems to be ok now

[@SupremeGecko]

120 days!!! Oh my! May I ask if you could reference where you read this? I am glad you were checking! Congratulations!

[@SupremeGecko]

Perfect.

[@KingSkrap]

@@SupremeGecko how many days then is it lol????

[@SupremeGecko]

@@KingSkrap May I ask if you could reference where you read this?

[@zacharymiller7641]

I am late to the party. Having a rough day. Excited to watch this one as a breeder!

[@zacharymiller7641]

If your gecko has a deformity, find a nearby leachie...? Sorry, breeder truths

[@zacharymiller7641]

One question I get a lot is “when do I need to upgrade my gecko enclosure?” and I usually have trouble with this because it depends on the geckos habits and size. Obviously, an adult gecko shouldn’t be kept in a kritter keeper, but I’m sure there are people who just don’t know the size requirements.

[@SupremeGecko]

Sorry for the bad day. Thanks for taking the time to watch this.

[@SupremeGecko]

This is really tricky, I agree. My general response (per the video- and specifically geared to cresties that are 1-60 days old) is to give an example of what we do here at SG. I move crestie babies when they are around 5-6 weeks of age, and to a 19 qt tub. This is about 4 gallons and is fine for the INDIVIDUAL for a few more months before moving them to their adult enclosure.

[@zacharymiller7641]

Supreme Gecko Thanks, I realize that for people involved in reptile care could figure this out, but for new owners it seems like a daunting task. Some people may not even care. Another controversial is when not to sell a gecko to an owner. I’ve had many people indicate their lack of knowledge when selling, such as “can I use my heat rock and keep it with my beardie?” Lol I think a topic that would be interesting to hear you talk about is what is the responsibility of the breeder to responsibly sell and bring geckos into the world? Awesome video. Keep it up!!!

[@EastCoastFinz06]

Awesome keep up the great work I want to breed crested geckos but I am nervous about my male getting her hurt what’s your advice and help

[@SupremeGecko]

1. Move the male to the female (instead of the other way around) 2. Feed just before you move the male (it will give him something else to focus on. 3. Allow them to be a bit physical with each other but not overly physical- if she (or he) runs away and cannot get completely away from the other, then pull the male. Hope this helps.

[@EastCoastFinz06]

Supreme Gecko thx I am will keep you updated

[@SupremeGecko]

@@EastCoastFinz06 Please do!!!

[@jasmingarcia152]

What are some ways to prevent mold or other insects, like ants, from coming into plastic, tub enclosure or even a glass enclosure?

[@SupremeGecko]

There are a couple ways- you can apply a thing narrow strip of Vaseline to the bottom rim of the enclosure. Another option would be to put the enclosure in a tray with diatomaceous earth powder. This will prevent any ants/mites from coming in.

[@WisdomCalls]

Thank you for this video. How often to you have a baby not make it? We had one that pipped but then somehow died in the egg. It was the first fertile clutch of our female. How often does that happen?

[@SupremeGecko]

I can count on one hand those that hatch and die in the first week or so. How often do eggs go full term and not hatch, that is rare too but it sometimes does happen. Might be too much moisture in the hatch medium.... or even too much calcium in the egg.... or just a weak crestie.

[@Kira-kg4kl]

The deformities subject is difficult in every area of animal breeding

[@SupremeGecko]

absolutely is.

[@morganborer8904]

Great video! This may seem like a really obvious question, but do you need to keep both CGD and water available in enclosures at this age? Or is the moisture from the humidity and diet sufficient. How does that requirement change as they get older?

[@SupremeGecko]

This is NOT an obvious question. This is a great question. If you asked 100 crestie breeders, you may find 50 go one way and 50 go the other. My opinion is that cresties don't really have water dishes in the wild (especially in area of trees they live). So dishes are not a necessity. I've tried to use water dishes and they all seem to poop in them in spite of me :) BUT, I also mist every other day. If you can keep this schedule, you are find (IMHO). And, another but, keeping a water dish in the enclosure can't hurt, right. As young geckos, water is an absolute necessity daily. as teen agers and adults, every other day is fine.

[@subhub637]

@@SupremeGecko such a good reply

[@SupremeGecko]

@@subhub637 Thank you very much. I really want to provide as much information as I possibly can.

[@mysteryunboxing3403]

Hey wally! I have a question about newly hatched geckos. I had one hatch out 12 hours ago but doesn't move from the spot i placed it in It's new enclosure(shoebox bin). It's breathing and i seen it clean It's eyeballs lol. It's looks really healthy but do you think it's just tired from breaking out the egg? I may very well be over thinking about it.

[@SupremeGecko]

I would not worry too much about this. Check tomorrow and let me know. Make sure it has hydration.

[@kittyestes3656]

I keep worrying about having one born with a major problem I just seen a two headed one with insides on the outside and I just cannot kill something I don't know how I could cull without doing it myself other than a vet, such a hard topic.

[@SupremeGecko]

:) The odds of a 2 headed animal are crazy!!! I've hatched thousands of crested geckos and had no issues.

[@pewpewcat7679]

I was about 6:30 minutes in when I noticed you actually have a gecko in the small critter keeper 😂 I was wondering why you said let's put this guy down gently in the beginning because it seemed empty... What is the name of that small humid hide? The only ones I've seen that are constructed like that are much larger.

[@SupremeGecko]

:) That's funny. Doing the recording, lighting, script, editing, etc. I want to get as much content into these videos as I can..... and then forget the obvious like showing the viewer that I have a crested gecko in the container- the Kritter Keeper :)

[@kierstenashley88]

I will be getting my first crested gecko that will be about 5 grams. What kind of container should I start it off in? I have a bioactive enclosure set up, but I think he/she might be too small for it right away.

[@SupremeGecko]

A 10 gallon tank or a 30-40 qt plastic container can work well.

[@happybecci3819]

Hey great video & very helpful! I just hatched my very first crestie & am a little nervous. I have mourning geckos too & their hatchlings have a very high chance of dying which is why I'm so worried about that happening to my baby crested gecko. Is their chance of dying once hatched just as low as for an adult or is it different? 🙈

[@SupremeGecko]

Congratulations! That is great news! They are VERY resilient as young. Make sure you give them some mistings and feed every other day and you should be fine. Good luck and keep me posted!

[@happybecci3819]

@@SupremeGecko thank you soooo much ❣️ perfect 🤗 okay I will! Currently the baby still seems to be doing fine, tho it seems to have some issues shedding. I always keep the humidity around 80 percent & down to 65 during the day. Hoping the best for my buddy 🦎

[@peterscaritojr7835]

Great video, not sure if you’ve ever heard this question but there was a video on KZbin that they were saying that crested geckos have a tendency to poop on you when you handle them any truth to that? I don’t have a crested gecko yet but I’m looking forward to getting one

[@SupremeGecko]

I don't feel it is a tendency at all. I do HUNDREDS of reptile shows and show off our crested geckos regularly. I can count on one hand the time one has 'surprised' me with a little gift :)

[@peterscaritojr7835]

@@SupremeGecko Thank you I appreciate your reply Leopard gecko‘s ever poop on you? Because I have a couple of Leopard gecko‘s having them that much but never had that happen. But now I’m considering getting a Crested 🦎

[@jasons990]

Is it ok to have them in a terrarium with a mesh top

[@SupremeGecko]

Sure. as long as you can control the humidity in other ways.

[@4ry4m12]

When babies do i feed both crickets and the crested gecko food as well on the same night

[@SupremeGecko]

I generally feed the diet every other day. Then feed insects on the weekend, skipping one of the diet days.

[@SupremeGecko]

I generally feed the diet every other day. Then feed insects on the weekend, skipping one of the diet days.

[@cochransanmartin9863]

there so cute when theiy likc there eye

[@SupremeGecko]

I completely agree!

[@alliebenner3856]

Is a 8 by 8 by 12 to big for a very small baby? I didn’t think too get a critter keeper

[@SupremeGecko]

It's absolutely fine for a young crested gecko. Good question.

[@alliebenner3856]

@@SupremeGecko okay great 👍 I was just making sure! Thank you !

[@SupremeGecko]

@@alliebenner3856 absolutely!

[@klozrforte1528]

What are your thoughts on small isopods for babies?

[@klozrforte1528]

This was in reference to feeding babies isopods

[@SupremeGecko]

I do use dwarf whites to feed some microgeckos. Otherwise, it is just a ton of work to collect small isopods for feeding.

[@dragett34]

I've heard that meal worms could possibly cause issues with compaction because of the high chitin content. Have you ever had any issues with feeding mealworms to your cresties? I ask because I want to increase the variety of insects I offer to mine, but would rather raise the feeders than buy the feeders.

[@SupremeGecko]

We hear a lot of things from the internet. Look for proof. How many BIG time breeders, way bigger than me, have used mealworms for years!!!! I have had NO issues whatsoever but I don't feed cresties mealworms but once every couple of months or so. I hope you do decide to raise them yourself as it is so easy and inexpensive. See my other videos on live food.

[@dragett34]

@@SupremeGecko Thank you! I've tried looking for evidence of impaction, but I haven't been able to find anything. I've asked around but haven't gotten super clear answers, so I'm grateful you have so much experience on the matter and were able to help me with that. Thank you again!

[@dfantasticcreatures436]

hi, im also planning to buy crested gecko, but here in my country, we have 29-31 degree celcius, is that ok? thanks

[@SupremeGecko]

No, that is way too warm. You would need to find a way to cool them down.

[@dfantasticcreatures436]

@@SupremeGecko thank you. I decided for leopard gecko instead of crested. Some hobbiest here said leopard is much easier to take care here in my country. More video to come. 😁

[@SupremeGecko]

@@dfantasticcreatures436 Great decision. Good luck and keep me posted

[@subhub637]

Quick question after watching and i apologize if you covered this in the video, how often should my baby gecko be pooping? (he’s about 6 grams) and when should i move him up to his 20 gallon (i heard around 25 grams is that correct?)

[@SupremeGecko]

You should be able to find poop at LEAST every other day, if not daily. I do not monitor mine daily though. You can move the gecko to the 20 gallon now if you like.

[@subhub637]

@@SupremeGecko ok, that’s an issue. He won’t eat crickets/mealworms. I have been putting some of the gecko food on a straw and he’s been licking it off but it seems like it isn’t enough. How many scoops of powder mixture should a baby eat a day?

[@SupremeGecko]

​@@subhub637 Have you seen my video on Crested Geckos Eating Insects? I cover this topic there.

[@matthewsmith326]

Is it ok to feed them freeze dried meal worms or just live ones

[@SupremeGecko]

Crested geckos? With the diet and the easy access to live foods, I would suggest feeding only life meal worms if you can. Thanks for the question

[@zer0coolninja887]

🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@SupremeGecko]

Thank you

[@scalez_4_dayz677]

This isn’t about hatchlings but can you co-Hab male and female adult crested geckos

[@SupremeGecko]

This is a more complicated question than I can really answer here on You Tube. Can you please send me the question on FB?

[@scalez_4_dayz677]

Supreme Gecko sure can

[@xiaoxinxiaoxin]

What is the ratio of gecko diet to calcium powder?

[@SupremeGecko]

I am so sorry, I don't understand your question. Can you restate it differently?

[@cG-es8mb]

Do I need to put thermometer in the small enclosure so I can see what temp is inside of its cage?

[@SupremeGecko]

To ensure the temp in the small enclosure, yes you will need to put in a thermometer or, use a temp gun. We sell temp guns on our Supreme Gecko store page.

[@cG-es8mb]

@@SupremeGecko okay. I got a temp gun but wasn’t sure if it would measure air temp accurate. If I have a baby gecko in small enclosure but I need to give him more heat, how do I just heat part of his cage so he doesn’t get too hot with nowhere to go?

[@SupremeGecko]

@@cG-es8mb You can offer additional heat with a reptile designed heat mat and thermostat.

[@cG-es8mb]

@@SupremeGecko thank you for your help and fast response.

[@SupremeGecko]

@@cG-es8mb Of course. Glad I can help and keep the questions coming.

[@Levar_rc]

Hey there! A very helpful video, but I have a question to which I can't really find a definite answer. I got my baby crestie roughly a month ago at the age of ~3.5 months. He is now at 6.4 grams and seems to be really scared of me. Whenever I move close to his enclosure he just stops doing whatever he was doing, freezes and starts eyeing me suspiciously. If I try to put my hand any close to him he just runs away from it. I generally just leave him be but I still have to take him out occasionnaly to weigh him and to clean the enclosure and i hate chasing him around and stressing him out. He eats and poops fine, is very active chasing down crickets and even licks cgd off my finger but always tries to position himself as much away from me as he can. Will it get better as he grows? Is there anything I can do to help the little guy get used to me? Main question is - should I start handling him so that he gets used to it or should I wait until he's more comfortable around me

[@SupremeGecko]

This is a very common concern for new crested gecko owners. The very best way I've illustrated this situation is to think of these little ones in nature. There are a lot of big scary things around them with one intent- to eat them (and I am NOT saying you are big and scary ;) So, their instincts tell them to stay put and they will be ignored- or if seen, they need to flee. So again, this is natural. Yes, feel free to handle the crested gecko and in a few months, it will start recognizing you at friend, rather than foe. Quick tip- when you handle them, offer just a tiny tiny bit of honey and they will start associating you with this treat more.

[@Levar_rc]

Supreme Gecko thanks for your reply! Will try :)

[@Levar_rc]

my main concern was that by force handling I'd only make things worse and alienate him from me even more

[@SupremeGecko]

@@Levar_rc I completely understand! But, do it quick and with confidence and the gecko will get use to it. I have a video on my channel on handling cresties- kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYGpopmQZa-Iiac

[@SupremeGecko]

@@Levar_rc Watch how I pick up the gecko- I touch it once to let it know I'm there, then scoop it from the bottom and let it jump, jump, jump

[@Dreadnok_K6]

Chahoua babies the same? I have a month old baby, and it's been eating pangea breeding and growth, and giving it a meal worm every other night which it smashes it.

[@SupremeGecko]

Pretty much the same. If it is tearing in the that ONE mealworm, try two next time.

[@Dreadnok_K6]

@@SupremeGecko No interest in dubias, nor wax worms though.

[@Dreadnok_K6]

Thanks for such a fast reply!

[@SupremeGecko]

@@Dreadnok_K6 Glad I can help

[@SupremeGecko]

@@Dreadnok_K6 I've not found cresties much interested in dubia for sure as the dubia just sit there. Surprised about the wax worms though.

[@cb7873]

I was told not to feed meal worms by the breeder I bought from, he told me to feed phoenix worms.

[@SupremeGecko]

Is this a question I can answer for you?

[@cb7873]

@@SupremeGecko , how often can they be fed mealworms?

[@SupremeGecko]

@@cb7873 I thought I mentioned in the video, but... We feed once a week minimum. Every other day would be fine if you have the time. IMPORTANT... dust with good supplements though!!! Thanks for the question.

[@arizonaranger1]

If because of a deformity you chose to euthanise a crestie, what would be the most humane way to do so?

[@SupremeGecko]

I think (personally) there are other options than euthanizing an animal, but not judging at all. I'm not an expert but I feel freezing might be the best way.

[@dalicia1322]

I don't use substrate either I find it way easier and safer

[@SupremeGecko]

It's not for everyone but it works for me (and it sounds like for you too ;)

[@user-ye5kp6rc2r]

First!!!

[@SupremeGecko]

Well dome

[@user-ye5kp6rc2r]

Really enjoyed the vid keep up the great work.👍

[@SupremeGecko]

@@user-ye5kp6rc2r Well thank you. Hope it was helpful in some way.