One of the things to consider for beginners and seasoned reptile keepers before getting a crested gecko is to set up their habitat with a crested gecko starter kit. So is crested gecko starter kit a total lifesaver or complete waste of money?
With crested gecko starter kits, it is easy and cheaper to set up a crested gecko habitat. The kit comprises all the essential accessories needed for a seamless and easy transition of your crested gecko into your home.
This article will get an insight into the crested gecko starter kits and all the accessories included. You will also get to know about the best starter kits suitable for your crested gecko.
Contents
What You Need In Your Crested Gecko Starter Kit?
A starter kit needs to contain all the basic things you need to safely look after your cresties until they get older or upgrade to professional-grade equipment. Some of the accessories that you need in a starter kit are stated below.
A Proper Tank In Size
A tank is among the essentials needed for keeping a crested gecko. You can provide them with a tank that mimics their habitat in the wild where they can sleep during the day and explore in the night.
However, you will need to make sure that you get a proper tank suitable for your cresties. If you are buying a baby or juvenile crested gecko, ensure you do not keep them in a large terrarium.
Keeping your baby or juvenile cresties in a large terrarium makes it hard for them to find food and difficult to check up on them.
Keeping cresties in a tank not suitable for them also causes stress, leading to several health issues in the long run. This is why you need to make sure that the tank’s size in your crested gecko starter kit is suitable for your crested gecko.
Tanks in crested gecko starter kit range from small to large size, which means you will find one that suits your cresties size. You can easily house baby crested geckos about eight weeks old to about six months in a 30x30x45cm terrarium.
Last update on 2022-12-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
A Bright White Incandescent or Halogen Bulb
Crested geckos are ectotherms, meaning they cannot produce their body heat. They usually depend on natural heat sources in their environment to regulate their metabolism and digest food.
Keeping crested gecko in a tank without a heat source can lead to lethargy, illness, and poor appetite.
Although many people claim that it is good to keep crested geckos at room temperature with a heat source, it is wise to provide your crested gecko’s tank with a heat source. Most crested geckos starter kit also includes a heat source for the tank.
The best heat source that you will need will depend on the room temperature, enclosure size, design of your crested gecko’s enclosure. However, white or clear low-wattage incandescent or halogen bulbs will work nicely in any tank.
Low-wattage incandescent or halogen is also perfect for controlling the basking temperature in your crested gecko’s tank.
Last update on 2022-12-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
A Trusted UVB Bulb or Mercury Vapor Bulb
Many crested geckos owners often mention that UVB is not necessary for crested geckos in captivity. Because they can get the vitamin D3 that they need from high quality prepared diets.
Although this is true, there is evidence that providing them with UVB helps increase their health and quality of life. UVB bulbs also produce UVA light, a spectrum of light that reptiles can see.
This means that UVB lights help to provide your cresties with additional color.
This is why an excellent crested gecko starter kit needs to include a trusted UVB bulb or mercury vapor bulb for their tank.
New to crested gecko? Check out the crested gecko care sheet now! We had listed out all the things you need to know about crested gecko as pets. Check it now!
However, you do not need a strong UVB light for the crested geckos’ tank because they are crepuscular and usually hide behind the leaves in the day.
Note: When using UVB, ensure that the fixture does not have plastic or glass that protects the bulb. This is because UVB rays can be blocked by glass and plastic, making them ineffective for your geckos.
Last update on 2022-12-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
A Reliable Thermometer & Hygrometer
It is best to keep your crested geckos in a tank with a temperature between 70-80oFahrenheit. A temperature above or below the temperature for a long time can cause health issues to your crested geckos.
Your crested geckos will also thrive between 50-80% humidity. You can easily maintain the humidity of their tank with daily misting and use of the moisture-retentive substrate.
This is why you need to monitor your crested gecko’s tank’s temperature and humidity to ensure they stay healthy. You will need a good thermometer for measuring temperature and hygrometer to measure the humidity.
It is a no brainer for an excellent crested gecko starter kit to come with a reliable thermometer and hygrometer. This helps to save money and time, searching for a good thermometer and hygrometer after setting up their tank.
Last update on 2022-12-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Non-Particle Based Substrate
You will need a substrate in your crested gecko tank to control odors, provide proper humidity, easy cleaning, and so on. When getting a crested gecko starter kit, you will need to ensure that they come with a non-particle-based substrate.
This is because particulate substrate can lead to health risks for your cresties. Some of the health risks they can cause are choking hazards, eye and skin irritations, impaction, etc.
You can even opt for a cheap and safe substrate like the paper towels if you are keeping hatchlings or small juvenile crested geckos. This is because baby crested geckos can easily get impacted as they ingest the substrate in their tank.
You can also research the substrate provided in the kit to ensure they are moisture-retaining and is easy to clean and replace.
Last update on 2022-12-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Recommended Accessory: Safe Plants & Décor For Your Crested Geckos
You will also need to check if the starter kit includes safe plants and décor for your crested geckos. The plants in the starter kits should not be too large for the tank as it will be difficult for your crested geckos to move around.
The accessories provided should not be the ones that can stress or hurt them. If you are keeping hatchlings and small juvenile cresties, you can go for a starter kit with fake plants.
Some of the décors included in your crested gecko starter kit are fake vines, hides, backgrounds, or branches. There are times when two or more décor can be included in the kit.
What Makes a Bad Crested Gecko Starter Kit?
You can consider a crested gecko starter kit bad for your cresties when it causes them stress or causes health problems. Some of the things that can make a starter kit bad for your crested geckos are stated below.
They Feature A Tank Size That Will NOT Fit Your Cresties
Why Nano Terrarium Is A Bad Choice?
You should note that baby and adult crested geckos will need different tank sizes for optimal health. This is why you need to know the age of your crested gecko before getting a starter kit.
If you buy a crested gecko starter kit with a tank suitable for adult cresties to keep your hatchlings or vice versa, it will lead to stress and health issues and can even cause death if not rectified.
Their UVB Bulbs Are Too High
Although UVB lights can help to increase the health and quality of life of crested geckos. You will need UVB bulbs with low light to achieve this.
You can call a starter kit bad if it includes a UVB light that is too high. Whenever the UVB light is too bright, it will make your crested geckos hide. It can also cause stress for your geckos.
They Randomly Include a Night Light
You do not need a night light in your crested gecko tank for night viewing or supplemental heat. Having a night light in a crested gecko starter kit can indicate that it is bad.
Crested geckos have an eye that functions perfectly in the dark. This means providing night light messes up their normal day and night routine. Nightlight can make your cresties stay hidden when they should be active during the night.
They Provide Dangerous Substrates
Using dangerous substrates will affect your crested gecko’s health, which is why you should be cautious of the substrates you used.
Some substrates contain toxic chemicals that can lead to health issues when ingested or in a closed environment like a vivarium. Before you get a starter kit, you should try to research the substrates provided to ensure they do not pose problems for your cresties.
Some substrates do not contain toxic chemicals but can still cause impaction when ingested by crested geckos. This is why it is best to use paper towels for your hatchlings and baby cresties.
They Include Cheap & Inaccurate Temperature/Humidity Gauges
A cheap and inaccurate temperature or humidity gauge will lead to your cresties’ health problems in the long run.
New to crested gecko? Check out the crested gecko care sheet now! We had listed out all the things you need to know about crested gecko as pets. Check it now!
You will not be aware when the temperature or humidity is above or below the optimal temperature or humidity. It can then lead to health issues for your cresties.
Best Crested Gecko Starter Kit
Small Crested Geckos Starter Kit
Specs
Everything about this terrarium from the feet at the base to the screened cover is of high quality and well-designed. It features nice and wide doors, and you can easily reach every part of the terrarium through the doors.
Although the cover can come off easily, it is nicely secure when locked in place. The airflow in and out of the tank is also at optimum. The tank background is a piece of painted or coated Styrofoam, and your gecko will enjoy climbing on it.
Another thing is that you can easily attach some décor to the Styrofoam. The bottom is waterproof, and it will hold humidity pretty well. The tank is escape-proof, which means your gecko or even the insects you feed them cannot get out.
You will be surprised to find out that it has a sturdy ceiling despite being light. You can hang any accessories on the glass without worrying about falling and injuring your crested geckos.
You will appreciate the tall structure as it gives your gecko plenty of space to climb even with numerous accessories.
The front glass doors make it easy to reach for your crested gecko without spooking them. It also makes it easy to clean and set up the tank as you can just open one side and keep the other shut.
The bottom is raised, and you can easily heat the tank whenever you want with a heat mat.
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Budget-friendly
- Escape-proof
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Heavy
Medium Crested Gecko Starter Kit
Exo Terra Rainforest Habitat Kit (includes PT2607) – Medium
Specs
This kit features unique front window ventilation with dual front doors. It comes with a Styrofoam background, which the geckos love climbing. It also gives pet owners the chance to attach any décor to the tank.
It comes with two hanging plants that you can simply attach to the glass with suction cups. You can twist the two jungle ropes and arrange them in the tank. Your cresties will enjoy climbing it.
The tank itself is beautiful as it is two feet tall, one and a half feet wide and deep.
You will enjoy the front glass doors as it makes it easy to reach for your gecko without spooking them. It also makes it easy to clean and set up the tank as you can just open one side and keep the other shut.
The bottom is raised, and you can easily heat the tank whenever you want with a heat mat.
You will be surprised to find out that it has a sturdy ceiling despite being light. You can hang any accessories on the glass without worrying about falling and injuring your crested geckos.
You will appreciate the tall structure as it gives your gecko plenty of space to climb even with numerous accessories.
Pros
- Easy to clean
- Budget-friendly
- Lots of space
- Escape-proof
Cons
- Heavy
- The bulb dome melts even with 25watt bulbs.
Last update on 2022-12-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Wrapping Up Crested Gecko Starter Kit
Buying a crested gecko starter kits makes setting up of crested gecko habitat easier and cheaper for reptile keepers from beginners to experts.