




I am a first time crusted gecko owner and I really want to build the enclosure right so all feedback welcome. I got a 1 year old gecko over the weekend (impulse buy bc local lizard place was having a sale but have been planning to get one for a couple of weeks) and I hate that she is currently living in the critter carrier but I really wanted to create a bioactive enclosure which obviously takes a while.
I have a 12x12x18 front opening terrarium (I understand they need more space but for the first time build I wanted to start small and I plan to upgrade to a bigger setup in the next 6months-1year).
I’m going to include photos for reference but here is everything that I have used/plan on adding:
- Enclosure: 12x12x18 zilla tank
- Background: I’ve collected bark and the 2 branches at my local forest, cleaned with hot water and baked in the oven for 2.5h at 250 degrees. I used the good stuff pond and stone and GE 100% silicone 1 to attach these peaces to the glass
- Base: zoo med hydroballs 2.5lbs, Pangea drainage mesh substrate barrier 12×12, substrate (Zoo Med Tropical Bioblend Substrate 8qt + Zoo Med Sphagnum Moss 0.2lb + Thrive Natural Compressed Coconut Fiber Reptile Bedding 8qt (only used half the brick)) \*I used about 80% of the wetted mix
- Plants: pathos, fern, fittonia, dracaena, bromeliad
- Bioactive: zebra mix springtails and isopods + live oak leaf from Amazon
- Lights: repricircle hood with Zoo Med ReptiSun 2.5 T5 HO UVB 12 inch 15W, NICREW C10 Plants LED Aquarium Light
- Decor: Natural handmade reptile hideout (hanging moss ball), Zilla Mushroom Feeding Ledge With Dish + Pangea gecko diet with watermelon
- Others: water mister, set of 2 thermometer/hydrometer combo
I can also include prices for everything if anyone is interested but let me know if there is anything that I’ve done wrong, need to adjust, or I am missing that I will need.
by No-Mind-2493

1 Comment
Welcome to the hobby 🙂 Your decor is nice so far (just missing a few more sticks and branches all the way up under the lid + hides), but she’ll need a bigger enclosure before you planned to upgrade . A year old crested gecko should be almost fully grown. How much does it weigh? 🙂
A 12x12x18″ is very small, suitable for a baby around 5-10 grams. The usable space is less than 12x12x12 inches.