Crested gecko and new enclosure!

[wodesorel]

Absolutely in love with how this turned out! So is he! He was eating within 20 minutes of moving in.

We got Coprolite about a year and a half ago from Herps Alive reptile rescue in Cleveland and this is his new upgraded home. He was found on a sidewalk and then surrendered a few months later when the surprise owner couldn't care for him anymore. He is an absolute doll and pays no mind to our cats. Since crested have to stay cool (under 80) he lives in the bedroom since I keep it 55-75 degrees in here depending on the time of year which is perfect for him.

The tank and most all of the supplies came from Pure Pet in Salem, and it's been almost a year in the making because we never do anything quickly. It finally came together last night! Tank is 18x18x36 so it's a massive upgrade for our active little guy. Hopefully no more scaring the crap out of us by slamming into his screen door at all hours of the night!

Tank is a Zoomed Skyscraper that came with a full cork backing. We added matching lightstrip, cork bark rounds, sphagnum moss, and a Reptirock. Fake plants are Exoterra and All Living Things (the plastic ferns). Vines and magnetic gecko dish are from Flukers.

The large log with the hollow was collected a few years ago with the idea of building a tank around it and it has not disappointed! Cross branches are old lilac from our backyard woth the bark peeled off, held in place with great foam and covered with Titebond III and sphagnum.

The flower.fabric is from Walmart ($4 a yard!) and the topper is cardboard and removable, it's there to keep the cats from jumping up top and causing trouble and also to diffuse the lighting for both him and us. They are nocturnal so they don't need bright light and there is cross-pond debate on the need for UVB. I have more fabric so the new fishtank and ruggie tank can match. (They will be ready in the next few weeks.)

The stand it is on kind of sucks - thank you stupid cats for scratching it all up - but it will work for now while we look for something better with an appropriate sized top. Hubby had to add a 2x4 extension so the tank would fit, but it is sturdy!

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[piratetoothgir]

Looove it!
Is that completely New Zealand Sphagnum?

Looks extremely natural, and with a cute gecko!

[wodesorel]

Thanks!

Yes, the substrate is just the good Zoomed Sphagnum from New Zealand. I love it, it's all pillowy and squeaky. Surprisingly one block was enough to cover it all. He doesn't need anything fancy since he is arboreal, just something to keep the humidity up. For whatever reason this moss doesn't set my allergies off like the other mosses and soil do.

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[Moonlightdreams]

I love the tank! Looks great, Wode. Your gecko is adorable! He looks very sweet. I love their little feet. So cute. Those are great pictures!

[aussieJJDude]

As always, your setups look amazing wod! I've seen a few people now use the zoomed skyscaper in many viv builds recently, they seem like really good tanks!

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[wodesorel]

I had originally wanted a tall Exoterra, and my friend talked me into the Zoomed instead because they had got one a few months before for display and really liked it. It was also much cheaper, and I like the single door now that I have one of each - this one latches shut just by closing it, no question on if the latch is in place like with the exoterras (hello Ine in the bathroom) which I need with the cats around. It also has holes for a lock, so I can wire it shut with a paperclip as an added precaution just in case they ever paw at the latch. The included cork bark background was also a selling point since buying one (or two panels given the height) would have really added to the cost. The screen top is flimsy by comparison and does not look like it can be repaired like the exoterras can, but the zoomed lights sit across the plastic rims so as long as nothing is touching it, it probably is not a big deal. It is a bit on the heavy side though, I would not be able to lift it! I am glad for sasquatch hubby who can move these things around for me.

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[GotButterflies]

Oh my goodness...that face...those eyelashes! Adorable! Beautiful job on the tank! You have some lucky reptiles Wode!

[jclee]

Your little one is adorable! Great work on the tank.

My gecko, Roadtrip agrees...

[ROSIEonFIRE]

whoa that is one lucky gecko? how big is that tank? also, that moss is fabulous. what a great idea for a totally impaction proof, visually appealing substrate! what brand CGD are you feeding him?

i also really love that central log. lately ive been thinking that once my molter comes back up im gonna do some spring cleaning on the crabitat and a little redecorating. ive been imagining doing a central log kind of like this one. how did you secure the log in the tank?

[wodesorel]

I just used a bit of floral wire and secured it to the slots on top for air tubing. The cross branches hold it securely, the wire just keeps it from spinning. That branch was a really lucky find, wind drop in the backyard of what is going to be our new house.

The tank is 18x18x36, the Zoomed Skyscraper. The only thing I don't like about it is that when the door opens there is a skinny gap on the other side, and yes he can fit through it. I've had to boop his nose to get him back in a few times! He now sits and stares at that spot for hours every night waiting for it to reappear. He was a found on sidewalk gecko and now I know why! I do all cleaning and food changing when he's asleep during the day to be safe since we have cats.

As for CGD, Repashy all the way. I have bought Pangea to try and it is much tougher to get mixed. As for flavors, I've collected them all. The Ruggie likes them as well so I figure why not!

I am in love with having his tank where it is. He sits in his birdhouse and we watch TV together before bed!

[ROSIEonFIRE]

haha you really went hogwild with the flavors! yeah repashy is the best imho, i tried the pangea stuff once and had some trouble with it as well. ive had my crested gecko for about 13 years now and when i first got him CGD was still sort of a new thing. i still remember when the flavored stuff hit the market, everyone was flipping out about it! lol

[wodesorel]

Holy cow!! 13 years? That is incredible!

I will say that is the one thing I am dissapointed with when it comes to Coprolite - we have no clue how old he is. He was a full adult when found and he's rather plain (wildtype) so he could be 5, or he could be one of the early ones and be 25. I think of him as a grumpy old man though!

[ROSIEonFIRE]

haha, love that name by the way. id really like to get a coprolite and keep it on my desk and tell people its my lucky poop. so i guess your crestie is your lucky poopie!

when i say 13 years i am rounding slightly. i got him when i was 18 and i just recently turned 30 so thats like around 12 years ago, and he was already 6 months old when i got him. i guess what i mean to say is ive had boogie monster for like forever and hes around 13 years old, give or take 6 months im really proud ive managed to keep him going as long as i have but honestly cresties are so easy to take care of it really wasnt hard. this might sound morbid but lately alot of the times when i go to feed him or check on him if hes not like, obviously alive i get really freaked out that maybe he finally kicked the bucket and i cant feel better until ive kind of nudged him a little and see him move lol

its gonna be really weird when he dies. weve been through alot together. its been a great 13 years with him! im sure your cresties will live a nice long time too by the looks of your set up

[wodesorel]

I do that with my leos! Most are mangled from MBD and probably won't have a full lifespan, and then they sleep completely limp and they always look like goners because it's hard to see them breathing and they are out cold. I have panicked so many times! They always look at me like dirt for poking them to check.

I had been telling my hubby for years I wanted a gecko that looked like bird poop. Don't know why, I just think it is a wonderful camouflage trick. Figured it would eventually be a gargoyle gecko, but we take what falls in our laps, and in this case it was Cop literally jumping into hubby's at the adoption event! It's also a throwback to a friend I fell out with years ago, we actually met passing a piece of coprolite at a summer camp for geeks. I keep doing that - I also have/had two cats with names related to stuff we did - but I didn't realize it until years later.

[wodesorel]

Had to redo the bottom because of mold and fungus. Was not happy! I ended up growing a giant sheet of white and green and with it being three feet from my bed it was like noooo. Not happening.

It ended up eating through the main branch, so I had to tear out a lot of rot. Scrubbed everything down with chlorhexidine. Removed some cork, got the vines off the moss (yes, they mold, too!), scrubbed the plants down. Left the whole thing to dry out for a few weeks, then rebuilt. Put the branch in a plastic container to allow air flow and keep it dry, and went with less moss.

Found that awesome roofed birdhouse at a local greenhouse and thought it would be perfect for him!