u/Heidirs

I keep finding conflicting info. I'm looking at a grow light for plants and a uvb light. Thinking of picking up a dual bulb fixture.

It seems that lighting outside the tank isn't recommended because some of the light will naturally be blocked by the mesh. I've seen setups with lights inside for reptiles like bearded dragons, but crested geckos climb. How do you do inside lights without them hurting themselves?

I also found a suggestion for strip lighting for the plants, but I thought sticky stuff inside the tank was also a no go?

What do people normally do?

I didn't realize crested gecko toes curl upward. That's crazy! (Apparently they do that to help peel themselves off surfaces.) And I've also noticed their curled toes kinda jiggle like oversized clown shoes. They're adorable.

Brought home a new crestie yesterday evening. Her previous owner gave her to me with her enclosure. She's reportedly 1yr old.

She's in a 20 gallon hexagonal tall tank without much of anything in it. I added some clutter for her, and she immediately went and hid. I noticed her fired up and open mouth breathing, so I covered the walls of her enclosure with a towel, turned the lights off, and left her alone. Peeked in on her later, and she had calmed down.

I checked on her before going to bed last night and when I got up this morning. I found her in different positions each time, so she's moving around.

She had a feeding ledge with moldy food in it. I took that out, scrubbed it, and added water. I added leaf litter and fake plants to give her some cover.

My question is (1) does the two week leave alone rule still apply? I was hoping not putting her in a new enclosure might help her settle a bit faster. But obviously my house is a new environment.

(2) Is it wrong of me to mess with her enclosure right now? I gave her more foliage for hiding but there's not much else in there. I wanted to add some branches for her. Additionally, her tank has soil but now drainage layer and I see some water collecting. I need to scoop the soil out and add some drainage.

(3) As a hexagonal glass tank that is wide open visually, should I permanently block out some/most of the walls to make her feel more comfortable?

I saw the CDC doesn't recommend anyone over 65 keep reptiles due to the salmonella risk. And I just curious if anyone did it anyway and how it's going?

Did a little meet and greet about an hour ago to see a crestie someone was rehoming. The little bugger jumped on my face, and I opened my mouth in surprise. Their tail went in my mouth.

I've looked up salmonella risk with reptiles. And I keep seeing "just don't put it in your mouth." Well, uh... I kinda did.

I went out to breakfast with friends. Brain was foggy that morning, but meds usually help, so spent about an hour or so zombie-ish waiting for them to kick in and wondering why they weren't working. Got home and reached into my pocket and felt my meds. Realized I hadn't taken them.

I'm a walking meme.

I am space blind and have a lot of trouble picturing how big something is until I actually see it. For people for have a 24x18x36 or bigger enclosure, would you mind posting a picture and include your surroundings so I have a frame of reference? (only if you're comfortable with that, of course)

Bonus points if you have a 36x18x36.

I keep finding conflicting sources.

Some say the only fake plants appropriate for a crested gecko enclosure should be either 100% plastic or silicone - the ones you find for an aquarium.

And then I find so many budget tips that are "just buy your plants at the craft store. They're made of the same stuff as the reptile ones and are way cheaper." But they don't mention any safety tips. Just purchase and throw in, I guess.

And I've found some sources that say craft plants are fine as long as they aren't scented, don't have sharp edges or wires poking out or glitter, and also wash them before adding them to the enclosure. If the fabric frays in the wash, throw them out.

What's the correct method here? What is everyone's experience?

I was thinking about specifically adopting a retired breeder gecko because I like the idea of giving a good life to an animal that has likely only ever known breeder tubs. However, I've read that retired breeder males are more likely to display "horny" behaviors, and retired breeder females are more likely to produce infertile eggs.

However, these things are a toss up with any normal gecko. And I can't find information on just how significant "more likely" is. Curious if anyone has a retired breeder gecko and your experience with them.