anyone order geckos from LLLReptile?

[ColleenT]

Hello, i am new here. i just ordered two 3 inch crested geckos from LLLReptile and i was wondering if anyone else has gotten them from there and if they were healthy. they had a good deal, 2 for $85. but i did not get to chose color, they are all similar in color. That is ok, i think they are all cool looking.

i am new to Cresteds. But i have had Leopard Geckos. i am so excied to get the cresteds (wednesday or thursday), and my tank is a 44 gallon tank with 36x18 floor and 16? high. i already have crickets and calcium and i have mealworms, b/c i have bats. i am a bat rehabilitator. Bats are great to work with. But there is no money in it. Fortunately, my husband makes good money. but i have also read that there is a special mix by TREX or something that you can feed to the crested and they don't need crickets or mealworms b/c it has all the nutrients they need. has anyone used this product? thanks. And please tell me about your Rhaco's. :D Colleen

[alan]

They shouldn't be put into the large enclosure right away if they are still young. Put them in a 5 gallon or a 10 gallon depending on their size. I did run across LLLreptiles' site before but I didn't order anything from them. Do tell me if they are any good when the cresties arrived cos I am shopping around for them right now :D

[ColleenT]

so they should not have a lot of space right away? I guess i can put a smaller tupperware container inside the tank for now. I have fake vines and branches and retile carpet in the big tank. also a red basking light 50 watt and a small heat pad under the tank. i will let you know how they look when i get them. thanks.

[ColleenT]

Was it wrong of me to mention LLLReptile? i did not mean to cause any problems. if anyone has any comments about them, please feel free to email me at troiani@voicenet.com i did not realize i might be breaking the rules. Sorry. :eek:
and after thursday you can email me if you want to know how they look, healthwise. i did not mean to step on anyone's toes.

[RaVeNo888o]

you dont really need a heat pad or basking light..they live at room temperatures 70-80, high seventy being ideal. it all depends on what you keep your house at..
If you already have crickets and mealworms you may just wanna stick with those and some baby food instead of feeding them the t-rex diet. It is your choice. The diet will give you everything it needs so you wont have to worry about other foods..it may be reluctant to feed on it at first but you should be able to get it to eat it. The crested i bought was brought up on the diet and cricks and is healthy. I am going to get some at the toronto show and start to feed that to him since he was already established on it

the tank may be a bit big for now for only 2 juvi cresteds..if you can get a temporary smaller tank/rubbermaid for now since they may not be able to find food in the larger tank.

[HeatherRose]

Be careful with the basking light and heat pad! I've seen people with heatpads and high temps for their cresteds almost lose them.

Any light you use shouldn't be over 30 watts and any temperatures over 80 are not a good idea :(

[stretch]

I just purchased an albino leo from them today it will arrive on Tuesday. Hopefully everything will work out fine. I'll post up when I get them.

[eyespy]

Originally posted by ColleenT
Was it wrong of me to mention LLLReptile? i did not mean to cause any problems. if anyone has any comments about them, please feel free to email me at troiani@voicenet.com i did not realize i might be breaking the rules. Sorry. :eek:
and after thursday you can email me if you want to know how they look, healthwise. i did not mean to step on anyone's toes.

There's nothing wrong with asking people's opinions of a vendor or breeder and asking that folks reply privately through email or PM. That way folks can share their personal experiences without either airing dirty laundry in public or doing a bit of free advertising for a few select companies. It's just best to keep discussions that are out on the forums nice and general so that nobody feels like filing any lawsuits against this website.

[ColleenT]

thanks everyone.

my house does get cold, b/c the weather here is mostly winter like. I try to keep the inside of my house at 70-72, so if i keep either the light OR the pad is that better? maybe i can find a red light with a lower wattage. the basking light is the small size, maybe 6 inches across. The heatpad itself, is about 5x6 inches i think, it might even be smaller, and since it is a tank, i think i can keep good humidity without covering the screen. the screen top has good size holes, it is the metal type screen, not the soft-screen type, so i think the temps will regulate. and with the size of the tank compared to the size of the heaters, i just figured they could go far away from the heat if they need to. do they know enough to do that?

i can always unplug the heater or turn off the basking light. But how do i know for sure the temp in the tank? do the therostats that you stick on to the outside of the tank give an accurate reading? i would not think so. I'll go to the Pet shop this week and see what i can find. unfortunately, the best reptile place i have found is an hour from me, so i cannot always run up there. maybe Monday night i can. I plan to start them on crickets and mealworms, but i would like to switch to babyfood with the T-Rex diet if possible, since it is supposed to be a complete diet.i have read about mealworms eating their way out of a lizard. do not know if it is true, but that scares me.

[little_dragon_]

That is a myth!!! There's no way a mealworm could eat its way out of a lizards stomach unless it crawlwed in while the lizard was dead...A lizards stomach acids would finish off a mealworm if it didn't kill it before swallowing it.

[damzookeeper]

OMG that myth is still going around. lol.

Good luck with the cresties! I love those little buggers. :)

[JeffT]

One more suggestion, when they grow up and you put them in the big tank, I think they would be much more happy if you were to tip it on its side so that they have 36 height instead of 16. These animals are aboreal and they need a lot more height then ground space.
Good luck with them.

[ColleenT]

Hmm... maybe i'll look around for a tall tank. usually i can find them in flea markets or garage sales. there is always a tank that someone tried to keep fish in and they usually go fairly cheap.

I was riding my horse, today, and i saw this huge area of moss. i will have to go back there and collect a bunch for the tank. i read that moss is good for the bottom of the tank. Of course, i have read so many conflicting things, it makes me wonder what to believe. What do you all think?

Also i picked up a thermometer today and a hygrometer. my tank is not very hot at all. i currently have the two baby Leopards in there until Wednesday, when my friend is taking them, so i wanted to see how warm it really was with the heat pad and the red basking light it is not that warm. about 82 degrees. and that was under the basking light. humidity about 70. but they have a humid hide box with peat moss in it. that is more humid than the rest of the tank.

[HeatherRose]

82 is too hot.....I wouldn't let it get over 78-80...they aren't like other geckos that can take the higher temperatures, if they have to withstand one of the extremes,it should be cold :(

Cresteds DON"T need a basking light at all! If you want light so you can see them, use nothing over a 30 watt bulb. They don't need a heat pad either!

You are going to COOK your cresteds with a basking light and heat pad....they're NOT like leos.

Moss is fine, you can get it at petstores. I wouldn't use moss you just find anywhere, unless you like...boil or bake it or something, just to be safe.

[ColleenT]

ok, i'll unplug the heat pad and i'll get a smaller watt red light for night time viewing.

but now, how do i keep the humidity high without the heat, will it stay humid at a cool temp? sorry if that is a stupid question. i am not very smart about humidity (or any type of science, really.)

i am afraid the tank will be too cold, tho. do you really think it will be ok at 70 degrees? how do i warm the tank slightly without overheating it? would a 30 watt red bulb keep it 75 or so during the day? i read somewhere that the day temps should be warmer than the night temps. do you do anything to change the temp from day to night?

now i'm worried:( i hope i can get this right.

[alan]

There should be hotter areas in your house, I moved my cresties into the family room because my room got too hot during summer.
If you are going to use a light bulb, monitor the temp closely in the first few days. If it gets too hot, simply move the light source further away from the tank.

[ColleenT]

well, i guess they have to stay in the room they are in, and the house is mostly open, so there is no way to close a door and keep the room warm or cool. at least downstairs. the upstairs we have no room for that tank.

but i like the light idea. i could raise it up on wood blocks wrapped in aluminum foil. that way i probably would not catch the wood on fire?

[HeatherRose]

:D sorry if I came off harsh, someone in a petstore told me it didn't matter what colour/wattage I used, and I almost fried my crestie :( But I got several second opinions.

I have a big reptisun 5.0 uvb light, and it's not HOT but it keeps the humidity up...I mist really often, whenever I think of it..., my humidity's fine :D

Hope it goes well...

[ColleenT]

Heather, please don't think i was offended or anything.. i need to know what is correct. i actually bought a Repti-light? i forget the name the 5.0 version. they had 2.0 and 8.o also. do you think that light alone would keep the tank warm enough (over 70 but under 80?) I got some more reptivines from Flukers. i really like them. they can hang on the back wall of the tank. I also got a night time moon light at 15 watts. i can put the light on a timer for day and night. Oh, man, i am so excited. Cannot wait to see my babies. :rsmile:

[HeatherRose]

The lights not for warmth, it's for rays.....ubv rays.

74-76 is good for your cresties...if it drops below that just a bit, that's fine.......but over 78-80 is pushing it. They're not like leos :|

[ColleenT]

i realize the light is not made to supply heat, but will it give off some heat anyway? just a little? i know they say that Crested do not need UVA/UVB but i thought i would get it b/c it probably won't hurt, and it may help a little. and it was on sale. i just have no idea how to make sure they are in the right temp range. that is why i keep asking these questions. i KNOW they need to be at 70-80, But i am having a hard time figuring out how to keep them at that temp, since the house gets pretty cold in the winter. i guess i'll have to keep testing the temps until i figure something out. Thanks.

[DragnDrop]

Cresties are comfy at the same temperature range as humans. If your house is warm enough for you, they'll be okay. In summer it would be a bit warmer, and the cooler temps in winter give them a somewhat natural cycle, all to their benefit. I don't use any extra heat on any of my Rhacodactylus geckos and they're doing just great.

Don't try to keep the humidity at 60%+ day and night. Mist them 2 or 3 times a day, and let the tank dry out somewhat. If you keep the humidity up too high all the time, you risk growing fungus and mold. Before long you have a rotting tank and sick or dying geckos. They need to have some fluctuation in humidity during the day, but an average of 50 - 70% is okay for the high. If you notice a musty smell similar to a damp basement, you're overdoing it. If you're worried that it might not be humid enough, provide a floor area with a humid hide spot - maybe some bark they can hide under, resting on slightly moist peat or moss. If they need more humidity for shedding, they'll find that hiding spot. The rest of the time, hanging in the plants will be sufficient.

You'll love the cresties, they're addicting.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/321rch1h-med.jpg

[ColleenT]

Thank you so much, i was starting to panic. thanks for the tips on humidity. i just don't want to harm the little guys b/c they are just TOO cute:zi:

I picked up some plants today and replanted in organic soil with no vermiculite or perlite. i hope they grow well. is thursday ever gonna get here?

[little_dragon_]

If you want a good Light for your Crestie Cage and the plants. Go to Canadian Tire and buy a Glow and Gro Plant Light by GE. It's 25 inches long, and will last 3-5 years on normal usage. My plants have been growing well with the light for 4 weeks. It Costs 19.99. I gutted an old incadescent light Canopy for a 25 Gallon and Screwed the Strip light to it.

[ColleenT]

Little Dragon, LOL! it would take me a long time to get there. i live in the USA. we don't have that store.

I got a good light i think it is called a repti-grow? it is a 5.0. gives UVA and UVB, so the plants should do ok on it.

[alan]

Your cresties don't need UVB lights but they will benefit from it. I myself use a very simple cage set up with no lights and paper substrate. Most of the plants need UVB light but I still have one live plant on each of the enclosure (Pothos) that will thrive with minimal UVB lights. However, I would like to look to get more different type of plants that will survive with little UVB and put them in instead of the silk plants I use right now.

[stretch]

I just recieved my albino leo today from lll reptile. It was in very good shape especially since it was on the truck longer than it was suppose too. When I opened the package it was very alert and had good size for its age. There was nothing I could find wrong with it that I could see with the naked eye.

[ColleenT]

i am so glad to hear it. i get mine tomorrow, and i pray the truck gets here early, but knowing the local deivery people, it will be the last delivery of the day. i just hope they are going to be ok. the heat is not good for the Crested geckos, so that is what i am afraid of. (hot delivery truck)

[stretch]

Mine was supposed to arrive here at ten in the morning, but an accident left it on there till 4:30 pm. They had it packed with cool packs though. They said they do it like that just in case of those kinds of delays. They had him packed really good so nothing would happen to the gecko. The gecko popped his head out of the paper bag so alertly it was like he was only there for a few minutes. Thats a nice place to deal with. I ordered supplies from there before and had a positive experience with them too.

[ColleenT]

good to know they are reputable, but you're in in Cali. so i think you'll have better luck.

i am all the way on the east coast. i just worry about such a long trip, but it is supposed to come UPS RED,(whatever that is.) i am too excited. i just finished my tank setup. lots of Repti-vines for climbing. fake pothos and some other type of purple/green leaves, plus my two live pothos and my parlor palm. i actually gave them so many hiding places i am afraid i'll never find them!( j/k).... but this way they won't feel stressed. the Repti-vines by Flukers have tiny suction cups/hooks with them. this way you can run a vine across the tank if you want. i also picked up a couple more suction cup /hooks at Target. very usefull, but we shall see if they hold up.

[stretch]

Are they shipping over night? If they are its gonna be by plane so it really won't be that much of a trip. It will be in the plane most of the time. You don't have to worry about it getting too hot cause its gonna be in the night. Ups red is just a fragile perishable code. Good luck with your lizard.

[ColleenT]

Thanks, Stretch, i'll post a new thread as soon as they arrive and get settled in the enclosure.