Eggs

[Rebecca]

My Crested geckos finally bred and I now have 4 eggs. 2 should be hatching around halloween, and the other 2 were laid just last night. My question is, will the first 2 that should hatch around the same time be ok in a 5g for the first little while?? I do have a 10g but that would be to big for hatchlings wouldn't it?? And I feed my adults baby food (they oddly won't eat anything else??) would it be ok to feed the babes that too or should I use dusted crickets if I can find them. I also have mealworms I can feed them. I think that's all my questions for now. Thanks.

[StickyToes]

We usually keep all of our hatchings in large sized "critter keepers" for the first month or so. A 5 gallon would be more then enough space to begin with. I've read that some breeders find that if the cage is too large to begin with that the hatchlings can have difficulties locating prey items, so I like to give them every possible chance!
We've found that the hatchlings don't start to readily take fruit until the second month after hatching. You may find that your hatchlings take to it right away, but you may want to have small crickets on hand just in case! We also like to feed as much of a variety as possible to help optimize growth when they are young. Mealworms may or may not be accepted, seems to be really hit and miss with cresteds, but crickets are better for them nutritionally.
Don't forget to show them off when they hatch! :D
James

[Rebecca]

Oh don't worry they'll be my first crested to hatch so there'll be TONS of pics!! The problem I have with crickets is that my LPS only has large ones. How long does it take to breed some?? Also how hard is it??

[damzookeeper]

Hi Rebecca, congrats on the babies to come! I had my first babies this year as well. I had 6 so far, had 4 duds and I've got 4 more eggs incubating that look good so far. Unlike James, my cresteds were the opposite. I couldn't get them to eat crickets for the life of me for the first month. They took babyfood off the tip of my finger but wouldn't accept the crickets. Once they did start eating crickets though, they ate with a gusto. lol. I keep my hatchlings in the little critterkeepers for the first little bit, then I move them into larger ones. But I also house each individually, not in clutch pairs. That way I can keep track of how much they eat too. :) I'd like to be able to do that with my leos as well but I had nearly 300 babies this year so that was near impossible. lol, that is why my dicision to cut down the leo collection as well. :(

Anyway, congrats on them and hope to see pictures soon. :)
Deb.

[Rebecca]

I don't plan on having too meny babies simply because I don't have the room. I have to cages and the $$ but my bedroom is already taken over by the 4 cages I already have!! Does anyone have any pics on just how much their colors change?? I'm just wondering if they stay kinda the same just lighter or darker or if they change totally.

[StickyToes]

It's kinda funny how much of a variation there is in eating habits even in the species! I have a couple gargoyles that keep crickets as pets, and others that eat anything that even looks like it might move! Our crested hatchlings don't take much of anything for the first 4 or 5 days, but after the first little poop appears it's pretty much over for any crickets that are introduced into the cage. We also house them individually to monitor feeding habits, and I start handfeeding fruit about a week after they hatch, but I don't really see a positive feeding response to fruit until the second month.

Crickets might take too long for you to establish as a viable colony that produces the sizes you need. I had a colony going about 5 years ago, but quickly found that it was easier to buy the size that I needed then to raise up the hatchlings and take care of the 1000 or so adults.

If you do end up just using baby food you may want to mix in a higher percentage of protein, as well as use something like the T-Rex GGD.
Either way, good luck and can't wait to see the pics! :D
James