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Key Takeaway:
- Crested geckos require high humidity due to their rainforest habitat.
- Humidity should be maintained between 60 and 80 percent for their health.
- Proper humidity ensures complete shedding and prevents dehydration and skin issues.
- Humidity levels beyond 80 percent can lead to infections and discomfort.
- Baby crested geckos also need the same humidity range and regular misting.
- Ways to increase humidity: misting, automatic misters, small waterfalls, and damp substrate.
- Ways to lower humidity: improve ventilation, use dehumidifiers, and choose suitable substrates.
- Extra tips: use live plants, consider a bioactive terrarium, and use an automatic mister.
- Too much humidity (above 80 percent) can harm crested geckos.
- A humidifier is recommended but not necessary if manual misting is done effectively.
Crested geckos come from the rainforests of New Caledonia, Australia.
Owing to the natural habitat of rainforests, crested geckos need high humidity to survive and thrive in the wild as well as in captivity as pets.
In order to ensure the good health and comfort of your crested gecko, you should keep the humidity of your crested gecko enclosure between 60 and 80 percent.
Importance Of Humidity For Crested Geckos
Crested geckos come from rainforests. This means that they have evolved and adapted to living under highly humid conditions.
Humidity is important for crested geckos for the following reasons:
Proper humidity ensures complete shedding.
In case of improper humidity levels, incomplete shedding can lead to some shed skin being stuck in spaces between the toes, near the vent, and near the eyes of your crested gecko.
This can soon turn into necrosis and lead to severe health issues.
Proper humidity prevents dehydration.
Crested geckos will get dehydrated if the humidity levels of their tanks are not maintained.
This can also lead to severe health issues and in the worst case, it can become fatal for your crested gecko.
Proper humidity keeps the skin healthy.
Your crested gecko’s skin will become coarse, dry, and flaky if proper humidity is not maintained.
And when that happens, your crested gecko will be more prone to blisters, scratches, and open wounds on the skin.
Can Humidity Be Too High For Crested Gecko?
Yes, humidity levels beyond 80 percent are too high for crested geckos.
This can make your crested gecko uneasy and increase the risk of skin-related issues such as bacterial or fungal infections, blisters, etc.
What Should The Temp And Humidity Be For Crested Geckos?
The daytime temperature for crested geckos should be between 72 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
The nighttime temperature for crested geckos should be between 60 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
The humidity for crested geckos should be between 60 and 80 percent.
From time to time, however, you should reduce the humidity to 50 percent to prevent the risk of bacterial and fungal growth inside the enclosure.
This should be done at least once a day, after which you should mist the enclosure to bring it back to the regular levels of humidity.
Humidity Levels For Baby Crested Geckos
Even for baby crested geckos, the humidity levels must be within the same range of 60 to 80 percent with a regular drop to 50 percent followed by misting to prevent bacterial or fungal growth.
Ideal Humidity Levels For Crested Geckos
Crested geckos require moderate to high levels of humidity. Use a hygrometer to measure the relative humidity and aim for a range of 60 to 80 percent.
By frequently spraying with warm filtered water, you can keep the humidity level stable.
Instead of a dish, your crested gecko will most frequently drink from water spray droplets.
How To Increase Humidity For Crested Gecko
Some ways to increase humidity for crested geckos are:
- Mist the enclosure with lukewarm water 2 to 3 times a day.
- Use an automatic mister that will mist the enclosure regularly.
- Place a small waterfall inside the enclosure.
- Use paper towels drenched in lukewarm water as substrate.
How To Keep Humidity Up In Gecko Tank
In order to keep humidity levels maintained in the tank of your crested gecko, you must keep the following points in mind.
- The glass tank should be properly sealed.
- The tank should be misted at least 2 to 3 times a day.
- The temperature of the tank should be maintained within the ideal range.
- The tank should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
How To Lower Humidity In Crested Gecko Tank
Some ways to lower humidity in the tank of your crested gecko are:
1 – Ventilation of the tank
Effectively reducing humidity levels may be accomplished by maintaining good ventilation and airflow inside the enclosure.
Your humidity levels will significantly change if you increase ventilation.
If the enclosure doesn’t already have one, the first step in solving this problem is to put a mesh screen on top of it.
Mesh screens enable great airflow, guaranteeing adequate ventilation.
If your enclosure already has a mesh screen on it and you’re still having problems, you might want to think about adding a tiny computer fan that’s powered by USB to aid with ventilation and humidity control.
2 – Ventilation of the room
It may be more challenging to provide your crested gecko with the ideal humidity levels if you live in a humid environment.
If decreasing the humidity in the habitat has proven unsuccessful, you might want to think about lowering the humidity in the room where your reptile enclosure is kept.
You may do this by opening all of the room’s windows and letting natural ventilation, or you might think about utilizing a room dehumidifier.
3 – Substrate
The following substrates are the best for reducing humidity levels in your crested gecko enclosure:
- Newspaper is easily accessible and is quick and simple to replenish.
- Paper towels are inexpensive, readily available, and quick and simple to use as a cleaning agent.
4 – Reduce Misting
Another thing that you can do to reduce the humidity levels of your crested gecko tank is to reduce the frequency of misting.
How To Create A Humid Vivarium
In order to increase the humidity of the tank, or to create a humid tank from scratch, you need to consider the following points.
Plants
Using live plants inside the enclosure will not only make it more naturalistic but also help add humidity to the enclosure.
Through a process known as evapotranspiration, plants raise the air’s humidity level.
Transpiration is the process through which water from the soil rises through the plant’s roots, stems, and leaves to reach the leaves, where it evaporates into the atmosphere through holes on the leaves known as stomata.
Substrates
Another important factor that adds to the humidity of your crested gecko enclosure is the substrate material that you use.
It should be such that it can retain moisture without becoming waterlogged. Such substrates include sphagnum moss and coconut fiber.
They absorb and retain moisture but do not flood the enclosure.
Misting And Humidifiers
Automatic misters and humidifiers help you mist the tank at regular intervals with distilled water.
This also increases the humidity levels of the tank.
Type Of Enclosure
The most important, yet overlooked, factor in maintaining humidity in your crested gecko tank is the material of the tank used.
Using a wooden or plastic tank will not be as effective in maintaining humidity as a glass tank.
Do Crested Geckos Need High Humidity?
Yes, crested geckos need high humidity. The humidity levels should be between 60 and 80 percent in their tanks.
What Is The Humidity At Night For Crested Gecko
Even at night, the humidity levels for a crested gecko tank must be between 60 and 80 percent.
This can be ensured by misting the enclosure twice: once in the morning and then again at dusk.
Extra Tips For Maintaining Humidity
Some tips that will help you maintain humidity are listed below:
- Use a glass enclosure instead of a wooden or plastic one.
- Use live plants inside the enclosure.
- Opt for a bioactive terrarium if you have the resources for it.
- Install a small waterfall inside the enclosure.
- Use an automatic mister.
FAQs
Is Too Much Humidity Bad For Crested Geckos?
Humidity above 80 percent is bad for crested geckos as it can lead to fungal and bacterial infections and make the crested gecko uneasy.
Do Crested Geckos Need A Humidifier?
It is recommended to use a humidifier for your crested gecko tank. However, if you are comfortable using a manual spray bottle for misting, you don’t need a humidifier.
Summary
Humidity is one of the most important factors to consider when bringing home a pet crested gecko.
Since crested geckos are originally from rainforests, they require high humidity in their environment.
The ideal range of humidity for crested geckos is between 60 and 80 percent.
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