Question for vivarium owners

[AntonioAB]

Definitely nocturnal species. Feed potential pest insects in seperate container. They like tons of leafy plants, tend to hide in them while sleeping. Magnetic feeding shelf for the side glass panel will be better and lower the stress of leaving it's comfort zone.

[ALToronto]

Thank you for all the suggestions. My update:

I added a few leafy plants, and Toastie (that's what my daughter named the gecko) has become more comfortable in her new home. She hides in the leaves during the day, and explores at night. She eats some of the prepared paste, not very much at this point, and not every day. I have given up on the crickets.

Here is what her home looks like now.

[OfLeafandLimb]

Thanks for updating, and sharing your pictures. You have a very attractive setup. I'm very happy to hear that she's beginning to relax.

I don't know very much at all about crested geckos, but if she doesn't like crickets, there are lots of other feeder insects for her to try. Some other possibilities are phoenix worms (which have roughly the ideal calcium to phosphorus ratio), bean beetles, rice flour beetles, wingless fruit flies (bonus for your nepenthes), and/or praying mantids. The fruit flies and phoenix worms have lower chitin content than, say, mealworms, and phoenix worms are low in fat. Waxworms are fatty, though they make a good occasional treat.

I don't know if cresties can eat all of these, but it's worth looking into these options. Variety is the spice of life, after all!

[bicyclephysics]

My little crestie didn't seem to eat very much for the first week or two after I brought her home. I think the stress of moving to a new environment killed her appetite. After she settled in she started eating no problem. You definitely can't miss the poops even if you're not sure if the repashy has been licked at all.

Cresties don't *need* insects in their diet as long as they have a high quality paste food like repashy. You can try other feeders if you want but don't worry about it too much if she's not interested in live meals.

You could try putting the food dish up higher or behind some cover. I leave mine out on the ground in the open and I can usually see lick marks in it in the morning so not sure it matters that much where the food is located.