In our previous post, we have discussed the best substrate options for a crested gecko’s terrarium. Also, you can learn how to make bioactive soil substrate for your crested gecko’s habitat.
In this post, you will learn everything about lighting, humidity and temperature in a crested gecko’s terrarium. We will cover optimal temperatures, creating temperature gradients, and setting up lighting and humidity.
Ideal temperatures in a crested gecko’s terrarium. What temperatures do crested geckos need?
Geckos naturally inhabit New Caledonia, which sees warm temperatures all year round. This is what you will need to mimic.
- Average daytime temperatures in the background should be between 71-79 degrees Fahrenheit (21.6-26.1 degrees Celsius) and maximum 83 degrees F (28.3 Celsius) right under the bulb.
- Ideal temperatures for a crested gecko are around 75 F (23.8 C) in the warm side, and 68-70 (20-21.1 C) in the cool spot.
- Night time temperatures must be much lower. Optimal night time temperatures for a crested gecko’s terrarium are around 69 degrees Fahrenheit (20.5 degrees Celsius) from summer until autumn. And in winter, around 63-65 F (17.2-18.3 Celsius) at night.
- Any temperatures that are above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.6 degrees Celsius) for ambient temperatures will harm your crested gecko and cause it stress.
- In winter, daytime temperatures can be as low as 70-72 (21.1-22.2 degrees Celsius) in the shade.
If your room temperatures are optimal for a crested gecko, don’t use any bulbs for additional heat.
If temperatures are low in the room, you will need to heat the room or the vivarium, and if it gets too hot in the room in summer, use air conditioning.
Importance of a temperature gradient in a crested gecko’s terrarium
You will need to create a temperature gradient in a crested gecko’s vivarium. As we have discussed, the temperature under the bulb (if you have any) will be higher. And you need to make sure one side of the tank is cooler and provides a hideout for your crested gecko.
Branches, foliage and hideout caves will help your crested gecko hide from higher temperatures, relax and cool down. If you don’t create a temperature gradient, your gecko will be stressed out and can die from high temperatures (if that is the case).
Don’t place crested gecko’s vivarium near a window, where direct sunlight can reach the tank. Crested geckos don’t like bright light. Direct sunlight can also increase the temperatures inside the terrarium to dangerously high levels.
Combometer example
Measuring and controlling temperatures in a crested gecko’s terrarium.
You will need to measure temperatures in a crested gecko’s terrarium regularly. For this, you will need to place ideally two digital thermometers (more accurate than analog) in the hot spot and in the shade. This way you will make sure that temperatures are optimal and that there is a temperature gradient.
There are different types of thermometers, and it might be practical to buy combometers (both thermometer and hygrometers like this) and placing them in two parts of the vivarium. A good hygrometer + thermometer should have a waterproof movable probe so that you can measure temperatures in different parts of a terrarium.
To measure temperatures, you can also use a digital laser infrared thermometer gun. It will tell you an exact temperature through the glass in a specific spot, and you won’t need to move anything. But this should be used in combination with thermometers/combometers.
Are under tank heat mats or hot rocks suitable for heating crested gecko’s vivarium?
Avoid using any hot rocks for your crested gecko’s vivarium! Hot rocks get very hot, and they are meant for basking reptiles. But hot rocks should be avoided with any reptiles – they can get hot suddenly and cause burns.
Heat pads/mats are also not very suitable for heating a crested gecko’s vivarium. The purpose of heat mats is to heat a portion of the vivarium, not the whole surface area.
This is important for creating a gradient. What is more, crested geckos are very unlikely to go to a warm spot where a heat mat is located under the terrarium. It is better to heat the vivarium by heating the room or using bulbs.
How to measure and control temperatures inside your crested gecko’s vivarium?
Another important thing is to use a thermostat like this that will control the temperatures inside the vivarium. A thermostat/temperature controller will help regulate temperatures and make sure that they are not too high or too low. You can also use a rheostat. You will need to connect a thermostat to a power center.
Lighting in a crested gecko’s terrarium. What lighting do crested geckos need?
Crested geckos do not have any specific lighting requirements. This is because crested geckos are crepuscular (become active at dawn and dusk), and in their natural habitat, they hide during daylight hours. Crested geckos tend to hide in trees, substrate or behind leaves to rest and avoid bright light.
Crested geckos might receive some UVB light from the sun in their natural environment. And even though you don’t need to buy bulbs with high UVB output with calcium and vitamin D supplemented diet, it can be still beneficial to get bulbs with low UVB output.
Set up lights in crested gecko’s vivarium but don’t turn them on unless temperatures drop. With optimal temperatures in the room and enough natural daylight, you won’t need to turn on lights.
Crested gecko lighting setup
Repti-Glo 2.0 full-spectrum light fluorescent bulb
If you want to increase the temperature in the crested gecko’s tank, use fluorescent bulb (especially if you have live plants in the tank) or a full-spectrum low UVB output compact bulb. Compact fluorescent full-spectrum lights are ideal for a terrarium with few live plants.
To sum up, you will need bulbs only if room temperature drops, and you might use either fluorescent lights or low UVB compact bulbs. You can also use a fixture in a hood if you have many plants. This way you will cover a larger area. But make sure there are places for your gecko to hide from light.
What watt light bulb for a crested gecko?
25 watt bulbs are ideal for smaller tanks and if the temperature doesn’t drop by more than 10 degrees F from normal. With larger tanks and very low room temperatures, you can use 40 watt bulbs.
Experiment and measure temperatures to see if more heat is needed. And make sure to create a temperature gradient with a warm and cool sides. This will allow your crested gecko to move from a hot side to a cool side when needed.
Crested gecko light bulb to use during the day.
One of the good bulbs that you can use for a crested gecko’s terrarium is this Repti-Glo 2.0 compact fluorescent full-spectrum bulb. This bulb is low wattage (26 watt) and produces 30% of UVA and 5% of UVB.
Light bulb for a crested gecko to use at night.
Crested geckos can see colors, so try avoiding using black or red bulbs. The best idea is to heat the room itself and skip using the light in the terrarium. But if you want to use the light bulb inside the crested gecko’s terrarium at night, you can try using a blue moonlight lamp.
Blue lights usually don’t interfere with crested gecko’s routine. But still, make sure to watch your pet and see how it reacts. Red bulbs can be used if there is no other option. Colored bulbs will also help you observe your crested gecko at night.
Heat the room or use a night bulb if the room temperature drops below 62 degrees Fahrenheit (16.6 degrees Celsius) in winter. Or, this is 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) in summer.
- If your room gets cold at night, you can use a night vision reptile bulb, such as this Night-Glo moonlight lamp, 25 watt.
- Another an even better choice is a CHE bulb. If the temperature in the room drops below 65 at night, you can also use a small low wattage ceramic heat emitting bulb like this (25 watt for small tanks, and 40 watt bulb for a bigger tank and lower temperatures).
Which light bulbs should you not use for a crested gecko’s terrarium?
Avoid buying any bulbs that get hot, as it will stress your crested gecko. Don’t choose mercury vapor, halogen or incandescent light bulbs as they emit too much heat. If temperatures drop too low at night, use a night bulb. Also, don’t choose any basking light as they will get very hot.
How to set up lighting in a crested gecko’s terrarium?
To set up the lights, first choose the bulb that you will need. Everything will depend on room temperatures. There are few choices for setting up the lights. Below you can find two of the best ways for setting up crested gecko’s lights.
If you choose to use a fixture instead of bulbs, then you will need a hood that will fit a fixture of the specific size. If using a fixture because of live plants, choose a 5.0 UVB fluorescent fixture, such as 5.0 24w fluorescent Reptisun.
Setting up lights in crested gecko’s vivarium – Choice #1 – Dome Lamp Fixture
The first choice is to get a dome that will fit a bulb. This dome will go on top of the terrarium’s screen. You can also get a dual dome if you need to fit 2 bulbs – for example two 26 watt daylight bulbs.
Bulb wattage will depend on room’s temperature and terrarium’s size. A crested gecko’s terrarium that is around 20 gallons should do fine with one 26 watt bulb.
But this can be different and you might need 2 of these bulbs – get one at first and check the temperature measurements. You can also optionally use a lamp stand with the dome fixture, to make using bulbs safer. This Zoo Med lamp stand is fully adjustable and can extend to fit any terrarium size .
Setting up lights in crested gecko’s vivarium – Choice #2 – Canopy Fixture
The second choice with setting up lights in a crested gecko’s vivarium is to use a canopy fixture. Canopy fixture will fit compact fluorescent bulbs. This Exo Terra Compact fixture comes in different sizes and can hold up to 4 compact fluorescent bulbs that are 26 watts each (or 40 watt incandescent).
Small size fixture will hold two compact bulbs that should be enough for an approximately 20 gallon terrarium. This canopy fixture is a good choice if you don’t plan on using other types of bulbs.
Crested gecko lighting schedule
Photoperiod is very important in a crested gecko’s terrarium. Number of daylight and night hours will tell your crested gecko when it is a day or night. 
Once you have worked out which bulbs to use (if any), plug them to a power center, such as this Zilla reptile habitat lighting & terrarium heat power center. This power center has 8 plugs – 2 yellow ones for daytime hours, 2 blue ones for night time hours, and 4 white ones for constant use. You will be able to connect lights, a thermostat (to control temperatures) and other devices that you might have.
To mimic natural environment for a crested gecko, lighting schedule is important. Make sure to set the power center for 14 hours of lighting vs. 10 hours of darkness during the day in later spring and summer, and around 11 hours of light vs. 13 hours of darkness in winter.
Humidity in a crested gecko’s vivarium. What humidity levels are optimal for crested geckos?
An example of the digital hygrometer
Humidity levels are important for crested geckos. High humidity levels help them with shedding and hydration, which is important from an early age.
Crested geckos require quite high humidity levels, which should range from 70-85%, but can be as low as 60%. Make sure to allow the humidity to drop to around 50% for few hours during the day, to avoid bacterial or fungal growth.
To achieve these humidity levels, you will need to use the soil mix that you will spray with water. You can read the instructions on making the bioactive soil for your crested gecko’s vivarium in this article about the best substrates.
If you need to increase the humidity in a crested gecko’s tank, spray the soil and plants once a day, in the evening. You can also place a big bowl with water near the lights.
Water will evaporate and increase the humidity. If you live in an extremely dry area and don’t use the soil substrate, then you might benefit from a humidifier/reptile fogger to increase humidity levels in the crested gecko’s tank.
To measure and control humidity levels in a crested gecko’s terrarium, you will need a hygrometer. You can use a digital hygrometer, or have a hygrometer+thermometer combo in two parts of the vivarium.