Crested or gargoyle?

[Transylvania]

Hey everyone! I just joined since I may get a crested or gargoyle gecko soon. I was introduced to this site by someone on Arachnoboards, a tarantula/scorpion forum. Currently, I have two tarantulas and, sadly, only one reptile: a beautiful sunfire bearded dragon named Irwin whom I've had for 3 years and just absolutely adore. :D He started my love with lizards, and now I'm ready for another!

Anyway, on to business! I went to a reptile expo a few days ago and fell in love with crested and gargoyle geckos. I would really love to get a baby or juvenile, and even though I have an empty vertical 10-gallon tank I could use, I still wouldn't have been able to pay for the gecko itself. Well, I randomly received $400 in the mail today from my ridiculously nice and rich grandma (and nearly had a heart attack!) I believe this is a sign, that I am just meant to get a gecko! :D Anyway, I've been doing some research and am so excited to find out how much cheaper and easier both crested geckos and gargoyles geckos are to take care of, compared to my spoiled, high-maintenance bearded dragon. :roll: But I just can't decide between the two species! Based on all the sites I've seen that compare the two, they seem to be pretty much identical (except gargoyles are apparently more likely to fight other geckos, but that wouldn't be a problem for me, since I only want one). I also read that gargoyles have the advantage of being able to regenerate their tails, which is a big plus (I prefer a lizard with a nice long tail lol). I want to know which species gets bigger, and which would be more tolerant of handling, because I love to hold my lizards. :)
Oh, and is there any significant difference in care between baby geckos and adults? This would be important for me to know, because when I was searching for a bearded dragon, I made sure I got one that was at least a juvenile, since the care for baby beardies just seems to be much more complicated. Oh, and I've seen that a lot of people use loose substrate in their gecko enclosures - so I'm assuming that impaction isn't a problem for these lizards like it is for beardies?
Sorry for all the questions haha. Any other useful information would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Oh, and just for a little fun... How 'bout you all help me choose a name? :) I have both male and female name ideas, since I don't know which gender I'll get - that'll just depend on the gender of the gecko I fall in love with at the next expo hehe.

Male:
-Mushu (from Mulan)
-Louis (pronounced loo-ee)
-Mozart

Female:
-Elphaba (from Wicked)
-Claudia
-Ophelia (from Hamlet, my favorite Shakespeare play)

[iWantToBelieve]

Welcome. :D

I prefer Crested Geckos myself, but I do have a Gargoyle that is just as great. I don't really know why I prefer one over the other...maybe because my Garg is just going through kind of a not so nice stage. ;) I also like the crests and sticky feet on the Cresteds that you will not get on the Garg.

I've had Cresteds for a couple years now and have never lost a tail (knock on wood!).

The main differences in baby geckos are the cage size (you can't put them straight into their adult tank) and the amount of food they eat. They also feel more fragile.

Yes, impaction can be a problem with Cresteds/Gargs if you feed insects in the enclosure with loose substrate. I use paper towel in all my cages. This is probably one of the safest ways and it helps you to monitor if your new gecko is pooing or not.

I like Louis and Ophelia. :)

[Hannibal]

I have gargoyles and have great personalities, easy to handle (after they settle in). Size wise, the gargoyles tend to be a little bit bigger/bulkier. We use eco earth substrate on our older juvies/adults and paper towels for our babies/younger juvies. Impaction is still a concern with both cresties and gargoyles, sometimes depends on the individual gecko so you have to keep an eye on them to see if they are trying to eat the substrate or not. If you feed live prey (crickets/roaches) in the enclosure that has substrate it is best to use a bowl that the prey cannot get out of but the gecko can, or you can have a separate cage/container to put the gecko in for feeding the live prey. Oh, gargoyles can be pickier when it comes to eating, some will not take live prey at all. Each gecko seems to have their own favorite CGD flavor that they enjoy more than the other flavors.

[lylwhitetiger]

That's a tough decision. I started with cresteds cause I loved the look of them and their soft toes. :) Later I bought 2 gargs and they are neat as well, but my male is a big meanie! The female is the sweetest thing, they are a bit stockier and have little claws unlike the cresties sticky toes. I've been bit by both- the crested was just a nip but the gargs actually bite and draw blood.
Good luck with your decision.
BTW- I love the name Mozart!

[Transylvania]

Thanks for the great info, everyone! I'll probably end up getting a crested gecko, because for some reason I'm just drawn to them more. :D

[Transylvania]

Okay, I drew a little enclosure plan on Paint. I'm going to take my 10-gallon tank and flip it on its side to make it vertical. The lid is a mesh sliding lid. Is it okay to put one of those sticky black heat pads on one side of the glass?

http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/851/cager.jpg

[iWantToBelieve]

Looks good, although I do have a couple suggestions.

What are the temperatures in the room the gecko will kept in? You most likely won't need a heat source and if you do, I would recommend a low wattage bulb--heat pads get a little too warm for my comfort. Also, make sure you add plenty of plants. :) You're on your way to a Crested Gecko!

[Transylvania]

Ooh, that's good news - its cage will be in my dorm room most of the time, and I usually keep it really warm because I looooove hotness. \\:D/ But I suppose I should keep a heat source at my parents' house, since I go there for winter and summer breaks, and they keep the house much cooler.

[ShadowKorin]

the gecko shouldn't require a heat source. One of the beauty of these species is that they can be easily maintained at room temperature. In fact, they can get stressed if exposed to temperatures above 85F for long periods of time.

Rhacodactylus geckos are nocturnal so they tend to like a lot of foliage and stuff to hide in during the day.

As far as crested vs. gargoyle, I much prefer gargoyle geckos. I feel like they are easier to handle because they are not as jumpy, they are simply larger and more bulky and therefore less fragile than cresteds, and I think they have more personality. They tend to make more noises etc. But, I may be biased. ;)

whichever species you go with, be sure to realize that these guys are like pringles. One is never enough. :D

[Transylvania]

Great, now I'm leaning more toward gargoyles! Haha I'll just see how things go at the reptile show.

And I know exactly what you mean with the Pringles analogy! When I got my first tarantula, I ignored peoples' warnings that they're more addicting than potato chips and promised myself that I'd only get one. I ended up getting five more! :p