Tokay geckos are a large species of gecko ranging originally from Indonesia. The tokay gecko is a hardy, intelligent and often misunderstood gecko species. While tokays are hardy, there are defiantly some things you should know before taking on the tokay gecko as a pet. In this post we will be going over the main care topics for the tokay including enclosure size, heating & lighting, humidity and the diet for the tokay gecko.
THE ENCLOSURE SIZE
When it comes to the enclosure size we first need to know the size of the gecko. personally for us we separate the sizes into 2 category's, the baby tokay and the adult. for this topic we will start with the baby tokay gecko enclosure size. 
[8x8x12 enclosure with our premium gecko kit]
When you first buy a tokay gecko as a baby they will be around the 6-10 week age. At this age we recommend an 8x8x12 like the enclosure pictured above or a 10 gallon aquarium. this will give the animal a space where they will feel secure and safe while they grow into their large size as an adult.
[18x18x24 Bioactive Enclosure]
At around 6-12 months of age, your tokay gecko will be big enough to need an upgraded enclosure size. For this size we recommend no less then an 18x18x24 enclosure. This will provide an adequate amount of space for your gecko to explore for the life of the gecko. However this is only the minimum size we recommend. when it comes to the 2nd largest gecko in the world, adult tokays well appreciate as much room as you can provide. Some enclosures we absolutely love are going to be the zen habitats 2x2x2 or their 2x2x4. These massive enclosures are going to give a great amount of space for your gecko to explore an live in.
[Zen Habitats 2x2x2]
https://www.zenhabitats.com/?aff=27
[Zen habitats 2x2x4]
https://www.zenhabitats.com/?aff=27
HEATING & LIGHTING
Tokay geckos love 2 things, heat and humidity! For this section we will just be covering the heating requirements for tokays and their lighting needs. When it comes to heating well split it into two readings you need to know. the ambient and the basking. Ambient temps are the air temps inside the enclosure while basking temps are going to be the temps of the surface area your gecko is using to bask. For ambient temps we recommend a range of 75-80 degrees and a basking of temp of 82-90. This will provide enough heat for the animal to properly digest its food. For temps at night we recommend no cooler then 65. If your house gets bellow this range at night you should use some sort of supplemental heating to keep it in said range. To acquire the heat range state above, there is no better option then then a basking light. This light will provide both UVA light and heat that the gecko needs. The wattage you will need for your enclosure is dependent on the size and your overall temps in your home.
[Reptile Basking Bulb]
Now that we have talked about heating, lets move on to the lighting section. The big debate with tokay geckos are going to be if they require uvb with being a crepuscular species of gecko. Personally we think UVB will only be a benefit for your gecko. If you choose not to provide UVB for your tokay make sure you are supplementing with calcium that contains vitamin D3 and provide it once a week to keep your gecko healthy!
[EX: T5 Ho UVB]
HUMIDITY
The tokay gecko is a tropical species of gecko that prefers a humid environment. The humidity range you want to aim for in your tokay gecko enclosure is going to be around the 60%-70% range. Letting a natural humidity curve happen in your enclosure is key for a happy tokay. Misting the set up to get the humidity to spike to around 70% then letting it slowly drop to 60% to then repeat the cycle is the best you can do for your gecko.
DIET
Tokay geckos are insectivores, meaning they only require a diet of insects. There are a number of different species of feeder insects that you can feed your tokay gecko including crickets, roaches, super worms, silk worms, BSFL and more. Later on we will have a complete guide on feeder insects, how often you should feed and the nutrients they provide your reptile! In my years of keeping tokay geckos i have found the more active the feeder insect the better. Some of my geckos will eat from a bowl and tong feed, while others will only eat crickets or other fast moving feeders. It seems to be dependent on the gecko so try a few different feeder and see which one your gecko enjoys the most!
[Dubia Roaches]
CONCLUSION
The tokay gecko is a hardy and forgiving species to gecko to keep. In my experience they seem to be bullet proof when it comes to care mistakes. their downside seems to come form their temperament which we will expand on further in future posts about the tokay. For more information on tokay geckos check out our youtube channel, where we have over 50 videos on tokay information and the various breeding projects we have with them.
[YouTube Channel Dakotah Blue Exotics]