Mourning Gecko Tank Size Guide: By Age
| Hatchling starter size | ~5"x5"x8" |
| Adult minimum | 12"x12"x18" |
Why hatchlings start smaller
A very small hatchling can struggle to locate food and feel secure in a large, sparsely planted enclosure. A smaller starter container with dense cover makes early feeding and monitoring easier — but this is a fast-outgrown stage, not a long-term home.
Sizing up
Move to an intermediate enclosure by a few months old, then to the full adult 12"x12"x18" (or larger) vertical enclosure well before the gecko reaches full adult size, generally within the first year.
Bigger is fine once well established
Unlike a hatchling that can struggle in an oversized space, once a juvenile is established, feeding confidently, and has plenty of cover, moving to a larger adult-sized enclosure early is generally fine and gives more room to grow into.
See the full care guides guide, or browse all 299 info pages.
A single adult mourning gecko needs a minimum 12"x12"x18" front-opening, well-ventilated enclosure — taller matters more than wider since this species is highly arboreal — furnished with cork bark, branches, and dense foliage for climbing.
A complete mourning gecko setup needs a tall 18"+ front-opening enclosure, cork bark and branches for climbing, coco fibre/moss substrate, a misting routine to hold 60–80% humidity, and complete MRP powder — no heat lamp is required in most homes.
Mourning geckos generally do best at normal room temperature, roughly 75–82°F, and can suffer heat stress above about 82°F. Most homes need no basking bulb or heat mat at all — just monitoring during hot weather.
Low-level UVB (roughly 5–6% output) is increasingly recommended as good practice, though it isn't strictly mandatory for mourning geckos the way it is for a strongly basking desert species — their diet's built-in D3 from MRP covers much of the gap.
Mourning geckos need roughly 60–80% humidity, achieved through misting once or twice daily, with good ventilation to prevent the dampness from turning stagnant.
Mourning geckos commonly live 5–8 years in captivity with correct husbandry, occasionally more — a notably long lifespan for a small gecko and a genuine long-term commitment.