Vivarium Advice

Vivariums are designed as a home and display case for your exotic exotic pets. At Swell Reptiles we stock a range of vivariums in different sizes and wood finishes.

They are not only a happy home for your reptile, they are also an attractive showpiece in your home. Designed for pets that require constant heat, a vivarium is housed in wood that maintains a level of heat that cannot be guaranteed in a terrarium.

A terrarium differs from a vivarium in that they are kept at a constant humidity - whereas a vivarium is kept at a constant heat because its wooden housing is a better insulator.

For animals that require humidity such as amphibians, we recommend a terrarium. For animals that don't require as much humidity but require warmth, such as bearded dragons and snakes, we recommend a vivarium.

What are vivariums?

Vivariums are display cases which simulate the natural environment of your reptile or exotic pet. They frequently contain foliage, forna and environmental conditions (heat, humidity and water sources) that your pet would expect to find in its natural habitat helping it to live a healthy and active life; much like it would in the wild.

The 'design' on the vivarium's interior can be as intricate and detailed as you would like; allowing you to create a more natural habitat for your exotic pet and a more interesting focal point for your room.

At Swell Reptiles we stock a range of vivarium decor as well as the necessary vivarium heating equipment and vivarium lighting.

How to maintain vivariums?

The goal of any reptile enthusiast is to create an attractive and low maintenance ecosystem that can offer a healthy and long life to the reptile and plant inhabitants.

Because vivariums provide a habitat for your pets it's even more important that some basic do's and don'ts are followed so ensure a healthy environment is maintained:

Do regularly monitor heat and humidity levels
Do regularly remove large bits of waste from the vivarium such as dead foliage and feeder insects
Do remove any dying plants and reptile waste
Don't regularly remove all forna and waste from the vivarium
Just like in a natural environment a certain amount of rotting material can help sustain life and help good micro organisms to develop
Do refresh water supplies regularly
Do use distilled or RO water to mist your vivarium (this prevents marks forming on the glass)
Do trust your instincts
A well maintain vivarium will smell pleasant and fresh (like a woodland might do)
If the ecosystem is unstable (i.e. too much waste) your nose will detect the unpleasant odour

What sized vivarium is best?

Swell Reptiles offer a number of different sized vivariums which are suitable for all ages, all skill sets and all manner of reptiles. To choose the vivarum that is best for your exotic pet, talk to one of the friendly Swell staff who can guide you in the right direction.