Always eager to help other reptile owners care for their little friends in the best way possible, loads of you guys responded to our question as we tried to find out what your favourite reptile substrate was, and the answers were as varied as the reptiles you keep! As Dave Bostock says about his own favourite substrates - "it all depends on which reptile I'm buying for".
When it came to snakes, Aspen Bedding seemed to come out tops, especially for corn snakes and pythons. Championed by Swell Friends Phil Boddy and Lee Bingham, we can see how this soft substrate would be soft on your snake's sometimes sensitive bellies. It's pretty affordable too and in abundant supply, but some of you decided you liked more permanent options:
An overwhelming number of you decided that tiles and lino were the way forward, especially for those of you with Bearded Dragons. We can see the advantage too, like Zoe Allen pointed out, tiles are "good for the claws and so easy to keep clean".
We can certainly see Zoe's point, but then again as Hannah Farmery points out, "You need to use the substrate that best mimics the needs of the animal in its natural environment. Beardies live on sand/soil naturally and love to dig, so put them on beach bark/sand/soil mix".
This makes sense to us too, but we also know some of you are worried about impaction, especially when it comes to Bearded Dragons.
Impaction can sometimes be substrate related and occurs when sand or soil is ingested along with the food because of the Beardie's (or other reptiles') messy feeding habits, becoming lodged and impacted in their digestive system, blocking them up, a problem that can cause fatalities. Because of this, some reptile owners have become dissuaded from providing more natural substrates for their reptiles, especially when it comes to juveniles. But maybe there's a compromise that can be reached?
Tegan Edwards might have hit the nail on the head here, or at least when it comes to Leopard Geckos: Tegan suggests using tile around the majority of the vivarium but using the reptile's natural substrate in their shedding/laying caves "they don't eat in there the risk of impaction is low. Best of both worlds.", now that's thinking outside the vivarium! Using a feeding dish or feeding outside of their reptile home can also reduce risk, leaving you free to provide a more natural substrate.
Other mentions concerned substrates for reptiles like tortoises, but the competition seemed limited with sterilized top-soil coming a clear first along with sphagnum moss being suggested by Drew Heaslip for his frogs.
Blue tongued skinks were arguably the most difficult to house, with complicated solutions being put forward for safe, deep substrate, like coarse orchid bark or cypress mulch. Blue Tongues are still relatively new to the UK reptile scheme but are growing in popularity and we reckon a firm favourite will soon emerge.
For now, it seems, the Best Reptile substrate will have to remain a battleground, where all owners put the needs and health of their reptile first.
Deciding on the best substrate for your animal can be a headache. Read our blog to find out which substrates are best for which species of reptile.
A suitable vivarium set up is probably the most important thing to take into account when bringing a reptile, amphibian or exotic pet into your home.
It's important to recreate a reptile's natural environment as closely as possible in order to keep them happy.
Vivariums allow you to easily control factors such as heat, humidity and lighting to replicate an exotic pet's natural habitat.
It might sound fairly complex, but after doing your research you'll soon get the hang of things. Learning about the reptile's needs can be an interesting process, and creating and decorating your reptile's new home is all part of the fun.
A vivarium is a wooden structure which can include a substrate, whether loose or fitted, decor or live plants and appropriate equipment such as LED lighting, ceramic heaters and thermostats. Wood is an ideal material as it is a great source of insulation, preventing heat from escaping.
The type of equipment and the environment that you create all depends on the type of animal that you are keeping. A bearded dragon requires a different environment from a leopard gecko, for example.
Some animals, such as frogs and other amphibians, require a different enclosure entirely. Rather than keeping them in a wooden vivarium, a glass terrarium is more ideal in order to regulate factors such as heat. It's more common for glass terrariums to include live plants than a wooden vivarium. But with the right research, there's no reason why you can't grown your own plants in a vivarium.
Setting up a vivarium
To achieve the correct temperature, we recommend setting up a heat bulb at one end of the enclosure. For safety, you must ensure that your reptile is unable to touch the heat source, as this can of course lead to serious burns and injuries. You can prevent this from happening with the help of a protective heat guard.
In order to regulate the temperature, you'll need a good quality thermostat. A dimming thermostat might be used if your bulb emits light as well as heat. If you have a bulb that does not emit light, then a pulse stat is a more suitable alternative.
Don't overlook the benefits of a thermostat. It's simply not worth risking overheating your vivarium as this can harm your reptile. You will need to programme your thermostat to ensure that it maintains the correct temperature. This isn't a case of one temperature fits all, and so most thermostats are designed to adapt to a variety of bulbs and set ups.
The type of reptile that you have will determine which UVB light you will need. Leopard geckos, snakes, amphibians and arachnids do not need UVB light, but if you wish to provide lighting in order to give them a day and night cycle, then we'd recommend a UVB of 2%. Reptiles from a forest environment, such as chameleons and green iguanas need 5%. You'd be better off keeping these animals in a terrarium, which is made out of glass, rather than a vivarium. For desert reptiles such as bearded dragons, it is a necessity and as a result they requite a UVB of 10%.
It's widely recommended that you regularly change your UVB tubes every 6-8 months, as after this time UVB rays can lessen, resulting in your reptile absorbing less calcium.
Substrate
Reptiles require different vivarium substrates depending on which environment they come from. Sand is a popular choice among beardie owners due to the fact that it is an attractive substrate which looks natural. However, many now recommend that you avoid loose substrates if you are keeping a bearded dragon, as studies have shown that if the beardie consumes loose substrate such as sand it can increase their risk of impaction, a serious health issue.
There are other people who claim to have kept bearded dragons on sand for many years without any health concerns. It's important to be aware of the risks so that you can make up your own mind. If you do opt for a sandy substrate, we recommend feeding your reptile by hand, to prevent them from eating sand particles along with their meal.
Another way to prevent your bearded dragon from swallowing the substrate along with the food is by placing it in dishes rather than on the sand. If it is live food such as crickets, by hand is probably easier.
Some people choose to remove their reptile from the viv at feeding times completely. We have written a blog post about the issue, and so take a look at our impaction in bearded dragons post for more information.
Other substrate options include cage carpet, soft chip reptile bedding and sphagnam moss.
Decor
Adding decor to the vivarium can be a fun and creative process. But it's not just about how it looks, you need to ensure that everything you include is suitable for your reptile.
Most reptiles benefit from plenty of hiding places, on both the hot and the cool side of the vivarium. Hiding places are a must so that your reptile can feel comfortable and safe in their environment.
If you opt for an arboreal vivarium, which is usually taller than it is wide, it's important to include lots of places for your reptile to climb. This can include branches and plants whether real or fake. Chameleons and boas can fall into the arboreal category, but quite often
Wooden vivariums are ideal for a desert environment. And as you'd expect, desert reptiles are used to open, sandy environments, drenched in heat.
What else do I need to know?
Vivariums are relatively easy to build, but once you've put the pieces together, there are a few other things that you need to do before it is safe to house your reptile. It is vital that you don't move your pet into the vivarium straight after sealing it. Toxic fumes are produced by the sealant and until these are cured, the fumes can be harmful to your pet. We'd recommend waiting a day or two before introducing your reptile to its new home.
Your wooden vivarium requires at least one air vent per square foot - this is why Vivexotic vivariums are great for housing your reptile. Vivexotic offer some fantastic kits which are designed to ensure that dirt and insects cannot escape and therefore have air vents at the top of the vivarium rather than near the bottom.
It's also worth remembering that if you buy your reptile as a baby, it will grow over time and may nee a larger vivarium as it gets older. Therefore with most reptiles we'd recommend getting a larger vivarium to save you the costs of having to upgrade at a later date. If you're unsure as to whether or not your reptile would benefit from a smaller or larger vivarium, please give us a call on 0161 351 4700 for more info.
A suitable vivarium set up is probably the most important thing to take into account when bringing a reptile, amphibian or exotic pet into your home.
They say that a house doesn’t become a home until it is filled with pets, so what better pet to do that than one that will be with you for life. From Horsfield tortoises to Herman's tortoises, tortoises are as gentle as they are fascinating, which makes them brilliant reptiles for a family. But there is nothing more mind-boggling than knowing they will be with you for life and possibly beyond, providing you give them the care they need.
Tortoises need a lot of room to roam, this means that more often than not there is simply not enough space for them to live in your standard indoor enclosure.
As a baby, the tortoise may take up very little space but as it grows you'll soon realise how much freedom it needs. This amount of freedom can be difficult to achieve in an indoor enclosure. Many dedicated tortoise owners find the best way to ensure that their tort is happy, is to provide them with both an indoor and outdoor home.
In this post we look at the pros and cons of both indoor and outdoor enclosures, with the help of a few of our customers.
Outdoor
Outdoor pens allow your tortoise plenty of space to do their thing. They're also a great option if you want to offer your pet plenty of natural UV and sunlight. Make sure they have their own shady spot to escape from the light if they fancy a bit of darkness too.
Make the enclosure as big as you can. You'll probably find it taking over your garden, but this doesn't have to be a negative thing. Plenty of tortoise owners incorporate the enclosure into the garden to make it the main feature and focal point. Include lots of plants but bear in mind that since your tortoise is likely to nibble them, it's important to make sure that they aren't harmful or poisonous. Never treat any plants inside the tortoise pen with fertilisers or pesticides.
During winter months, an outdoor enclosure might not be ideal as temperatures begin to plummet. Many tortoise owners opt for an insulated shed for the reptile to seek warmth, but during very low temperatures, you might find that you need to bring your tortoise into the house to prevent it from getting too cold. It's certainly not unusual for tortoises to hibernate in the winter, so plenty of comfy and cosy resting places are needed.
When deciding what sort of outdoor enclosure to opt for, make sure that you take into account foxes and mice. You certainly don't want them making their way into your tortoise's home. Also, thieves are an unfortunate reality that you'll want to take into account. Tortoises are valuable and as with any other pet, particularly ones you keep in the garden, they are at a risk of being stolen. To minimise the chance of this happening, look into locks and secured sheds. Of course the risk is always there, but it's best to take precautions.
As spring is approaching, it is the perfect time to improve your tortoise enclosure and make a few adjustments to ensure it is the best environment for your reptile.
Don't underestimate the digging capabilities of tortoises. They love to dig away in the soil and bury themselves in the mud. Great tortoise escapes aren't completely unheard of and so it can help to include some mesh or wire a few inches below the soil to prevent them from crawling underneath the walls of the enclosure. It can also help to sink the walls a few inches into the soil to act as an underground barrier.
Indoor
Indoor tortoise enclosures can be great if you want to keep your tort warm and don't want to risk them getting stolen or ambushed by other animals. Unless you have an entire room that you can dedicate to your tortoise, space can be an issue though, particularly if your pet is quite old and large.
Don't rule out an indoor enclosure though, as during the winter months they are a worthwhile thing to have as long as you can get a decent sized table.
You might think that an indoor enclosure would be extremely limited, but it can be relatively easy to recreate a natural environment. We'd recommend using a good quality tortoise table, so that your pet has some added shelter when it wants to hide away.
Even in an indoor environment, you'll need a heat lamp and UVB to keep the reptile warm enough and to give it appropriate UV. As a substrate, we recommend using sterilised top soil to make the environment as natural as possible.
It's okay to keep more than one tortoise in the same enclosure providing there is plenty of room for the two of them and they're the same species.
We asked our friends on Facebook to tell us about their tortoise enclosures. Here are a few of their answers:
Raina Kirkham-Cope says "I use a vivarium and tables. I'm hoping to move the tortoises into a brick shed this year. I use both UV tubes and heat lamps. Here's my hatchlings table that I built out of laminate flooring."
They say that a house doesn’t become a home until it is filled with pets, so what better pet to do that than one that will be with you for life.
When it comes to decorating your own vivarium, you have three options, desert, rainforest/tropical or woodland. If you're planning on keeping a bearded dragon, leopard gecko, tortoise or uromastyx, then a desert setting is for you.
For the likes of bearded dragons, a desert set up needs to be hot and dry and 10-12% UVB.
Wooden vivariums are ideal as they are dry and the wood is a great source of insulation, keeping the heat inside the viv while a glass terrarium would likely allow the heat to escape. Don't forget that it's important to seal the viv as you would with any other, waiting at least 48 hours for the sealant to cure before letting your pet move in.
At one end of the viv you'll need a basking light and UVA to create a warm area for your reptile to bask and keep warm. It's a good diea to keep these two things together as most reptiles associate light with heat. Next you may want to add heat mat in the middle of the viv for an ambient temperature. At the other end of the viv however, you need a cooler area where shade is offered .
Substrate in a desert vivarium can vary and different people often do it differently, some include natural desert sand or calcium sand. However, this can pose problems if your reptile accidentally eats the sand along with the regular food it can cause Impaction - which can greatly affect your pet's health and prevent them from digesting food. Therefore many people opt for lino, kitchen tile or cage carpet to prevent this from happening.
No matter what set up you go for, it's important to ensure your animal has plenty of room to do their thing, bearded dragons in particular need lots of space and can get really unhappy in a cramped vivarium.
Leopard geckos are considered to be desert reptiles but since they are nocturnal they are less used to sun than other desert reptiles, and so a cave can be beneficial to hide in.
When it comes to decorating a vivarium, you have three options, desert, rainforest/tropical or woodland. Read here to learn how to create a desert set-up.
Rainforest or tropical pets are a big part of the reptile family, including such popular species as Crested geckos, chameleons and even the likes of tree frogs.
Although these pets are loosely grouped as 'tropical' or 'rainforest' pets, it's important to do your research on what your pet's natural habitat is. How much heat do they need? How much humidity do they need?
Broadly speaking rainforest reptiles need less heat than desert reptiles. This is because in the desert the reptile is under the glare of the sun, whereas in the rainforest they are somewhat shaded by jungle canopies. As the name suggests, rainforests are somewhat moist on humid and so this is usually a consideration for tropical pets.
Many reptile enthusiasts favour a glass Terrarium over wooden reptile vivariums for obvious reasons. Glass may not have the insulating properties of wood, but it is definitely better at handling moisture.
For a substrate it's again down to personal choice. Orchid bark is hugely popular for tropical terrariums but we also now stock Sedge Peat which is ideal for scorpions, tarantulas and tree frogs to chameleons and crested geckos.
There are many ways of creating humidity in your terrarium, from foggers to drippers. You can also add a Waterfall or even make your own feature with our new Waterfall Kit.
You need to fill a jungle terrarium with a range of plants, vines and branches, especially for arboreal reptiles. Among our new range of artificial plants are the Horsetail Fern which, also called Snake Grass, gives a realistic bamboo-like look and the Button Fern which hangs down naturally so is perfect on a ledge.
When it comes to decorating a vivarium, you have three options, desert, rainforest/tropical or woodland. Read here to learn how to create a tropical set-up.
1) Komodo Glass Terrarium White
We love glass terrariums here at Swell. They are clean, neat, long-lasting and provide great viewing. But let's face it they haven't always been great looking. This has changed recently though and this one looks stunning with its classy white frames which have a real contemporary look.
2) VivExotic Repti-Stax
Repti-Stax are the new, compact VivExotic vivariums, replacing the old LX vivariums, but these models have a range of new features and one of the best is the new colour Mussel. This grain is a kind of off white magnolia and so is more discrete with your furnishings.
3) Exo Terra Small Terrarium Low
Ideal for ground-dwelling animals, these Exo Terra terrariums are only 12 inches high which means your pet is nice and close to the basking bulb. It also means you can maximise space. Plus they look great!
4) VivExotic Viva Terrestrial
VivExotic Viva Vivariums are a stunning new range. The Terrestrial range replaces the old VX vivs. The three colour shades, Beech, Oak and Walnut have all been improved, it has new air vents built into the aluminium runners and improved stoppers and locks.
5) Exo Terra Explorarium
You may not fancy yourself as Indiana Jones, swinging from the edge of a cliff by a bull rope while collecting rare samples, but if ever you do venture beyond the Shire (how's that for mixing film metaphors) you'll be glad you took one of these. The nylon mesh provides plenty of ventilation to your reptile and has a special tray for substrates.
6) VivExotic Snake-Stax
VivExotic Snake-Stax is a perfect way of storing your breeding boxes and keeping your reptile collection in a great display. Each Snake Stax unit is designed to hold either four large Exo Terra Breeding Boxes, or eight small/medium breeding boxes.
7) Royce Reptile Black Vivarium
The Royce Reptile Black Vivarium is the same as the old VivExotic LX36 but comes in a stunning glossy black. We know some of you are quite partial to viv decor that borders on the macabre like skulls and this is the perfect housing. Match it with colourful red sand and you have yourself a striking viv.
8) VivExotic Viva Arboreal
The big brother of the new Viva Terrestrial range is the Viva Arboreal, designed for the reptile that likes to climb. The feature we like best about the arboreal vivs is that when paired with the new Viva cabinets, they look amazing. No more open stands like the previous CAX model cabinet. These arboreal models use the same cabinets as the terrestrial range
9) Zoo Med Reptibreeze Iguanarium
The new Reptibreeze IguanArium is the largest product of its kind on the market. It's 48 inches high and ideal for the larger reptiles that need less heat/humidity and more ventilation such as iguanas and chameleons. While it can be adapted for the likes of agamids, Where this product comes into its own is for the likes of the green iguana, old-world chameleon and water dragon.
10) VivExotic Viva X-Tend
X-Tend is the new modular vivarium for VivExotic. Sold in three-foot cubes, these are the viv for you if you want a six-foot tank, nine-foot tank.... 24-foot tank. The more room your bearded dragons and snakes have the happier they'll be so why not grow your viv as your pets grow.
by David Nash
Read our helpful guide on the top 10 new vivariums and terrariums available at Swell Reptiles, from Exo Terra to VivExotic.
Reptile supplies for a rainforest terrarium is a great opportunity for you to flex your creative muscles while providing your tropical reptile with a comfortable and attractive home. The reptile currently in residence in our office terrarium is a very lovable Nosy Mitsio panther chameleon, that we have taken to calling ‘Nosy Parker’. The reptile supplies that we have included in Parker's terrarium have been chosen to make Parker a happy and healthy little reptile.
Parker is a type of chameleon known as a Nosy Mitsio and is native to the tropical climate of Madagascar. This is a rich natural habitat with high levels of humidity and plenty of plant life, where the bright, exotic colours of the Nosy Mitsio chameleon are well at home.
What kind of terrarium do I need?
Choosing the right terrarium for your chameleon really isn’t the chore you might think it is. Tropical reptiles prefer plenty of ventilation in their habitats but also like a moisture-rich humidity similar to that of their natural tropical environment. This means that you do have an option when picking a terrarium for your tropical reptile. The most common choice is to use a flexarium, such as the Exo Terra Flexariums. This is basically a terrarium with mesh walls that provide plenty of ventilation for your reptile, while also allowing the ultraviolet rays that they require to easily penetrate through the mesh.
The wooden vivariums are a less common, but still very useful option for housing the chameleon. They have the advantage of usually being cheaper than metal and glass alternatives and are ideal for retaining heat. However a wooden vivarium is quite inefficient for retaining moisture and would need to be specially treated to avoid warping of the wood.
In order to maintain the moisture-rich humidity required by a chameleon, there is also the option of using a glass terrarium, such as the Swell Glass Terrarium. This setup is the ideal choice because not only do the glass walls help to keep in the humidity, but there is also a full metal mesh screen at the top of the enclosure. This allows you to provide the tropical reptile with a perfect amount of ventilation, while also creating a humid environment that seems to go down an absolute treat with Parker.
But don't worry that a glass terrarium doesn't have as much ventilation as a flexarium. We find that Parker is happiest when regularly handled for short amounts of time. This gives him the chance to explore and be the nosey parker that he is, before practising his climbing skills on the office plants.
How to turn your terrarium tropical
In order to replicate the highly humid atmosphere of the tropical rainforest, you need to introduce plenty of moisture into the reptile enclosure. It has also been suggested that as arboreal (tree-dwelling) creatures, chameleons are not actually able to see standing water. This makes regular misting of the terrarium essential to your reptile getting a drink of water.
If you have spare time you can simply do this by using a Swell Reptile pump sprayer. This allows you to give precise amounts of water to your terrarium in a fine mist spray. But if you have better things to do than standing around waiting to spray a reptile then why not take advantage of the Exo Terra Monsoon Rain System? This ingenious little system is perfect for the busy reptile keeper and means that when filled up it will create a fine water mist at timer-controlled intervals.
Do tropical reptiles need ultra violet light?
Although tropical reptiles don’t require as much ultraviolet light as desert reptiles, such as bearded dragons, they still require 5 / 6% ultraviolet light in order to process calcium. For chameleons like Parker you need both a lighting canopy, such as the Arcadia Complete UV Light Kit and also a good quality ceramic lamp, such as the Swell Clamp lamps. This allows you to provide your tropical reptile with the concentrated heat that they require, while also providing the essential levels of UV.
There is also a great deal of versatility on size when selecting your light units. Depending on the size of your terrarium, you can choose the length of light unit that perfectly complements it, so that it fits in perfectly with the rest of your reptile enclosure.
Is a background on my reptile supplies list?
When ticking off your list of reptile supplies you might ask yourself whether you need a background for a tropical reptile vivarium. The truth is it is more than a question of aesthetics, even though nothing completes the look of a terrarium quite like an attractive background.
A good quality background, such as the Lucky Reptile Coco Background is a great way to retain moisture in the terrarium, without the need to keep spraying all day. Best of all the all-natural coconut fibre material means that plants and vines can quickly latch on.
With glass terrariums it has been suggested that reptiles become uncomfortable with the presence of glass, since it both casts a reflection and confuses them by not being able to pass through it. The attractive coco background manages to tick all of the boxes for keeping your reptile comfortable and healthy by preventing these problems, while also helping their terrarium to look great.
Do I need décor?
Décor is an important part of a tropical terrarium. As you can see from the above photos, Parker's terrarium is full of lush, green artificial plants. These work perfectly with the water mister to allow water to collect and form into droplets, resulting in a refreshing drink of water for Parker.
Branches and vines are also a great way to both decorate the enclosure and provide a sturdy climbing space for your reptile to explore. The Komodo Tropical Vine Branch is readily available in a variety of sizes and when installed has a highly attractive woody appearance.
Our reptile advisors have also found that even though tropical reptiles will rarely be on the ground it is still a good idea to have a good quality substrate. With Parkers terrarium we had opted for the Swell Premium Orchid Bark. This is a perfect way to complete the look of the enclosure, while also helping to retain water and keep a good level of humidity.
To keep your reptile well fed you can’t beat using a Lucky Reptile Kricket Keeper. These allow you to purchase live food that your reptile finds delicious, which in Parkers case these happen to be a mix of locusts and crickets and also some tasty meal worms, served in the Komodo Mealworm Dish.
So if you’re looking to keep your reptile as happy and healthy as our Parker, then follow this simple list for the essential reptile supplies for a tropical terrarium paradise. But if you are still a little unsure about which items to tick off your list of reptile supplies, why not take advantage of one of our Swell Chameleon Vivarium Kits. These great value items include everything from the VivExotic vivarium, to a handy pump up sprayer.
Reptile supplies for a rainforest terrarium is a great opportunity for you to get creative while providing your tropical reptile with a comfortable home.
All reptiles, from the common corn snake and bearded dragon to the mighty royal python, enjoy the comfort and security of having their own space in which to feel safe and at home.
The Swell Large Reptile Cave is the perfect example of the hygienic materials used in all Swell own-brand products. Unlike organic products, the high-quality resin will not break down in the humid environment of the reptiles enclosure and is also completely non-toxic.
Simple but highly effective, items such as the Swell Reptile Hide will reduce stress in your reptile by simply allowing them their own time to get away from it all. But that isn’t all, because by using shedding aids such as moist Swell Sphagnum Moss inside a reptile hide, you are also helping them to increase the humidity and as a result make shedding so much easier.
Another great benefit of using a reptile hide or hut is that it provides the ideal place in which your reptile can bask and enjoy the rays given off by their heat lamp, just as they would enjoy the rays of the sun in their natural habitats.
Posted by Sam Bainbridge
All reptiles, from the common corn snake and bearded dragon to the mighty royal python, enjoy the comfort and security of having their own space.
In the world of reptile keeping, one of the areas where there's the most choice is in the substrate.
There are really no hard and fast rules in selecting reptile bedding and it can really be a matter of personal preference.
For rainforest reptiles, it's usually preferable to use moist woody bedding that encourages humidity such as an Orchid Bark.
For desert reptiles, some people prefer natural desert sand while others like brightly coloured calcium sand. You don't have to use sand though and can opt for aspen bedding or even one of the more unusual substrates like a maize corn substrate or a walnut bedding.
Each substrate has its own benefits, some are easier to clean, some more fragrant and others more absorbent.
There are also more specialised substrates that encourage burrowing like clay substrate or incubation like vermiculite.
In the world of reptile keeping, one of the areas where there’s the most choice is in the substrate. Read our guide to find out which are the best.