In case you didn’t hear, PetFlow now carries reptile supplies! Our team wanted to go over some of our new additions and explain what they’re used for along with the types of species that might need these products. We have only the best for your cold-blooded friends!
Light ‘em Up
With reptiles, lighting and heat are a very important part of their upkeep and overall health. Many reptilian friends have heat and lighting requirements that are essential to preventing diseases and helping them thrive in captivity.
Basking bulbs: These bulbs can be a vital part of your reptile habitat. They are often used to create a basking spot for your scaly pet and imitate the sun that they may find in their natural habitat. This bulb is important for promoting healthy digestion and temperature in reptilian species. It will also help promote a healthy circadian rhythm in your pet by providing them with a proper day and night cycle to follow.
Some species you may use basking bulbs for include:
- Bearded dragons
- Leopard geckos
- Turtles
- Tortoises
Some of our favorite basking bulbs are Fluker’s Basking Spot Bulbs. These use infrared light to provide the radiant heat that our reptile friends need. Bulbs like these can provide the best environmental temperature range for your pet and ultimately help prevent infections.
Another tried and true bulb is the Zoo Med basking bulb, which even comes in a two pack. The wattage you should get depends on tank size and the temperature that you want your basking spot to hit. The bigger the tank, the higher wattage you will need.
To keep track of your basking spot’s temperature, it is important to have a terrarium thermometer for your pet. For some reptiles, you can also use an under the tank heater.
UVB bulbs: UVB bulbs are another important part of maintaining your pet’s health. UVB is a part of the sun’s natural light spectrum. For pets that need it, having a UVB bulb is essential as it helps your pet produce vitamin D3, which can lead to them not being able to absorb calcium. If they are not able to do that, it can lead to them developing a wide variety of illnesses such as metabolic bone disease, which can cause bone deformation and softening.
Some species that require UVB include:
- Bearded dragon
- Tortoises
- Uromastyx
- Iguanas
Vitamins and Supplements
Just like humans, it is important for reptiles to get all of their essential vitamins and minerals. In captivity, reptiles have a much more limited diet than they would in the wild, so supplements are needed in order to make sure that all of their nutrition needs are being met. The most important thing to make sure your reptile gets is calcium. Just like a lack of UVB, a lack of calcium can also cause metabolic bone disease. Some calcium supplements include D3. It is good to research your reptile’s specific needs in order to best ascertain their nutrition requirements. We carry calcium on our site along with an immune support supplement.
Home Sweet Home
When setting up your reptile’s tank, you are going to want to make sure that you are creating a comfortable environment for them to spend the rest of their lives in. After all, that enclosure is their world. Some things you may want to consider adding to your tank are:
While some reptiles may have more social temperaments than others, it is very important for them to have a hide that they can use as a safe space, or if they just want to cool down. In order to collect heat, many reptiles enjoy having a spot that they can bask on, usually a rock or a log of some sort. For the bottom of the tank, it is good to have a reptile carpet or a substrate for them, that way they can keep their grip as they trek through the tank. As always, do your research for your pet’s specific needs so you can be sure you are getting the correct substrate for the bottom of their enclosure.
Many pet parents on the PetFlow team are reptile owners, so if you ever have any questions about our reptile products or their care requirements, we would be more than happy to help you out. Give us a call at 1-888-316-7297!