Reptile Setup & Buying Guides

What actually matters when you buy reptile gear — and what you can safely skip.

A fully set up planted reptile enclosure
Start here

Beginner setup checklist

A complete beginner reptile setup checklist: enclosure, heating, thermostat, UVB, thermometers, hides, substrate, food and supplements, plus the order to set it all up.

Tall front-opening glass terrarium set up as a planted crested gecko habitat
Buying guide

Best crested gecko enclosures

How to choose the best crested gecko enclosure: the right size, glass vs PVC vs screen, ventilation, front-opening doors, and our picks for every budget.

Bearded dragon basking under light
Buying guide

Bearded dragon UVB setup

The right UVB for bearded dragons: why T5 HO tubes beat coil bulbs, 10% vs 12% vs 14%, mounting distance, mesh, UV index targets and when to replace bulbs.

Leopard gecko on a warm basking rock
Buying guide

Best reptile thermostats

Which reptile thermostat do you need? Dimming, on/off and pulse-proportional thermostats explained, which heat sources each one suits, and our picks.