How to SAVE MONEY Keeping Reptiles | Top 5 Money Saving Hacks For Reptile Keepers 

what is your favorite money saving hack?

Im best friends with my small local reptile shop. I honestly love them and it's gotten to the point where they're worried if we don't come in for a week. Can't tell you how much they've either given me for free, or given me super discounted. Plus I made life long friends

Oh god haha, I definitely made the dumb "let's spend $15 on a reptile water dish because it's made to look like a rock" instead of just buying a regular old bowl as a waterdish haha.

I wanted a spooky theme for my snake, so I took old decorations I didn't use and made them snake friendly! ( Washed, disinfected, and made sure he couldn't hurt himself on them )

As the owner of 2 snakes, 2 geckos, a tarantula, a red eared slider, and 2 frogs, I needed this video 😂

Dollar Tree suction cup soap dishes make great crested gecko feeding ledges! I also buy a pack of 12 little cups for a buck that fit in the dish perfectly!!

Pro tip for plants: craft stores! Places like michael's also usually have 20-30% off coupons on their websites!

"Gotta buy a job" hahaha ;) In all seriousness though get into DIY if you have the tools to do so and also collect materials from the outdoors if you can sanitize it properly. Branches and rocks at a pet store are super expensive. Also if you have friends/family that work in construction you can luck out and get some really great stuff from demo's of buildings such as large panes of glass for building your own enclosures.

You highlighted something that bothers me in the reptile industry, and that's rebranding hardware store and garden center supplies as "reptile specific" (despite being the same exact thing), thereby massively inflating the cost. You can get coco coir, coco husk, halogens, domes, fixtures, organic cypress mulch, etc etc from these places at a fraction of the cost. It just grinds my gears lol

Looking to get a gecko on a budget, so this really helps!

I swear one of the local petstores my town has is the best. They get off brand but high quality stuff that's very cheap and they actually care for the animals they sell. I'm actually happy that they're doing good, they are the only store this small company has and others tried to do this before but went bankrupt very fast. I just love to go by there. They also have stuff that was opened or with tiny scratches (from shipping) at insane discounts.

When you think you want to own a reptile because of its pretty colors, think: Do you though? I love my ball python that only cost 120 euros, since butter cinnamon isnt a rare morph. But if I was as wealthy, as I have been on my best times, I might have paid ten times that much. Just to get a shinier sausage, that always wants to chill in the darkness anyways.

I highly recommend sealing any decor plants before putting them in the tanks. Something as simply as a spray sealant will save an enormous amount of effort in getting these things clean, and something like a clear spray flex seal will reinforce them well, and it's even aquarium safe.

This probably falls under DIY, but i print most of my hides and bowls on my 3D printer. I've designed most of my own as i can custom fit them to my enclosures, but there are loads published and shared online. It's particularly useful for humid hides as I can make them the perfect size for a good layer of substrate and my geckos and snakes prefer them to any others.

I have gotten tanks from my local reptile shop for cheap. I also have a side hustle breeding different species of isopods and culturing fruit flies which I bring to the local reptile shop for either cash or trade.

Got my first snake yesterday and I am beyond happy. It's a baby Dalmatian pied ball python! She is so super cute!

That concrete hide hack is genius

DIY all the way! Recently made a whole bunch of hides and decor for my leopard gecko with styrofoam, grout and sealant! Plants courtesy of the dollar store. Themed it to Horizon Zero Dawn 😎

I use the same thermastat lol so much cheaper and love them. Use them for all my reptiles. I also enjoy making things for the reptiles. And I'll sometimes find stuff at hobby lobby when they have things on sell.

Buying used/local has saved me SO MUCH money honestly. This weekend I'm getting 2 tanks (40 gallon and 50 gallon) with a bunch of hides, bowls, a heat mat, some light fixtures and I think some decor all for $200. All that at a pet store would likely be over $400 here at petsmart

I literally just did one of these on Tuesday... I was like I am not paying 166 bucks for a led light strip for my live plants in my cart frog enclosure. Went to Lowe's and got a led light strip that doesn't need the bulbs replaced for 40 bucks with a dimmer !

Dont forget etsy, I find so many dishes, hides and more off of etsy. Stroodies, LagunaReptiles, GECKOPIA, and more and most of there simple items like bowls, arboreal dishes, etc are cheap. And goodwill, I've found reptile stuff before but I've also found shelves and cabinets that can be used for bin racks or the cabinets be converted into enclosures. Ive seen a cabinet that was almost completely sided with glass and only would have needed doors put in and sealant on the wood, it was only $2 for this giant entertainment center/cabinet. Wouldve been great for a crested gecko or day gecko etc. Etsy also has allamericancages, Ive seen the same dimensions front opening as an exo terra for like 150 almost half the price. And iheatgeckos has conversion kits to convert a 20 long or 10 gallon etc into arboreal or 20 long to a terestrial to be front opening, if you need more ventilation remove the panel of glass and put a screen lid. RU-vid has videos of removing aquarium rims and glass panels. Also aquarium tanks tend to be cheaper than reptile tanks, if you dont need front opening check offerup, facebook marketplace, or craigslist. Tons of tanks for cheap

Great video as always! One thing that I find can help save you a lot of money is just connecting with other reptile keepers in your area via places like Facebook groups. Maybe someone in your local community has an empty terrarium that's the exact size you need, and you can get it for cheap or even do a trade! It's also just good to know other keepers in your area so you can support each other, for example by babysitting each other's animals if needed, & of course by sharing advice & experiences. OH also, THRIFT STORES! If you need stuff like plastic containers, shelves, furniture you can upcycle into an enclosure, or even fabric for a lizard hammock, local thrift stores are 100% the way to go.

For species that eat a lot of greens like bearded dragons, uromastyx, and tortoises, consider growing your own if you have the space/climate for it. I bought a 3-dollar arguala plant (pretty much the same price as a bag of arguala) and its been providing my beardie with tons of arugala for her salads. In the warmer months, I hardly spend anything on her greens (obv she also gets feeder insects and other veggies) because I have dandelion, arguala, parsley, mint, and a few other herbs in my garden. She really loves the tiny new dandelion leaves and the dandelion flowers. You can even set up a bed in a windowsill or balcony and grow microgreens and edible herbs.

I got a full beardie light set up and enclosure for free as appose to being charged €250-€300 for it. I completely agree with getting free or cheap second hand, its cost effeftive and usually is a great help

Thrift stores are another great place to get stuff, specific or to repurpose.

I'd love to see a Pac man frog care guide because I'm thinking of getting one but I also love watching your videos!

I go to goodwill and find some SUPER cheap furniture, and convert them into enclosures. I’ve converted two display cases that are working beautifully

i think a really important tip is *online shopping* petco and pets mart etc; have high prices for all the tanks, decor and hides. buy online for cheaper and better deals.

you inspired me to make mi own youtube videos about snake's in Czech language ☺😍😘🐍🦎🐢

Great tips! I never thought to look for hoods at the hardware store. I get a lot of good deals at Restore (Habitat For Humanity Charity Store) for all sorts of building materials, bulbs or other stuff for enclosure builds. $1-$2 for a can of spray foam or tube of silicone. You can't beat that!

Breed your own bugs like meal worms and crickets. Mealworms are super easy to breed

Buying used isn't just saving money, it's also thrilling to get good pets or supplies at a massive discount or for free.

Couple years late on this but I will say, your local hobby/craft store is your best friend when keeping reptiles. You can find 10x more stuff then the reptile shop would own and its all super cheap in comparison. On the east coast here in the US Jo Ann Fabrics and Hobby Lobby have built half my enclosures haha

Every time I watch one of your videos, I always end up clicking another one before I finish the first one bc I’m too excited to learn everything 😭

Yes, it would be great to have a DIY enclosures video, thanks

The dollar store plant advice is the best tip, it also lets you do a little more with customization for how the enclosure looks (I found a fall foliage vine for my tree frogs and it's adorable).

For going bioactive there are a lot of gardening clubs and Facebook groups all about trading or buying sometimes the trade can be almost anything like I’ve traded a pond liner for a handful of exotic plants that I couldn’t find in the average garden center! And sometimes just taking snips of plants that propagated easily from random outings. Just make sure to rinse the plants because who knows how other keep their gardens!

Interesting, that it’s hard to find permethrin where you are. I mix my own from concentrate and use it when going in the woods. No ticks! I really wasn’t aware that it was safe for animals, though. It’s a great idea to make local connections at expos!

I'd honestly love to see a DIY enclosure video, I'm thinking of building a pvc one eventually for when my baby corn snake and boa grow up, and although I can build a box no problem with the right measurements and everything I'm really curious as to what to do with ventilation, how to properly set up a door whether it be sliding or pulled up/down, settting up an area for the heat panel but also the probe, the lighting, ways to make it stackable, etc. All these little things might be a little advanced but I've been trying to find ways to build something that is both practical and aesthetic

Wicken has now made me understand the importance of caring for your reptile( SO FAR).

Great video, we actually use all five of these hacks! If you can build enclosures look at the furniture in the classifieds for something that you can convert. Our Ackie Monitor enclosure was a $20 cabinet that I converted and can now be seen in the Ackie Monitor care guide on ReptiFiles.

Completely agree I use all of these tips :) I also breed rats (for pet and show, not feeders) shame all my snakes eat mice 😅 I got my hognose because someone had one for boarding and never came back from it and my local reptile shop knew I would be interested and asked me when I bet in for crickets.

I buy off brand, second hand and build it myself. My favourite example was when I needed a fogger but there's no way I'm paying the ridiculous price they go for when I could use an ultrasonic module and aquarium air pump I had lying around along with tubing and some tupperware from the pound shop to build one that works perfectly. I needed a small feeding dish that mealworms couldn't escape from so I found on ebay a set of two for a few pounds shipped straight from China, don't overlook cheap Chinese goods as an option because honestly these days 90% of the time its from the exact same factory that's producing the name brand goods. There are drawbacks such as shipping time and risk of poor description etc but imo its worth it still

These are some pretty good ideas on saving money while it doesn't affect the care if your animal greatly, especially reptimite hack, great video

I'm soon going to be getting some of the plants at the dollar store cause I need more for my crested geckos tank since he got an upgrade a couple weeks ago.

Sick editing mate!

I'm in Ontario and minus feeders, online or " second hand" is crazy expensive, enclosures reptiles, people ask crazy amounts, which makes me happy I can build my own enclosures lol

That was an awesome video thanks

Thank you so much for the amazing quality vid as always 🙏🙇🏼‍♀️

great channel man

Yesss I'm so glad you made this one, thank you!

I thought it was funny how you said that there was some smart 16 year old but not often. I'm a 15 year old reptile breeder that used to be my hobby but now is my favorite thing I do and i love my reptiles thanks for the videos that you make.

Hello great video information Adam

I love you're videos, they always make my day😊

I ordered my heat tape from Reptile Basic’s today! Thank You 🙏 I almost have everything for Lucy’s Kages enclosure, just need a few more decorations. Their machine that makes the swing doors (ya I bought the expensive one lol) broke, so I opted to wait the extra time for their new machine to come in! All good things to those who wait 😃 You ALWAYS have the BEST recommendations! Stay awesome 😎

I have really enjoyed the last couple of vids...though all are fun. Thank you!!!

I loved this blog especially.

This is a super good topic~ I bet everything will go out of stock at the dollar store as soon as people find this video. Thanks always helping everyone 😊

Great tips dude

Hi Adam, I’ve been shielding from Covid-19 for the last year!! About to go out for the first time to raid the local £1 shop!! Just bought 3 x 3ft second hand vivariums for £40 in total for my 3 leopard gecko, also piking up 2 x exo Terra small tall vivariums for £25 BARGINS!!! 🤪

Love this video! it's helpful as i'm interested in a Australian white green tree frog !

Do a enclosure building video but try to replicate YOUR "KAGES" enclosure 👀 👀 👀

I love the ipower thermostat! I use them as well. I have even got heat mats from them and they work great!

Thanks Adam awesome video!

like this video man keep it up

I got most of my decor from the clearance racks of Michael's

I've seen a keeper buy diy hamster tubes for their ball python and they seemed to love the heck out of it!

Top Tips Mate 👌

Got a healthy Leopard Gecko, enclosure, lights and everything else for $60. Also got a 10 gallon aquarium extra he used for crickets.

Btw, if you are starting off, and you're on a struggle budget, then any heat-resistant "dome" with aluminium foil glued to the inside will do a nice job of reflecting those rays just like any $40 Exoterra Lightdome would have. I wouldn't skimp on the ceramic bulb fitting though. Respect the melting heat.

I love these vids

Great video. 👍

Buy Local is great advice for anything. I buy from a local store for my plants and not only do the plants I buy from the greenhouse last well she also hand-mixes organic soil and sells me a gallon of it for a buck (I live in an apartment so I don't need a big bag). Plus she has a bunch of antiques for sale too so it's always a blast to stop in and see what she has (Found some really neat edwardian hat-pins last time I went there!)

Any and all DIY videos you can share would be awesome!!!

Absolute king advice with the tips about finding substrate and light fixtures at the hardware store for less.

Buy old aquariums from craigslist or offerup and cut them apart for the fronts on enclosures!

I use canned foam to shape my hides and then put wax paper over is and then concrete. Once dried, I can pull the foam out, and I have a template for multiple hides.

Loving the intro

Definitely using that hide idea!..why didn't I think of that? Lol..currently on a journey to make a foam tank background cause I couldn't find one I really liked

This came on my recommendations as I'm looking upgrade my gecko. 😀

Yes

also, another quick hack anything slate - slate is stupid expensive for basking spots, but i went to a store and bought a set of slate dinner place mats and coasters (4 for £3?) and smashed them up, ground off the sharp edges against brick/concrete whatever so its safe and wont cut, and made loads of slate hides, basking spots etc

DIY incubators! Great video btw, I've done pretty much all of these. I love a good deal, but don't mind putting in the money and effort with my geckos when needed.

I agree so much

Wow I have the same exact led lights for my room

GREAT video Adam thank you so much for the tips and tricks! I'm new to being a beardy owner (don't think I even rate as a hobbyist) but this is very helpful!

When I was low on money I would make the hides out of thick cardboard lol it worked very well for a short amount of time

Love it!

“ don’t inject you snake” Me : “ wooo who would want to do it “

Used double hung windows from home renovations make a great sliding front for large homemade enclosures

I started a dubia breeder bin to save money. Also, unfortunately my local pet shop is more expensive than the chain stores as well.

Those were two different sprayers that worked two different ways lol

I have gotten great stuff at the farm and ranch store for my animals, clued in my reptiles.

I couldn't comment when this video came out, so I just hit the like button. I was working at the time.

Oh yeah!!!!!!!!

you need to team up with snake discovery for a video !

That idea of making a hide out of concrete and tupperware is a great idea!!

After much research I've come to the conclusion my man Adam has been blazing hard before his videos good man love the content

Yes please do a build things video