Are you wondering why these bulbs are bad? They have been known to produce a high output of UVB, causing what is known as photo-kerato-conjunctivitis. This is a serious matter, and one should not take it lightly.

How do you know your reptile has this? Well there are many symptoms, such as lethargy, unwilling to open eyes, no longer basking, swollen eyelids, and even more. If you are using one of these bulbs, stop now, and switch over to a standard florescent tube light, using one approriate for your animal.

What if I can’t get another light fixture? If you have 20-30 minutes of free time each day, take your reptile outside in the sun to bask. I generally use large plastic containers, and will sit my exotics outside with me. I stay with them the entire time, as other animals may eat them. I do not use any lids while doing this, and I monitor the temperatures inside their box as to prevent it from getting too hot. Make sure to offer a hide in the box as well, as to let the reptile escape from the sun if they’d like.

Please visit this link for more information:

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm

There are a lot of bad breeders out there. What each person sees as a bad breeder is different, but in this case we will use ones that mistreat animals, sell cheap iguanas, and lie about their sales. I’ve seen and dealt with these dealers, and they give off a bad vibe. Iguanas grow extremely large, and a lot of people have no idea about this. That cute baby iguana that was purchased for $10 later becomes a 5 foot monster that no one knows what to do with. Breeders that sell these animals without prior warning are horrible. An iguana should have a higher price tag to ward off people who just want a cheap pet.

What do you look for in a good breeder? I recommend not only looking for reasonable prices, but healthy livestock and breeders who are willing to share their information.  When asking about an animal don’t be afraid to ask about the parents of the reptile, if it is WC (Wild Caught), CBB (Captive Bred and Born), CBR (Captive Born and Raised), Farmed/Ranched, or even LTC (Long term captive). A lot of breeders will not tell you about this, but instead will try to talk their way around it. You can ask about the lizard, the generations behind it that are CBB, and even the setup for the animals when not on a breeders table. Never be afraid to ask questions or demand answers. If a breeder won’t answer, they might not be worthy to deal with.

If you are looking to purchase a reptile from a breeder online then use forums to search for information and reviews. A lot of forums have review sections, which people will often post their experience in. Never purchase from someone on a forum without finding history on them. If there is none, then question why. There are a lot of good and bad breeders on forums, so finding information, even from other forums, should be done. There are some people who are banned from one forum for selling reasons that are selling on another. Don’t hesitate to ask a Mod/Admin if they were banned for something related to selling, and if so if they could explain to you what happened.  A lot of Mod’s/Admin’s won’t mind telling you about a problem seller as they prefer no one else has to deal with them either

There are several options for controllers, here are a few that we will speak about:
1. Herpstat
2. Helix
3. Rheostat
4. Ranco

Herpstat is manufactured by Spyder Robotics (http://spyderrobotics.com/). They offer 4 different products, Herpstat, Herpstat ND, Herpstat II, and Herpstat PRO. The common, and cheapest model, the original Herpstat, allows users to use a box with a small digital display to regulate the temperature. The ND model gives the option of Night Drop (temperature drop in the evening between x and x time). Herpstat II gives the option to have two outputs, while the Herpstat Pro has 4. Herpstats (original and HD) have a small extension cord with 3 plugs so you can plug in multiple devices to be controlled (usually heat tape).

Helix is manufactured by Helix Control Systems (http://helixcontrols.com/). They offer one model, the DBS-1000, which can be purchased with grounded power cord or without. The other selection for the model is if you want one with temperature control 40-100F, or 65-110F. The units all have 3 plug cords, so multiple devices can also be placed in.

Rheostats are manufactured by Zoo Med (http://www.zoomed.com). They have 3 different models, ReptiTemp 500R Therm/Rem Sensor UL List, ReptiTemp Deluxe 500, ReptiTemp Rheostat. The ReptiTemp 500R allows the user to control multiple devices from 70-110F, and gives a Night Drop feature as well. ReptiTemp Deluxe allows 2 devices to be plugged in (up to 500W), controlled with a slide bar from low to high. The ReptiTemp Rheostat also allows 2 devices (up to 150W), using a knob that turns from low to high. The problem with all three of these devices is that they are on/off thermostats.

Ranco controllers are also on/off thermostats. They are generally purchased without wiring, so that is a downside to people who are not tool savvy. A few companies sell the units wired, but they are a lot pricer. Personally I do not recommend using Ranco, so I’m not going to go into details on them. You might as well just buy a Herpstat for the money you will spend buying a wired Ranco.

Herpstat and Helix are both proportional thermostats, which means they adjust the power given to the unit, while Rheostats and the Ranco just turn the thermostat on and off. The on/off method does not always allow the unit to heat up enough. This is okay with incubators, but a pain when dealing with heat tape and heat mats.

Reptile shows are held all over the place, ranging from once a month to once a year. There are larger shows, such as the NARBC, and small local ones. There are a lot of ways to find reptile shows, such as searching on google using a city near by and the words ‘reptile show’. Kingsnake also offers a way to see reptiles shows, but I never figured out how, as the website is ridiculous and annoying. I’ve found this website and use it to find local reptile shows.

At a reptile show you have to be careful with the breeders. You should look all over the show before deciding on what to get. Once you find an animal you like, question the breeder, and look at their other stock. I often avoid a breeder that sells Wild Caught (WC), as I prefer Captive Bred/Born (CBB) species. This means avoiding a lot of breeders that sell small Iguana’s off to people. You will notice these breeders, and they often push sales more, and are generally the ones with lower prices. This is where parents go to buy their children’s reptiles. Stay away from them. There are a few in specific I’m not found of, but I will not name them here.

Generally you can question about what the animal is being fed, how it is being housed, and anything about temperature. You can ask all sorts of questions, and breeders will often explain to you the best care. It is best to look up this information before going to the show though, that way you know if they are giving you the correct advice. Don’t just go and buy because you like something, you may have no idea how to care for the animal. If you are really interested and have to have the reptile, find someone selling books and see if you can pick up a book on the reptile, this way you can look at it and compare it to what the breeder is telling you.

If you are going to go to a reptile show, make sure you bring cash. A lot of breeders don’t take credit cards, so you must have cash, or you can usually use the ATM provided at the show (which has a fee). Depending on what you plan to buy, you can bring $100 up to $500, and even more sometimes. Those with expensive reptiles often have credit card machines, as does Max Pet, who is one of the vendors at almost all shows I’ve been to. You also will want a cooler if you are planning on buying frozen rodents. I always bring more money than I need, and often bring a cooler and a few hand warmers in case I pick up a reptile and need to make a stop on the way home. This will keep the animal warm. This is also great for feeders such as superworms, that way they don’t freeze if it is cold out.

Size
There are many different sizes of reptiles and enclosures. Before picking what type of reptile you want, you must decide what size enclosure you can have. If the largest you can go is a 10 gallon, then you will be limited to what you can buy. However, if you have no limit to what size, then you can house pretty much any animal legal to have in your state. Once you decide on the cage size, you can then start thinking about what animals can live in this.

Besides the size of the enclosure, think about how large a reptile gets. Some reptiles only grow a few inches, while others grow many feet. Take this into account when deciding on a reptile, especially for younger children. You do not want them trying to handle a 15 foot long snake, but giving them a reptile under 2 feet is ideal, preferably even smaller.

Cost
Figure out how much money you are willing to spend. Reptiles cost a lot to own. First you must have a cage, the heating and lighting elements, substrate, constant supply of food, and tank decorations. These items get pricy.

Here’s an example of how much a typical person can look to spend on a single Leopard Gecko:

• 10 gallon aquarium – $10 (without a top), with a top $20-$30.
• Heat Mat – Around $15 for a 10 gallon
• 2 Thermometers – $7 each (digital ones), sometimes more, let’s say $15
• 2 Housing areas – $15 (usually about $7-$10 each, depending on what you want it to look like)
• Water dish – $5
• Calcium dish – $3
• Substrate – Depends, Paper Towel – $1, or Repti-Carpet $5 or so.

This setup will run you $100+ including the gecko itself. Depending on if you want a juvenile of a normal morph, or something more interesting, the price can go up. You also have to account for the crickets and worms you will be buying over the years you will have this pet.

Food Type
Some people cannot stand crickets, while others hate worms. You have to decide if you can handle feeding live prey, or if you would rather deal with vegetables and fruit. Certain lizards (Iguana’s) will eat just fruit and vegetables, whereas Leopard Gecko’s need live food, and snakes, they eat either live mice, or frozen mice (sometimes rats, guinea pigs, rabbits depending on size).

Can you handle feeding these types of prey? If not, you are again limited to what reptiles you can have. Iguanas grow large, and require a lot more care then people presume, so they are not the best choice for beginners.