Should you buy Reptile Starter Kits? Are they Worth the Money?
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- Опубліковано 30 чер 2024
- MY CURATED REPTILE KITS: bit.ly/GoHerping_Kit
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Many of you ask if it's worth your money to buy a ready-to-go reptile starter kit. Today, we check out 4 different kits and go over the pros and cons of each to decide if you should invest in one for your reptile!
REPTILE KITS ON AMAZON
Zilla 10 gallon Desert | amzn.to/2vGiqLJ
Zilla 10 gallon Tropical | amzn.to/2uGMTvJ
Zoo Med 20 gallon for snakes | amzn.to/2x1VkPa
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DISCLAIMER ↴
I receive commissions on some links in description. Opinions are ALWAYS my own on any product or service and always will be.
(Affiliates as of the date of this video include Amazon, DubiaRoaches.com, Reptile Edge, Wix, Kit.com) - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
CORRECTION: Crested geckos don't require UVB but benefit greatly from it, and Zoo Med does actually sell thermostats. Thanks and sorry about that!
I'll be putting more of my own kits together, make sure to keep up by following me here! bit.ly/GoHerping_Kit
GoHerping Make a kit for corn snakes please
GoHerping thanks so much for this vid!
GoHerping could you rate my enclosure for my sulcata tortoises, I have them in a 15 gallon long enclosure with a heat rock and coconut core substrate that allows them to burrow, and a two pvc pipe hides and a water dish,( they are babies btw and will be moved outside when grown and yes I plan to breed them if that's important) there is a cooler side a hotter side (which is where the heat rock is) and an area in the middle. They love lettuce, squash, and melon rines as a treat occasionally, that is their typical diet
corn snakes enjoy burrowing. Mine loves to make tunnels through her aspen bedding. Also they don't drink much you probably wouldn't even notice a change in water level if you have a bowl big enough for the snake to soak in. He/she is probably drinking but you just never see it, they don't drink often or for long at a time. They get a lot of liquid from their prey as well.
First
I'm gonna make my own 1 gallon kits with pictures of elephants and giraffes and a blue whale on the front.
Edit: It's gonna be for cats though.
Lmaooo
o o lmao
let me know when your done! im going to use it for my sheep!
Question. Can I use it for my six hyenas?
Omg this will work great for my pet tiger
"PetSmart why is your site so garbage." "7,561,882 million lives saved probably like 30 million lost."
-Alex 2017
BurningWaterYT go away
A lot of petsmarts are abusive but a special few actually care to give two shits about their animals which I applaud them for doing so.
@@donut5818 my petsmart is good except they use red lights for their beardies
The shadeee
I used my credit card at petsmart and krogers and it got hacked and someone used 300 bucks on 10 dollar scooters. My banks gonna refund me but it could take 3 weeks so i would suggests pay in cash at pet stores cuz more than likely easily hacked.
These kits seem to be for people who decide to get a pet for their kids but don't want to do any actual research into its needs.
Phoenix Willowbloom im rhe one who does the research
So so so so TRUE
I legit research even though i might not get a bearded dragon or a leopard gecko
@@victoria3673 i am getting a bearded dragon actually
@bleaq i got one already
I just got my thermostat
My heat mat was getting 120!!!!! I almost cried i had no idea. Now it stays 85-90 down in the warm spot and 75-80 in the cool It lets feel so much better i use the jumpstart one like you recommended
It’s like fish tanks, you see these small tanks with pictures of goldfish on the box...crazy
Especially the beta tanks
Ikr
The stereotypical 10 gal with a black moree on the front like that's gonna last that fish a couple months
One time I was at pet smart I saw a 1 gallon tank and they were recommending betta fish
Seriously you deserve way more subscribers.
584 thousand now!
I hate how they give you sand in the bearded dragon set.
doki doki jihad club Why? Do you hate things being natural? Dragons don’t just live on or in rocks or hard ground, sandy environments are where they’re most commonly found.
@@aidanhill4085 what, you don't feed your bearded dragons to random birds of prey? It's natural dude.
Nature isn't perfect. Many animals live longer in captivity specifically because we've found better ways of keeping them. Google impaction.
Aidan Hill the sand is actually not their natural habitat they live in a hard dirty areas in Australia so
Aidan Hill they don’t live in sand. Please do more research, and consider giving your beardies away. You don’t sound knowledgeable.
Flyky As someone who is currently studying herpetology in Australia, I deal with these animals in their natural habitats. I can safely say my Bearded Dragons (and many others) are fine and safe on their sand. They are natural in sandy environments, are you aware that there are 9 different species of
Poona who each lead very different lifestyles ranging from their food choices and their environments. Sand, has been proven by almost everyone in Australia who owns, breeds and works with these animals is 100% safe.
@RossW impaction is only an issue when inexperienced keepers try keeping reptiles. Anyone who has had impaction issues with their reptiles has most definitely had little to no experience and poor husbandry. (Most people get their sand from the wild, where they also get their reptiles from). Out of the 6 bearded dragons I have, I’ve yet to have one experience compaction and all are over the age of 8 and doing quite well. This can be said for majority of all other keepers here.
@ReptileRampage Sand is most definitely their habitat. Google “Bearded dragon in natural habitat” and prove me wrong, majority will be on sand. Come to Australia and come with me (or anyone else) on a herping trip. I can guarantee that every single bearded dragon you’d see will be on soft sand or roaming the rocks and hard clay areas looking for food. They burrow in the sand, they breed in the sand and they lay and incubate their eggs in the sand.
Local reptile/animal stores usually have great deals on stuff like this. I got my Cal Kings 30G enclosure with a water bowl, 2 hides, a heat mat, a heat bulb + lamp, and a giant bag of aspen for $80.
King wow that’s a great deal
Where from
The sad but all too clear reality is that these kits are not 'made' for anything but making money.
As prospective owners, use Alex's links to kits that will work for your animals instead. Your pet and pocket will thank-you in the end.
amen
230 dollars for everything he linked on the ball python kit...
Just got a ball python last week and the first kit he showed. Only thing I have left is that heat mat. Right when I got home I hopped on amazon and got a new light new bulb, different substrate, thermostat, water bowl, bigger tank, 2 hides, temp gun, foliage. People say ball pythons are such a cheap easy pet but I spent hundreds after realizing that set up is shit. Thank God I had the means to take care of the snake
To be honest, I don't think there's anything wrong with kits. What I do think is wrong though, is if you go to a pet store and they try to sell you it, saying its all you need. Its in the name, a *Starter* kit. They are there to get you started with your animal. The pieces in the kit shouldn't be the only thing in their enclosure. So as long as the buyer is made aware that they will need more products besides what is included in the kit, I don't think there is anything wrong with them.
Jack Dawson
A lot of kits come with things that are bad for your reptiles
I just bought a kit because it was cheaper than buying everything separately
Kits are great, but if you buy a kit for a gecko and the tank is too small for any kind of gecko I would say that that kind of stuff is a lot of garbage.
"7 million lives saved, yeah and like 30 million lost" hahahahahahahahaha
In a fifteen second interval you roasted pets mart twice. GET THEM BOI
This video was a roast fest and I loved it. " seven million lives saved. Probably thirty million lost" XD I WAS DYING OF LAUGHTER! Great video though Alex!
Exoterra and ZooMed make species specific starter kits so they are better than Zilla in this aspect
I was given a leopard gecko from a friend who didn't have the time anymore last year .... She came with everything he had for her and she just came in a plastic tub with vents that was pretty small (I didn't get any measurements) thankfully he didn't put sand in but unfortunately he decided she didn't need a heat mat !
She was pretty thin and shed very badly for quite a while... I've managed to fatten her up and she's now a steady weight. She hadn't had heat in 5 years and I would like to know what you think this would've done to her health and if it would have shortened her life ? 😞
TIA xx
I personally like the Zoo Med or Exo Terra kits. I usually stay away from anything Zilla
Yea zilla sucks
I bought their daylight bulb for my hermit crabs and it burnt out the next day, so we bought a new one. Fast forward 4 months, and the new one burnt out. So I just use the Zoo Med lights.
when i was getting stuff for my leopard gecko my mom saw a ‘leopard gecko starter kit’ and suggested i got one. i took a look at it, and it actually made me sad. honestly the only good thing in there was the heat lamp and mat. the tank included was way too small, and the substrate it provided was sand. i feel bad for all the leopard geckos who have this :(
Lucy Tognetti ikr:( neither of my reptiles can be on loose bedding cause they always dig it up and so there’s the bottoms of the tank lol. i usually use carpets or paper towels! i plan on you yikes for my beardies when he’s a bit older:)
5:24 in my opinion those kits are very good for hognoses. 20 gallons is an ideal size for them (males don’t exceed 24 inches and females don’t exceed 3 feet) and that’s also a good bedding because they can dig in it easily. I purchased that for my (western) hognose and it came with pretty much everything I needed (only thing missing was a thermostat, as stated in the video), and I ended up getting another bag of bedding but it’s still pretty good
"7.5 million lives saved, more like 30 million....lost."
😂😂😂😂
Willow Willow anywayyy 😂😂. Ik i died there
Willow Willow all the saved are just cats and dogs reptiles fish and rodents ect were all killed
The shade 😂😂
Congrats on the move!! I love your videos, especially your tutorials. I love reptiles. I love this channel.
I love your videos because theyre always informative and funny.
thank you so much I've been needing this info
Good job Alex! I get most of my reptile info from your channel btw.
I just convinced my parents to allow me to get a ball python my Family is against snakes and you helped me get a snake so thank you!
When it came time to upgrade my corn snakes tank we bought a 20 gallion tank used. It came with hides and climbs, rocks, and a lamp. $40. Formally used for a ball python. We cleaned everything and made sure lamp was safe. Works great.
I got that first kit for my leopard gecko, I'm glad you said it was okay for them, I'm going to buy additional hides and a few other things!
Great stuff in this video. love these videos that help new reptile owners make the right decisions. It can be hard with so much messed up and miscommunicated information. Though I don't think crested geckos need UVB because they're nocturnal.
Can you please make a kit for a blue tounged skink? I'm thinking of getting one. Love your content
i was able to get a kit on sale for my kenyan sand boa (it was the zoo med petsmart one showed in the video- i didnt get it from petsmart lol) for only about $40 and it was so worth it. the only thing i had to buy were a thermostat and new hides (the one that comes w the kit is too big and heavy for my boa, she's only 6 months old) so yeah. i think in certain circumstances the kits can be okay. I would not have gotten it at original price though
How have I not seen this video until now? It was really helpful.
The zoomed snake tank is a great starter kit for a corn snake! I got it and I love it! The tank locks snug, it's got a good sized heat pad, and light for extra heat. The water bowl was a little small if you are getting an older snake, same with the hide but if you are getting a young one they will work great for a start. All you need is a thermostat and a better digital thermometer (the dial one it comes with won't be as accurate) and you are pretty much set. I don't think any kit comes with a thermostat so thats an added cost anyway.
Congrats on your new home love u so much ❤️
I’ll buy kits like these bc i can use the different supplies for several of my animals. as far as buying one as a complete setup, a lot of them don’t provide everything you need but honestly if you know what you’re missing then the starter kits can be great to give you good deals on most of your animals supplies so long as you purchase any additional things you’d need that aren’t included.
i got myself a carpet python hatchling kit and we got another hideout for the cold spot and curly is doing really fine in it!
The Zoomed Beardie kit is okay from what I’ve experienced. I went ahead and got the 40G for my baby Beardie. The one thing I am replacing is the UVB to add the uvb hood but the deep dome is a good deal so you can have your CHE and Heat Bulb in one area. And I’d get rid of the sand and use a sand mat but things marketed for beardies hide/basking wise are expensive so it sets you up pretty good and you’d just have to add the hides/basking areas
Can't wait for the kits
The only fairly okay kit is the ZooMed pacman kit.
I bought zoo med's crested gecko kitl. Im planning of moving my gecko out but, since he's still small he does wonderful in it. The only things i had to buy was a thermometer and hydrometer, a spray bottle, a hide and some decorations just to spice it up. I bought it from a local pet store the same time I bought him and he did well in it.
I was given the Zoo Med snake kit which was almost the same as the one you showed as a gift and it has done great for my California King. I did have to change the hide since the one it came with was too small and add a thermostat but other then that it worked great. However it was a gift so I can not say I would buy it again because like you said it is pricey.
Just got a ball python last week and the first kit you showed. Only thing I have left is that heat mat. Right when I got home I hopped on amazon and got a new light new bulb, different substrate, thermostat, water bowl, bigger tank, 2 hides, temp gun. I spent 50 on a heat mat. People say ball pythons are such a cheap easy pet but I spend hundreds after realizing that set up is shit. Thank God I had the means to take care of the snake
Good vid. These kits are a pet peeve of mine.
Im not a repti keeper i keep tarantulas but love your content
Good job Alex!
I don't know if you've done it but I would love to watch you do setups
The kits from Josh’s Frogs are actually pretty great. They make custom kits for different species.
I bought recently the Zoo-Med Bearded Dragon "kit" for my 5 year old corn snake original price was 240$ but I got it on Zoo-Med day for a total of 120$. Got a great deal for the 40gallon tank, 2 lamps n bulbs, big water dish, aspen and bunch of lizard foods. The aspen was odd as they advertised for bearded dragons but i was using it for my corn anyways.
The tank alone with the 2 piece lid with locks was worth the 120$ and the upgraded water bowl and uvb is a nice add-on but that's why i bought it, i needed a bigger tank and used everything eventually. I searched up the snake "edition" and found that the one i got worked better
Yes I wish I saw this before I got the supplies for my pied bp
i saw a large kritter keeper with a bearded dragon on the front packaging!
It’s meant for your feeder insects for your beardy or any other reptile
I actually need a night light for my leo due to living in Canada and having a poorly heated room. To keep his temp at a healthy level, we need an infrared at night.
I like buying each peice seperate because can chose what i want and size.
I got an Exo Terra kit for my Crestie, I got the larger one with something like 20% off so it ended up at quite a good offer. the backdrop wasnt the best but I fixed it and Yoshi loves the feature piece in the middle. I think it was worth it for the decoration and the actual enclosure itself but I did have to replace the lamp in like 3 months of having it. nonetheless shes been living happily in that for over 4 years so I guess its alright
I bought a snake starter kit, I have seen that it’s obviously doesn’t come with everything it needs but it does come with a lot of the stuff I’ll be using. I have done my research on the type of snake I need and know what I have to buy but I thought it was a good idea to get the 40 gallon snake starter kit because it was also 50% off for Black Friday lol but I think it’s pretty good AS LONG AS YOU’VE DONE YOUR RESEARCH on your pet reptile and know what everything it needs ( be willing to buy a few extra things) also some stuff you obviously won’t use for whatever your reptile is but yeah
I checked prices at my local Petsmart. That set up is a GREAT price - materials rounded up were $130...
The subtle clap in the corner with the music was classic
thanks for the vid
When I got my corn snake from a reputable reptile store that breeds them or has friends that breeds there animals I made my own “starter kit” because he allowed me to, it was a tub set up I must admit. It was a 1 foot long tub(since she was a yearling at the time) a heat mat, thermostat, water bowl and hide, the setup cost me £70 and I got a 50% of discount off the snake because they had a deal that if you bought a tub setup with a corn snake you get the corn snake half price, it was a WIN WIN situation, I got a Snow motley corn for £30 instead of £60
The zoo med one might work for a western hognose snake. I bought almost all of that stuff for mine separately, plus a thermostat and some other plants. I think I spent about $150 total......so you could save some money buying it separately and looking for sales in different places
What substrate should I use for a corn snake? Also if I get a heat lamp, which one would you recommend?
I would use aspen bedding or frost floor and for the lamp I use a 50 watt for summer and 65 watt for winter. It keeps the basking spot at around 85 degrees with an ambient temperature of around 80
*forest
I have 5 corns, and I use aspen for all of them, it's super easy to spot clean and pretty cheap :)
Kristen Webb aspen
Aspen is always a good choice as everyone days.
Personally I like dried out exo-terra plantation soil. Easy to spot clean, looks good and is good for burrowing.
Its also nice for keeping them cool when thermo regulating and keeping humidity.
Does have some downsides, partical size and excess humidity can be a problem.
I got a bearded dragon set from Petco when I got my little guy. I think it was Zilla. I pretty much went in blind but with a friends help who has experience. It didnt come with sand, but I already knew to avoid it. It came with pretty much the bare essentials plus some stuff that was just straight up not useful(dried bugs). The substrate was a carpet, but I had to trim it to make it fit.
...fit the tank it came with. 🤨
Being more experienced now, I'd say just look up what you're doing first and buy your own set up piece by piece yourself before you get your new friend. Probably cheaper and you'll get what you need rather than stuff you won't and/or chancing missing something.
Zoo med have termostat and rehostat. I have 1 termostat and 3 rehostats from them. But my rehostat broke only 6 mount after I buy them so it not quality. The termostat is not broke and I have it for 8 mounts, to see if they are more durable.
I actually bought the first kit, the Tropical, when I first got my baby Ball Python. I think it's decent for the price, and the individual items will be easy to swap to something better when I've got a better grasp on what my snake needs. The heat mat can get very hot, but it's meant to go under the tank so it's much less extreme. The dome's limit is 60 watts, the bulb works fine but I quickly decided to not have such harsh lights on my boi. Overall, if you're feeling overwhelmed with trying to buy all the individual items i'd say its a good start, and since BP's grow slowly it gives you time to build up a bigger tank (which I'm about to do) without dropping a ton of money all at once.
I got a crested gecko kit by zoo med and it was really good all I had to get was an extra plant and food because my gecko doesn't like zoomed food
Alex that was a rosy boa on the package of sand. You should look into one, I've heard all good things.
i got a petsmart ad when u went onto the petsmart website lol
I’m subscribed! Love ur vids
thanks!
@@GoHerping omg I i did not think u would reply I’m sorry to ask but is there anyway I can get my beside to eat his salad and multivitamins? I know your not a vet but I want my baby beanie to be okay. Thanks
@@GoHerping ppl sub to herping
Alot of those kits dont have uvb. They have a heat light with uva that they make you think its sunlight with the labeling.My stepdaughter just got a bearded dragon from petco and she bought a kit for it. It didnt come with a uvb bulb and she wasnt informed. I just found this out and i was happy i noticed.
Have you checked Exo Terra crestie kit? Looks really good to me
good job i love it and careing to you
Flunkers adjustable dome light best light can dim it to get the perfect temp
Serious question my man, I've got a large aquarium for free and I'm wondering what reptile y'all (specifically GoHerp) think would Best go in it. It's about 4 feet long, about a foot wide, and 3 feet tall.
Thanks so much i was about to dish 100 plus bucks for the zilla one😵
i mean if you need the enclosure, for example some companies have good enclosures but only come in starter kits, so i use those, but obviously you have to buy more things than it comes with
Hey thanks
Can you make a video explaining what to do in the case that a snake regurgitated or vomits?
For some reason that crested gecko on the front of the first kit pains me😂 I have a crestie so I know how wrong a horizontal 10 gallon tank is.... (I have a tall 35 gallon and it still sometimes seems small😂)
I bought the zoomed snake habitat for my Nicaraguan dwarf boa. She has been doing fine, so of course she will get bigger, but she is fine now
Yeah they're not automatically "bad" kits and come with a lot of nice products, they're just not usually perfect
That snake kit comes with locks. I own it. I have added too it since I bought it.
I just bought a zilla snake kit for 50% off and im replacing the substrate and getting a thermostat and its saving a bunch of money for me
@@nightinggale6470 even if it only lasts a year on the tank,thats still a good amount of time to save for a bigger one. And with the 100 saved from the deal you can buy any other necessary things.
For the zoo med tank I found it on Amazon and it said nothing about PetSmart.
I was gonna buy the zoo-med leopard gecko tank at pet smart (people suggested it was ten dollars), but it was $80. A ten gallon tank (planning to get a baby and raise it) with a lid was $43. I ended up getting a ten gallon terrarium tank and buying reptile carpet, two hides, and a water bowl (I bought heat mat, thermostat, and temp gauges online and buying lights, water cleaner, vitamins, and calcium in my next paycheck)
I found a kit that has
-2ft wooden Vivarium
-2 small hides (if I brought it I’d get larger ones later when it gets bigger)
-heat mat
-thermostat
-two bowls for meal worms, calcium.
Is this ok?
I read that UVB is not necessary for something like my whites tree frogs only UVA is that true ? Btw I keep my house at about 72° at night, should I eliminate using the red night bulb to keep them warmer ? I don't want them stressed out from the night bulb if it's not necessary. I also wanna add some live plants should I switch to a UVA/UVB light bulb during the day for the plants ?
Pet Supplies Plus is a good place to look for cheap starter kits that are actually worth the money. They regularly have 50% off sales on expensive herp supplies.
I got the first kit and it dose come with a thermostat... i got the hides, water dish, aquasafe, as well as flukers and some greenery and the bulbs needed for my 🐍 as well as. Aspen bedding I cut that mat up and made a hide for the heating mat so he wudnt burn himself... I ordered everything not included from diffrent online stores because I compare price's but my snake is doing great I wish I cud post a pic
a thermostat or thermometer? If it has a thermostat, is must have been updated, but I assume it only reads temps and not control them
I’ve been constructing my bearded dragon enclosure over the past week, and I don’t intend on getting a bearded dragon until the heat gradient is established, and the food supplies are in. My enclosure is 2’x4’, and I built the enclosure itself for free by taking an ikea shelf apart and then lining the inside with a plastic tarp so mold doesn’t get in. Every time I go to Petco just to get a lamp dome (I never get live animals there, I hate how they treat them) I laugh at the pathetic size of every starter kit.
Though this isn't a "kit" what is your opinion on Repti Zoo 36×18×18 double hinged door terrerium? I am pretty sure it can work with most colubrids but other than the obvious leopard gecko, fat tailed gecko, and crested gecko what other species of lizards would work in this type of enclosure. I am open to both desert and tropical. I realize it's probably best to have your tanks set up well before you bring home any animals. There is a reptile show that I am hoping to attend in October so I'm trying to do as much research as possible before then. Thanks!!
Go herping I got a baby corn snake with the last setup the setup was only a 120$ do you think it was worth it
i Bought one once meant for a “small lizard.” It had soil, one hide, and fake leaves as well as the 5 gallon itself. It was a lot taller than wider, too. I ended up (obviously) not using it for a lizard. I used it for my roach. And even for a single roach, I had to spend like $30 extra for things needed. But yea, I’ve never seen any that have exactly what’s needed for the animal. I went on a lil rant there oops
I’m pretty sure the first desert enclosed would be OK for a bearded dragon but I would definitely recommend more supplying a his a water dish and a food dish and it would be better
Ps a baby bearded dragon
Good vid
Alex, i see that you have a 5k shirt and i was wondering if u run a lot?? And if so whats your best 5k time because i love to run and i love reptiles of course! (Btw my best 5k is 19:58)
How would you use the thermostat? Do you attach it to the heat mat and it changes the temperature? I’m sorta confused
what about the "thrive" brand kits particularly the bearded dragon one.. i think this is petsmarts own personal brand, they are a bit cheaper and are next to the zoomed stuff.. the main reason im looking at those is the front open design with the doors. also should i be concerned with them seeing their reflection on the glass?
Or what would be a good replacement for the lights?
I remember going to PetSmart one day and I saw the hermit crab starter kit. I looked at it and most of it was useless.
The only positive thing I could say was the enclosure was a 10 gallon.
I didn't get a notification :/
I still enjoyed the video though!
the zoomed 40 gallon when on sale is like $20 more and comes with everything except the food and snake (it’s but it’s $180 on sale)
How high should be the average heat lamp go to for a python/snake ??
i just got a 10gallon "desert reptile starter kit" from amazon for $50 and the thermostat/hydrometer was broken and the lid was too big (it slides around even with the clips on). but for $50 it was worth it for the day/night heat lamps and the tank itself. I got it for my baby ball python, and I plan on getting a 40gallon by next year. For the price, you get what you pay for. But I wouldnt recomend it in the long run