It’s important to clean your reptile tank décor properly, and it’s vital to make sure your cleaning solution and container used for cleaning are separate from other items like food containers or dishes you use.

To clean most reptile décor, use gloves and wash each item in hot, soapy water, using a sponge or soft cloth to scrub away debris, food and feces. Rinse everything well with water. Next, disinfect the reptile gear using water and 1/2 cup of bleach for every gallon of water. It’s best to have goggles on for this process. Soak the reptile décor in the solution for 10-minutes for plastic items.

To clean wood hides for reptiles, soak porous wooden objects in a veterinary disinfectant for longer than 10-minutes to allow full penetration of the disinfectant. Remove all items from bleach solution and rinse everything with clean water thoroughly. Let air dry before placing back in the reptile habitat.

To properly set up your lizard’s reptile terrarium décor, you’ll need a list of equipment to control the environment and the right reptile tank décor to make it come to life.

Once you decide which species of lizard you’ll be getting, you can choose which solutions you’ll need when designing their reptile habitat décor.

Your lizard habitat will need these essentials:

• Terrarium
• Temperature control
• Humidity control
• Timing device
• Light
• Cedar and pine shavings or appropriate substrate
• Non-toxic plants
• Reptile hides
• Driftwood and rocks
• Filters

For more detailed information about setting up a lizard habitat, check out our guide, Reptile Remodeling: Proper Habitat Setup.

Your lizard’s terrarium décor should start with a base of substrate. Next, you’ll need reptile accessories for hiding, basking, temperature regulation and climbing. These solutions include caves for reptiles, reptile and amphibian platforms and shelters, and other reptile accessories.

Learn more about everything you need to take care of pet reptiles with our Pet Reptile Basics Guide.