Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I have a baby beardie arriving tomorrow, and I recently bought a tank and hides, light, heat source, etc., all that stuff, used from a friend who used to own a beardie. So, how do I clean this stuff? I assume I can't clean the tank with bleach, and I wasn't able to find Novalsan at my Petsmart. I'll keep trying to find it, of course, but until I do, what can I clean the tank out with before I put the little guy in it? It's dusty and dirty.

Gwen

I also want to add that the cricket cage I got from him is also dirty, so I'd like to clean that too without getting the crickets sick.

Gwen

Novalsan can be purchased from vet clinics I beleive, or cleaning supply stores. Not sure where to find it myself. However, you can clean your tank and all accessories with a 1:10 bleach/water solution. Just rinse fully and allow to fully air dry in a well ventilated location (outside is best). Before bleaching I suggest washing everything first with warm soapy water (dishsoap is fine, or any disinfectant cleaner), then rinse completely, then soak with the bleach solution for about half an hour before rinsing. This will completely clean the tank and accessories.

If you have wooden cage accessories and they are small enough, instead of using the bleach solution, as wood takes a much longer time to rinse and air dry for all bleach fumes to dissipate, you can bake them in the oven for about 2 hours at 250F. Allow to cool of course, before handing.
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PHLdyPayne

Thanks! I was just afraid that the bleach may leave some sort of film that would be dangerous for the dragon. But I will do as you say and rinse it really well and let it dry outside. Maybe the sun will help a little, too.

Gwen

A good way to clean the decorations , as long as it isnt wood. Is to soak them for about 15 minutes in a bleach/water mix then rinse well with cold water then soak again with water and a product you can get from petstores called de-chlor. It deactivates any bleach left. This method is safe. I use this to clean corals in my saltwater reef tanks. Any those critters are not hardy at all any hint of bleach would wipe out the whole tank.

you can do this with the tank as well. I often just use a razorblade and warm water first on the glass. You can use alcohol to disinfect it after. Just rinse well.

anyways hope this helps.

p.s. a little elbow greese goes a long way too!

I have used Irvoy liquid hand soap to clean some of my cage accessories, is this ok to use, it's anti-bacteria hand soap????
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Lizard Smoke

It's better to use a dis-infectant cleaner, than the hand soap as most handsoaps have lotions added into it which could leave films. Also, many have perfumes as well, which could be an irritant to some animals. use the anti-bacterial soap on your hands after handling reptiles and cleaning the cage. If you find the disinfectant or bleach solutions harsh on your hands, you can wear gloves.
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PHLdyPayne

oh really, good too know that, I just wanted to use something that isn't so strong. what products do you use or that are good?? Also what is a good soap to use to wash your hands with "before" handling or feeding a beardie??
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Lizard Smoke