# Your best non reptile designed product.



## underdog (Mar 11, 2008)

Yes the title is confusing, but I couldn't think of a better way to put it :lol:

What I am asking is, what's the best things you use in your set up that aren't designed for reptiles but do a good job at a good price?

For instance do you know of some place selling lights with ceramic fittings that make for good (and cheap)basking lights? Or some product that wasn't deasigned to be but makes a good substrate etc, well you get the point, umm I hope.

For me my best was the £10 odd I spent in B&Q and a dripper system. I got about 20 meters of tube, 20 dripper attachments and control taps, and now I have it dripping water at various points in my Iguanas cage, cheaper and better than anything I have seen desgiend for reptiles.

Unfortunatley B&Q doesn't have a pic of it on their web site, also a lot of Rat and Gerbil cage furniture is good for little lizards.


----------



## wohic (Jun 19, 2006)

hemp bedding used for horses such as hemecore is great for substrate.
I picked up a load of hamster hides in tesco for use as snake hides
my large snake hide upstairs in quarintene is a grass collecting box from a lawn mower (made of strong plastic so easy to disinfect)
willow hanging baskets from wilkos for the snakes to hide in and climb on...and their bird houses are good for the snakes.


probably loads of other things as well but brain is mashed at the mo 


great thread


----------



## purejurrasic (Mar 18, 2006)

Lids from nescafe coffee jars, make super mealworm dishes


----------



## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

The bamboo garned trim (like a mini fence for borders) makes excellent cage furniture - you can cut it to size, bend it to make bridges and backgrounds and all kinds


----------



## mark666black (Feb 18, 2007)

Plant pots and plant saucers for hides.
Seedling trays as water bowls for smaller snakes, (the thicker black higher side ones) as they don't seem to tip them over and at about 50p each great price 
Bird houses, I've yet to keep a snake that dosn't love them.
Plastic flowers for decorating the vivs.
Bamboo poles for climbing on and you can get the really thick ones from garden centres that are hollowed out that make great hides when cut down.
Coloured disco 60w spot bulbs,exactly the same as reptile spot bulbs but different packaging, and at £1 for a bayanet fitting even better price.
Eco earth stuff in a seedling tray (the ones above) soaked with loads of water in the hot end keeps the humidity really high for high humidity snakes (I use it for my rainbows) and they love to sit and soak in it too.


----------



## mark666black (Feb 18, 2007)

brittone05 said:


> The bamboo garned trim (like a mini fence for borders) makes excellent cage furniture - you can cut it to size, bend it to make bridges and backgrounds and all kinds


Was just about to edit and add this 

Also attach it to the roof of the viv, it makes a great 'hammock' type hide and they love it 

I also use some of the bigger wooden garden edging, the solid thick ones without the bendy wires inbetween, as a ramp for my bosc, cut down to size required.


----------



## madman2 (Mar 11, 2008)

the best ive found is ceramic light fittings from B&Q brill for the bulbs and none of that barnet (or however its spelt) fitting rubbish with it. Really simple just screw the ceramic straight into the viv. I suppose it only works if you have a 1/2 wooden/glass viv though


----------



## iiisecondcreep (Oct 29, 2007)

My spiders have plantpots as hides and bottle lids for drinking dishes.
Snake has a cardboard box as a hide, although he often still likes to hide under the bit of cork bark he has even though when he's under it its 4" off the ground lol


----------



## underdog (Mar 11, 2008)

brittone05 said:


> The bamboo garned trim (like a mini fence for borders) makes excellent cage furniture - you can cut it to size, bend it to make bridges and backgrounds and all kinds


Oh I like that idea, I think I may borrow that one :lol:


----------



## Johelian (Nov 25, 2006)

I use plastic plant saucers as water/food dishes for new arrivals; theyre super cheap and so can be disposed of easily if animals in quarantine become sick, and you can get them in lots of colours - this makes identification of whose bowl is whose a bit easier.

We've got some broken paving slabs in our desert ig cage which are a great colour and texture, and were very cheap.

Other than that, lots of free polystyrene pinched from different places has been great for making fake rocks etc!


----------



## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

£1 hamster carrying bpxes, make great baby vivs. 
toilet rolls for the baby leos
ikea candle holders, for food..

list could go on for ever!


----------



## Shiori (Nov 20, 2007)

My best find is bait boxes from the local fishing tackle shop,(the o/h works there), theyre around 60p-£1 each. They make great moss boxes as they have the vented lids, all you have to do is cut a hole in them. They come in various sizes and they are think plastic so they go through the dishwasher with no problems, easy cleaning! I prefer them over other boxes because they are black, blue or green and dont let the light through. 

Also i get fake plants from a local gearden centre, all high quality and loads of choice. Over 1/2 the price of the ones for reptiles as well. Can pick up single stems for £1.70-£2 and whole vines for around £4. 
I like them bacause they are made of plastic coated wire and can be shaped nicely, the snakes also like climbing on them.


----------



## underdog (Mar 11, 2008)

After a read through some past threads on here today it seems the fogger from maplin should also go on the list.


----------



## quizicalkat (Jul 7, 2007)

I reckon boxes from perscription medicines make great hides for youngsters - as do smarties boxes. - free

the age old cricket tub for hatchlings - free

polybox for incubator - free

glass ramkin dishes for smaller snakes' water and lizards feed bowls 20p from charity shops.

dog bowls from pound shops for the bigger snakes - double as water bowls and hides (for some bizzare reason:lol2 - £1


----------



## snickers (Aug 15, 2007)

- glass ramikins from GU products for water bowls
- newspaper substrate
- tesco icecream tubs for hide boxes/egg containers
- polybox incubators
- film pot hides for Ts
- RUBs for juvenile snakes
- tesco locking food tubs for Ts
- floppy disk boxes for hatchling hides
- toilet roll middles for hides
- forceps
- gardening gloves
- dettol surface cleaner
- branches from the garden
- thermometers
- boots hand heaters

Stuff I buy that IS designed for reptiles
- thermostats
- heatmats
- exo-terra vivs
- eco-earth substrate for Ts
- cork bark deco/hides
- AHS heater
- 5*2*2 fibreglass viv
- snake stick
- thermometer


----------



## 955i (Aug 17, 2007)

Best thing I have is my old dissecting kit from Uni.

The amount of times it has come in useful for all sorts of things is unbelievable and I wouldn't be without it now.


----------



## Velosus (Feb 26, 2008)

freekygeeky said:


> £1 hamster carrying bpxes, make great baby


 sounds good.

any info on this? link? 

Oh and we bought a coconut for a smoothie, ate the inside etc, cut the nut in half... and added holes... bingo, 2 great hides!!

Ian


----------



## Molly75 (Jul 10, 2006)

IH the best one i found is Poundstrecher do these little square mini food tubs 6 for £1 and they make great dishes for the braplast boxes you don't get humid areas and being square there is min space wasted  anf the best bit is the top doubles as a mealies dish soooo no waste LOL

My local 99p shop also does a pack of 6 rond ones and fake flowers we use for the rhaccs 
p xx


----------



## badboiboom (Oct 22, 2007)

cat litter tray for the sally water pool
dog bowl for sallys other water bowl
word carvings my brother makes as logs
a model blue lizard as a climbing thingy
coke bottle cap for leo's calcium dish


----------



## linda.t (Sep 28, 2007)

stainless steel lamp shade from wilkos for £4 for chams basking light.


----------



## sudan_lover (Nov 14, 2007)

ladders - designed for budgies - 50p
plastic chinese takeaway tubs - great food bowls for my beardie - free
hamster see-saw - £2
lino cut-offs - free and good substrate - easy to clean !


----------



## Plutino (Aug 5, 2007)

upside-down plastic dog beds as snake hides for larger species
PVC drainage tubes for smaller species

I know graham uses gutters for hides up higher in th' viv which I may have to do if I ever get a semi-arboreal

great thread! lotta really good ideas here. Keep em coming!


----------



## titch (Aug 9, 2006)

I use a plastic washing up bowl for snake hide's, just either cut a hole in the top or in the side and i think there around £1.50p each!


----------

