How to Clean a Reptile Terrarium or Tank

A reptile tank or vivarium is a small, warm, closed space, and that makes it get dirty fast. Droppings, urates, shed skin and uneaten insects build up in the substrate, the water dish gets soiled, and the glass clouds over. There is also a hygiene side to it: reptiles can carry Salmonella even when they look healthy and clean, so how and where you clean the tank matters for your family too. This guide covers the daily spot clean, the monthly deep clean, the water dish, decor and glass, and how to keep germs out of your kitchen.

It follows the RSPCA’s leopard gecko care advice, the cleaning procedures the Adams County Animal Shelter in Colorado uses for its lizard and snake enclosures, and the New Jersey Department of Health’s advice on reptiles and Salmonella. Ask a reptile veterinarian about anything specific to your animal.

Hygiene first

The New Jersey Department of Health explains that reptiles and amphibians may carry Salmonella on their bodies even when they appear healthy, and that people usually get infected by handling them or their droppings and then touching their mouths. Its advice for cleaning a habitat:

• Wear gloves, and do not clean the habitat in or near any area used for food or drink preparation.
• Clean it outside if you can, in an area not often used by children, older people or people with weakened immune systems.
• Keep away from food and drinking water, such as vegetable gardens.
• Wash your hands well afterwards, after taking off and throwing away the gloves.
• Keep young children out of it. It says children under 5 should not be allowed to clean a reptile’s or amphibian’s habitat.
• Never use the kitchen sink. If you use a bathtub, it says to clean and bleach it thoroughly afterwards.

The RSPCA also says to wash your hands before and after handling a gecko or its equipment.

The daily spot clean

The RSPCA says waste should be spot cleaned as soon as it appears. The Adams County Animal Shelter’s daily routine for its lizards and snakes is:

1. Remove droppings, urates, shed skin and uneaten food, including live insects your reptile has not eaten.
2. Scoop out soiled substrate and replace it with fresh substrate.
3. Wipe soiled spots in the enclosure, including plants and decor, with a dish soap and water solution.
4. Wash the food and water dishes with dish soap and water, then refill them.

A paper towel or a small scoop kept just for the tank makes this quick. Do not use the same tools for anything in the kitchen.

The water dish

For a leopard gecko, the RSPCA says the shallow water dish must be cleaned and refilled at least daily, and immediately if it is soiled. Whatever species you keep, check the water every day. Keep a spare dish so one can dry while the other is in use.

The monthly deep clean

The RSPCA says to clean the whole vivarium and all equipment fully once a month, using a reptile-safe disinfectant, then rinsing and drying it thoroughly. The Adams County Animal Shelter’s monthly deep clean follows the same pattern:

1. Move your reptile into a secure temporary enclosure, with the right warmth for the time it is out.
2. Take everything out: decor, hides, branches, substrate and the food and water dishes.
3. Wash the decor and dishes with dish soap and water.
4. Disinfect them. The shelter soaks them in a bleach solution or sprays them with a veterinary disinfectant, and lets it sit for 10 minutes. Follow the label of a reptile-safe disinfectant for the dilution and contact time.
5. Clear all organic matter (sheds, droppings, urates) from the empty enclosure, then spray it with disinfectant, let it sit wet for 10 minutes and rinse it thoroughly.
6. Rinse everything thoroughly and let it air dry.
7. Put it back together once it is dry, with new substrate, the clean decor and fresh food and water, then return your reptile.

Unplug heat mats, lamps and other electrics before you clean near them, and keep water away from them.

Bioactive tanks

The RSPCA recommends that owners consider a bioactive system for permanent housing of a leopard gecko. A bioactive tank relies on live plants and a small cleanup crew of insects in the substrate, so it is not stripped out and disinfected like a plain tank. Keep up the spot cleaning and water changes, and follow the guidance for your bioactive setup for the substrate.

Glass, decor and hides

• Glass: wipe the inside with warm water and a little dish soap, or a reptile-safe cleaner, then rinse with a clean damp cloth so no residue is left. Keep strongly scented household sprays out of the tank.
• Hard decor and hides: scrub them with a brush in soapy water, disinfect and rinse them at the deep clean, and dry them fully.
• Branches and wood: scrub off droppings, and replace pieces that stay soiled or start to smell.
• Reptile carpet: the RSPCA notes that reptile carpet can be easily removed for cleaning. Keep a second piece to swap in while one is washed and dried.

Substrate tips

• Choose one you can keep clean. For snakes, the Adams County shelter uses reptile bark, newspaper or coconut fiber. Newspaper and paper towel are the easiest to change.
• Follow your species’ needs. For leopard geckos, the RSPCA says not to use calcisand, beech chips or other non-natural loose substrates, and names clay substrates that set hard among the safe options.
• Replace it fully at the deep clean, unless the tank is bioactive.

For aquatic turtles, see how to clean a turtle tank.

A simple routine

• Every day: spot clean waste, sheds and uneaten food, and clean and refill the water dish.
• Every week: wipe the glass and check the substrate for wet or smelly patches.
• Every month: deep clean and disinfect the whole tank and its equipment, as the RSPCA advises.
• Always: gloves on, kitchen sink off limits, hands washed afterwards.

For other small pet homes, see how to clean a hamster, guinea pig or rabbit cage and how to clean a bird cage, perches and dishes.

Keeping fish too? See how to clean a fish tank or aquarium, which works very differently from a reptile tank.

Keep cleanup supplies ready

Our Pet Cleanup Kit is made for dog and cat accidents on carpets and fabrics, and its gloves are handy for messy jobs. It is not for inside a reptile tank: use a reptile-safe disinfectant there, as above.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I clean a reptile tank?

Spot clean waste as soon as it appears and do a full clean of the whole vivarium and equipment once a month, as the RSPCA advises for leopard geckos. Clean and refill the water dish every day.

What can I clean a reptile tank with?

Dish soap and water for everyday cleaning, and a reptile-safe disinfectant for the monthly clean, rinsed off thoroughly and dried, as the RSPCA advises.

Can I clean my reptile’s tank in the kitchen sink?

No. The New Jersey Department of Health says not to clean a reptile’s habitat in or near any area used for food or drink preparation, and to clean it outside if you can, because reptiles can carry Salmonella.

Do I need to clean a bioactive vivarium?

Yes, but differently. Keep spot cleaning waste and changing the water, and leave the living substrate in place rather than stripping and disinfecting it.

Sources

• RSPCA: Leopard gecko care
• Adams County Animal Shelter: Lizard cleaning and care procedure (PDF) and snake cleaning and care procedure (PDF)
• New Jersey Department of Health: Reptiles, amphibians and Salmonella FAQ (PDF)

This guide is general cleaning information, not veterinary advice. If your reptile stops eating, has trouble shedding or its droppings change, talk to a reptile veterinarian.