Reptile feeding equipment
Feeding a reptile is not the same job as feeding a dog or cat, and most of the difference comes down to the equipment rather than the food itself. A dish that tips, a bowl that traps humidity in the wrong spot, or feeding by hand instead of with tongs all cause problems this aisle exists to solve.
What belongs in this aisle
The core kit is small: a water dish, a food dish, and a pair of feeding tongs, sized to the reptile rather than bought generically. A heavy ceramic or resin dish that a tortoise or bearded dragon cannot tip over is worth more than a light plastic one that ends up spilled across the substrate by the next feed.
Tongs matter more than owners new to reptiles expect. Feeding live or frozen prey by hand trains a snake or lizard to associate fingers with food, which is how accidental bites happen at feeding time. A long pair of feeding tongs keeps the hand well clear and makes the whole routine calmer for both of you.
Choosing the right size
Match the dish to the animal, not the enclosure. A water bowl deep enough for a bearded dragon to soak in is too deep for a small gecko, who can struggle to get out again if it tips or the sides are steep. Check the depth as well as the width before buying.
Placement inside the vivarium affects humidity and cleanliness as much as the dish itself. A water dish sited under a heat source evaporates fast and pushes humidity up in a corner that may not want it, so it is worth thinking about where a dish sits, not just what kind you buy.
Keeping it clean
Feeding equipment is one of the quickest routes to bacterial build-up in a vivarium, because it holds standing water and food residue in a warm environment. Dishes need washing out regularly rather than just topping up, and a design with no awkward corners makes that quick rather than a chore that gets put off.
Buying two of the same dish, so one is always clean while the other is in use, is a small habit that keeps on top of this without extra thought at feeding time.
In this section
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Tetra Reptomin Sticks
Complete Tetra ReptoMin dry sticks for water turtles, with calcium and phosphorus
£4.98
Tetra ReptoMin
Floating stick food for water turtles, with 39% protein and added calcium for shell growth
£9.06
Supa Turtle Food Super
A freeze-dried shrimp and tubifex food for turtles, alongside fresh food
From£5.99
Komodo Tortoise Food Dandelion
A complete holistic tortoise diet in dandelion flavour, high in fibre
From£7.29
Komodo Tortoise Food Fruit Flower Flavour
A fruit and flower flavoured tortoise diet, high in fibre with a calcium-forward mineral ratio
From£7.29
Komodo Aspen Bed Terrain
A 6-litre aspen bedding for snakes, built to hold its shape when burrowed into
£6.79
Komodo Habitat Moss
1.5L of ready-hydrated natural sphagnum moss for reptile humidity and shedding
From£7.29
Komodo Ceramic Lamp & Bracket
A ceramic lamp holder and mounting bracket for bulbs up to 200w, 172cm cable
£24.99
Exo Terra Intense Basking Spot
A focused-beam basking bulb for reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates, in a range of wattages
From£9.39
Exo Terra Infrared Basking Spot
A red-glass infrared heat bulb that can run overnight without disturbing a reptile
From£11.39
Hagen Exo Terra Daylight Basking Spot
A broad-spectrum daylight basking bulb, providing heat and light for a terrarium
From£8.39
Common questions
- Do I really need feeding tongs, or can I hand-feed?
- Tongs are the safer habit for anything that takes live or frozen prey. Hand-feeding teaches the animal to associate a hand reaching in with food, which is exactly the scenario that leads to an accidental bite once that association is learned.
- How often should I wash reptile feeding dishes?
- Ideally after every use for food dishes, and at least every couple of days for water dishes even if they still look clean, since warm, humid vivarium conditions let bacteria build up in standing water faster than it would in a normal room.
- What size water dish does my reptile need?
- Big enough for the animal to sit in comfortably if it is a species that soaks, like many bearded dragons and tortoises, but shallow enough at the sides that a smaller reptile such as a gecko can climb back out without difficulty.
- Does dish placement in the vivarium actually matter?
- Yes. A dish placed directly under a heat lamp evaporates quickly and can push humidity up in that corner of the enclosure, which may not suit every species. Position dishes with the vivarium's heat and humidity gradient in mind, not just for easy access.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.