Reptiles & Exotics

Glass aquarium heaters can crack or shatter if you lift them out while they are on. What size heater you need, the brands I trust, and how to use one safely.

Bettas sold in jars and bowls is the thing that annoys me most at work. The tank size, heater, filter and plants a betta actually needs, and what it costs to do it properly.

Fish filters are the most returned item at the pet store I work in, and they are almost never faulty. The filters I recommend, and the mistakes that make good ones fail.

Three shrimp tanks, years of keeping them, and the counterintuitive thing that works: almost no maintenance and no chasing water parameters.

Last updated: 18 August 2026 · 12 min read I run five tanks at home: four shrimp tanks and a 40 litre indoor pond with tropical fish in it, including a betta, a bristlenose and tetras. I also sell aquarium gear at the pet store I work in, so I see what fails and what

Last updated: 17 August 2026 · 11 min read The enclosure is the most expensive thing you will buy for a reptile and the hardest to change your mind about later. It is also the decision people put the least thought into, usually because they are focused on the animal. I run two very different

Last updated: 17 August 2026 · 11 min read I keep green tree frogs, and I sell amphibian gear at the pet store I work in. They are one of the easiest Australian natives to keep well and one of the easiest to keep badly, and the gap between those two things is smaller than

Last updated: 4 August 2026 · 10 min read A thermostat is the least exciting thing you will buy for a reptile and the most important. I keep bearded dragons and green tree frogs, and I sell reptile gear at the pet store I work in, and the single most common thing I see is