How? Setting up a terrarium Useful tips for ... - Reptiles Greece

What – Why – How?
Setting up a terrarium
Useful tips for beginners

Contents Page
1 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2 FIRST THINGS FIRST: WHERE DO ANIMALS COME FROM? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3 THE TERRARIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3.1 THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE TERRARIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3.2 THE LOCATION OF THE TERRARIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.3 THE CLIMATE OF THE TERRARIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4 TYPES OF TERRARIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.1 THE DESERT TERRARIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.2 THE RAINFOREST TERRARIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.3 THE ACQUA-TERRARIUM OR PALUDARIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
SUITABLE FLOOR-COVERING MATERIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5 TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT FOR THE TERRARIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
5.1 LIGHTENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
5.1.1 THE DESERT TERRARIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
5.1.2 THE RAINFOREST TERRARIUM AND THE AQUA-TERRARIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
5.2 HEATING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5.2.1 HEATING IN A DESERT TERRARIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5.2.2 HEATING IN A RAINFOREST TERRARIUM AND A DESERT TERRARIUM . . . . . . . 18
5.3 PROVIDING HUMIDITY AND WATER CARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5.4 VENTILATION IN A TERRARIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
6 FEEDING THE TERRARIUM ANIMALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
6.1 HOW OFTEN TO FEED? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
6.2 FOOD FOR “ANIMAL EATERS” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
6.3 FOOD FOR TURTLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
6.4 FOOD FOR VEGETARIANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6.5 VITAMINS AND MINERALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
7 TERRARIUM CARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
7.1 CLEANING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
7.2 USEFUL TOOLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
8 HEALTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
8.1 SELECTING THE ANIMALS . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
8.2 QUARANTINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
9 PRODUCT OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28
Published by
JBL GmbH & Co. KG
D-67141 Neuhofen
www.JBL.de
1 st edition 2004
Text: produced on the basis of copy from Uwe Dost
Foto’s: Uwe Dost, Heiko Blessin, Dr. Rainer Keppler

1 INTRODUCTION
In our increasingly hectic world, a little
bit of nature in the home gives many
people the opportunity of relaxing as
they observe their pets in peace at the
end of a day's work. For example, by
losing themselves in a richly planted
indoor jungle with a waterfall and various
inhabitants such as anolis,
Madagascar geckos and small, colorful
frogs. Observing the fascinating
behavior of all these animals gives
great pleasure. This is made possible
by the enormously wide range of highquality
technical equipment and
diverse accessories and types of food
as well as a wealth of information on
the needs of these pets which is all
available in well-stocked pet shops.
This small information brochure is not
intended as a comprehensive guide to
terrarium-keeping, but provides infor-
mation and help for people toying with
the idea of taking up this hobby. It
should point people in the right direction
and describe how the numerous
JBL products provide help in setting
up and caring for a terrarium.
Particularly when keeping a terrarium,
it is vital to know the exact requirements
of the animals you intend to
keep in order to avoid unpleasant surprises
later. Your local specialist pet
shop keeper will be an important
source of information and support.
Information gathered from books and
the exchange of experiences with
other terrarium enthusiasts are also
important.
We at JBL are also constantly
expanding our
experience and understanding
of the habitats of
these terrarium animals.
The knowledge of the natural
environments of the
animals which we gain in
special JBL research
expeditions is taken as a
basis for the development
of useful products on our
return. After test phases
conducted by experts in
the laboratories, the products are later
to be found on the JBL shelves of
specialist retailers.

2 FIRST THINGS FIRST:
WHERE DO THE ANIMALS COME FROM?
It is worth learning as much as possible
about the natural habitat of the
animals. The more detailed the information,
the closer the conditions in
the terrarium can resemble the natural
environment. As almost all terrarium
animals are cold-blooded (poikilothermic)
animals, their body temperature
depends on the temperature of their
surroundings and the sun's rays, in
contrast to warm-blooded creatures.
The animals control their body temperature
through certain behavior,
such as sun-bathing or seeking out
Dry rock biotope with wide local Agama sunning themselves in their habitat A shady stream in the rainforest
temperature variations
cooler zones, adjusting it to the optimum
range for them. Only then can
digestion and the metabolic processes
work effectively and the animals
display the range of behavior specific
to their species.
This behavior must be taken into
account when keeping reptiles. Desert
creatures only appear at first sight to
live in hot conditions. Anyone who
has been to the desert knows how
extremely cold it can get at night there
and would also try to apply this experience
to terrarium-keeping. In contrast,
the situation in tropical rainforests
is quite different. Relatively
constant temperatures, high humidity
and no harsh light are the environmental
conditions under which the animals
in the jungle live. However, many treedwelling
species have the opportunity
of spending time in sunlit places.
In the following chapters we would
like to present two types of terrariums
as examples to illustrate setting up a
terrarium, the equipment used and
subsequent care. One type is a desert
terrarium and the other a rain-forest
environment, representing the "jungle
behind glass". As a variation on the
rainforest terrarium, the paludarium or
aqua-terrarium is mentioned, which
can be more or less close in design to
an aquarium.

3 THE TERRARIUM
Nowadays specialist retailers offer a
wide range of terrariums, mostly
made of glass panes with silicon
adhesive. These usually
have sliding doors at the
front. There are also small terrariums
ones for invertebrates
with folding doors at the front
instead of sliding. It is only
worth building your
own terrariumnowadays
if you
have a cheap
supply of
glass panes or
you need a particularly large
terrarium which is not commercially
available. As a construction material,
wood is only really suitable for dry
terrariums. Since plastic panes are
usually just as expensive as glass and
often become opaque quickly or are
easily scratched, glass remains the
ideal building material for terrariums.
3.1 The size and shape of
the terrarium
The shape, size and equipment
used depends on the
specific requirements of
the species, the size of the
animals and the range of
movement required. As a
general rule, the larger the
terrarium, the better. The
equipment should always
be based exactly on the
volume of the pool, so that in
the event that the temperature control
system becomes faulty, there are
no immediate losses due to overheating.
Suitable decoration should
be used in the living environment to
provide the animals with seclude
places to hide, whilst maintaining a
good overview for the owner and the
best possible hygiene conditions.
For ground-dwellers, the floor surface
is of course the most important
area, whilst for tree-dwellers the
height of the terrarium is a crucial
factor. Due to the many different
requirements and adaptations of the
animals, strictly separating terrariums
into a few standard types of

terrarium makes little sense particularly
as the transition between terrarium
types is often very fluid.
3.2 The location of the
terrarium
Actually, any location within a house is
suitable, with few exceptions.
However, the position should be chosen
so that the animals can be
observed in comfort from your
favourite chair. It is also important that
regular care work can be carried out
without resorting to physical contortions!
Care should also be taken that there is
no risk of overheating through direct
sunlight, such as next to a window.
Attic apartments, which scarcely cool
down at night in summer, are not suitable
for keeping heat-sensitive animals.
And finally, in the case of large
terrariums, the weight-bearing capacity
of the location should be taken into
consideration.
3.3 The climate of the
terrarium
The climate in the terrarium is the
most important factor for the wellbeing
of the animals. Only if the equipment
is carefully chosen to reproduce
the typical climate for the direct environment
of the animals as closely as
possible, will they display their full
repertoire of behaviour and can live
healthily. The most important climatic
factors in the terrarium are the temperature
(air and ground temperature
as well as localised spots with higher
temperatures), the light (duration,
intensity and light quality), the relative
humidity as well as the ventilation. As
in the wild, the individual climatic elements
interact in the terrarium too,
and are subject to fluctuations
throughout the day. The relative
humidity will, as a rule, decrease the
longer the lighting and heating are in
operation. This should be taken into
consideration when selecting the terrarium.
In small volume containers,
the individual climate levels will fluctuate
rapidly. These must then be
adjusted using sophisticated control
systems or constant adjustments in
order to be able to provide the best
conditions once again. On the other
hand, in large volume containers the
climatic factors are significantly slower
to fluctuate and, furthermore, zones
with differing micro-climates can be
easily created (zones with varying
temperatures and humidity), enabling
the pets to seek out places which provide
the climatic conditions they
require at any particular time.

4 TYPES OF TERRARIUM
In the following we would like to present
two types of terrariums in detail,
the desert terrarium and a rainforest
terrarium, as examples of the wide
range of types of terrarium which are
possible. As an interesting variation on
the rainforest terrarium, the paludarium
or aqua-terrarium is also mentioned.
There are, of course, a whole
range of conceivable combinations of
climate types, which cannot be dealt
with in the space available here. Tips
are given on sources of appropriate
information.
4.1 The desert terrarium
The habitat of the desert is generally
understood to be a really hot one.
However, when you look closely, you
learn that the environment of reptiles
in the desert is characterised by extremes
of temperature, depending on
where the animals are. At night the
temperatures plunge dramatically. In
order to reach and maintain the temperatures
required for metabolic processes
and typical behaviour (display,
defending territory etc.) desert animals
deliberately move between warm,
sunny areas and cooler, shady ones.
It should be noted that desert animals
in particular need localised (!!) spots
where the temperatures should easily
reach 50 - 60°C, but they do not
spend all day there. In the natural environment,
the length of time spent at
the source of heat is influenced by the
air temperature and wind movement.
In spring, with cool air temperatures
and strong winds, they need to sun
themselves for long periods in order to
reach the preferred temperature. In
contrast, in summer, with 38°C air
temperature and no wind, they avoid
direct sunshine in order not to overheat
above their optimum temperature
(for many desert animals this is between
35 - 42°C). An important factor
in the heating of a terrarium is therefore
the variation in heat levels throughout
the terrarium. The animals should
always have the opportunity of finding
cooler places when they have warmed
up sufficiently. By careful choice of
technical equipment and its use (e.g.
never covering the entire floor of a terrarium
with a heating system), the terrarium
keeper should ensure that different
climate gradients are created in
the terrarium rather than a uniform
sauna climate. The most important
point is the creation of a drop in temperature
in the terrarium. No reptile
can survive core temperatures of over
48°C.
A desert terrarium can be set up as
follows: any type of sand is suitable as
a floor covering. JBL offers red, yellow
and white sand under the name
TerraSand. Red TerraSand is supplied
damp and can be shaped when
spread. It hardens slightly as it dries,
giving burrowing animals the possibility
to dig caves. According to the requirements
of the animals, the terrarium
can be designed with stone constructions
or with caves.

Corn snake on JBL TerraBark Leopard lizard on red TerraSand
For the safety of the animals, stone
constructions should be glued together
using aquarium silicon, for example,
such as JBL AquaSil. In large
aquariums, the weight of stone constructions
may be a problem. Imitation
stone made of plastic is available from
specialist retailers and is to be recommended
here. Dry wood is also suitable
as decoration in desert terrariums.
Appropriate plants, such as succulents,
round off the picture. Cacti
should only be used in the plastic imitation
form, to avoid the danger of
injury from the spikes of real cacti. If
large, active animals are kept, plants
usually have little chance of surviving
long. Many suitable imitation plants
are available from specialist pet suppliers.
Collared lizard (female) on red
JBL TerraSand
A summary of the technical equipment
for a desert terrarium (more
details in the chapter "Equipment").
� Heating mat: JBL TerraTemp
� Temperature and humidity
regulator: JBL TerraControl
� Heating stone: JBL ReptilTemp
� Fluorescent tube: JBL SOLAR
REPTIL Sun
� Heater: JBL ReptilHeat
� Special mounting for heater:
JBL TempSet
� Heat lamp: JBL ReptilRed
Star tortoise on JBL TerraBark
A terrarium for sun-loving tortoises
can be set up, in principle, in the same
way as a desert terrarium. However,
sand should not be used a floor-covering
material. JBL TerraBark is ideal in
this case. Further details can be found
in specialist literature or by consulting
your specialist retailer.

4.2 The rainforest terrarium
When they hear the term "rainforest
terrarium" most people think of a
jungle behind glass and automatically
associate this with high humidity and
more or less constant "tropical" temperatures.
This is not as far from reality
as for desert terrariums. It is a fact
that the characteristic climatic factors
for rainforest terrariums are relative
constant temperatures of around 25 -
30°C with slight cooling during the
night and relatively high humidity. The
temperature and humidity levels required
vary according to the species of
animals. Appropriate information is
vital for successful care.
JBL TerraBasis or JBL TerraBark is
excellently suited for use as groundcovering
material in rainforest terrariums.
Plants play a key role when setting
up a rainforest terrarium. A wide
variety of suitable plants are available
from specialist pet shops or well-stokked
garden centers. In principle, any
plant which is suitable for a windowsill
can be used in a rainforest terrari-
um. The size should, of course, be
governed by the space available.
Plants with large, smooth leaves are
suitable for reptiles with adhesive fingers,
e.g. geckos, as they would
otherwise spend their most of their
time on the panes.

All kinds of damp-resistant branches
or cork bark are suitable as structural
elements in a rainforest terrarium.
Roots of wood available for use in
aquariums are excellent as they have
no humidity problems. Many artificial
branches or liana-type decorations
made of non-rotting materials are
offered for sale. Branches decorated
with plants such as
bromeliads provide a
focal point in any
rainforest terrarium.
The side and rear
walls can also be
incorporated into the
design of the landscape,
whether by
attaching flat stones
to them, or plant elements
made of coir,
or painted polystyrene
shapes with a
sturdy covering layer.
There are almost no
boundaries to the
design ideas for rain
forest terrariums.
However, the needs of the animals
and the limitations posed by cleaning
must always be taken into consideration.
Moving water in the form of waterfalls
in conjunction with more or less large
water containers are a further interesting
design element. Many animals,
such as chameleons, prefer drinking
from water which is moving. When
installing water containers or waterfalls
it is important to remember to
provide a way for any animal to climb
out of the water if it falls in, either deliberately
or inadvertently.
And finally plastic plants have to be
mentioned as a design element.
These are always used when relatively
heavy animals, such as tree
pythons, are kept as these will flatten
most living plants in time. JBL offers a
wide range of such plants under the
name TerraPlanta.
Waterfall in rainforest Juvenile tree python changing colour
A summary of the technical equipment
for a rainforest terrarium (more
details in the chapter "Technical
Equipment").
� Heating mat: JBL TerraTemp
� Temperature and humidity
regulator: JBL TerraControl
� Ultrasound mist generator:
JBL Foggy
� Fluorescent tube: JBL SOLAR
REPTIL Jungle
� Heater: JBL ReptilRed
� Water pump for waterfall:
JBL ProFlow mini
� Inner filter for water:
JBL Pro Cristal

4.2 The aqua-terrarium or
paludarium
The aqua-terrarium or paludarium
(Latin palus = marsh) is in principle a
rainforest terrarium combined with an
aquarium. Breath-taking tropical landscapes
with waterfalls and streams or
lakes can be designed in large aqua-
Turtles sunbathing at a pond
terrariums. The typical care routine of
aquariums apply to the water section,
including the same decorations and
technical equipment. More details can
be found in the JBL "What - Why-
How?" series of advice brochures.
Aqua-terrariums with particularly large
waterfalls or even an island as the
land element are best suited for the
care of turtles. Many of these creatures
can also be kept in garden ponds
in summer. A suitably secure enclosure
is vital as these animals are real
escape artists.
A summary of the technical equipment
for an aqua-terrarium (more
details in the chapter " Technical
Equipment"): in addition to the points
listed for rainforest terrariums:
� Aquarium heater: JBL ProTemp
� External filter for the aquarium:
JBL CristalProfi
Turtles in an aqua-terrarium
10
imals

Suitable floor-covering material
for terrarium animals
TerraBasis
Indian python/regal python, corn snake, pilot black
snake, Arizona king snake, water agama, mountain
dragon, anolis, common iguana, garter snake, tortoise,
tree frog, toad, dart frog, red-bellied toad, hairy
mygalomorph, emperor scorpion, Madagascar gecko,
chameleon
TerraCoco compact
Dry as for TerraCoco,
wet as for TerraBasis
TerraCoco humus
Indian python/regal python, corn snake, pilot black
snake, Arizona king snake, water agama, mountain
dragon, anolis, common iguana, garter snake, tortoise,
tree frog, toad, dart frog, red-bellied toad, hairy
mygalomorph, emperor scorpion, Madagascar gecko,
chameleon
TerraCoco
Extra-giant boa and python species, large monitor
species, large water agama, large common iguana
TerraWood
Extra-giant boa and python species, large monitor
species, large teju, large water agama, large common
iguana

TerraSand white
Bearded dragon, leopard lizard, rubber
snake and turkish sand boa, horned toad,
common agama, desert iguana, spiny lizard,
ridge-tailed monitor, mastigure, rainbow
curly-tailed lizard, desert scorpion
TerraSand yellow; red
Bearded dragon, leopard lizard, rubber snake and
turkish sand boa, horned toad, common agama,
desert iguana, spiny lizard, ridge-tailed monitor,
mastigure, rainbow curly-tailed lizard, desert
scorpion
TerraBark 0-5 mm
Indian python/regal python, corn snake, pilot black snake, Arizona
king snake, water agama, mountain dragon, anolis, common i
guana, garter snake, tortoise, tree frog, toad, dart frog, red-bellied
toad, hairy mygalomorph, emperor scorpion, Madagascar gecko,
chameleon
TerraBark 5-10 mm
Indian python/regal python, corn snake, pilot black snake,
Arizona king snake, water agama, mountain dragon,
anolis, common iguana, garter snake, tortoise, tree frog,
toad, dart frog, red-bellied toad, hairy mygalomorph,
emperor scorpion, Madagascar gecko, chameleon
TerraBark 10-25 mm
As for TerraBasis, but only for large animals such as
boas, pythons, water agamas, monitors, common
iguanas and large tortoises

5 TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT FOR THE TERRARIUM
5.1 Lighting
As cold-blooded animals, terrarium
animals are far more dependent on
light, i.e. its quality and intensity, than
warm-blooded or homiothermic vertebrates.
Activity, taking in nourishment,
digestion and resting phases
are all influenced by the change from
day to night and above all by the
intensity of the light. Added to this is
the fact that many terrarium animals
also associate light with warmth and
seek out light places in the terrarium
to "sunbathe". This should be taken
into account, particularly in the heating
of desert terrariums. Depending
on the source of light used, there are
differences in the yield and quality of
the light. Fluorescent tubes, for example
provide a lot of light with little heat,
whereas bulbs convert the majority of
Daylight spectrum
the energy taken up to warmth and
only a small portion to light.
The question of which light quality is
most suitable for a terrarium is easy to
answer if you look at nature: in a long
process of evolution over millions of
years, plants and animals have adapted
to what the sun sends to earth.
Looking at the spectrum of sunlight
(meaning the part of the sun's rays
which are visible to us), you recognise
a very even distribution of all the
spectral colours. For this reason,
lighting for the terrarium should have
as balanced a spectrum as possible
without gaps. At the same time, all
plants and animals appear in their full
naturally glorious colours. In the case
of fluorescent tubes, these are the
full-spectrum tubes which JBL offers
in two versions for terrariums: JBL
SOLAR Reptile Sun and JBL SOLAR
Reptile Jungle. HQI lamps also supply
a very balanced spectrum and
provide excellent lighting for larger
terrariums. Bulbs have a very strong
red element in the spectrum which
can, however, be more or less compensated
for by colouring the glass
bulb.
A significant factor in the lighting of
terrariums is UV light, in the UV-A and
UV-B ranges. Depending on their origins,
terrarium animals need more or
less UV light for their well-being. UV-B
stimulates vitamin D3 synthesis from
the pre-stage of vitamin D2. UV-A stimulates
pigmentation.

Spectrum JBL SOLAR Reptil Sun
Tip: The use of high-quality reflectors,
such as JBL SOLAR Reflect, can
significantly increase the light yield of
all the lighting recommended here.
For example, the JBL SOLAR Reflect
shield made of robust, non-corroding,
mirror-finish aluminium can be simply
attached to all commercially available
26 mm fluorescent tubes by means of
clips.
Spectrum JBL SOLAR Reptil Jungle
The animals show the full brilliance of their colours under full-spectrum lamps e.g. JBL SOLAR Reptile Jungle

5.1.1 The desert terrarium
Characteristic of the desert environment
is its extreme brightness. The
UV light of the sun can shine on the
ground unhindered. Therefore desert
animals need very bright lighting with
a high proportion of UV light. The JBL
SOLAR Reptile Sun fluorescent
tubes with 36% UV-A and 8% UV-B
provide the right intensity of light for a
desert terrarium. Since fluorescent
tubes with high UV section give off
relatively little light in the visible range,
a combination with full spectrum
tubes with a high proportion of visible
light is strongly recommended. The
JBL SOLAR Reptil Sun is the best
choice here, providing ample light in
full-spectrum quality in the visible
range with a low section of UV, i.e. 2%
UV-A and 0.5% UV-B. A desert terrarium
with a depth of about 50 cm can
be easily lit with 1-2 JBL SOLAR
Reptile Sun tubes and 2-3 JBL
SOLAR Reptile Jungle tubes.
3 x JBL SOLAR Reptil Jungle
2 x JBL SOLAR Reptil Sun with reflector
In order that the animals can also use
the UV light, it is important that the
JBL SOLAR Reptil Sun tubes are
positioned inside the terrarium, without
any glass pane between the animals
and the tubes. Protective wire
mesh may be used to prevent the animals
coming into contact with the
tubes.
Note that invertebrates, such as spiders
and scorpions, do not need UV
light - it may even be harmful to them.
Invertebrate animals, e.g. bird spiders (hairy mygalomorph),
do not need UV light

5.1.2 The rainforest
terrarium and the
aqua-terrarium
Sufficient light, particularly full-spectrum
quality, is necessary for the
many plants in a rainforest
terrarium to
flourish. This can be
ideally created using
the corresponding
number of JBL
SOLAR Reptil Jungle
tubes. Animals from
the rainforest, however,
particularly amphibians,
need relatively
little UV-light as
they are shaded from
the sun's rays by the
lush vegetation in their
natural habitat. The
low UV-sector of JBL
SOLAR Reptil Jungle
is ideally suited for
this.
The lighting in a rainforest
terrarium
For animals which live in more open
areas of the rainforest or by the water,
for example turtles, or tree-dwellers
which actively seek sunlight when
required, we recommend the additional
use of JBL SOLAR Reptil Sun.
1 x JBL SOLAR Reptil Sun
1 x JBL SOLAR Reptil Sun
3 x JBL SOLAR Reptil Jungle

Insulatingmaterial
against heat loss
5.2 Heating
Heating in a terrarium should always
be planned such that, if the control
system should fail, the animals will not
Insulating material
against heat loss
be "cooked", i.e. a small terrarium
should not be equipped with an oversized
100 W heating cable with regulator,
but with a small floor heater with
only 15 or 7.5 W, for example.
In addition, the heating effect of the
lighting should be taken into account.
When the heating is turned off at
night, the temperature will also drop.
Tip: In order to reduce the heat loss
from the terrarium and save energy
costs, the side panes may be insulated
on the outside with insulating
material. Foam underlays, such as
JBL AquaPad, reduce heat loss from
the floor of the terrarium and prevent
the floor pane cracking due to unevenness
of the supporting surface in
the event that no external floor hea-
ting mat is used. If an external floor
heating mat is used, the instructions
with the mat should be carefully
observed to ensure adequate ventilation
of the heating mat.
5.2.1. Heating in a desert
terrarium
As already mentioned, desert animals
combine heat with light and automatically
seek out light areas to warm
themselves. At the same time, cooler
places should be provided in the terrarium
in order to offer the animals
places to withdraw to when they have
warmed up sufficiently. This is easier
to achieve in larger terrariums than in
small ones, which are relatively quick
to warm up completely. A heater can
Spotlight
Floor heating (heating mat)
be set up in a desert terrarium as follows:
one half of the floor is fitted with
a JBL TerraTemp heating mat.

The heating mat should never be fitted
in the middle of the terrarium floor in
order that the animals can still retreat
Agama sunbathing in their habitat
to the other half of the floor when
necessary. Sun-worshippers which
Bearded dragons sunbathing under a spotlight in the terrarium
like to burrow are still able to avoid the
heat by burrowing.
A spotlight (bulb with reflector) is fitted
as a heat source on the side with the
heating mat, towards the side pane,
rather than in the middle. A spotlight
provides the brightness which the animals
need. Spotlights with colour-cor
rected glass also provide a very natural-looking
light with good colourreproduction
properties (JBL product
in development). Using this method, a
range of temperature zones can be
created, from hot, to temperate, to
unheated floor space. This allows the
pets to seek out different temperature
zones according to need, as they
would in the wild.
Twilight or night-active species, such
as leopard lizards, should be provided
with warm areas using the JBL
ReptiTemp heating stone made of a
special material which ensures even
heat distribution in the stone. The surface
of the stone warms up to a
moderate 30 - 45 °C. The JBL
ReptiHeat, in the appropriate wattage,
is an excellent source of radiant
heat and can be safely installed using
the JBL TempSet (ceramic fitting with
cable and switch). The red lamps, JBL
ReptilRed, provide moderate heating
and, at the same time, lighting for
night observation. Smaller terrariums
can be lit and heated during the day
using JBL ReptilBlue, a bulb with
colour-corrected spectrum. The glass
bulbs of ReptiBlue and ReptiRed are
not painted, but made of coloured
glass and therefore do not fade
after long use.

5.2.2 Heating in a rainforest
terrarium and a desert terrarium
The relatively even temperatures in a
rainforest terrarium can be ideally
created using "gentle" floor heating,
such as JBL TerraTemp. The tropical
plants then have "warm feet" which
encourages growth. The lighting also
contributes to the heating of the rainforest
terrarium from above.
Heating mat
Floor heating (heating mat)
Aquarium heater
In larger terrariums, heating mats can
also be fitted to the outside surfaces
of the sides, providing these are not
covered with decorations. This provides
additional heating to bring the terrarium
up to the required temperature.
If larger areas of water are integrated,
with or without a waterfall, an aquarium
heating rod in the water is recommended.
If terrapins or other tropical
sun-worshippers are kept, a spotlight
should also be installed as a bright
source of heat for "sun-bathing" on
the land section.
5.3 Providing humidity and
water care
In addition to light and warmth, a supply
of drinking water, relative air humidity
and the right dampness of the
substrate are important factors in the
care of these pets. Not only reptiles,
but also to a far greater extent the
thin-skinned amphibians constantly
lose water during respiration and
above all through their skin.
Amphibians, in particular, absorb
water almost exclusively through the
skin and, in contrast to other terrarium
animals, hardly drink at all. Therefore
the terrarium should be misted regularly,
preferably at least once every
morning, even desert terrariums. In
regions with high daytime temperatures
and drastic cooling at night, fog or
dew often occurs in the early morning.
For many animals, this moisture on
their bodies or condensed moisture
Water droplets on a tree python
on objects is sufficient to meet their
daily need for water.
Some species of animal, e.g. chameleons,
prefer moving water. The drops
of water which collect on leaves or
decorative objects after misting are

sufficient for young animals, but often
not enough for fully-grown animals.
We recommend installing a drip
system which provides water over a
longer period of time. The
animals then have the possibility
to take as much water
as they need and vitamins
can be added to the water
from time to time (e.g. JBL
TerraVit fluid). Installing a
waterfall (JBL product in
development) or indoor fountain
driven by JBL ProFlow
Mini water pumps or installing
a larger waterfall on the
back wall, driven by JBL ProFlow
Maxi water pumps, complete with
water reservoir is another option to
provide moving water for the animals.
Finally, ultrasound
mist generators
e.g.
JBL Foggy
can be used
to increase
humidity. By the way, the operating life
of a mist generator can be significantly
prolonged by using soft water
(lower lime content).
Certain care measures must be followed
when providing water in a terrarium
to prevent it turning into a cloudy,
germ-laden soup, which is harmful to
the health of your pets. In the case of
drinking containers, care is fairly sim-
ple. They should be washed and refilled
daily. Larger areas of water in the
terrarium, also those connected to a
waterfall, require similar
treatment to an aquarium.
More details on
water care in the aquarium
are given in the JBL brochure
"What - Why -How", books 1 and 2.
The following steps should be briefly
mentioned: after the water area has
been filled with tap water, a water conditioner
should be added (e.g.
JBL Biotopol T), which renders
any chlorine harmless and binds
pollutants such as heavy metals.
An appliance should be installed
to filter the water. For smaller
volumes of up to approx. 50 l, an
internal filter for aquariums such
as JBL ProCristal is sufficient.
For larger volumes, an external filter
for aquariums should be considered.
Professional external filters
in the JBL CristalProfi range
are available in specialist pet
shops.

Regular changes of about 30% of the
water every 2 weeks should also be
carried out, as for aquariums, and the
fresh water conditioned with JBL
Biotopol T.
When keeping terrapins
and turtles, the installation
of an efficient external
filter is recommended
(JBL CristalProfi)
on account of the enormous
metabolic rate of
these animals. When
selecting the model, a
size larger than that
recommended for a corresponding
aquarium
should be chosen. JBL´s
EasyTurtle is a
product which effectively accelerates
the breakdown of the
large quantities of excreta produced
by turtles, and therefore
prevents unpleasant odours.
This contains specially bred
cleansing bacteria which are
absorbed in a mineral granulate.
The granulate is simply
strewn on the floor of the area
of water or mixed into the
ground-covering material.
5.4 Ventilation in a terrarium
The amount of fresh air needed
depends, like all other climatic requirements,
on the natural habitat of the
animals and varies widely from species
to species. Ventilation of a terrarium
is usually provided by 2 ventilation
grids on different sides of the terrarium,
which prevent stuffy air collecting.
Fitting a ventilation grid under the
front pane has the advantage that the
view remains "unclouded". The air in a
terrarium heats up from the heating in
the floor, the lighting and the heat
radiators and subsequently
rises. Some of the warm air
escapes through the ventilation
grids, usually in the top of
the terrarium, causing fresh
air to flow in through the grid
fitted under the front pane.
The air circulation helps to dry
the glass panes and the
objects in the terrarium.
Without any ventilation in the
bottom third of a terrarium,
moisture-saturated air
quickly builds up in a
humid
terrarium,
leading to
steamed up
side glass
panes. This is
the reason why
aquariums are
not suitable for
keeping terrarium
animals.
Ventilating a terrarium
The optimum humidity can be created
in a terrarium by increasing or decreasing
the size of the ventilation gaps
and the heat does not escape as fast
as from an open aquarium.

6 FEEDING THE
TERRARIUM ANIMALS
In order to keep terrarium pets healthy
it is vital that they are fed the correct
food for the particular species. This is
the only way to avoid deficiencies e.g.
rickets or illnesses caused by nutrition
(fatty liver, renal gout). It is important
to know the natural eating habits of
the animals in order to provide a
balanced diet. In a terrarium, many
animals eat types of food which they
would rarely find in the wild, or only at
certain times of the year. Some herbivores
will also eat live food insects. If
terrarium pets are given completely
untypical food, for example, bread
soaked in milk, cooked pasta, minced
meat or cat food, a surprising number
will greedily devour this.
These types of food are
unsuitable for terrarium animals.
However, not everything which the
terrarium animals voluntarily eat is
good for their health. The reason why
large common iguana do not eat cat
food in the rainforest is not that the
tins are hard to open, but simply
because there is none there. Giving
the animals their favourite food, (he
just loves to eat it), just for convenience
or out of excessive care is the
wrong way.
6.1 How often to feed?
There is not just one simple answer to
this question. The amount of food to
give per meal and the intervals between
feeds vary widely according to
the species. Of course, in the first few
weeks, young animals usually need
feeding daily, whereas adults only
have to be fed 2-3 times a week.
Depending on their age, snakes only
need food at long intervals, whereas
the small, colourful tree-climbing frogs
(Dendrobatiden) develop serious problems
after only a few days without
food. The amount of food given
should also be suitable for the pet.
Many animals eat reserves of food
due to the annual dry season in their
natural habitat when little food is available.
Of course, they do not know
that there is no danger of a food shortage
in the terrarium and therefore do
not stop eating reserves of food when
their owner continually gives them
over-rich food. This is why desert animals
are far more likely to suffer from
excess fat than rainforest animals.
Overfed animals become sluggish,
their sex organs may become fatty
leading to sterility, or they die from
organ failure, e.g. when their liver

stops functioning because too much
fat has been stored.
6.2 Food for "animal eaters"
Most terrarium animals are "animal
eaters", so-called because they eat
whole, live animals. As they are "programmed"
to particular stimuli, such
as the movement of the prey or, in the
case of snakes, the warmth of the
small mammal or bird which is the victim,
they can rarely be trained to
accept substitute food, with few
exceptions. Snakes can often be successfully
trained to accept dead prey
if these are warmed to 37 - 40 °C
before being offered as food.
Egg snake eating a quail egg
Nowadays specialist pet shops offer a
wide range of live food e.g. grasshoppers,
cockroaches, crickets, house
crickets, flies, fruit flies, springtails,
worms, mosquito larvae, wax worms
or crustacea. Nevertheless, compared
with the vast range available in the
wild, this is still a moderate selection.
In order to avoid deficiency symptoms,
the type of food should be
changed frequently, for example, not
always crickets. Finally the live food
animals should be further refined by
fed high-quality food themselves. To
this end they are fed a special mixture
Green tree python eating a rat
of food for about two weeks e.g. JBL
TerraCrick, clover, herbs, fruit, vegetables
and minerals, to "feed them up"
Bearded dragon eating meadow herbs
and significantly improve
their nutrient value.

The herbs, minerals and roughage
which a cricket eats shortly before
being devoured itself, are then indirectly
eaten in the form of the "stuffed"
insect by an "animal eater" which
would normally not give vegetable
food a second glance.
In summer, the menu offered to insect
eaters can be improved and broadened
to include meadow plankton
which you can gather yourself. Of
course, these should not be picked
from areas cultivated under intensive
farming methods using herbicides or
similar. Protected species should also
not be caught. Getting permission
from the owner of the meadow may
be advisable.
Tip: If, despite careful
handling, a food crikket
should escape,
any free-roaming
"creepy crawlies" can
be simply caught in a
non-toxic trap (JBL
LimCollect).
6.3 Food for
turtles
Most turtles are omnivorous, usually
with a preference for anything "animal".
The favourite prey are fish and
any kind of aquatic creature. Now and
again a dead fish is devoured. Turtles
also like to eat some aquatic plants
and other "greenery". In contrast to
most other terrarium animals, turtles
also eat "dead food" and can there-
fore be easily fed on industrially produced
food. The fact that they seem
to stuff themselves with any food offered
should not be seen as a reason to
feed them on cat-food, as sometimes
recommended.
JBL has a wide range of food for turtles,
all carefully balanced to meet their
nutritional needs. The main ingredients
are fish, crustacea and algae.
The classic amongst
the food products
offered by JBL is
JBL Turtle Food, a mixture
of dried water fleas, other
crustacea and insects. JBL
Agil, a food in the form of
floating sticks and JBL Tortil,
food tablets which sink in
water, add variety to the diet.
JBL Energil was specially
developed for large, fullygrown
turtles. This food
encourages natural movements
in the animals, as it

contains whole,
dried fish and
crustacea, which
the animals are
unable to swallow
in one piece.
And finally for
smaller turtles
and baby turtles,
there is JBL
Rugil and
JBL ProBaby.
6.4 Food for
vegetarians
Pets in a terrarium which are
solely or primarily vegetarian,
e.g. common iguana,
chuckwalla or European tortoises,
can be fed with meadow
plants (such as dandelion,
clover, ribwort), various salad
plants and sprouting seeds, chopped
vegetables or dried herbs, straw and
lucern pellets. JBL offers two readymade
foods for vegetarian terrarium
pets, IGUVERT for iguana and AGI-
VERT for tortoises. These foods specifically
contain
only vegetable
ingredients
with a high
fibre content
and little protein.
Mastigure
may also be
offered
various
seeds,
e.g. from
the bird food
shelves. As a rule, animals which
are distinctly plant eating need lowprotein,
fibre-rich, high-roughage
food to remain healthy.
6.5
Vitamins
and
minerals
Due to their
often onesided
diet
during breeding,
animals
bought as food usually
contain insufficient
vitamins and minerals.
TerraVit P, a vitamin
preparation in powder
form with trace elements
and MicroCalcium, a pure calcium
preparation, are two products
from JBL which give owners the possibility
to supplement the vitamin and
calcium content of the food with extra
doses. The differing calcium requirements
of meat-eaters and vegetarians
can be catered for. The JBL Feeding
Rock is an interesting method of feeding
which is designed to suit the
natural behaviour of reptiles. The rock
is a "feeding rock"
which can be opened at
the top to place live
food inside it. The food
animals are first
"coated" with JBL
TerraVit P and / or JBL
Micro-Calcium in the
JBL CrickBox.

Finally the food rock is
turned upside down
and placed on top of
the CrickBox, so that
the two openings meet
exactly. Then invert the
food rock with the
CrickBox, the animals fall into the
food rock, remove the CrickBox, put
the lid on the food rock and place it in
the terrarium. When the small "plug"
on the side is removed, the food animals
make for the only opening in the
rock, where the terrarium inhabitants
are soon greedily waiting.
The liquid vitamin preparation, JBL
TerraVit fluid, can be used to add vitamins
to drinking water as required. If
some animals, e.g. snakes, are fed
only on thawed food animals, we
recommend supplementing the vitamin
content of the food with vitamin
drops (JBL TerraVit fluid), as vitamins
are destroyed when food is kept at
low temperatures for a long period of
time. With Tortoise Terra and
Tortoise Sun, JBL also offers a vitamin
preparation which is specially
designed to meet the needs of tortoises
and turtles.
When giving any vitamin supplement,
it is important that the dosage instructions
are carefully followed, as overdosing
(hypervitaminosis) leads to
organ damage.

7 TERRARIUM CARE
7.1Cleaning
The time needed to clean a terrarium
each day depends mainly on the type
and number of animals kept. Snakes
which are only fed every two to three
weeks or single animals usually produce
far less dirt than animals which
have to be fed every day, or large
groups of animals such as the hundreds
of young frogs which are reared
when breeding frogs.
In order to be able to keep a terrarium
clean, it is important that it is not overloaded
with decorative objects and
that all the fittings and decorations are
removable. In dry terrariums, the dried
food remains and excrement can be
collected easily e.g. with pincers such
as JBL AquaTerra Tool P or tongs
(JBL CombiFix). In humid terrariums,
the waste usually has to be "shovelled"
out with some of the surrounding
substrate. Any excrement sticking to
decorative objects can be cleaned off
under hot water using a brush. The
glass panes should not be cleaned
with aggressive chemicals, as
the residues may be poisonous.
A brush, sponge,
blade cleaner (JBL Aqua-T
Handy or JBL Aqua-T
Triumph) and luke-warm
water are sufficient to
remove any suborn dirt. Unsightly
limescale rings should be removed
with gentle "biological" cleaners
such as JBL BioClean T glass
cleaner. Only a few minutes
cleaning each day are adequate to
guarantee clean, hygienic conditions
for your pets. If cleaning is put off too
long, the terrarium may have to be
emptied completely and re-filled,
and pets may even die unnecessarily.
The usual cleaning procedure
for aquariums (see JBL brochures
"What - Why -How 1 and 2")
should be followed for larger
containers of water, both with
and without a waterfall, in a
rainforest terrarium.
7.2 Useful tools
Pincers, such as JBL AquaTerra Tool
P1 and P2 or tongs such as JBL
CombiFix can be used to remove
excrement, dead prey or other things
which you do not wish to touch with
your bare hands.
Nets, such as the JBL Fishing Net,
are useful to catch agile inhabitants of
the aquarium, both in the water (aquatile)
and on land as well as escapees
in the room without causing the animals
any harm.
Escaped prey can be easily
re-captured with the JBL
LimCollect slug trap.

Objects can be disinfected using 70
% alcohol. The object to be cleaned
should be completely immersed in the
alcohol for at least 5 minutes. Nets
can also be soaked in a bucket containing
JBL Desinfect.
8 HEALTH
Terrarium pets can also become ill.
Newly acquired pets may carry germs
or parasites. Diseases often only
break out some time after the animals
have been purchased, as a change of
habitat is stressful for the animals. If
climatic conditions in a new terrarium
are not optimum, this may also weaken
the immune system and cause a
shift in balance between the host and
the germs, leading to an outbreak of
disease. If the pets show any external
signs of change, or any noticeable
changes in behaviour, a vet with experience
in herpetology should be consulted
without delay. Clear diagnosis
of the cause of the disease can only
be made after precise tests have been
carried out, different germs or parasites
can produce similar symptoms.
Tests also indicate the resistance of
the germs, so that the most effective
medicine can be prescribed for the
treatment. In general, the sooner
treatment is started, the better the
chances of a cure. If a pet's reserves
have been exhausted or its physical
decline has reached an advanced
stage, even major efforts to build up
the strength of the animal will no longer
help.
Terrarium locks, i.e. JBL TerraSafe,
can be positioned between the sliding
panes to prevent any unauthorised
persons, such as small children or
even animals, gaining access to the
terrarium.
Leopard lizard shedding its skin
8.1 Selecting the animals
Pets should be carefully examined
before purchase, in order to keep the
risk of disease to an absolute minimum.
The following points should be
kept in mind:
� Checking the mouth: the mouth
should be closed and free of foam or
slimy coatings.
� Checking the eyes: skin should
be cleanly shed, the eyes should not
be too deep in the sockets.
� Checking the skin: look for

wounds, bumps and any other not
ce-able irregularities.
� Checking the feet: check the
toes and feet of saurians for unshed
skin which can cause constrictions.
� Checking the shell of turtles:
soft shells should only be found on
young turtles.
� Nutritional condition: the skin
should not have too many folds and
the ribs and spine not be too prominent.
� Spider check: all 8 legs should
be in place. Any white, fungus-like
areas on the body are suspicious,
whereas a "bald patch" on the rear
presents no problems.
9 PRODUCT OVERVIEW
8.2 Quarantine
New pets should first be kept in a quarantine
terrarium and carefully observed,
whilst maintaining the best possible
nutritional and climatic conditions.
During this quarantine period, samples
of excrement should be taken (at
intervals of several days). The samples
should be submitted to a vet or a
veterinary institute for examination, as
it is better to take precautions than to
treat sick animals, particularly if several
terrarium pets are kept. If germs or
parasites are found in the excrement,
the doses prescribed by the vet and
the duration of the treatment should
be exactly followed. The motto "more
is better" often leads to the loss of the
pets as a result of organ failure, whereas
under-dosing and breaking off
the treatment prematurely causes the
germs to become resistant.
Turtle range
JBL ProBaby special food for young turtles
JBL Rugil food sticks for small turtles
JBL Turtle Food for turtles
JBL Gammarus clean Gammarus crustaceans
JBL Gammarus Refill Pack for the 1000 ml tub
JBL Tortil food tablets for turtles
JBL Energil treats containing fish and shrimp
JBL Agil food sticks for tortoises
JBL Calcil mineral food sticks for turtles
JBL Mampfi pellets for tortoises
JBL Agivert pure vegetable food sticks for tortoises
JBL Tortoise Sun Aqua multivitamin preparation for turtles
JBL Tortoise Sun Terra multivitamin preparation for tortoises
JBL Tortoise Shine for the care of tortoise shell

Reptile care
JBL TerraVit fluid liquid multivitamins for terrarium animals
JBL TerraVit powder multivitamins and trace elements in powder form for
terrarium animals
JBL MicroCalcium calcium powder for dusting food insects
JBL CrickBox shaker for dusting food insects
JBL LimCollect trap for crickets
JBL Biotopol T water conditioner for the terrarium
JBL Easy Turtle removes unpleasant odours in turtle terrariums
JBL BioClean T biological glass cleaner for terrarium panes
JBL Iguvert staple food for iguana and other plant-eating reptiles
JBL Ant Eggs
JBL TerraCrick food for crickets and other food insects
Terrarium accessories
JBL AquaTerra Tool S scissors
JBL AquaTerra Tool P1 straight pincers
JBL AquaTerra Tool P2 angled pincers
JBL AquaTerra Tool SP gravel trowel and decoration tool
JBL CombiFix plant tongs
Terrarium technical equipment
JBL Repti-Temp heat stone for the terrarium
JBL TerraTemp heater mat for the terrarium
JBL Premium Thermometer slim precision thermometer exact to 0.5 °C
JBL Digital Thermometer
JBL Foggy mini-ultrasound mister in cave
JBL Foggy Spare Parts Set replacement membrane and special key
JBL TerraSafe lock for terrarium panes
Terrarium lighting
JBL SOLAR Reptile Jungle special terrarium fluorescent tube for rainforest animals
JBL SOLAR Reptile Sun special terrarium fluorescent tube for desert animals
JBL SOLAR REFLECT reflector for fluorescent tubes
JBL ReptiBlue daylight bulb for the terrarium
JBL ReptiRed heat lamp / night lighting for the terrarium
JBL ReptiHeat ceramic heater (dim heater) for the terrarium
JBL TempSet special fitting for ceramic heaters
Terrarium floor covering
JBL TerrraBasis substrate
JBL TerrraCoco coconut chippings, natural floor-covering material for
the terrarium
JBL TerraCoco Compact natural coconut chippings, compressed
JBL TerraWood beech chippings, natural floor-covering material
JBL TerraSand floor-covering material for desert terrariums
JBL TerraBark pine bark floor-covering material
JBL TerraCocoHumus natural coconut humus, compressed
Terrarium decoration
JBL stocks a wide range of different decorative articles for your terrarium, from caves made
from coconut shells to mangrove roots, to deceptively real-looking artificial decorative plants
of various types.
More information on terrarium products can be obtained from your specialist terrarium retailer
or at http:/www.JBL.de on the Internet

JBL and your specialist aquarium supplier:
Your specialist supplier
Price:
a team of expert advisors
GB 96226 10 Ver.00