Author Archives: boxturtleworld

Zoo Med Can O’ Crickets Review

Zoo Med's Can O' Crickets for ReptilesReptiles love their insects! But you may not be so fond of live creepy crawlies in your house. Especially ones like crickets, which can escape into the house if you don’t pull off their legs before giving them to your pet.

The solution? Zoo Med’s Can O’ Crickets (and other Can O’ products).

They’re real crickets, but they’re not going anywhere! And they’re not dried or frozen, which can affect taste and texture. Instead, they’re cooked right in the can to preserve that yummy cricket flavor for your boxie (or other reptiles).

And the cooking also softens up the insects’ exoskeleton, so it’s easier on your pet’s digestion.

Keep reading for more about Zoo Med’s Can O’ Crickets:

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Zoo Med Reptivite no D3 Review

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Zoo Med Reptivite-no D3
Zoo Med’s Reptivite no D3 is a complete multi-vitamin for your box turtle (and other reptiles!). It provides needed calcium and other vitamins & minerals without D3 (which your pet does not need if he gets enough sunshine or time under a UVB lamp). If you need a supplement with D3, check out our Reptivite with D3 Review.

The formula was originally designed to treat soft shells in San Diego Zoo turtles, according to Zoo Med, and is still a favorite of many zoos around the world.

It’s all natural, without artificial fillers. It’s simple to use and the ultra-fine formula sticks to food, so your turtle can actually eat and benefit from it.

Keep reading for more about Zoo Med’s Reptivite no D3:

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Zoo Med Reptivite with D3 Review

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Zoo Med Reptivite with D3
Zoo Med Reptivite Reptile Vitamins with D3 make it easy to make sure your box turtle (and all your reptiles) get the calcium and vitamins he needs.

According to Zoo Med, this formulation was originally developed specifically to treat soft-shell problems in turtles at the San Diego Zoo. Now it’s available to any reptile keeper to help them keep their own turtles and other reptiles healthy. And it’s still a top choice for many zoos worldwide.

It’s all natural and doesn’t contain fillers like soy or sugars.

Much like humans, it’s best for reptiles to get their vitamins from their food. But it can be hard to be sure they’re getting enough. So a supplement can be helpful.

Keep reading for more about Reptivite with D3:

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Zoo Med Turtle Bone Review

Zoo Med Turtle Bone at That Pet Place
Zoo Med’s Turtle Bone is a natural calcium source that lets your turtle get extra calcium as needed. It’s cuttlebone (from the cuttle fish, which is actually a squid), so there’s nothing unnatural or dangerous in it. It also helps keep his beak trimmed, because the rough surface wears the beak down as your pet eats it. It floats, so it works for both land and water turtles.

You get 2 cuttlebones in each pack.

Keep reading for more about Zoo Med’s Turtle Bone:

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Zoo Med Nocturnal Infrared Heat Lamp Review

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Zoo Med Nocturnal Infrared Heat LampThe Zoo Med Nocturnal Infrared Heat Lamp is sort of a combination of the company’s nightlight red bulb and the basking spot lamp. It’s made of red glass, providing very good heat transfer and a red glow like the night light. But it’s designed to focus the heat emitted on a small area right below the lamp, like the basking light.

Since box turtles don’t need high heat overnight, this bulb isn’t strictly necessary (unless you have a sick or injured turtle that needs more heat). But if you prefer the red light over the white, this bulb is a perfectly good alternative to the basking spot lamp (although the basking area is a bit bigger).

Keep reading for more about Zoo Med’s IR Lamp:

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Zoo Med Night Light Red Heat Bulbs Review

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Zoo Med Night Light Red Heat Bulbs are incandescent bulbs made using red glass, so the light emitted is red, not bright white. This way, you can provide your pet with nighttime heating without disrupting his day/night cycle. If you’re using a basking lamp during the day, this bulb may not be strictly necessary for your box turtle, since they generally do fine with cooler overnight temperatures. On the other hand, it makes a convenient set-it-and-forget-it, 24-hour heat source, especially if you use it with a thermostat or rheostat.

It also provides enough light that you can see your pet at night. It is important to remember that the light emitted does not provide either UVA or UBV rays. If your pet does not get regular time outside, you will need a separate bulb that does provide these light rays.

Keep reading for more about Zoo Med’s Nightlight Red Bulb:

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Zoo Med Reptisun 5 High Output UVB T5 Lamp Review

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Zoo Med ReptiSun 5 T5-HO UVB LampThis review is for the T5-HO ReptiSun® 5.0 fluorescent bulb from Zoo Med. Click here to read the T8 version review. You can also read about the differences between T5 and T8 lamps.

These lamps offer the same high quality you expect from ReptiSun, but they’re stronger, giving you more flexibility in where you put the lamp. Where the standard ReptiSun 5.0 lamps need to be about 12 inches from your pet in order to offer enough UVB, these lamps give your pet the same 5% UBV at up to 24 inches. This makes them ideal if you have a taller habitat set-up.

Reptile keepers and even zoos use the ReptiSun brand because it’s reliable and high quality. Many won’t use anything else.

Keep reading for more about the ReptiSun 5 High Output T5 bulb:

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Zoo Med Reptisun 5.0 UVB Fluorescent Lamp (T8) Review

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Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 T8 UV LampThis review is for the T8 ReptiSun® 5.0 fluorescent bulb from Zoo Med. If you’re looking for the T5-HO version, you’ll find that review here. We also have information on the difference between T8 and T5 lamps here.

Almost all reptiles, including box turtles, need UV rays to stay healthy and especially to make Vitamin D. If your pet doesn’t get much time outdoors, you need a bulb that emits both UVA and UVB rays. This bulb fits the bill. It puts out 5% UVB at up to 12 inches away.

The ReptiSun 5.0 and 10.0 line of UV lamps is one of the best products available. Reptile keepers regularly recommend these lamps for consistent quality and reliability. Many will use only the ReptiSun brand.

You can feel confident that these lamps will give your boxie the UV light she needs. All you need to do is decide which lamp you need.

Keep reading for more about ReptiSun 5.0 Fluorescent Bulb (T8):

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Zoo Med Reptile Lamp Stand Review

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Zoo Med Repti Lamp Stand, LargeHang your bulbs and heat emitters safely above your box turtle’s home on this Reptile Lamp Stand from Zoo Med. No more bumping lamps attached to the cage. Or having to move hot lamps to get access to the cage (because face it, planning far enough ahead to turn them off & let them cool just doesn’t happen!).

This stand is also invaluable if you’re using self-ballasted mercury vapor bulbs, which need to point straight down. That’s a whole lot easier when it’s hanging instead of clamped to the habitat.

And it just feels safer to hang hot lamps rather than set them on top of the cover. Call us crazy, but we’re just not big fans of fire!

Keep reading for more about Zoo Med’s Repti Lamp Stand:

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Zoo Med ReptiTemp Rheostat Review

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Zoo Med ReptiTemp RheostatUnless you’re very lucky, your heat lamp or other heat source will probably not keep your box turtle’s habitat at the right temperature without a little help. The Zoo Med ReptiTemp Rheostat is a simple, economical solution. Just a quick turn of the dial increases or decreases the amount of heat coming out of the heater. And that increases or decreases the temperature in the habitat.

It can control a lot of different heaters, including heated rocks. In fact, if you want to use a heated rock, you need a rheostat to make sure it doesn’t get too hot and burn your pet. (Although we personally don’t trust the safety of heated rocks, even when attached to rheostats … but that’s a different issue/review!).

Zoo Med guarantees the product for one year (as long as you don’t get it wet).

Keep reading for more about the ReptiTemp Rheostat:

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