How to Make Reptile Tanks Not Smell Like Reptile

Reptiles are fascinating creatures and slightly off the beaten path from your typical domestic pet cat or dog. Part of owning a reptile is cleaning out its tank on a regular basis. Sometimes, however, even with regular and diligent cleaning, your reptile's tank may begin to exude an unpleasant smell or odor. Some commercial sprays and air fresheners may not be safe for your reptile. Therefore, it is best to only use natural products or cleaners specifically designed for cleaning animal tanks.

Things You'll Need

  • Millet bedding
  • Crushed walnut shell base
  • Newspaper
  • Cage odor absorber
  • Unscented soap
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Instructions

    • 1

      Change the bedding that you use in your lizard's tank. Sand bedding is prone to harboring bacteria, which is a frequent culprit of unappealing reptile tank smells. Try replacing your reptile's tank bedding with millet or a bedding that has a crushed walnut shell base. Newspaper is another inexpensive option for reptile tank flooring. However, once soiled, it does not mask smells as effectively as millet or a crushed walnut base bedding.

    • 2

      Clean your reptile tank every day. Remove any urine or feces from the tank daily. Change the bedding and clean the walls and floor of the tank weekly. Use any unscented soap, mixed with warm water, to clean the reptile tank. Always rinse out the cage thoroughly with warm water to remove any leftover soapy residue.

    • 3

      Check if urine has spilled underneath the cage, causing an unpleasant odor. If your tank still smells, place an odor absorber inside your reptile's tank. These can be found at any local pet store. Install these pet smell absorbers by latching it onto the side of the cage. If your tank is very large, or particularly smelly, place a second odor absorber in the cage.