The Reptile Room pre Reptile Expo
Our last update before The Reptile Expo in Waterford 27th Sept 2026
I don't know about you guys but I am SO excited for the September show in Waterford; I have a list of essentials I'd like to get as well as a wish list of beasties I'd LOVE to see and possibly bring home with me.
As always preparation is key - I have five empty enclosures ready to be set up for different species if the opportunity arises. I've been keeping an eye out for deals for the past six months and have managed to source thermostats, vivariums - wooden, mesh and glass - hides, food bowls, foggers, misters and lights. I know what species I'm interested in and have been doing my research on those specific beasties and the plan is that I wont be tempted by anything flashy and just focus on my goals. Now, as most of you well know, that is easier said than done!
But before we get too far into the future, lets focus on New News - we have had two new arrivals this week; a dart frog and a baby bearded dragon.
Meet Wink!
Wink is a baby bearded dragon who was surrendered to us from a breeder, as Wink hatched out with a birth defect he is not suitable for the pet trade. He is the cutest little guy! Wink only has one eys and his face is...lets just say...not quite right. Having said that he's a great little hunter who can catch his prey without any help from me at all!
Now we have experience caring for beardies but as Wink is a hatchling his care is slightly different. The main difference being the lack of substrate, baby beardies can accidentally ingest substrate when aiming for their food (especially live food) so it is important that they are kept either with a bare bottom or on paper towels until they reach 5 months old and have honed their hunting skills. The other difference is the size of the vivarium; Wink is currently living in our 2ft viv, we are using the smallest of our wooden vivs for him because its the only one that will fit in The Reptile Room right now and I (no pun intended) need to keep an eye on him.
So although his enclosure doesn't look as fabulous as the others in The Reptile Room it's been done with his safety in mind. Once he's older he will be moving into our fully bioactive 4ft vivarium.
Our little Darling
Dash and Dart were my first ever dart frogs, they were originally part of a quadruple group with Hippity and Hoppity but as they grew it became apparent that the four males did not like living together at all, and after witnessing bullying behaviour we re-homed Hip and Hop.
That was back in 2022 and the two boys have lived as batchelors ever since. I have been searching for a female for YEARS and this week I finally found one - so please welcome Darling, our brand new female Dendrobates Tinctorious Nominat.
As tincs can only be kept in pairs, Dash has moved out into his own vivarium, and Dart has been getting to know his new girlfriend. If there are no signs of breeding in the next month I may swap Dash and Dart around - to give her a choice of mates.
I'm so excited for this - it's been a long time coming - and I cannot wait for babies!
Now that we have met our new arrivals it's time to look ahead to the Waterford show.
So, what do we want from the show?
I'd love to find some new isopods that I can breed and add to the shop, more Bumble-Bee millipedes and or Siamese Glow millipedes to add to my colonies.
I'm also hoping for vampire crabs - if I can find female Red Devils I'd be delighted as we have two males here already. Purple Haze vamps would be fab too as I have a set up here they can move straight into.
I always want more dart frogs but as Dash took my last bioactive vivarium I don't have anywhere set up for them, I'll have to control myself around frog tables!
I do however have space for a Chameleon - I've wanted a Panther chameleon for years, and just so happen to have a full set up here ready and waiting. I've held back on getting one for so long as they have very specific care requirements and I'd hate to do something wrong that could unintentionally hurt it. I've read the books, watched the videos, I've been stalking Chameleon groups online to gather as much knowledge as possible and I have ALL THE STUFF. I think i'm ready for the challenge. We will just have to wait and see if one catches my eye.
Cork bark and plants - I'm hoping to bring back new plants that I can propagate and sell on the webshop; different species of Pothos, Bromiliads and ground plants - mosses, oh I hope there's some cool moss on show as moss does so well in dart frog and vampire crab set ups and just looks amazing!
Of course you can't go to a reptile show and not get cork bark - it's like an unspoken rule! everyone wants some gnarly twisty branches and cork rounds for their enclosures. Bioactive supplies like seed pods and nut cases also make the smaller vivariums pop.
It's a strange little hobby we are in.
So let me know in the comments - are you going to the show? If so what are you hoping to bring home?
Comments