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How often should I clean my reptile's enclosure?
Pick your species and substrate to get a cleaning schedule.
1. Species
2. Substrate
Bioactive schedule
Crested gecko · Bioactive
Daily / every feeding
Spot-clean droppings and urates
Why: Waste breeds bacteria within a day, especially in warm enclosures.
Refresh drinking water
Why: Animals often soak in or soil their water; stale water grows bacteria.
Remove uneaten food and feeder insects
Why: Leftover prey can bite your animal, and food rots fast in the heat.
Weekly-ish
Wash the water dish with F10 or another reptile-safe disinfectant, rinse well
Why: The dish is the one spot the cleanup crew can't keep clean.
Check for mold, flies or bad smells; remove affected patches
Why: A healthy bioactive smells earthy — anything sour means it's out of balance.
Mist or moisten soil as needed, top up leaf litter
Why: The cleanup crew dies off if the soil dries out.
Trim and check plants
Why: Dying plant matter faster than the crew can process causes mold.
Full deep clean
Rarely — only if the enclosure crashes (persistent mold, mites, smell, or illness)
Why: A working bioactive cleans itself; tearing it down kills the cleanup crew. Still spot-clean daily.
- Move the animal to a clean, secure temporary enclosure
- Remove and discard all soil, leaf litter and the cleanup crew
- Remove plants and decor; scrub decor and wipe all surfaces with F10 or another reptile-safe disinfectant
- Rinse thoroughly with clean water
- Let everything dry completely
- Rebuild with fresh soil, drainage layer and a new cleanup crew; let it settle before returning the animal
Cleanup-crew notes
Keep the cleanup crew fed and populated
Why: Isopods and springtails eat waste and mold; add more if numbers drop.
Large waste still comes out by hand
Why: The crew handles small leftovers, not a full bearded-dragon or snake dropping.
Never use bleach or household cleaners
Why: Their fumes and residue can harm reptiles — use F10 or another reptile-safe disinfectant only.
If your animal gets sick, ask a vet before reusing the setup
Why: Some parasites survive in soil.