What does this animal really cost?
Setup, monthly, first year, and across the animal's whole life — itemised, so you can see which line is the one that matters. Published figures for the same animal disagree by a factor of four, which is why this shows ranges rather than picking one.
Electricity is included, worked out from the actual wattage of the heating and lighting against a tariff you type in. Nobody else publishes that, and for a heated reptile it is not a rounding error.
What is actually in these figures
Every line below is a researched range rather than a quote, because published figures for the same animal disagree by a factor of four. The totals on this page are the plain sum of the items: no secondhand discount, no group multiplier, no electricity. The calculator adds those three once you tell it the region, how many animals and your tariff per kWh. Figures checked 2026-08-30.
Rabbits — priced for 2 animals
Priced for 2 animals, the smallest group welfare allows — the group size is set by the animal, not the budget · lifespan 8–12 years
Electricity is not in these totals. The calculator adds it from the equipment's wattage once you enter your tariff.
Setup
Monthly
Annual
Guinea Pigs — priced for 2 animals
Priced for 2 animals, the smallest group welfare allows — the group size is set by the animal, not the budget · lifespan 5–7 years
Electricity is not in these totals. The calculator adds it from the equipment's wattage once you enter your tariff.
Setup
Monthly
Annual
Hamsters — priced for 1 animal
Priced for 1 animal · lifespan 2–3 years
Electricity is not in these totals. The calculator adds it from the equipment's wattage once you enter your tariff.
Setup
Monthly
Annual
Bearded Dragons — priced for 1 animal
Priced for 1 animal · lifespan 8–12 years
Electricity is not in these totals. The calculator adds it from the equipment's wattage once you enter your tariff.
Setup
Monthly
Annual
Geckos — priced for 1 animal
Priced for 1 animal · lifespan 10–20 years
Electricity is not in these totals. The calculator adds it from the equipment's wattage once you enter your tariff.
Setup
Monthly
Annual
Snakes — priced for 1 animal
Priced for 1 animal · lifespan 15–30 years
Electricity is not in these totals. The calculator adds it from the equipment's wattage once you enter your tariff.
Setup
Monthly
Annual
Tortoises — priced for 1 animal
Priced for 1 animal · lifespan 40–80 years
Electricity is not in these totals. The calculator adds it from the equipment's wattage once you enter your tariff.
Setup
Monthly
Annual
A tortoise routinely outlives the person who buys it. The lifetime figure here is not a rhetorical device — write the animal into your will.
Other Small Pets — priced for 2 animals
This is the general small pets cost table. It is what the tool answers with for Gerbils, Mice, Rats, Chinchillas, Ferrets, Hedgehogs, Degus, Sugar Gliders and Opossums — every kind in this category without a table of its own.
Priced for 2 animals, the smallest group welfare allows — the group size is set by the animal, not the budget · lifespan 4–8 years
Electricity is not in these totals. The calculator adds it from the equipment's wattage once you enter your tariff.
Setup
Monthly
Annual
Other Reptiles — priced for 1 animal
This is the general reptiles cost table. It is what the tool answers with for Skinks, Monitors, Turtles, Chameleons, Anoles, Uromastyx and Water Dragons — every kind in this category without a table of its own.
Priced for 1 animal · lifespan 10–20 years
Electricity is not in these totals. The calculator adds it from the equipment's wattage once you enter your tariff.
Setup
Monthly
Annual
Other Freshwater Fish — priced for 1 animal
This is the general freshwater fish cost table. It is what the tool answers with for Bettas, Livebearers, Tetras, Danios & Minnows, Rasboras, Barbs, Catfish, Loaches, Goldfish, Cichlids, Gouramis, Shrimp, Pufferfish, Rainbowfish, Killifish and Snails — every kind in this category without a table of its own.
Priced for 1 animal · lifespan 3–8 years
Electricity is not in these totals. The calculator adds it from the equipment's wattage once you enter your tariff.
Setup
Monthly
Annual
Other Saltwater Fish — priced for 1 animal
This is the general saltwater fish cost table. It is what the tool answers with for Clownfish, Basslets, Gobies, Cardinalfish, Damselfish, Tangs, Dwarf Angelfish, Blennies, Wrasses, Dragonets, Dottybacks, Shrimp, Hawkfish, Rabbitfish and Snails — every kind in this category without a table of its own.
Priced for 1 animal · lifespan 5–15 years
Electricity is not in these totals. The calculator adds it from the equipment's wattage once you enter your tariff.
Setup
Monthly
Annual
The other five
Is it big enough?
Floor area or volume, judged against the recognised standards — all of them, when they disagree.
Open tool →Can it eat that?
Staple, occasional, rare treat or never, with the reason. An unlisted food comes back "not on our list", never a guess.
Open tool →Which of these two is easier?
Two species on identical axes: space, company, cost, lifespan and daily time.
Open tool →Is this ammonia reading dangerous?
Free ammonia from your kit's total, the pH and the temperature — the number that actually harms fish.
Open tool →Is this bedding safe?
Safe, caution or avoid for the animal you keep, and why.
Open tool →158 care guides, same data
Every number these tools use comes from the species guides — read the one for your animal.
Browse the care guides →