A guide to learning about creating a more natural habitat for your animals to thrive in! What is a Bioactive Terrarium? A bioactive terrarium is a type of enclosed habitat used to keep animals indoors. Bioactive terrariums are typically created for small reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. They are favored for their ecological-oriented maintenance, habitat immersion, and enhanced animal welfare. Bioactive terrariums are a way in which animal keepers can hone new DIY skills while also providing a more complex environment for their animals to explore. Many bioactive terrariums feature deep substrates, an invertebrate clean-up crew, live plants, organic decorations, and of course, the inhabitant(s). * Don't forget to add food and water dishes to terrariums as they are still necessary, even in bioactive set-ups* Benefits of Having a Bioactive Terrarium There are many benefits of having a bioactive terrarium for both caretakers and animals. Here are some of those benefits below Caretaker/Keeper Benefits Animal Benefits Gain DIY Skills Greater environmental enrichment Better animal waste management Living in a habitat that is specifically designed for them Gaining knowledge of animal welfare Ability to perform natural behaviors Create their own "zoo" level habitat Lower acute stress (case-by-case) Reduced Maintenance Live Plants (Indifferent to many animals, but some absolutely require them) Is it Difficult to Create a Bioactive Terrarium? Creating a bioactive terrarium can be daunting due to the steps, planning, and required supplies to make one. It can stretch the budget too! However, creating bioactive terrariums also let keepers learn how resourceful they can be in the long run. Once you have a successful bioactive terrarium you can achieve the following opportunities: 1) Plant Propagation- grow new plants from your trimmings to use in other terrariums/projects 2) Clean-up Crew Availability- you can create an insurance bioactive clean-up crew to have on hand. 3) Potential offspring from your animals- some species will easily breed in a bioactive terrarium when the right conditions are met. What Components Make a Bioactive Terrarium? Background Backgrounds are entirely optional but are a favorite accessory to add. Not only are they for aesthetic appeal, but they give arboreal species complex climbing surfaces. A common technique with creating your own DIY terrarium background is using aquarium grade silicone sealant with animal-safe expanding foam. Aquarium grade silicone is often used because it is guaranteed to be animal safe after it is cured. Expanding foam is a very quick and cost-effective tool to use in creating your background since it cures 24 hours after use, and you can cut/trim it to how you desire using a blade. Many keepers desire to add more color to their backgrounds and will commonly use two techniques to achieve this: 1) brushing silicone over parts or all of the background and firmly applying dry soil/substrate and letting it cure 2) Using Drylok and animal safe pigments/paint to seal over the background and add depth. We can go even more depth into different terrarium backgrounds; however, we feel that is for a different article and can overtake the main goals of this one. Lighting Adequate lighting for your bioactive terrarium comes down even to the specific species you are selecting to live in the habitat you are making. It is important to consider if there are going to be live plants, if this animal basks, or simply requires UV and does not bask. LED Lighting is a very cost effective and popularly used form of light that can safely be used with plants and animals. It is best to use a full spectrum LED light that can stretch the width of your habitat and is at least 6000K for optimal plant growth. When using lighting specifically for UV necessities and basking, it is important to place these lights accordingly to promote temperature gradients, microclimate, and a humidity gradient as well. It is not recommended to place these types of lights directly above plants, as they will likely burn and die. However, plants do benefit from trace amounts of UV light and can grow significantly faster depending on the species. Explore our Terrarium Heating & Lighting Options Available! Substrate Establishing your substrate may be one of the most important aspects of a bioactive terrarium. Bioactive substrates tend to be deep, up to 6 inches depending on the set-up. In most bioactive terrariums for reptiles, amphibians, and some invertebrates, there are two components to a substrate system. 1) Drainage Layer: the bottom-most layer to your substrate system that allows for excess water to drain out of your substrate. This prevents anaerobic activity in your bioactive substrate and allows for proper aeration, plant growth, and natural decomposition of organic matter by clean-up crew species. To separate the drainage layer from the nutrient rich substrate, you must use a screen mesh protector to ensure only water passes through the substrate layers. We recommend The Bio Dude's HydroGrow V2 Drainage Layer for bioactive terrariums alongside this vivarium screen protector. 2) A Nutrient Rich Substrate: nutrient rich substrates are the upper, visible layer of bioactive terrariums, where the animals come into direct contact. This is also the layer where you would place your plants and hardscape. Many keepers make their own bioactive mix that can include activated charcoal, organic soil with no additives, sphagnum moss, and leaf litter. However, many keepers also prefer purchasing a pre-made mix that is successful with specific climates and species such as Terra Fauna for Crested Geckos, or Terra Sahara for Bearded Dragons and Leopard Geckos Hardscape Providing adequate hardscape is crucial for every species that can be housed in bioactive terrariums. Hardscape objects such as rocks and driftwood help accomplish natural behavior expression in captive animals. Behaviors include resting, basking, climbing, burrowing, hiding, and especially hunting. Rocks and driftwood should be placed accordingly so species-specific behaviors are achieved. For instance, having a piece of driftwood or rocks under a heat/UV bulb with proper headroom to allow animals to bask but also create a heat gradient across the habitat is ideal. If an enclosure is large enough, multiple basking spot options should be available for those species. Live Plants Utilizing live plants in a bioactive terrarium is very important. Plants absorb the organic nutrients broken down that is produced by your terrarium's inhabitants and the associated clean-up crew. They directly contribute to the lesser maintenance aspects of bioactive set-ups due to waste absorption while also providing environmental enrichment for your animals. Plus, plants make enclosures aesthetically appealing and immersive for keepers and others who may view the terrarium. We have a wide variety of potted plants shipped directly from our distributor that are perfect for bioactive terrariums! Please do additional research to ensure that each species fits your bioactive set-up's needs. Terrarium Clean-Up Crews Terrarium clean-up crews are a collective term used to describe animals, mostly invertebrates, who break down organic waste and debris within your bioactive terrarium. The species in consideration are always isopods and springtails. Isopods, also known as pillbugs, woodlouse, roly-polies are a group of terrestrial crustaceans that are natural detritivores. Springtails are the smaller counterpart that is just as important in bioactive terrariums because they specialize in eating mold, fungus, and also consume isopod waste. There are numerous species of isopod and springtail that have different diets, behaviors, breeding rate, etc. One species may suit your purpose better than another. To ensure that isopods and springtails always have something to consistently consume and breakdown into the substrate, many keepers always supplement their terrariums with leaf litter. Always make sure your leaf litter is properly treated/sanitized, or safe for animals before placing it in your terrarium. Explore our other articles to read more on isopods and springtails. What Animals Can Live in a Bioactive Terrarium? Many species can live in a bioactive terrarium. What is more important is that when you set up a bioactive terrarium, it caters to the animal and enhances their quality of life under your care. Species include but not limited to: 1) Tree Frogs 2) Terrestrial Frogs & Toads 3) Poison Dart Frogs 4) New Caledonian Geckos 5) Tarantulas 6) Scorpions 7) Praying Mantises 8) Monitor Lizards 9) Bearded Dragons 10) Leopard Geckos 11) Corn Snakes 12) Salamanders & Newts- may require more of a paludarium depending on the species 13) Green Anoles Where can I get Bioactive Terrarium Supplies? You can order a wide variety of bioactive terrarium supplies, animal diets, and even animal habitats through our website! Conclusion: Thank you for reading this article on bioactive terrariums. If you have any questions, please contact us at our email address: scholarlyexotics@gmail.com; we will respond back as soon as possible! Shop for supplies to prepare and set up your next bioactive terrarium!
