One of the chief complaints associated with setting up a bioactive reptile enclosure is the cost of commercial bioactive substrate mixes. These professionally-formulated substrates are like Miracle-Gro for vivariums. The cost is somewhat negligible when you’re setting up a small… Continue Reading
Did you know that bioactive terrariums still need to be kept clean? Sure, they have a reputation for being “self-cleaning,” but they can’t be clean if you start with a contaminated environment, or if you introduce something “dirty” that contaminates… Continue Reading
Whether you’re building a reptile terrarium or vivarium, one consideration you need to make is choosing reptile-safe plants. This is especially important for herbivores and omnivores, since they’re the most likely to graze on any plants within their enclosure. However,… Continue Reading
Plant lights are often recommended — even required — for bioactive enclosures. Many new keepers will ask, “Why do I need a plant light? Doesn’t the UVB light already provide enough light?” As a bioactive reptile keeper, you need to know how to care for your reptile as well as the plants that share its enclosure. Learn about why plants need light and how you can meet their needs here! Continue Reading
The issue of plants is a common wall that prevents many keepers from going bioactive. Whether you have a green thumb or a black thumb, this month’s guest post from The Bio Dude discusses the pros and cons of live plants versus fake plants. Continue Reading
One of the more common issues that new bioactive reptile keepers face is the disappearance of their clean up crew after being placed in the terrarium. Just because they can’t see them anymore, people will worry that the clean up crew is now dead, ripping apart their setup to figure out what happened to them, only to find them alive and well deep in the soil or nestled somewhere in the biodegradables. In this guest post, The Bio Dude provides some quick tips for establishing your clean up crew. Continue Reading
One of the appeals of bioactive vivariums is that they’re advertised as extremely low-maintenance. But low-maintenance doesn’t mean no-maintenance. In fact, without proper maintenance, even the best set-up bioactive vivariums can fail. Get the pro tips on bioactive vivarium maintenance in this guest post from The Bio Dude. Continue Reading
Bioactive enclosures are a beautiful way to recreate your pet reptile’s natural environment. However, getting started can be daunting. Where do you start? What if you get it wrong? In this guest post, Josh Halter introduces us to the basics of building bioactive enclosures. Continue Reading