Bioactive terrarium

[IScarred]

So I've seen several videos on setting up a bioactive enclosure. They look nice and I wouldn't mind trying to make a "natural" looking environment. What I'm wondering is if it is worth the effort, time, and cost to setup.

 

[DragonM0M]

I think that any effort made to create a more natural or more realistic environment for any animal is definitely worth the effort and money. But I may be ignorant with this statement because I don't have a bioactive tank yet since my dragon is still a juvenile, so I don't know all of the work that goes into it. I plan on creating a bioactive tank once my dragon is older and more established with feeding, routines, and of course once he's more comfortable with us. I would love to see your tank if you decide to do this! Please post updates if you do.

 

[IScarred]

I think that any effort made to create a more natural or more realistic environment for any animal is definitely worth the effort and money. But I may be ignorant with this statement because I don't have a bioactive tank yet since my dragon is still a juvenile, so I don't know all of the work that goes into it. I plan on creating a bioactive tank once my dragon is older and more established with feeding, routines, and of course once he's more comfortable with us. I would love to see your tank if you decide to do this! Please post updates if you do.

Yeah I'm still on the fence with this because of housing live plants, clean up, and having to deal with raised humidity levels. The videos I've seen they look amazing and I was envisioning building the enclosure to look like something you would see at a zoo. I've got time to mull it over but I might not go that direction simply because of clean up. Either way you go clean up is still something you have to do so it almost seems pointless to me to put in the effort.

 

[Beardie Lover]

I was going to build a bioactive setup. It is very hard to keep the plants alive especially when my dragon would eat and trample it all. I also worried about the humidity. To high of a humidity can give a beardie a respiratory infection. So instead I made a small barrier and did a half solid half loose substrate tank. As the divider I just used some CLEAN rocks. It works great. My beardie can dig if she wants. If you did want live plants I would recommend putting them in a pot so that your beardie can’t get to them as easy and it is a lot easier to manage the humidity levels. I will add some pics of my tank. Feel free to ask more questions if u need too.

also please ignore my lighting. I am still working on it.

 

[IScarred]

I was going to build a bioactive setup. It is very hard to keep the plants alive especially when my dragon would eat and trample it all. I also worried about the humidity. To high of a humidity can give a beardie a respiratory infection. So instead I made a small barrier and did a half solid half loose substrate tank. As the divider I just used some CLEAN rocks. It works great. My beardie can dig if she wants. If you did want live plants I would recommend putting them in a pot so that your beardie can’t get to them as easy and it is a lot easier to manage the humidity levels. I will add some pics of my tank. Feel free to ask more questions if u need too.

also please ignore my lighting. I am still working on it.

Looks good and if I do a bioactive this is kind of the direction I would want to go in. Have the hot side as dry as possible and the cold side with plants, preferably desert plants that wouldn't require constant watering. Im wanting to have about a 4 foot by 2 foot enclosure so I would have some wiggle room.

 

[DragonM0M]

I was going to build a bioactive setup. It is very hard to keep the plants alive especially when my dragon would eat and trample it all. I also worried about the humidity. To high of a humidity can give a beardie a respiratory infection. So instead I made a small barrier and did a half solid half loose substrate tank. As the divider I just used some CLEAN rocks. It works great. My beardie can dig if she wants. If you did want live plants I would recommend putting them in a pot so that your beardie can’t get to them as easy and it is a lot easier to manage the humidity levels. I will add some pics of my tank. Feel free to ask more questions if u need too.

also please ignore my lighting. I am still working on it.

What size is your tank? It looks small for an adult dragon.

 

[WICKEDPOGONA]

Go look at my post for a bioactive . Totally worth the whole investment

 

[Mummabeardy]

What is a bioactive enclosure? Sorry..I'm fairly new at this! and can you post pics if you have some?? Thx!

 

[WICKEDPOGONA]

What is a bioactive enclosure? Sorry..I'm fairly new at this! and can you post pics if you have some?? Thx!

Yeah I have two threads I made earlier this year tht have tons of pictures

 

[IScarred]

What is a bioactive enclosure? Sorry..I'm fairly new at this! and can you post pics if you have some?? Thx!

It's basically a small ecosystem. If you've ever had a fish tank then it is similar to the bacteria cycle you would have to help clean up waste. You would have substrate, plants, isopods, worms, etc., as your clean up crew to help break down any of the waste and also provides an occasional snack for whatever you are housing. This is a similar result that you would typically see in a reptile exhibit or zoo. I don't have any experience with this type of setup but have seen a lot of videos and images and they look amazing.

 

[Skybug]

You dont need plants, just bugs moving the substrate around, bearded dragons don’t respect plants, u still need to clean up poo, its definitely worth it in my opinion, my dragons been in hers for a year now, still nice and clean, I’ll change out her substrate maybe next year, i dont want to loose the bugs that have been borne into it… me and wicked have the most thorough bioactives on this site, other people have them (and no disrespect towards them, but they’re kinda bare bones) im missing plants so i cant talk too much lol, if u have any questions please do ask

 

[Mummabeardy]

oooh thats a beautiful setup!! I'm ordering Mikey a 120g Thursday (payday lol) he's gunna say bye to the 40 since he's growing like a weed! Any ideas are appreciated! I love this setup tho..sand on 1 side/chips on other. Only thing is Mikey tries to eat everything!! He would definitely try to eat woodchuck and/or rocks.. LOL

 

[Mummabeardy]

oooh thats a beautiful setup!! I'm ordering Mikey a 120g Thursday (payday lol) he's gunna say bye to the 40 since he's growing like a weed! Any ideas are appreciated! I love this setup tho..sand on 1 side/chips on other. Only thing is Mikey tries to eat everything!! He would definitely try to eat woodchuck and/or rocks.. LOL

*woodchips

 

[WICKEDPOGONA]

You dont need plants, just bugs moving the substrate around, bearded dragons don’t respect plants, u still need to clean up poo, its definitely worth it in my opinion, my dragons been in hers for a year now, still nice and clean, I’ll change out her substrate maybe next year, i dont want to loose the bugs that have been borne into it… me and wicked have the most thorough bioactives on this site, other people have them (and no disrespect towards them, but they’re kinda bare bones) im missing plants so i cant talk too much lol, if u have any questions please do ask

Without plants your soil will become toxic after so long and all your Clean up crew will eventually die. Plants are what removes the nitrates out of the soil . Thhe ants even break down clean up crews waste even further

 

[WICKEDPOGONA]

Without plants your soil will become toxic after so long and all your Clean up crew will eventually die. Plants are what removes the nitrates out of the soil . Thhe ants even break down clean up crews waste even further I've had these same plants in there for over a year the main problem is not using plants sturdy enough for the bearded wrath as well as having a good enough substrate to maintain a very good moist layer . Plants do best on a set water schedule as why I use a mist king

 

[WICKEDPOGONA]

The clean up crew is doing good damage to that pumpkin as well haha they love it

 

[WICKEDPOGONA]

It is true without plants your bio active will fail springtails nurture the roots of the plants and form a symbiotic relationship as well as other beneficial bacteria plants convert nitrate into ammonia and it keeps going into a long cycle without plans the story will become full of bad nitrates and eventually all your clean up crew will die

 

[Skybug]

Without plants your soil will become toxic after so long and all your Clean up crew will eventually die. Plants are what removes the nitrates out of the soil . Thhe ants even break down clean up crews waste even further

I would have plants , but My dragon doesn’t even live in her enclosure its a glorified set piece tbh, only sleeps eats and sometimes poops in it, she gets full roam of our screened in porch during the day, and my soil is very arid so it cant get toxic it only gets moisture every other month, its only 4 inches at its highest point , and its been like this for a year now and all the bugs are still alive, thank you for the advice though.