BIO-ACTIVE  ENCLOSURES

There are a few different ways to set one up and I will outline what has worked for me. Probably the easiest is to start with is Arid which is most suited for bearded dragons or leopard geckos, though these animals are found in many different outdoor environments it is usually a dry warm habitat so I try to achieve that while also keeping the humidity level in the enclosure in mind. I use fake grass in a more sterile setup for convenience of cleaning if i am dealing with an unwell animal or lots of youngsters as reducing possible bacterial infection is needed. Some people say sand causes internal compaction and constipation and a lot of sand is basically indigestible but mixed with soil it becomes less of a potential problem, coupled up with good husbandry and no blockages.

 

I prefer to use the all-glass style reptile enclosures, in the past I have used MDF ones but applied 6 coats of polyurethane to seal the base from any possible water damage whereas the glass base can be filled with water if needed for an aquatic set up, remember it is a glass base when compacting the substrate. It gives a more natural look to either DIY a background or purchase one adding to the final aesthetics of the setup and allow climbing opportunities for the animals and insects, just remember to not block any ventilation holes and run any electrical wires over the background before you push it into its final position.

Once you have that in place you can add your” Dirt” layer which I usually create as a mix of 1 part soil, 2 parts sand, 2 parts peat moss or coconut coir and half a part charcoal for an aquatic environment, the soil can be gathered from your “spray free” garden or use a compost or potting mix style substrate. If using a commercially prepared product ensure there are no added fertilizers or minerals as this layer creates the nutrient diversity and varying textures that create a healthy and welcoming substrate for plant and animal life. Usually at least 5 cm of substrate at least is needed which can allow the surface to dry out but the base to retain moisture for plants or the cleanup crew to flourish.

The forest set up differs slightly from the arid and is more suited to keeping Blue Tongue Skinks in that you are adding a thicker layer of topping substrate which allows the base layer to retain more moisture than the arid enclosure. This also allows your animals to all burrow and even sleep in the substrate layer, D.I.Y. Forest mix: 2 parts soil, 1 part sand, 1 part peat or coconut coir, 1 part charcoal, 1 part sphagnum moss, and 2 parts orchid bark then I usually top this with at least 3cm of fine bark, leaf litter, Cypress mulch etc.

In an Aquatic setup a slightly different approach is used, adding Layers to the Vivarium Floor allows for a more natural bioactive action to occur so I start with a drainage 2 to 3 cm layer of gravel about 10mm in size or small, lightweight plastic pellets or balls sold commercially as filter material, this allows any excess water in the enclosure to drain down into this bottom layer, preventing oversaturation of the substrate layers above. A single layer of egg-crate, weed matting or coir fibre material can be placed on top of the base layer to prevent any soil dropping through and clogging this layer and allow any microorganisms (clean-up crew) pass through. Another way of creating the base layer is to use sheets of open pore sponge material that is usually available in small sheets in your local pet store, again cover with coir fibre or weed matting to ensure to keep any soils out of the bottom layer, Cutting the sponge with an angled edge for easy climbing out of the water for young animals newly morphed. The top or capping layer should be about 2–5 cm of Sphagnum moss or leaf litter scraped from under established plants this helps keep your amphibians’ skin away from the dirt layer or you can use a mix of moss and leaf litter if desired.

 

Plants

Growing plants is more of a challenge in the arid setup but growing them in shallow pots inserted in to the substrate can allow frequent watering while also reducing the chance of raising the humidity too high, if you are doing this swap out the plant soil for the DIY mix to remove fertilisers. For a desert style set up I put down a layer of fine orchid bark down first to allow any excess water to sit deep in the substrate i then cover that with a bit of weed matting or plastic insect screen the put the made up soil mix on top. Carex grasses, Succulents, Bromeliads and Pothos are frequently used due to their hardiness and addition to the aesthetics of the enclosure. Before adding a plant it is good to ensure that it is safe to eat as reptiles love to taste test everything and growing them in pots allows you to swap out plants if they get beaten or eaten up by your reptiles.

Coprosma species, puka, whau, hebes, native hibiscus, native puha, mahoe. Non palatable species you could plant which won't be eaten but won't cause issues include corokia, pohutakawa, rata.

Clean up Crew.

The term clean up crew comes from the detritivores you introduce that consume the faeces, shed skin etc of the larger inhabitants. To call it truly bioactive you need to add either Slaters, springtails, earthworms, millipedes, and various beetles and different species are preferred in different habitats - the Arid cleanup crew may be mealworms, Darkling beetles and Isopods (Slaters) whereas the forest setup may be springtails, isopods, and earthworms, ensure with insect eaters there are plenty of hiding places for the cleanup crew. By using soil from the garden or leaf litter you have also introduced bacteria and other microorganisms which adds to the breakdown and consumption of wastes in the enclosure allowing it to become almost self-maintaining.