Bio active on Zoo Med XL?

[AmazingYocool]

Ive seen a lot of debates on bio active vs bare bottom...
Do yall think that a 2x2x4 Zoo Med screen enclosure could do bio active? Would the corresponding stand be able to hold it?

ty

 

[elizaann2]

@MissSkittles does bioactive in her enclosures and would have the best info for you

 

[Sonny13]

I personally like it how @CryptKeeper did it, https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/progress-of-my-bioactive-build.193509/

This gives you maximum space left inside the enclosure

 

[BleuSaphir]

Neptune the Chameleon made a video on how to do bio active on the XL Repti Breeze.

 

[MissSkittles]

I’ve had no problem setting up bioactive in ReptiBreeze XL and the ReptiBreeze stand is strong enough to hold the weight. When I first set mine up, I overloaded with substrate and everything else, so my enclosures weighed a ton. Ngl, I was terrified that the stand would fail if I bumped into it with enough force, so switched to heavy duty shelving units. Since I’m afraid of using the circular saw I opted for using root pouches to hold my substrate rather than build a planter box. I still use root pouches and love them. After a year in use, I had to take down the set up and after shaking off the dirt, it almost looked new. While I do have a drainage layer (is a must), I haven’t needed to set up a way to remove excess water drainage as the pouches breathe and it evaporates. I don’t overwater though. All of my enclosures are now double sized (joined 2 XL together) and it’s a challenge now to find a good quality root pouch. This is what I used for the 2x2x4’ and is very good quality. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Root-Po...Pots-with-Handles-Planter-BB900-45H/306677187 Because it’s round, you do want it to be a bit larger so you can push it in the corners. Also, the pouches are quite tall and I just fold them down. Here’s some pics that show what I had (before double sizing) and how the round pouch fits.

 

[Gingero]

Here is my video on how I turned the XL Reptibreeze into a bioactive enclosure:

 

[AmazingYocool]

yea im def doin this

 

[elizaann2]

yea im def doin this

Be sure to share when you are done! I’m still building up to the point where I feel comfortable doing bioactive so please share as much as you can!

 

[AmazingYocool]

Be sure to share when you are done! I’m still building up to the point where I feel comfortable doing bioactive so please share as much as you can!

yea rn im kinda buying stuff slowly lol

my dad will murder me if I buy a cham atm so Im just slowly buying better equipment so i can give him the best care possible

 

[elizaann2]

yea rn im kinda buying stuff slowly lol

my dad will murder me if I buy a cham atm so Im just slowly buying better equipment so i can give him the best care possible

Sounds like a great plan!

 

[CryptKeeper]

Ive seen a lot of debates on bio active vs bare bottom...
Do yall think that a 2x2x4 Zoo Med screen enclosure could do bio active? Would the corresponding stand be able to hold it?

ty

I made one using the XL but built a base for it to sit on with no bottom where the substrate went and a false bottom below that for a drainage pipe and valve. (and storage) It actually has more room than the XL since the substrate doesn’t come right up to the reptibreeze. Also wasn’t too hard especially if you’re a bit handy and have the tools to cut and secure.

The background I made I really liked but you can only see the top part of it with all the branches and plants. So I think that step isn’t quite necessary unless you have issues retaining heat or humidity or want to protect the wall it sits against. Someone posted my thread below. Dm me if you have any questions!

 

[CryptKeeper]

Ive seen a lot of debates on bio active vs bare bottom...
Do yall think that a 2x2x4 Zoo Med screen enclosure could do bio active? Would the corresponding stand be able to hold it?

ty

Oh also lemme link a YouTube video that I got inspiration from. He actually uses the stand and cuts it down to make it bioactive but he built from scratch using pvc board but you can probably uses the stand and cover it with pvc board (since you’ll need everything for the substrate layer waterproof/siliconed) and make a drainage system too.

 

[CryptKeeper]

yea rn im kinda buying stuff slowly lol

my dad will murder me if I buy a cham atm so Im just slowly buying better equipment so i can give him the best care possible

Yeah so worth it to have good equipment! I made the mistake of listening to a pet store buying a chameleon kit at first and having to rebuy absolutely everything. I then had the right setup and just recently made a new one that’s bioactive. Everything on timers that work great is just a feeling of relief knowing your chams in a good enclosure with everything dialed in correctly.

And you building it slowly also gives you time (if you’re making it bioactive) for it to cycle a few times and let the clean up crew really boom before adding your cham.