Bioactive setup: pros and cons

[Anastasia_k]

So I've been reading about Bioactive enclosures today and it sounds like a great idea, mainly because it would make my life so much easier in terms of cleanup. From my research, these are the main pros and cons I came up with so far: pros: once established, does not require cleaning other than occasional poop scoop and glass wipe. Is (supposedly) beneficial for the animal as it creates a natural environment. cons: may be difficult to establish, (sometimes) leads to bad smell, anything else??? I have read another thread on this forum about bioactives, but it's been 2 years since, and maybe people have some new input. I am especially interested in your personal experience, success and/or failure stories, and whatever else you think I should know. So far as I understood I would need to first add a layer of clay pebbles for drainage, layer of microorganism-enriched soil/sand mix, repot my plants into Bioactive substrate too (I keep them in pots as most are attached to the background wall), sprinkle some leaf litter on top of soil, add vines, branches and all the usual decoration, and finally put the chameleon in the new little eco system and watch him thrive. Anything I missed? I can still use regular lights, right? (I have Arcadia 12% tube and a basking spot lamp). Please feel free to add to my pros/cons list and share whatever you feel like sharing.

 

[jamest0o0]

Hi, I use bioactive in all of my enclosures. I think you should go for it. I suggest using hydro balls separated by a layer on vinyl screen(holes are wider than landscaping cloth allowing roots to grow through), then sunshine mix4(a member here introduced me to this), after this I personally like to have a small layer of organic topsoil, and finally leaf litter. I usually put oak leaves and then magnolia on top.

 

[Anastasia_k]

@jamest0o0 thank you for reply, I feel encouraged now I would still like to keep most of my plants in pots on the wall (like in the photo attached), and maybe plant something small at the bottom. Would I need to replace the substrate in the pots to bioactive one too and put leaves on top? I just spotted some oaks in the park near my house, but no magnolia. Can I use any other leaves and is it ok if I gather them in the park (which is within a city) or is it better to take a trip to the forest? In any case there would probably be traced of dog urine God knows what else on the leaves. Do I need to wash them somehow?

 

[Anastasia_k]

Oh and another thing I'm worried about is whether the bioactive setup and lack of sterilization would increase the risk of parasites...

 

[jamest0o0]

Well all bioactive means is establishing beneficial bacteria and fauna. So with your potted plants, I'd just add some fine particle organic soil(just watch out for large chunks that can't be passes). I'd remove the rocks on top and if you want, add some leaves for bugs to hide under and feed on. In time the potted plants will establish springtails, isopods, and bacteria. Maybe just pour some of your bio critters in each pot and add some organic brewers yeast along with a cucumber slice or something for the isopods. This will help them colonize faster. I would also suggest putting some plants in the soil at the bottom, the point is to have as much living things in the soil to create a living system. You want your soil to be alive and aerated. I compare it to marine aquarium ecosystems/live rock(that's what got me into bioactive to begin with) if you're familiar.

The park leaves would probably not hurt, but may be a little gross in the city? The main issue is pesticides. I personally prefer the forest for collecting . Nothing needs sterilized, I don't know of anyone that's had problems. Just look out for any large dangerous insects that could hurt your cham obviously, or ants which are destructive, and pests that could ruin your plants. You're not likely to have problems with any of these, but just a heads up! Maybe hold things in a bin for a few days to observe or sit them in the sun if it helps you sleep lol.

Parasites won't be an issue, almost or all parasites are native to the animal's natural habitat. I have mites in my soil, but they aren't the harmful type and help clean the soil similar to springtails.

I haven't been doing bioactive for years, but with the research I've done, people I've talked to, and what I've observed so far... it is the way to go! Adds so much to the cage and keeps harmful bacteria from spreading when done correctly. I either bury the poop in the soil or take it out at my convenience.

 

[Anastasia_k]

Nice, thank you for the detailed explanation! So I can just replace the top layer with organic soil in the pots instead of repotting completely? I think I'll just order the bioactive substrate from Arcadia which already has all the needed organisms. Which plants would you recommend for the bottom? I have an Arcadia UVB bulb but the enclosure is quite tall (120 cm), so not sure how much UVB actually gets down there. Also, how would you recommend to water the plants (planted and in pots)? The soil in pots is always kind of moist from the mistings and I don't know if I should waters them more or not. And any leaves can be used (from any trees)?

 

[jamest0o0]

Well what soil is in your pots now? For bioactive I'd probably just put some fresh new soil in that has good draining. I didn't realize you were in the UK, so you have access to Arcadia earth mix. You can probably jist add that straight to the pots then and youd be set. You'll still want to add springtails and isopods to that, idt they come with it? Plants don't really use UVB, do you have a plant bulb? There are so many plant options, I love baby tears, creeping fig, episcia, ferns, cryptanthus, the list goes on, depends on your lighting situation. I don't water my plants directly, heavy mistings take care of that. I forgot, are you going to manually drain your substrate or allow free drainage? And no some leaves are toxic, I would look up a list that has leaves that are safe. I like magnolia on the top personally just because they're large.

 

[Anastasia_k]

Right now in the pots there are two thirds of the soil they came with from the shop, I assume it had fertilizers and stuff, and the top layer is replaced by an organic mix with vermicompost. I just read the description of the Arcadia substrate, and apparently it's Bioactive-ready, contains lava and horse manure, but not the actual bugs. Any idea where I can get those? I'm in Central Europe, Czech Republic. I don't use any plant bulb right now, was given a Sun Glo tube with mercury vapor in a pet shop, but I read those are bad for the chameleon so I stopped using it. Which ones would you recommend?

 

[jamest0o0]

Right, the Arcadia earth mix has everything necessary for a thriving ecosystem, but you'll want to seed it with some critters. Are there any places over there that you can buy springtails and isopods? I buy mine online. You can also go hunting in the woods for them, but usually the tropical ones work best for the soil. For lighting, I use jungle dawns, but there are a lot of options. Some plants like pothos will do well with no special lighting. Other things like bromeliads will need some supplemental lighting. If your room is bright and sunny during the day you can usually get away with a lot too.

 

[Anastasia_k]

My room is quite sunny but the enclosure stands in the corner so doesn't get too much sun I guess, also it's glass. There are different wattages for jungle dawn, which wattage would I need for 120x60x60 cm? (It's 48x24x24 in inches I think)and do they require a special fixture or holder? There's only one for 22 watts in the e-shop I'm looking at.

 

[jamest0o0]

I use the megaspot led bulb. It's like a beam of sun. Expensive, but we'll worth every dollar. Not familiar with the others unfortunately. Glass is fine, plants can get light through glass.

 

[etclement]

You can also get t8 led bulbs at 5000 kelvin if you have trouble with heat.

 

[jamest0o0]

@etclement can't remember, are you using t5s or t8s? I'm using the t5hos because that's what I got, alongside jungle dawn

 

[etclement]

I'm using two 12% 22" T5HOs desert Uvb lights from Arcadia along with a Megaray 100w Uv/ Heat flood and a 4 bulb 48" led T8 for plants along with two 13w Jungle Dawns.

 

[etclement]

I'm using two 22" T5HOs desert Uvb lights from Arcadia along with a Megaray 100w Uv/ Heat flood and a 4 bulb 48" led T8 for plants along with two 13w Jungle Dawns.

 

[jamest0o0]

Very nice, JC why the MVB? They seem to be more trouble than they're worth?

 

[etclement]

The cage is six feet tall.

 

[jamest0o0]

Do you have pics of your set Up? I haven't seen it yet

 

[etclement]

It's not complete yet. The cage is all finished but I still need to finish the drainage system, put in the substrate layer, install the misting heads, and furnish the cage.

 

[Anastasia_k]

@jamest0o0 thank you for the detailed explanation @etclement what brand of LED are you using and do you think just one T8 bulb would work for a 48x25x25" enclosure? I have a fixture for 2 T8 bulbs so would be great to use a LED alongside the UVB, much less bulky.