u/FleshyPopTarts

▲ 8 r/bioactive+1 crossposts

New setup

Last night I finished setting up my first ever bioactive terrarium for my Black Pastel Ball Python. He's in a 48 × 24 × 18 (90 gallon) enclosure.

I started off with a layer of clay balls, but after realizing that there weren't enough on super short notice, I was able to get some filter gravel (heavily rinsed before adding). A few inches of that, topped with some regular water + water squeezed out of our fish tank filter to kickstart the bacteria. On top of that was the sheet of mesh to separate the drainage layer from the substrate layer. Then I mixed coco fiber, Zoo Med forest floor cypress mulch, Zoo Med reptisand, activated charcoal, Maple/Linden leaf litter, and sphagnum moss. I planted 3 Pothos plants and a curly fig. On top I added more sphagnum moss that I dipped in water to hydrate and then squeezed out, and a gallon of Maple/Linden leaf litter.

I added what I have started of my springtail culture (not much) and over 50 isopods including powder blues, porcellio lamellatus, Armadillidium nasatum, Armadillidium versicolor, and cylisticus convexus. I also sprinkled some brewers yeast where I added isos and springtails.

PLEASE let me know any tips, what I should do, what I should've done, how I can help this ecosystem start, and even if I should order more springtails because I only ever saw around 5 at a time in the culture I started.

u/FleshyPopTarts — 8 hours ago

Substitute for clay balls/lava rocks

I'm currently working on a drainage layer for my first ever bioactive setup, only to realize that I'm way short on clay balls because of how massive the tank is. I live in a small area and clay balls arent gonna be at any pet stores.. what can i mix in with the clay balls? Something that would be at any common pet store like filter gravel or fish supplies.

u/FleshyPopTarts — 1 day ago

Can I keep springtails in here?

Would this lousy fishbowl be okay for keeping a springtail culture? Just a round glass bowl. Pretty heavy, thick glass. No lid though. Pics with my hand for size reference.

I'll be making a bioactive terrarium for my Ball Python, so this bowl would be a separate culture of springtails for keeping. For backup purposes and whatnot.

EDIT: btw they're temperate springtails (folsomia candida)

u/FleshyPopTarts — 2 days ago

Iso must-haves?

Where do all of you get your isopod accessories? Like cuttlebone and wood bark and such? I'm gonna be a new iso owner as they're gonna go to my bioactive ball python terrarium, so they'll also need to be safe for him of course. But what are the good sources for clean, stable iso accessories?

u/FleshyPopTarts — 4 days ago

Im trying to set up a bioactive terrarium for the first time for my BP. I've been looking at Smug Bug online and have curated a shopping bag of a few kinds, but I'm wondering if these species can all be safely housed together:

Porcellio lamellatus

Cylisticus convexus

Armadillidium versicolor

Armadillidium nasatum

Porcellionides pruinosus "powder blues"

Any feedback appreciated! (Photo is the singular powder orange I own)

u/FleshyPopTarts — 9 days ago