Detailed guide for bioactive terrariums.

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williamk34

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This is a detailed guide for bioactive terrariums for bearded dragons for more detailed questions beyond what will be in this guide just send me a private message and I will be more than happy to help you out.

Step one size and cost. So if you're thinking about building a bioactive enclosure for your bearded dragon you need to ask yourself two questions what size enclosure do I want and how much will my materials cost. First let's take a look at your enclosure for all of them you need the Deep enclosures for your substrate needs to be 3 inch minimum. So for the minimum space for the adult bearded dragon is the 40-gallon so a 40-gallon being around 36 by 18 by 18 you can put a bioactive in there just the substrate is going to take up a good bit of the space it will be easier if you have a 36 by 18 by 24 it will give you more to work with. Next let's take a look at the cost of your material mostly what will cost you is your substrate there is some different types of substrate that you can get you either can make your own but I would not recommend doing that unless you are in a warm arid area if you make your own you might want to play around an experiment until you find something that can hold moisture within the mid-layer and the bottom layer but stays dry on top and something that retains tunnels and Burrows this will be good for your plant health and it will be good for your dragon which will be digging at the first opportunity they can get. There's different substrates that you can get but one of the best substrates that I have personally worked with is called Tera Sahara what you can get off of the bio dude but like when I had mentioned when it comes to creating your own there's also what you want to look for when it comes to your substrates. When it comes to your biodegradables you can get leaves from the outside but make sure that you wash them off make sure there's no unwanted pass and parasites. If you are in a dry area and you would like to use stagnant Moss work it into your soil every time you water it the most will absorb water and release it slowly into the soil keep it from but if you live in an area where it is humid you can use it as decorations on the top besides your Leaf litter next thing you're going to want is some Palm bark it breaks down very slowly so it's good for your clean up crew and your plants and that is your first step if you had to pay for everything not including shipping and handling is about $300.

Step 2 clean up crew and plants. So now that you've decided on your substrate and you're biodegradables now it's time to choose your clean up crew and your plants first let's go into your clean up crew. You will need isopods and springtails for your isopods I recommend dwarf blues and powdered purples I just find them pretty easy to keep and multiply that's pretty simple these are the things that will be cleaning up your dragons poop shed skin dead bugs of course they'll be tearing up your biodegradables turning them into nutrients for your plants which Your Dragon will be chewing on you're next part of your clean up crew will be mealworms and superworms at all stages these are going to build your canals and tunnels and which are good for your plant roots and your dragon will eventually find them give them nice little snacks and that's really all you need for your clean up crew. Now when it comes to your plants basically it depends on the size of your enclosure in your personal taste make sure that you check that the plants are safe for Your Dragon just because it looks pretty doesn't mean it is safe it could be poisonous when you choose the plants that you want place them into quarantine first you want to wash them off and get all of the dirt out of their root system that they came in gently use your fingers to rub the leaves and the stems of the plants. Leave them in quarantine for 24 hours this we'll see if the plant is going to die you never know there could be something affecting your plant and being that you are in a small environment what will affect one plant will affect your entire set up always be vigilant.

The final step completely optional so after you have all of that setup you may be thinking maybe there's some things I want to enrich the environment with this would be when you decide if you want to turn it into a simulated microclimate with timers you can set up a rain system heavily test it and make sure that it is spitting out at the right time and the right amount you want to keep a very close eye on the humidity you may also want to add something called BioShock it's another step on the clean up crew basically it is a bunch of micro fauna healthy bacteria and fungus is that will pray upon unwanted funguses and bacteria they will also help break down poop and other things like your isopods would and this is all that you need for a successful bioactive enclosure after it is setup I recommend leaving it for 24 hours just to let it cure if the humidity level is not quite the way you like it make the adjustments when everything is stable and where it needs to be then you introduce Your Dragon but you may be asking is my dragon too young or too old if your dragon is already pushing over a year old you might want to introduce the bioactive enclosure slowly give them a day or two and then take them out make sure that they aren't getting sick if you're adults show any sign of being sick take them to the veterinarian sometimes they will have an effect to it being with their immune system is compromised. But after two months Your Dragon will be old enough to enter there bioactive enclosure as they grow their immune system will be strong because of the environment it is good for their health but just like anything you have to keep a good eye on them if you have the right substrate you won't have to worry about the humidity if there is any further questions just ask PM me if like to.
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
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Thanks for taking the time to put this together. It's good to have all of this information in one spot!
 
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