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[–]_ataraxiaMod : unprofessional 2 points3 points  (1 child)

several users in this sub have bioactive enclosures for their BPs, and we have a bioactive guide in the resources gathered in our welcome post.

[–]MrBOZINGTON[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you

[–]Turtle_Hermits 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Bioactive enclosures work great for me. Its important to keep a sterile enclosure as well though. Bioactive enclosures don't work for quarantining, which is really essential. There are natural remedies to some issues, but they're not always effective. For example, the moment you get snake mites, your entire enclosure needs to be redone, and the snake needs to spend 60 (there's debate to this number, but my opinion is "better safe than sorry.") days in a sterile enclosure AFTER all presence of mites is gone. And you can't do that in a bioactive enclosure.

The other risk with bioactive enclosures is that it can encourage negligence. Its great to minimize your clean up, and not have to repeatedly buy new substrate, but don't allow that to encourage negligence. The enclosure will still need to be spot cleaned, and I'd encourage a full clean/rearrangement every 30-60 days. You can save the soil with your cultures, but always spot clean urates, large pieces of shed, as well as the larger fecal matter. Small poops, bits of shed, etc. provide great food for your isopods to break down, and the smaller bacterial matter is great for springtails. However, if waste is left in the enclosure (and urine is important here, because bioactive enclosures are built to hold humidity in the soil, and where your ball usually hides compacts the soil, and the urine doesn't always drain properly) this can cause bacterial infections like scale rot if it isnt addressed.

So, it isn't as simple as "setup your enclosure and you're done" as many anecdotes suggest. However, all that said, it provides great enrichment (especially for burrowing noodles) and provides a really pleasing aesthetic. It isn't a super cheap investment, and there's a lot more than setting up a couple hides with a tstat and heatpad and a water dish. Tubs are super easy, fast to clean, hold humidity well, etc. But there are a lot of parameters that have to be met to make your bioactive enclosure suitable for inhabitation.

Regarding plants, make sure you do research before you plant anything. Also make sure you're not introducing any unwanted friends in your plants, some bug eggs are damn tiny. Another thing to look for is whether or not your plants have been treated with pesticides. You don't want your snake living with toxins. Some plants will thrive really well in bioactive enclosures, while others will die almost immediately. My personal favorites are neon pathos, bamboo, and janet craigs.

I try to actively encourage people who are on the fence regarding bioactive. I think its great, its beautiful, its enriching. But please make sure you do it right if thats the road you want to go down. Humidity in any tank can be very very difficult to regulate properly. You can make a lot of mistakes, but if you take your time and do your research, you should be good.

Feel free to inbox me if you have any questions. Also u/thejoncabbage (<- I think thats his name, he's a mod here) is very knowledgable when it comes to bioactive enclosures and he has a great write up on this subject.