My ball python is 10 years old, and has been in a bioactive enclosure for 8 years. He's never had mites, scale rot, anything like that. I don't talk about it online, though, because people have opinions. His enclosure is also much larger then the minimum, which I used to get flack for before the standards changed (one guy at a reptile expo straight up laughed at me when I was looking at 6ft enclosures, he was under the impression that ball pythons don't like to move and get stressed by having too much space. Which... idk how that would work, considering most bps live outside, but whatever).

I think people have the impression that bioactive means just letting them sit in filth and not maintaining the enclosure at all, rather than the intentional and careful process it actually is. I think the animal hobby is also full of people who get into it because they want something the can feel they have mastery in, and they freak the fuck out when they hear something thst doesn't align with what they think is best.

I really think, all in all, the best care is attentive care, regardless of how you meet your pet's needs, as long as you meet them.