# Bioactive substrate opiuions



## CrazyNut (Jul 17, 2016)

Hi,
I'm completley inexperienced when it comes to this topic. I have heard mixed opiuions about so thought I would ask here. A few questions, is it worth it? Pros and cons? Risks? Thinking of using this is my monitor enclosure as well as a frog tank project. I'm rather torn between bioactive or just do it the way I have always done it.

Thanks
Kind regards
CN


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## pinefamily (Jul 17, 2016)

Overseas they swear by it, but IMO it's unnecessarily too much work.


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## phatty (Jul 19, 2016)

i have a few tanks some with garden soil leaves sticks they never really have a smell to them like the sand ones. I just give the soil a spray every week or two dont really see poop in there i guess the woodies take care fo that at night


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## Nero Egernia (Jul 19, 2016)

When I was a kid I had a large plastic tub with a colony of _Hemiergis peronii peronii_. I would have considered the set up to be "bio active". It was dirt and leaf litter taken from underneath some wattles in the garden. It was full of slaters, cockroaches, spiders, earwigs, worms, and possibly other creepy crawlies. I also planted some weeds and an assortment of grain and lupins in there. It was like a mini ecosystem. I don't think I really saw feces in there, so long as the soil is moist and deep enough and the plants get sunlight it should be fine. Most of the sunlight they received was filtered in through the windows, although every now and then I would haul the tub outside. 

I would only consider "bio active" soil for either small, easily maintained and mobile enclosures, or for very large deep enclosures. It's only necessary if you can't be bothered to clean up the feces and other bits. Moist substrate would raise the humidity of an enclosure if there's not enough ventilation and my skink tub had no lid. Those are my experiences with it, but that was a long time ago.


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## BredliFreak (Jul 19, 2016)

I've never used Bio-active substrate but a couple of things. I have a colony of borers (beetles?) in Red's tank (annoyingly wooden, though they surprisingly only make holes in the branches) and they are annoying, they put sawdust everywhere so try and control what creepy crawlies live in your tank. Also, if it's the smell you are worried about then I've found that eucalyptus branches are great because they always emit a nice but strong scent that masks the [email protected]^t smell (maybe it's the smell of the sawdust, idk where it comes from exactly). You don't need leaves either.


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## CrazyNut (Jul 19, 2016)

Ok, the onlyinverts I will be adding are spring tails, worms, isopods and maybe some native millipedes. Very large deep enclosure huge check for the mertens tank, substrate will be 2ft deep and will be 7ftLx2ftWx5ftH (possibly 4ft high still debating). I problem that was raised by someone I know was lighting, since its such a high enclosure plants might not get enough light being 2-3ft awah from the light sorce. Any suggestions? Haven't figured out lighting for the enclosure. Not wiring it (CBF), just buying external fixtures.

- - - Updated - - -

Also I have a cool idea for an eastern bluey tank (I miss mine and want another, one died of old age the other was an unknown cause, possibly age as well).


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