Enclosure Setup
How to Set Up a Bioactive Terrarium, Step by Step
A step-by-step guide to building a bioactive terrarium: drainage, barrier, substrate, hardscape, plants, leaf litter and cleanup crew, plus how long to wait before adding your animal.
Bioactive terrarium & isopod guides
Practical guides for bioactive terrariums. Substrate, isopods, springtails and fixing problems, explained without the fluff.
Most-read guides
Getting Started
What Is a Bioactive Terrarium? A Beginner's Guide
What a bioactive terrarium is, how it works, what you need to build one, and the honest pros and cons compared with a standard reptile setup.
Isopods
Best Isopods for Beginners: 6 Hardy Species to Start With
The best isopods for beginners and bioactive setups: six hardy, fast-breeding species, what humidity they need and which one fits your enclosure.
Free tool
Open Substrate CalculatorHow much substrate do you need?
Enter your enclosure size and get the volume of bioactive substrate, drainage layer and leaf litter to buy.
Latest guides
Bioactive by Animal
Bioactive Bearded Dragon Enclosure: Size, Substrate, UVB and Cleanup Crew
How to set up a bioactive bearded dragon enclosure: enclosure size, basking temperatures, UVB, humidity, an arid substrate, whether you need a drainage layer, which cleanup crew survives, safe plants and the sand debate.
Springtails & Cleanup Crew
How Many Isopods and Springtails Do You Need for a Bioactive Terrarium?
How many isopods and springtails to add to a bioactive terrarium, how long to let them settle before adding your animal, how to feed them, and how to tell if you have too few or too many.
Bioactive by Animal
Dart Frog Vivarium Setup: Size, Layers, Plants and Care
How to set up a bioactive vivarium for poison dart frogs: enclosure size, temperature and humidity, substrate layers, plants, cleanup crew, lighting, misting, feeding and why not to mix species.
Isopods
What Do Isopods Eat? Food List and Feeding Schedule
What to feed pet isopods: leaf litter and rotting wood as the staple, plus protein, calcium and vegetables, with a simple feeding schedule, foods to avoid and what research says.
Bioactive by Animal
Bioactive Leopard Gecko Setup: Enclosure, Substrate and Cleanup Crew
How to build a bioactive leopard gecko enclosure: size, heat and UVB, an arid substrate mix, the humid hide, which isopods survive, safe plants and the sand impaction debate.
Isopods
Can Isopods Climb Glass? Escape-Proofing Isopod Enclosures
Can isopods climb glass and plastic? Which species escape, why they try, and how to escape-proof an isopod bin or terrarium with lids, fine mesh and simple habits.