@menavodi Nice thread. Good looking enclosure and impressive that you built it yourself.
But in the interest of accurate information, that is NOT a bioactive enclosure. What you have there is an enclosure with dirt and plants. Maybe a bit more of a naturalistic enclosure but not a bioactive enclosure.
I know bioactive is the new fad, the hot, buzz word of the day. Many have seen what you think is a bioactive enclosure on FB. Dirt and plants does not make a bioactive enclosure.
The whole point of a bioactive enclosure is to attempt to create a sort of balanced, closed loop environment. Now it's not a true closed system as the keeper will still have to add food in the form of prey items and moisture. But it should be designed with all the inhabitants in mind.
Take for example the substrate. Since we are dealing with spiders the substrate has to be suitable for the spiders needs ie digging, moisture retention, it has to meed the plants needs, ie moisture retention, macro and micro nutrient availability, and it has to support the microfauna.
Now this is what truly separates a bioactive enclosure from an enclosure with dirt and plants. In a bioactive enclosure the substrate is as much a living thing, as whatever you are housing in the enclosure. Go ahead, read that again.
Your substrate should be teeming with life. Springtails, isopods, nematodes, earthworms etc. They break down organic waste to provide nutrients for the plants. Lots of leaf litter for microfauna to live and breed. Take a walk in the forest. How many inches or layer of dead leaves are decaying on the forest floor? That's where the bioactivity is.
You should have fungus. Yes, you might see mushrooms or mold. In many of my dart frog vivariums I have been lucky enough to have slime mold appear. Absolutely fascinating to watch. I didn't put it in there, it appeared naturally. Hopefully you won't have slime mold in your spiders enclosure as that would mean the humidity is way too high and not enough ventilation.
A bioactive enclosure is far more than dirt, plants, and water. Lots of water. It's a term a lot of spider keepers throw around but few really have a clue as to how to proper impliment it. I encourage some cross hobby learning. Check out some dart frog forums. They have been doing bioactive enclosures for years and years. Long before it became trendy and unnecessary for tarantulas.
But in the interest of accurate information, that is NOT a bioactive enclosure. What you have there is an enclosure with dirt and plants. Maybe a bit more of a naturalistic enclosure but not a bioactive enclosure.
I know bioactive is the new fad, the hot, buzz word of the day. Many have seen what you think is a bioactive enclosure on FB. Dirt and plants does not make a bioactive enclosure.
The whole point of a bioactive enclosure is to attempt to create a sort of balanced, closed loop environment. Now it's not a true closed system as the keeper will still have to add food in the form of prey items and moisture. But it should be designed with all the inhabitants in mind.
Take for example the substrate. Since we are dealing with spiders the substrate has to be suitable for the spiders needs ie digging, moisture retention, it has to meed the plants needs, ie moisture retention, macro and micro nutrient availability, and it has to support the microfauna.
Now this is what truly separates a bioactive enclosure from an enclosure with dirt and plants. In a bioactive enclosure the substrate is as much a living thing, as whatever you are housing in the enclosure. Go ahead, read that again.
Your substrate should be teeming with life. Springtails, isopods, nematodes, earthworms etc. They break down organic waste to provide nutrients for the plants. Lots of leaf litter for microfauna to live and breed. Take a walk in the forest. How many inches or layer of dead leaves are decaying on the forest floor? That's where the bioactivity is.
You should have fungus. Yes, you might see mushrooms or mold. In many of my dart frog vivariums I have been lucky enough to have slime mold appear. Absolutely fascinating to watch. I didn't put it in there, it appeared naturally. Hopefully you won't have slime mold in your spiders enclosure as that would mean the humidity is way too high and not enough ventilation.
A bioactive enclosure is far more than dirt, plants, and water. Lots of water. It's a term a lot of spider keepers throw around but few really have a clue as to how to proper impliment it. I encourage some cross hobby learning. Check out some dart frog forums. They have been doing bioactive enclosures for years and years. Long before it became trendy and unnecessary for tarantulas.
