So I'm planning, in some far-off future, to take my BP's enclosure bioactive. This is a thread to help me plan that and get more info on how this whole thing works!

I understand the substrate layers pretty well from using aquaponics systems with my plants, but I'm a little fuzzy on the rest.

Structure would be as follows:

a 1" layer of activated charcoal as part of the drainage and water filtration.
a 2" layer of gravel and hydroballs as a drainage layer. Mesh and/or fabric on top of that to prevent substrate from falling in.
A thin 1" layer of river stones and then a 1" layer of coconut chips/reptibark between the mesh and the next substrate layer, also to help prevent substrate from falling through.
A 2" layer of cypress mulch, peat mix, and coconut coir/coco fibre mixed as plant fodder.
optional 1" layer of home compost for the earthworms.
A 4"-6" layer of topsoil and diatomaceous earth to put the plants in.
A 2" layer of Eco Earth or similar, mostly for looks
Leaf litter
Mosses (Sphagnum, carpet, reindeer, etc)

One portion of the enclosure will be a little river with a waterfall. It'll dip down into the topsoil a bit, with a base of something a little thicker like excavator clay,or maybe a plastic form, then gravel and river stones or slate to make a nice 2-3" deep riverbed. It'll drain down through a small tube or series of tubes, directly to the mesh/fabric and drainage layer. The water intake will be housed boxed in mesh in the drainage layer, and pumped back up and out to the "river" again from an outside-enclosure compartment behind a primarily cork and/or stone background. I want to do cork but I might have to be crafty around the waterfall to prevent mold and mildew. Depending on how this idea actually works out, this would theoretically be the only water needed in the enclosure- when it starts to get low, I could fill it from the pumphouse compartment on the back.

There would be at least 2 hides receded into the topsoil layer, possibly with a tube connecting them? One would have moss in it to be a humid hide, the other would have something like aspen or orchid bark. I'd want these to be made of something sturdy and not too far down, visible from the front so I could see if something started rotting. He loves to burrow so either that, or a section full of something like aspen that would be free for burrowing in.

He'd also have 3+ surface hides- one secured to the back or side, near the top, for heat and climbing purposes. I think a cork tube would be good for that, or one of those plastic box hides that I could cover with cork flats. I'd put one of these near the river, with sphagnum moss in it, positioned to be warmer than the underground humid hide, and one on the other side of the enclosure with maybe a bit of leaf litter. Then a hide on the ground made of slate tile or something similar, to be cave-like, and/or possibly one fashioned from cork to look like a tree stump!

At the top I'd have a lattice of bamboo sections, for climbing on and to redirect excess growth from the vines. I'd have some nice knotty wood like mopani or something on the ground level. I'd also like to fashion some sort of natural ledge for a midlevel, but who knows!

My cleaning crew would be earthworms and snails, but seeing as BP's don't make a lot of waste I don't see myself needing very much in the way of cleaning. I honestly see myself doing more rehoming baby snails than anything else... but I wanted snails anyway, so.

The lid of the cage would be mesh, and then it'd have a wooden canopy on top to house lighting and such. I'd also like to put in some sort of vent system to heat the enclosure.

Obviously I can only fit so many plants, but I'm considering as follows:
- lucky bamboo (the type that originates from Africa as forest undergrowth. I already cultivate it- it's a strictly indirect light plant and grows veeeery slowly. It also LOVES nitrogen, such as is found in animal biowaste. But I can't find anything stating whether or not it's safe for ball pythons, so if I don't find that info, I won't be using it.)
- pothos
- aglaonema
- wandering jew
- caladium
- Dieffenbachia
- Neoregalia
- Cryptanthus
- Anthurium
- Pteris Ensiformis
- Nephrolepsis exaltata
- Ficus benjamina
- Ficus Alii
- Peperomia clusiifolia
- Peperomia turboensis
- Philodendron
- Spathiphyllum
- aloe (only if I can find a variety that doesn't grow thorns)
- Sansevieria
- Asplenium antiquum
- Hoya
- Rhoeo
- Chlorophytum comosum
- Fittonia
- Platycerium ellisii
- Vriesea era
- possibly a bonsai tree, if I can find a species that works

I'd like a little more color in it that most of the plants I've picked out so far have, but I'm still working on that list. (Making it is easy. Narrowing it down will be the hard part.)

Considering that these plans would put me at almost a foot and a half of substrate, is there anything besides the plant fodder and the stone/reptibark layer that really doesn't need to be there? The stones and reptibark are to help keep the other substrate from falling through, and the more I can keep from going through the better, 'cause it means I don't have to do cleaning or repair on the water lines as often.

The only major thing I can't figure out how to do is provide belly heat! The best I can figure is if I did do some sort of mid-level ledge, to make it part of the side of the enclosure and put a mat under that. Would that work?

Is there anything else that I'm missing?

Obviously this is going to be a custom enclosure, so I'll try to make a diagram of it soon and post that as well.