Bioactive setup for ball python.

[JeanTownsend]

So I'd really like to go bioactive, but I have a few questions for anyone with experience with bioactive vivariums, mostly just to double-check a couple of things.
What plants should I use? I was thinking of a few dracaena plants, pothos, and some ferns. That should work, correct?
Do the springtails, woodlice, and earthworms need any grub, or anything? I know they eat some feces, but do they need anything else? And do they need their own substrate (beneath the BP's substrate), like charcoal, and/or ABG mixed substrate?
This doesn't really have anything to do with bioactive setups, but will those bamboo things hold a fully grown ball python's weight? And what wattage ceramic heat emitter is best for the hotspot? The instructions usually say that of there's any more than 19 inches between the CHE, use aa hiher wattage (100), to give off 85-90? I'll be using a thermostat, of course.
Thanks.

[SDA]

Have you ever setup a vivarium before and do you have experience in keeping house plants or freshwater aquatic plants alive? If you are new to doing this it can and will be more work than a traditional setup and you will end up spending a lot more money than a traditional setup to get it established. Without in depth knowledge and experience in these types of setups you run the risk of conditions not conducive to a ball python that can lead to unwanted problems like scale rot. Most people who venture into this without a good grasp on vivarium concepts end up having to replant and recolonize bioactives several times as they learn the ins and outs of blooms and which plants can survive the husbandry requirements of a ball python and which plants a ball python will not trample.

I would suggest if you want live plants do a non bioactive with live plants in planters. Serpa Design on youtube has great guides on this and he recently did a live planted terrerium for his king snake.

I recommend doing a ton of research and setting up a self contained closed loop planted terrerium to learn how this type of system works before graduating to the advanced care of keeping a moderate sized animal in something not really great for their size, husbandry requirements, or waste production.

in other words, learn to fly a Cessna before you jump into a fighter jet.

[Starscream]

As a forward, I don't have a bioactive enclosure (yet), but I've been doing research and I know I will have one (or two) in a few years.

A big thing with bioactives, for ball pythons especially if it's a planted enclosure, is letting it settle a few months before you put the snake in. That way the plants have time to get their roots down deeper so the snake won't rip them up, and the clean up crew will have time to reproduce and be ready to break down waste when you introduce the snake, and a few other benefits. And the CUC do need additional nutrients -- I think most folks give them fruits and bread and stuff, you might want to look up the diets of the organisms you plan on adding.

There's also the RABS group on facebook that has really good write-ups on what's safe, what's not, what good substrate mixtures are for what kind of setups, such as arid or temperate or tropical. You need a drainage layer if you plan on keeping plants, and it helps to keep the soil dry closer to the top but moist down towards the bottom so the plants can get that good good water. Pothos is always a good plant, they're pretty hardy.

But yeah, defo do a ton of research before attempting and buying anything, there's a lot of information out there.

[Kcl]

Can confirm that my ball python likes ripping up the plants. He sits there and shoves at them with his face sometimes. Both bugs and snake are doing great though. I have been keeping a springtail culture on the side to make sure I have plenty since it's hard to find them in the actual enclosure when there's no waste. There's a springtail powder diet that you can buy that works just fine - nothing else needed besides spraying with water. Whether they need it or not kind of depends on what else is in there and how often the snake poops.

[JeanTownsend]

Thanks.
Is this the group: https://www.facebook.com/RabsReptiles/? I didn't see anything but reptiles lol.
I will definitely do more research on it. I have been for a couple months, but very few people seem to have bioactive vivariums, so it's difficult to get all the facts straight.

[Starscream]

This is RABS: https://m.facebook.com/groups/300589...?ref=bookmarks

[Apiratenamedjohn]

Wattage depends on the size of your enclosure. Your cuc eats detritus and decomposing wood and leaf litter. As long as your substrats is kept moist and has enough carbon in it your cuc should be fine. I suggest doing a lot more research.

[Mislytherin]

We keep saltwater tanks, and freshwater planted tanks, so this past year I wanted to dive into a bioactive setup for my ball python. I have an exoterra terrarium, with tinfoil (gotta keep it classy) on the screen top to maintain humidity.

The biggest issue I encountered was finding plants hardy enough to withstand the humidity and heat as well as the abuse of a snake climbing on them. I tried golden ferns as ground Cover and they looked really good but they are fragile and died quickly. I replanted them twice before abandoning them completely.

I have a layer of hydro balls on the bottom of the enclosure, with a piece of replacement screen cut to size. The mesh kind rather than the metal kind. I also pre rinsed the mesh in case there was any chemical coatings. I like the Hydro balls, because they are clay they absorb and keep moisture very well, and create a nice moist reservoir.

I then made a mixture of Coco fiber eco-earth, repti soil Cypress Bark and Spangham Moss and layered it about three inches over the 1.5 “ of hydro balls. On top of this, I put leaf matter. I recommend buying it from a reputable reptile source, no leaves from your yard as you will be introducing fauna that might not be right for your side up.

I then added my cleanup crew. I went with pink springtails, and purple isopods. The species are good for the type of environment and temperature needed for your ball python.

I then added a miniature umbrella tree, Pothos, a type of small Chinese evergreen, and the golden fern.

I lost the pothos, it wasn’t able to root before I added my snake I will likely try again in the future. The fern also didn’t make it, but the umbrella tree (trimmed to bonsai) is thriving and the Chinese evergreen with monthly pruning is also thriving.

Heating: I have a Uth and ceramic bulb on the hot side. Wattage is 100w thermostated. On the “cool side” is where the plants thrive, I have an aquarium LED set up it’s about 8” and provides the plants with proper lighting for photosynthesis. Going forward I will upgrade to a larger light. CFLs will work so long as you account for the heat they produce.

I can post photos tomorrow!

Additionally I can post links to what I used!


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[Mislytherin]

I had a more natural looking water dish in there but Changed it to a deeper Tupperware so she could soak.


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[idomskt]

Hi

I like your respond and would like to know if two years after you still recommend to go Bioactive?

I have my ball python for over 4 years and I want to upgrade to Bioactive.

I also see see that you don’t use UV light. The plants you use don’t need a uvb light?

thanks a lot