Anyone familiar with planted tanks?

[MD_Pythons]

Hey bp.net, long time no post. So I've got a couple glass tanks laying around that I'm not using, I could just sell them but I'm intrigued about the idea of a nice display enclosure. I'm mostly curious about what plants to use and the drainage layer, I've seen clay balls and a layer of mesh over them. Any videos on them or books or any other resources would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

[redshepherd]

Do you mean to make a bioactive tank or just having plants in general? If bioactive, googling "how to set up a bioactive terrarium" will bring up a ton of guides.

For just adding plants, I found that keeping plants potted in shallow pots and then adding whatever substrate around it to give the appearance of being planted in the tank works the best.

Maybe for a ball python or other terrestrial snake, securing a mesh around the soil base too, so that the plant has its own secure spot that won't be moved around and uprooted by the snake.

[MD_Pythons]

Do you mean to make a bioactive tank or just having plants in general? If bioactive, googling "how to set up a bioactive terrarium" will bring up a ton of guides.

For just adding plants, I found that keeping plants potted in shallow pots and then adding whatever substrate around it to give the appearance of being planted in the tank works the best.

Maybe for a ball python or other terrestrial snake, securing a mesh around the soil base too, so that the plant has its own secure spot that won't be moved around and uprooted by the snake.

Just adding plants.

[Starscream]

I have a planted tub, which is a little bit similar. If this is for an animal, you'll have to take considerations into plant choices (i.e. things that will get crushed easily, humidity needs, etc). If not, then you can pick plants a little bit more to your whims.

As for drainage layers, you usually only need them if you're planning on a humid setup, because the risk of over-watering can be pretty high. There are lots of options for drainage layers, such as gravel, lava rock, egg crate, clay balls... I use window screen as the mesh separating the substrate from the drainage layer, which has worked pretty well for me. Some people put a small piece of pvc pipe with a cap on top that goes all the way down to the bottom of the tank, so that they can drain excess water out of the drainage layer.

This is a good video that outlines how to build a removable background, how to make a drainage layer, and I believe may contain links to other videos/shows how to make a soil that will help your plants thrive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSGq-9kbaxM

(serpadesigns is just good in general, he has a vid for his kingsnake enclosure that has live plants but is more along the lines that Red was talking about.)

[Sauzo]

I would say join the FB page "Reptile and Amphibian Bioactive setups'. They have files there that list safe plants for the different set ups like marsh, jungle, desert etc as well as how to and you can always ask people there. Not really sure how many people here go full on bio set ups. I thought about doing one for Pat when i get his PVC cage but now will probably cheap out and just use substrate with potted plants like i do in the other snake cages lol.

Also as i learned the hard way, snakes tend to be curious and in the case of Luna and Dottie, they literally dug up their plants from the pots and killed them......

[reptilemom25]

I have done a lot of research and have a bioactive tank for my crested gecko. For a humid environment with little to no sand in the soil mix, a drainage layer is needed. For a more arid environment it isn't necessary. If you plan on eventually adding an animal to the mix, I would build based on the temperature and humidity of the species you wish to house. I got a lot of good info from NE Herp.

My biggest worry with bioactive is trying to do it with a species that needs belly heat. There just isn't a good way to use a UTH because the substrate has to be thick enough to support the plants. Proponents of bioactive setups say that it is ok to skip the UTH and heat with CHE or RHP, but I am nervous about trying it. I would like to convert my Leopard gecko but the idea of ditching the UTH holds me back.

[pretends2bnormal]

I second SerpaDesign as a good resource.

His vertical 10gal tank build and his 2 custom crested gecko cages show really well his tropical/arboreal bioactive design. (Vertical 10 is a bit small for an adult crested gecko, but may work for smaller geckos and is easy to translate to an exoterra of any size.)

Plants only isn't much different from bioactive, you just skip adding the insects step.

This is my pair of bioactive planted exoterras, 18x18x24
1 for a giant day gecko (currently a small juvenile) and 1 for a crested gecko
(Both pics from before we got the dish ledges set up or animals in them)



I'm finding that the Nicrew aquarium LED light bar works pretty well for plant growth through a mesh lid.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Starscream]

My biggest worry with bioactive is trying to do it with a species that needs belly heat. There just isn't a good way to use a UTH because the substrate has to be thick enough to support the plants. Proponents of bioactive setups say that it is ok to skip the UTH and heat with CHE or RHP, but I am nervous about trying it. I would like to convert my Leopard gecko but the idea of ditching the UTH holds me back.

With those ones, placing heat-retaining objects such as rocks beneath the heating device creates belly heat, much like the sun does to the Earth. Even in my BP's tub, I always make sure to have a large rock under the RHP to create the same effect.

The FB group Sauzo recommended is a wealth of information about planted tanks and bioactive setups.

[reptilemom25]

With those ones, placing heat-retaining objects such as rocks beneath the heating device creates belly heat, much like the sun does to the Earth. Even in my BP's tub, I always make sure to have a large rock under the RHP to create the same effect.

The FB group Sauzo recommended is a wealth of information about planted tanks and bioactive setups.

I will look into ding something like that, thanks!