Bioactive Vivarium for Burrowing!

[Springtails&Isopods]

Hello all, long time reader first time poster!
I recently set up a bioactive terrarium for my Ball Python.
My ball is roughly 13 years old, not sure if male or female.
The bioactive kit I purchased is species specific for ball pythons from TheBioDude.com and comes with substrate, moss, dry leaves, plants, a grow light, and a bioactive starter culture of good stuff we can't see. It comes in different sizes based on gallon/inch.
My tank is 55 gallon glass, sealed corners (48"×15"×17" tall). My 55 gallon kit included about 4 inches of substrate, and plenty of aaa spagnum moss as well as dry leaf litter to be mixed into the substrate as well as cover the top layer. It also came with 6 different plants that should be tough enough to handle a ball laying on it for a couple hours, a 22" full spectrum grow light and 5 pieces of cork flat to be used as hides and climbing spots. Coolest part of all was the fridge magnet I got with the kit! Haha ok might have been the grow light, or the plants which are said to be pesticide free.
I set the tank up with the hides mostly covered but allowing my snake to fit it's head Into but not it's body. The biggest hide space I set up with enough space to fit it's about half it's body. The reasoning behind the small hides was it would help trigger the snakes instinct to burrow. I have seen it burrow in moss before so I knew it would.
When first introduced the enclosure was completely new, the snake looked around but did not move freely or confidently. Rather it was simply scoping the new terrain for threats or possibly thinking it was in a bigger snakes terrarium even?! So after about 5 minutes of watching the snake kinda looking like I set it in a scary new spot, I decided to take it's old hide and place it over the new hide I had made for it. Sure enough before pulling my hand out the snake was moving for the safety of its hide. Soon as it made its way in it saw the new hide and began to make its way into the new hide under its old hide!! Within like 10 minutes, it was soon exciting to see the investment I made in my snake had instantly shown to be an I improvement over it's old set up. I was watching the natural behavior of my snake that I have kept for over 13 years now. I was watching the behavior of the snake in an environment that is designed to go above and beyond what is considered suitable living conditions for a python. To see my my python begin to burrow into it's new hide was really exhilarating in a very slow paced kinda way, edge of your seat stuff!!
I got some footage of the new tank and the first couple of minutes of burrowing, I could see the hides lifting up and down in the process. Hope the vid doesn't sound like an ad but I am excited about the kit I bought! I am adding springtails and isopods this week. Until they are well established I will be spot cleaning.

https://youtu.be/itktbKzVpvs

The old hide has since been removed and the new hide has plenty of space for the snake to fit comfortably. A branch has been added for climbing and the water has been added and is cycling at the moment. I have also gotten myself a stand for the tank at my local pet shop. Also my snake began blueing over just as I put it in its new tank. 4 days later after being in its new hide I got a one piece shed with some of the healthiest scales I have seen in a while. Snake is looking very happy and is active just 4-5 days after eating a large meal. Normally it would not be active until closer to feeding time.

Tell me whay y'all think, I know there are firm believers in the consistency that a rack system can provide, and others prefer a more natural environment. Some go to the far end of the natural spectrum and end up bioactive. I am curious to hear from everyone, especially people who have had luck with bioactives, wether good luck or bad.
A properly established bioactive terrarium will essentially be a minimum maintenance tank. Water changes still occur on the regular as well as glass cleaning, plant trimming, ect. But the biological cleanup is done by your bioactive fauna, in most cases being isopods ( rollypollies) and springtails. Together they will break down decaying leaf matter, skin sheds, as well as feces. Each will become fertilizer for the plant life, while the entire process of these little colonies working aeraites the soil. People speak of successful bioactive establishments lasting over 10 years without said biological cleanup.

Let's all remember it is ok to have strongly conflicting opinions about snake keeping and still be friends. That is just basic, to respect the effort we all put into our hobby. Of course as long as nobody is involved in professional underground caged snake fighting, I mean some people have no heart.

[Godzilla78]

It sounds awesome, and I think it is great that you are putting in so much effort to make a natural environment for your pet!
I keep a rack system, for the ease of it, and the fact that I am raising a breeding project, but I will be getting all my big adult breeders pvc tanks once they start producing clutches to pay for it!
And use my rack for holdback juveniles.
Going to need a huge snake room someday! Lol

[Springtails&Isopods]

Thank you! That sounds like a smart business motto Godzilla. The kit I ordered wasn't cheap by any means but after shopping around this kit ended up being the best bang for the buck. After the I initial set up cost and work I'm hoping for easy maintanance.

[Springtails&Isopods]

It's been about a week since I put my snake in it's new home. I'd say the snake is acting very happy and is enjoying the new smells and sights. I don't hear the midnight thumps I used to hear when it's tail would smack the glass climbing off branches, although it does seem more active.

But it ain't all fun n games here. One issue I'm working on right now is humidity in the substrate. We are currently going through a wet season in the casa del snako. The dividing glass I used to divide the water section of his tank was just too thin and cracked down the center allowing the water to flood the substrate. The crack actually happened during installation of the log over the top which was installed to strengthen the glass. During the installation I cracked it and without another piece to replace it and a tight budget I used silicone to try and get away with not replacing immediately. And I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those meddly kids and their dang dog!

All in all it seems like the bigger space with more natural habitat is a positive for my Ball. I was concerned the larger habitat and new environment would make my snake nervous but it seems very content.

Here is a video of el snako in it's "natural" habitat. I'm digging how the colors pop with the foliage!!
https://youtu.be/J_EOMcE7kTQ

[spiderfreddie]

hey your viv is looking good. Do you have to have a filter or some pump for the water area you've got? I've got a bio-active viv for one of my babies and would love a water feature just for a visual point. I've got about 5 earth worms in my enclosure as well as woodlice and springtails. I'd recommend not to be afraid when it comes to getting other plants just make sure there not poisonous, sharp or can sting. I've had a few die because my snake tramples them or digs them up. For the next few months until your clean up crew has fully stabilized I'd take out every other pooh and wees and the ones that remain bury them near the roots of the other plants, your snake shouldn't dig them up.
do an update in a few months once the plants have started to settle in.

[Springtails&Isopods]

Thanks for the tips SpiderFreddie! I do have a filter in the water feature, it is a corner in tank air filter, works good. I plan on upgrading to something like a zoo med 501 filter which would be outside the tank and pretty much silent though. My ball aughta appreciate that. I do plan on spot cleaning for a while, I'm seeing springtails springing around in one corner but not many of them. I'm still quarantining my isopods as I found worms in their cultures that I have not yet identified. If anyone knows worms here is a video link ; )
https://youtu.be/q9VPp3CfsVw

[spiderfreddie]

Thanks for the tips SpiderFreddie! I do have a filter in the water feature, it is a corner in tank air filter, works good. I plan on upgrading to something like a zoo med 501 filter which would be outside the tank and pretty much silent though. My ball aughta appreciate that. I do plan on spot cleaning for a while, I'm seeing springtails springing around in one corner but not many of them. I'm still quarantining my isopods as I found worms in their cultures that I have not yet identified. If anyone knows worms here is a video link ; )
https://youtu.be/q9VPp3CfsVw

That looks like a little white worm. If you found it in your culture of isopods it makes sense as the same people probably bread them as well. It moves like a baby one and if it is then is great for your enclosure. I'm liking your video links it definitely helps give a clearer veiw of what you're showing us. I've just uploaded a picture to my profile on here of my enclosure as it is now. How's the burying going for your little guy? Mine loves to bury I do try to check for poops in her own made caves. I think it only took about 2 weeks for me to find the springtails had moved in to ever part of the encloser. It you just grab soil samples from different parts you'll find them. One thing I did wonder about yours is do you have a drainage layer? I originally didn't put one in and it did bite me in the ass. You DON'T need one but if you don't then spend £5 on Amazon for a soil moisture tester as your in a sealed unit moisture won't escape it took nearly 6 months for me to figure this out and I think it's because I had a wooden Viv that I found this out. It started leaking but if it had been a sealed glass unit I would of just flooded the bioactive Viv and I could of killed everything including my baby!! Luckily I didn't but just be very aware of over watering.
Keep it up though the next month will be alot more work that a sterile Viv but after that it's well worth it and you'll notice a big difference in the behaviour of your baby he/she will look act more natural. Once your Viv has truly established itself apart from a spot clean when they have a monster of a poop you should never really do much cleaning.

[Dj Ozone]

Love my bioactive setup I got mines from TheBioDude.com also...The naturalist behaviors of my ball python are amazing to be a part of...Whats crazy is that he wont escape the setup even if I leave the doors or top wide open for hours!...He will just stay in his burrows all content and relaxed...When he was in the tub he was forever trying to get out...

One of the cooler aspects of going bioactive is that your husbandry extends to literally hundreds of life forms rather than just one... You've got your python, plants, isopods, springtails, even fungi, mold and bacteria to care for!....So amazing and fun!

[Springtails&Isopods]

Well here is the next update pertaining to the moisture in the glass enclosure which after the flooding is an issue.
SpiderFreddy the system does not use a drainage layer as the substrate I ordered is designed to allow the soil to breathe in a sense. I don't think it's intended to be flooded but I don't think I'll have much trouble. It is drying out nicely and I received what's called a Bioshot with my kit. It includes bacteria that should thrive and create a positive environment. I'm expecting that bacteria to excel in the moist conditions.

So here's where it gets interesting. Feel free to share opinions respectfully on this method I came up with. I'm sure I'm not the first person to try this but never heard it done before.

I purchased four adult mice from my local pet shop and decided to pull my snake out of his new home. I fattened them up on chicken and veggies then set em loose in the Casa Del Snako. Within 15 minutes they were digging and burrowing. Not like I would have hoped but they did start turning up the soil and I started placing food into the substrate for them to burrow towards. Got some cool tunnels from it.

Now my logic behind this was as follows:
First adult mice will burrow tunnels for my snake. My snake burrows but I also understand snakes to inhabit the burrows of rodents ect. After 14 or so years not burrowing I thought it might like the help. My snake will need to open these burrows up which will in turn allow for more instinct drive to develop more burrowing behavior once it realized the possibilities. In theory.

Second the water in the substrate is a bit much so the upturning of the soil will help the 6 inch deep substrate to breathe. It seems to be helping. While they have eaten a couple leaves and trampled everything they touched they are still digging and burrowing in new areas, not damaging the root systems that my plants are establishing. (I don't think)

Reasons I am trying this method is not only do I have rooted plants in the soil but I also have a layer of dry leaf and spagnum moss on the surface which helps to dry the upper area. Aside from pulling my plants I'd be removing the surface layer to upturn the soil bring the moist bottom to the top to air dry, disrupting the burrow that my snake already made. I'm hoping for good results using nature as opposed to going in like a bull dozer and mixing the substrate to aerate it

I am 3 days into this little experiment and it seems to have run it's course. I do think I'd like to try this again with a gopher.

Last note for the moment, I would like to see my snake act as natural as anyone would want their snake to act. I do things a little different than the rest of the world, at least in my own mind. I'm thinking of setting up a second terrarium. Just a thought but if I had two similar terrariums I could let a rat take up residence in one for a week, then transfer the snake into that one come feeding time, adding another rat into the other tank for a week. This would have my snake hunting rats in their burrows every time. Most likely a pipe dream as I barely have space for one 55 gallon tank let alone two.

Still, I wonder if the bioactive setups would support a rats bioload though?

Quick questions!

DJ Ozone, curious, how long have you had your bioactive established? How old is your snake and how long did it take to see it burrowing on its own?

SpiderFreddie thanks for the pic! I saw your writeup when I searched bioactive on here, last I saw it looked like you were in the process of setting it up again after a moisture issue? How is the set up looking? Also cool hide up top, took me a second to find your python bit it looks comfy up there!

[spiderfreddie]

What your doing does sound like a really good idea all id say is how are you venting it during this experiment. If you could I'd open the doors fully and make a temp screen mesh to stop the rats escaping. I think from your videos you have a screen mesh on top as well?. Mines all timber with glass front so the moisture had nowhere to escape to.

How well established are you clean up crew now? Even if you flooded the Viv with them I don't think they'll be able to cope with that amount. Also male rats do leave a urine trail nearly everywhere they go. With such a small set up compared to what they would have in the wild there scent might scare your baby.

I think to start with, when you put your snake back in he/she might be able to smell the rats from before and act strange but after a week or so it should go.

That picture is. Kinda the latest since my flooding problem. The only difference is I have 3 edsmall red. Plants in there now. She has another hide under that one that's made from a small bit of bogwood some cork bark and what she's made.

You need to upload some pictures of your set up from your videos it's looking amazing.