New Bioactive Beardie set up

[cbgarner2002]

Hello all! Well, after much consideration, I think I've decided to take the plunge into the bioactive set up game and I've decided to give my first reptile, Luna the beardie, a new home. Currently she is in a 55 gallon with overhead halogen lights for heat and strip UVB bulbs. I just feel that there is so much wasted ambient space that she never uses in her current home and I really don't like the foot print for her body type.

I'm going to get her a 40 gallon breeder with a screen lid and try my hand at the bioactive set up. Any advice on a proper desert set up? I'm a 100% novice at this type of set up but I know beardie husbandry requirements.

[cbgarner2002]

Do you all who do arid bioactive enclosures typically purchase premade substrates (if so, which ones/USA only) or do you blend some up yourself?

[cbgarner2002]

I feel like I'm talking to myself, but that's okay! Wouldn't be the first time.

So I've purchased the enclosure, the screen and the stand. At this point I'm still thinking of ideas before I begin purchasing the interior. I'm fairly certain I'm going to go with Terra Sahara substrate from Genetics Exotics in a slope formation, with the higher end of the slope being on the hot side. I read a very neat DIY background page last night that has my head swimming so I may try my hand at that as well.

Any ideas? It's a 40 gallon breeder. She's roughly 1.5 feet long so she's a relatively little dragon.

[dannybgoode]

For a substrate topsoil (make sure it's chemical free) and sand mixed 50/50 and then add some excavator clay to make it nice and firm.

Then find a clean up crew. Springtails and meal worms are a good place to start...

[cbgarner2002]

Originally Posted by dannybgoode

For a substrate topsoil (make sure it's chemical free) and sand mixed 50/50 and then add some excavator clay to make it nice and firm.

Then find a clean up crew. Springtails and meal worms are a good place to start...

Would this be on top of the Terra Sahara? Or do you mean to use this in lieu of the Terra Sahara?

[dannybgoode]

Apologies, I didn't see you mention Terra Sahara. Let me look into its make up and I'll let you know what I think.

[cbgarner2002]

Originally Posted by dannybgoode

Apologies, I didn't see you mention Terra Sahara. Let me look into its make up and I'll let you know what I think.

Awesome, I appreciate it!

[dannybgoode]

Looks great as it is that stuff. I would usually mix my own but there's absolutely nothing wrong with it seeing as you have it.

Look forward to pictures once you have it set up.

Bioactive is great. Really a good way to keep most reptiles

[cbgarner2002]

Awesome. I'm also planning to a DIY background based on this layout: NEHERP - Custom Vivarium Background Tutorial

Sounds like it will turn out to be super cool, aesthetically. My only quandary is about the live plant situation. I was planning on aloe and a few repti-safe cacti, I just don't understand the mounting process for the plants on the background. How does it take root like that?

[cbgarner2002]

I ordered the silicon and the canned foam today and it should be here by Monday! Excited about trying my hand at the custom background thing. I've watched a couple of videos of folks giving tutorials and it seems straightforward enough. Though a talent of mine is complicating simple things, so we shall see!

[dannybgoode]

I haven't tried to attempt anything like that yet?

As for the planting question you ask-I have not idea about getting it to root I'm afraid as it's not something I have tried.

[cbgarner2002]

The background project making is underway! I'm doing a combination of the polystyrene and grout method as well as the foam and silicone method, with the back drop being a polystyrene rock wall and the sides being the other.

[dannybgoode]

A great start. Can't wait to see it finished. I haven't got the vision for a background for my T. lepidus yet but I'm working on ideas.