Bioactive- animal friendly fertilizers?

[Tarantuland]

I got a baby ball python a few months ago and I think I'm gonna set up a 40 gal vivarium. Similarly, I have a pac man frog I wanna move from a 5 to a 10 gallon. It's a few months until my animals are big enough for these size tank, so if I do well with the plants in the vivariums I will put them in the bioactive set ups. I watched a video from the Bio Dude, and I really like his substrate, and he adds a "Bio shot' which is his own organic fertilizer. Ok but what I don't understand is how fertilizers would be safe for the animals. I can buy plants from reptile vendors no problem, but wouldn't the fertilizers that affect the acidity and nitrogen/phosphorus etc levels be dangerous? Particularly for the frog?

I know one of the big issues with tarantulas against bioactive is the fertilizers, but I'm just wondering for other herps. I feel like I'm missing something. Thanks

 

[scolopendra277]

coffee grounds are good, and won't kill your stuff.

 

[LizardStudent]

Crushed up limestone rock is natural and also sold as a fertilizer to reduce acidity in soil for plants, while coffee grounds are used as fertilizer to increase the soil acidity and is used sparingly as it is strongly acidic. Remember that with coffee grounds, there could be artificial additives like flavoring and things as well. Maybe you could send the Bio Dude a message asking what specifically he uses. Personally I would hesitate to put just about anything in with frogs or really any amphibian in general, their permeable skin just worries me to no end

 

[LizardStudent]

Also consider- if you are going bioactive, you don't really need to add any fertilizers because one of the benefits of including detrivores is them breaking down the substrate and things and producing their own mini "manure" if you will that benefits the plants
Isopod doo is a natural fertilizer as well as those I previously listed

 

[Scp682]

Organic and non salt fertilizers. Also nothing with urea. You don't need a lot just a small amount in the substrate is all and imo it's not necessary because remember bioactive enclosures don't really need additives after initial setup and you want to let it settle and give it time establish before adding animals. This also gives time for the plants to absorb some of the nutrients so there's less risk. The bioshot I think it's called is more so to seed the enclosure with beneficial microbes that breakdown organic matter into usable compounds for plants. Also remember ball pythons are bulldozers so make sure you don't put to much effort into design because it won't look that way very long.

 

[Scp682]

Crushed up limestone rock is natural and also sold as a fertilizer to reduce acidity in soil for plants, while coffee grounds are used as fertilizer to increase the soil acidity and is used sparingly as it is strongly acidic. Remember that with coffee grounds, there could be artificial additives like flavoring and things as well. Maybe you could send the Bio Dude a message asking what specifically he uses. Personally I would hesitate to put just about anything in with frogs or really any amphibian in general, their permeable skin just worries me to no end

I agree i wouldn't add anything like that to an enclosure housing an amphibian.

Also consider- if you are going bioactive, you don't really need to add any fertilizers because one of the benefits of including detrivores is them breaking down the substrate and things and producing their own mini "manure" if you will that benefits the plants
Isopod doo is a natural fertilizer as well as those I previously listed

Yes i would focus more on getting necessary microorganisms established in the substrate in addition to the clean up crew (springtails, isopods, millipedes even but be careful many are poisonous) to start the nutrient cycle for the plants. Also use appropriate plants that can do well in terrariums and their variants.

 

[Matts inverts]

Bioshot on his site is more organisms to brake stuff down then it is a fertilizer. All you need is some leaves and vegetable scraps once in a while and that’s all.

 

[LizardStudent]

I agree i wouldn't add anything like that to an enclosure housing an amphibian.

Yes i would focus more on getting necessary microorganisms established in the substrate in addition to the clean up crew (springtails, isopods, millipedes even but be careful many are poisonous) to start the nutrient cycle for the plants. Also use appropriate plants that can do well in terrariums and their variants.

I believe all millipedes are toxic to some degree, varying by species and shouldn't be used with anything that may consume them like an amphibian, although ball pythons may be fine to use these with. I would also only suggest millipedes be used in quite a large bioactive setup, maybe like larger than a 40 gal or so but that's gonna vary a bit by preference

 

[LizardStudent]

I also wanted to mention something I remembered - Josh's Frogs is fantastic with the bioactive knowledge and they sell their own bioactive boosters that I believe are microorganism boosts like people above have mentioned to start a setup with. Maybe you could check theirs out, I think they give pretty detailed descriptions of them too but regardless they're great at answering questions if you need

 

[viper69]

I don’t believe bioactive anything is useful for my snakes

 

[8 legged]

Bioactive is a term that is easy to market. All terrariums have been bioactive for decades, or does someone use plastic soil and artificial water? Everything in these enclosures is organic!
It's similar to eating: write bio on it and people will pay twice as much (even though it's the same mess!).

 

[LizardStudent]

Bioactive is a term that is easy to market. All terrariums have been bioactive for decades, or does someone use plastic soil and artificial water? Everything in these enclosures is organic!
It's similar to eating: write bio on it and people will pay twice as much (even though it's the same mess!).

I think the words organic and bioactive are not interchangeable neccesarily. Bioactive usually refers to trying to mimic a naturalized outdoor setting in that there are active biological processes (hence bio-active) like the breakdown of organic matter by detrivores happening inside the enclosure so that more natural compounds and processes are present. Using topsoil or organic matter is not the same as a bioactive setup, and I would also say that not all terrariums have been bioactive for decades- you can keep some things on Aspen bedding with fake plants, and i wouldn't really call that an 'organic' setup in any way
I agree its become highly marketable and some would call it a fad, but I think that for specific setups going bioactive can be more beneficial to organisms than just providing, say, coco fibre and water

 

[8 legged]

I think the words organic and bioactive are not interchangeable neccesarily. Bioactive usually refers to trying to mimic a naturalized outdoor setting in that there are active biological processes (hence bio-active) like the breakdown of organic matter by detrivores happening inside the enclosure so that more natural compounds and processes are present. Using topsoil or organic matter is not the same as a bioactive setup, and I would also say that not all terrariums have been bioactive for decades- you can keep some things on Aspen bedding with fake plants, and i wouldn't really call that an 'organic' setup in any way
I agree its become highly marketable and some would call it a fad, but I think that for specific setups going bioactive can be more beneficial to organisms than just providing, say, coco fibre and water

That's fine, everyone as he wants it. If I were in this fabric, I would also sell it to my customers. However, I am of the opinion that no one is needed, neither humans nor animals.
The spider / animal will dig its burrow one way or another, continue to poop against the windshield, and dare to take a walk from time to time.

I certainly do not contradict the point that a plastic plant is not organic. But whoever has preferred this facility up to now will definitely not switch to "bioactive" - it didn't matter at all up to now!
And yet, my enclosures have been "bioactive" since '96 - they are abundantly planted, have always had a portion of the forest floor and are more or less irrigated. Everything else is "new age" ballast in my opinion!
But don't stop yourself if you feel good about giving the b-dude your money - why not!

 

[StampFan]

The snakes urates will break down over time and provide nitrogen. Especially if you water them down so they break down faster. Theoretically. With enough substrate.

 

[Matts inverts]

If the bio active isn’t enough, you can always mix compost into the current substrate to revitalize it and give it nutrients. I think grow mulch is good because it’s organic. Just check if it’s pet safe on the label. Or you could start a small worm compost outside the tank and use the leftover worms as feeders.

 

[Scp682]

I believe all millipedes are toxic to some degree, varying by species and shouldn't be used with anything that may consume them like an amphibian, although ball pythons may be fine to use these with. I would also only suggest millipedes be used in quite a large bioactive setup, maybe like larger than a 40 gal or so but that's gonna vary a bit by preference

I thought so but wasn't 100 percent sure so i just said many.

 

[Scp682]

I think the words organic and bioactive are not interchangeable neccesarily. Bioactive usually refers to trying to mimic a naturalized outdoor setting in that there are active biological processes (hence bio-active) like the breakdown of organic matter by detrivores happening inside the enclosure so that more natural compounds and processes are present. Using topsoil or organic matter is not the same as a bioactive setup, and I would also say that not all terrariums have been bioactive for decades- you can keep some things on Aspen bedding with fake plants, and i wouldn't really call that an 'organic' setup in any way
I agree its become highly marketable and some would call it a fad, but I think that for specific setups going bioactive can be more beneficial to organisms than just providing, say, coco fibre and water

I believe by terrariums @8 legged was referring to planted terrariums, like the ones people house dart frogs in. In that case yes they are the same and bioactive is just a new word that sounds cool for the same thing.

 

[The Snark]

Bioactive- animal friendly fertilizers? On the ranch we called that stuff 'manure'.

 

[RoachCoach]

I don’t believe bioactive anything is useful for my snakes

After I started having to take out DUMPS bigger than my Jack Russel's from my Red Tails cage, I would have to agree. If you don't have an enormous like 1/2 bedroom sized enclosure, there aren't enough springtails and isopods in the world to clean up even the smallest pythons turd.

 

[viper69]

After I started having to take out DUMPS bigger than my Jack Russel's from my Red Tails cage, I would have to agree. If you don't have an enormous like 1/2 bedroom sized enclosure, there aren't enough springtails and isopods in the world to clean up even the smallest pythons turd.

Yeah I agree 100% I just don’t get it at all