Bioactive Kits

[Adam L]

Hi all! My Redfoot Ruby is going to be needing an upgrade over the next few months for his enclosure. I’m going to be getting a custom 4x2x2 that IS modular to expand in the future until he goes outside (almost) full time, but wanted to get him going on a much more natural forest-edge habitat. How does everyone feel about the attached link to start him off right? I tend to agree with most of the info but do not know my Ruby to dig very deep at all, let alone into a drainage layer, I would think thats for roots and plants. Granted he is on fine orchid bark and not bioactive “soil” I’ve been so apprehensive about. Should I go my own way? Are there better kits out there? Or did I strike gold with this? And yes I saw cleanup crew is sold separately. Thanks for anything and everything All!
@Tom @wellington @ZEROPILOT @Yvonne G
Yall are the best BTW, love from Florida

Red Foot Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria) Bioactive Vivarium Kit

A complete self cleaning, self maintaining bioactive kit for Red Foot Tortoises. This Bioactive kit is meant for younger tortoises, as adults should be kept outdoors for beneficial heat, UVB and humidity. In the wild, these unique tortoises are commonly seen feasting on carrion, fruits and...

www.thebiodude.com

 

[Adam L]

And last (that I can remember 😢 ) but not least
@Littleredfootbigredheart, I won’t forget your help you were very kind with your words!
(Also, a house will be in the coming year or so, so inside is temporary but necessary for apartment issues and etc. but he is very well maintained with diet and husbandry, I am just looking to enrich his life now even more so)

 

[Tom]

Hi all! My Redfoot Ruby is going to be needing an upgrade over the next few months for his enclosure. I’m going to be getting a custom 4x2x2 that IS modular to expand in the future until he goes outside (almost) full time, but wanted to get him going on a much more natural forest-edge habitat. How does everyone feel about the attached link to start him off right? I tend to agree with most of the info but do not know my Ruby to dig very deep at all, let alone into a drainage layer, I would think thats for roots and plants. Granted he is on fine orchid bark and not bioactive “soil” I’ve been so apprehensive about. Should I go my own way? Are there better kits out there? Or did I strike gold with this? And yes I saw cleanup crew is sold separately. Thanks for anything and everything All!
@Tom @wellington @ZEROPILOT @Yvonne G
Yall are the best BTW, love from Florida

Red Foot Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria) Bioactive Vivarium Kit

A complete self cleaning, self maintaining bioactive kit for Red Foot Tortoises. This Bioactive kit is meant for younger tortoises, as adults should be kept outdoors for beneficial heat, UVB and humidity. In the wild, these unique tortoises are commonly seen feasting on carrion, fruits and...

www.thebiodude.com

What size is Ruby's enclosure now? 4x2 is only good fora little hatching and they will outgrow that in a few months.

About the "Bio-Active" stuff: I think its a fad. It can work sometimes for some situations, but it requires a bunch of stuff that isn't good or doesn't work for a tortoise. For example, sand or soil shouldn't be used for tortoises. Its potentially dangerous. Without soil, its tough to get out plants going, though pothos does fine growing roots into my orchid bark substrates. The problem with live plants in a tortoise enclosure is that they will be eaten or trampled in short order.

You can go as elaborate as you want, but I think it is a waste of time and money for a small temporary enclosure that will be outgrown and discarded relatively quickly. I would spend that time and effort planting the outdoor enclosure, making a shallow pond of some sort, building the night box and getting that all up and running and perfected. I prefer to keep my indoor enclosures fairly spartan and functional. Potted plants are fairly easy to do, but I save the bio-active stuff for small lizard species like crested geckoes or emerald tree skinks, that aren't going to eat or uproot the plants. I made one of these enclosures a couple of months ago with soil that I composted and made myself, leaf litter, old discarded coco bedding and orchid bark, and then I planted plants in it and I've been putting isopods in it whenever I find them outside. Its pretty cool and the plants are thriving, but I still haven't put any reptiles in it. I was hoping to find a baby leachie, or some emerald tree skinks at the last show, but it didn't work out. I've got some baby banana pectinata that could go in there, but I think they'd start to nibble on the plants, and eventually start crushing the plants.