Setting up a bioactive enclosure
What is a bioactive enclosure?
Creating a bioactive enclosure means to create a sort of miniature ecosystem, where, for the most part, it can sustain itself, without too much interaction from us. There are a few different types of bioactive enclosures, but here, we will be focusing on a tropical setup for a jumping spider.
Choosing an enclosure
When we choose an enclosure for a bioactive setup, we should always ensure that it is well ventilated. We shouldn't be seeing condensation build up on the inside of our enclosure, and any water droplets from misting should evaporate in a few hours.
Light and heat
To help our setups thrive, (as well as our spiders) we should be mindful to use a bright light. LED grow lights can be a fantastic way to achieve this.
Bioactive enclosures should be made up of the following elements in order to function properly:
Substrate
Our substrate should allow for easy drainage, and not become waterlogged. It should also be nutritious enough for our plants to thrive, and allow hiding places for our clean up crew. The substrate is where our beneficial bacteria, and fungi will thrive, so it’s important to have a nice deep layer of this. You can mix your own using ingredients such as organic top soil, sphagnum moss, horticultural charcoal and peat, or you can buy it premixed. Bioactive herps tropimix, and Arcadia earthmix are two great options.
A drainage layer can also be used, by adding a layer of clay balls, or small rocks. I prefer to use clay balls, as they are lightweight, and won’t make your terrarium too heavy to move. The drainage layer allows a place for excess water to pool, so that you can avoid your substrate, and plant roots getting soggy. Over-watered substrate may also promote the growth of harmful bacteria in your terrarium, which we want to avoid.
A clean up crew
Clean up crews are a group of small invertebrates, which, as the name suggests, will assist in turning waste/leftover food from your spider, and plants, into nutrients. These will be used essentially as food for your plants. They also help to aerate the soil in your setup, which will help in reducing the amount of harmful bacteria.
In a jumping spider enclosure, we can safely use invertebrates such as isopods, and spring tails as our clean up crew, which work perfectly in small tropical setups.
Living plants
Plants are a fantastic addition to any enclosure. When choosing plants, you should be mindful of which plants will thrive in your setup, as well as which plants will be safe for your spider. Getting plants from a reptile shop is the easiest way of guaranteeing that they have not been treated with any harmful chemicals. If using plants you aren't certain are safe, you could thoroughly wash the leaves, and root system, and re-pot using a safe substrate.
Natural decor
Decor such as cork bark, dried leaves, and seed pods can be used for aesthetics, and also as hiding places for our clean up crew. Leaf litter will need topping up occasionally as it’s eaten by the cleanup crew.
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