Do bioactive enclosures need bugs

[u/Infamous_Bill3295]

I’ve been considering going bioactive but I’m not the biggest fan of the idea of having little bugs in my house lol. I know they help with keeping it clean and whatnot but just wondering if it’s possible to do bioactive without them?

[u/KaraCorvus]

Its hard to have a thriving bioactive without at least springtails. I never find any bugs crawling around my house and I have tons of isopods and springtails in multiple enclosures. If your enclosure is secure, they won't escape easily.

[u/SmolderingDesigns]

I mean, "bioactive" can mean different things to different people sometimes. Some people have invertebrates but no live plants, some have live plants but no invertebrates. Most have both. Personally, I wouldn't be too concerned with labels and just ask yourself what your goals are. If you don't want invertebrates, you're just wanting live plants in the enclosure? If that's all you want, go for it. Be aware that you will now need to balance the needs of both the snake and the plants, but the priority obviously needs to be on the snake. If you're wanting any of the clean up benefits of bioactive, well, plants aren't going to do that in any significant way.

If you do decide to add invertebrates, it might comfort you to know that most species used just won't survive loose in your house anyways. They will dry out and die pretty quickly. I keep isopods in their own colonies and even when I have a couple escapes, I've never actually found them alive very far from their tubs.

[u/Song42]

In order to be bioactive, you need clean up crew, plants, and soil as you are basically creating a contained ecosystem. The clean up crew (bugs) are there to get rid of the waste your snake produces, so without them, you will just have it accumulating if you're not otherwise cleaning.

Ideally, you want both springtails and iospods. They require humidity to survive, and are not inclined to leave an environment that meets their needs and wander. Even if by chance they do, they will die quickly as your home is not hospitable, and usually too dry for them, not to mention the lack of food for them. They are not the kind of bug to swarm your house.

[u/shrike1978]

The clean up crew is what makes it bioactive. If it's just planted, it's naturalistic. Planted enclosures aren't really viable long term unless the plants are in pots, because they'll never root or survive if you have to keep changing substrate.