I LOVE ancient ruins in snake enclosures! Make them look like a giant guardian of the ruin. My House Snake lives in an overgrown peace garden setup with fake ferns and sphagnum moss to cover his hiding tubes, with a rock hide where there's a tiny Buddha statue. It's gorgeous to look at even when I can't see him.
Can I just say, I'm so happy I found your channel. I've been looking to redo my BP's bioactive and gathering inspiration and you are the FIRST person to consider the snakes PERSONAL needs and behavior and I freaking love it. So many people are enamored with making things visual for their needs and rarely if ever the snakes'. Thank you for being an awesome keeper, a level headed person and a freakin' delightful youtuber.
Okay, the double decker hide on the warm side is super neat! I think the Inspector is going to love the new bioactive (because I do, so he probably will too)!! Can't wait to see the updates with the tree roots in the temple and the additional plants and such! Great job!!
SERIOUSLY you do not know how utterly helpful this video was…..I was getting bits here and bits there of info about doing this set up in a certain way, and TF I found Bobs video……Thank you so so much this is incredibley helpful ❤❤❤❤❤
I’m so excited for The Inspector! I hope he likes his new enclosure and I’m sure we are ALL excited for the video showing him inspecting his new digs. Love what you’ve done so far and the finished enclosure is going to be amazing, I’m sure!🐍❤️🐍
Big love, Bob. Double decker hide - what a treat! Ours is off her food right now, knew it had to happen some time. She made it way past the 1000 gram wall, at least.
I have been using Gorilla glue since I saw Clint build the enclosure on Snake Discoveries build off .... It works great, now i keep a bottle always . I am extremely smart , I get my ideas from Clint and you !!!!! See extra smart
Hi Bob. I'm really tempted to have a go at this. Here in the tropics every enclosure wants to be bioactive whether we like it or not! I spend all my time trying to keep unwanted additional wildlife out. My garden would be a perfect, already established, bioactive set-up and the climate is spot on. Ball Pythons can be kept outdoors here. I would just need an escape proof cage and I have my own little slice of the wild and it isn't space limited! This is how snakes are kept at the Melaka Reptile Sanctuary, but they have concrete floors in the enclosures for ease of cleaning. A landscaped terrarium with a flowing stream and yes, a temple with real vines really got me enthusiastic! One thing you said put me off about attempting this indoors in my snake room. If you still need to clean poop and sheds, where is the advantage of a bioactive set-up vs a conventional one? If I was to set up a bioactive terrarium, my intention would be to never have to clean at all. My GTP lives in a naturalistic terrarium with dry coco husk substrate on the ground (where he never goes) and I still spot clean this. It's pretty easy to do and minimal work, so what would I gain from going bioactive? I never spray this enclosure because there is no need and damp substrate would be smelly and moldy in no time. My current set-up works really well and looks fantastic. My biggest worry is that if springtails and isopods can live in the substrate, then it's going to be way too damp for a Ball Python to sit on. We don't use heat mats here because there is no need, which means the snake also will not have a "dry" spot to sit on. We have 80% humidity at 30C plus centigrade year round here so we actually spend all our time trying to keep things dry. Scale rot can develop very quickly if we leave substrate damp. Humidity is something that needs to be in the air, not from the ground on which they sit. I know many people require substrate to hold humidity, but here its the opposite. We don't use substrate because it makes things soggy and moldy. We need to have really good ventilation to ensure we don't get condensation and PVC enclosures are not necessary to retain either heat or humidity. The only bioactive setups that seem to work here are either for amphibians which naturally need to be damp, or for tree dwelling species like GTP's that don't spend all their time sitting in damp substrate. The choice of tropical plants is obviously endless here and I have seen some really nice terrariums with all sorts of different tropical plants, but no animals live in them. I'm going to think about this some more and see if I can't modify things a little to try it. I think it needs to be drier than your arrangement to work here, which might not suit the clean-up crew. It will go well with my terrarium behavioural experiments I have been doing with snakes in tubs vs snakes in terrariums, which would be my main reason for looking at this. And my main reason for wanting to set-up an outdoor enclosure as well. The subterranean hide is a great idea. I extended this to incorporate the whole bottom of the terrarium I built. I actually build a terrarium with a subterranean bottom section simulating a rodent burrow system with tunnels and a "breeding chamber" accessed via tunnel entrances at ground level. Sort of like the windowless basement. I also built in climbing opportunities in the main terrarium so they have a high rise penthouse as well. Because there is no added heat and therefore no behaviour associated with thermoregulation moving on and off hot spots (we're in the tropics here, heat is already perfect), no prizes for guessing where my snakes spend all their time. I have a fully decorated terrarium with all sorts of enrichment opportunity and they don't use it. They go underground and stay there for months at a time. They poke their heads out of the tunnel to be fed. I have used a spy cam to track their movements at night and apart from a couple of hours around dusk and dawn, where they consistently set up an ambush position where they have been successful before, they don't move around at night either. And it's a right royal pain to strip it down to clean the underground tunnel system. I have tried this with several different ball pythons now and they all do exactly the same thing. And yet when allowed out to free roam, they are all willing participants in moving around confidently and without shy and fearful behaviour. And breeding season where they do get a bit more active.
Yeah it sounds like you might have some humidity challenges if you tried to do indoor bioactive. I would say there are absolutely no practical advantages to a bioactive enclosure for a ball python. I did it as an experiment a little over 2 years ago and it's still an ongoing experiment but it's definitely not easier than a non-bioactive enclosure. The only thing that makes it easier is you rarely if ever have to do an entire clean out with a full substrate change. But I'm still spot cleaning and I'm often pulling out plants that were killed or rearranging plants. I enjoy that work and I don't mind it but I would say that it's as much if not more work than a non-bioactive enclosure. I think with other species and especially amphibians, It probably saves time but not with a heavy bodied snake. I just think of it as an ongoing hobby project that I enjoy working with and looking at. The snake I have living in there definitely moves around in the evening and at dusk but he stays in his hide most hours. He will also set up ambush spots if he's looking for food but he does use the space to move about for short periods of time at night. I would say that he is less active than some of my other ball pythons and probably more active than a few others but my guess is that most of my snakes would probably utilize the space at some point at night. I can usually catch most of my snakes out of their hides at night so I'm guessing they would be out of their hides in a larger vavarium and probably moving about... Your underground system sounds really cool though and maybe provides the snake with enough room to move about without feeling the exposure that a glass box gives them.
Amazing, wonderful!!! Loved learning about the gorilla glue technique, thank you (and Clint) so much! We've used the great stuff foam before in our dart frog tanks and it always ended up disappointing as it got disgustingly soggy and spongey overtime and didn't remain stuck to the glass. I really like the look and thought you've put in the new setup for Inspector. I'm not sure if you're already intending to do so, but adding leaf litter on top of the soil can be very beneficial giving nutrients for the plants as they break down and also add an appealing look! Thanks again for the video, this gave me some inspiration for future setups. 😊
I am OBSESSED with this new bioactive!!! I love the innovative design that went into it! All I kept thinking with the gorilla glue is “that’s alot of glue musta been expensive!” Then I remembered you showing it in a video with the horde and saying you judge it based on dollar amounts hahaha
For the “vines”, I learned a great trick where you can get some twine or rope, cover it with clue and the rub it around in coconut fiber. It was another UA-camr I saw this on but it might work well in this setup
Ok, that subterranean hide is genius! I love that idea! Thank you for this! I've been looking for adult bioactive tanks WITH plants. Going to upgrade to one of these PVC enclosures soon as well. Love this set up!!!!
I can't wait until the market is saturated with 4x2x2 enclosures...so that all of the reptile UA-camrs can start recommending 6x4x2 as the minimum standard for adult Ball Pythons.
Bigger is often better depending on the individual snake. Most people don't have room for a 6 foot enclosure so it wouldn't be a practical standard size - but if you have the room for it, that's a great size to go with!
@@GreenRoomPythons That's my point. The end goal is to get people to keep these animals in the biggest enclosures possible. The Rep-tuber community has decided that most people have room for a 4x2x2...this year. Once a lot of people have them, the trend will be to say that everyone has at least one six foot long wall in their home, so they should go with that. Why not just skip the middle man and save a bunch of impressionable people a lot of money in the long run? They might as well just bite the bullet and spend $1000+ on their enclosure setup once, rather than spending $500+ now and another $1000+ later.
Bob I love love love this video! Great video going over your process. I’m definitely going to refer to this video when I make a new tank in the future. And I’m going to steal your double decker hide. That is magnificent!
ahhhh I want to give you the biggest snake hug, I'm planning on getting my first ball python after owning a few cornsnakes and yours has been my favorite channel to learn about them, I'll be sure to send you a pic of Bimbo once I get him! :)
Love your channel Bob! Super excited for The Inspector’s new home! I just got my first ball python a month and a half ago and your videos helped me so much when I was doing my research before getting my sweet boy Onyx! Keep doing what you’re doing & make sure to give Kent a day off here and there, he risks his life every day for you! 😂
Looks great! And when you have a good colony of isopods and springtails they will absolutley demolish any shed that is left behind. It's fascinating to see how fast they work! Try it! Put a good chunk(or a whole one) of shed in there and watch it desintegrate in a few days.
Been subbed for a few months. I breed BPs Hognose, MBKs, Leo's and a few other types of reptiles. So im just here for the content and a good laugh. Kent is so different than anyone else.
That's awesome! Love his 2-story hide! The curing time on silicone was kinda holding me back from creating a background in my non-bioactive since my snake already lives in it but I'm going to try the gorilla glue and she can go to a temporary tub for a shorter time.
I love the gorilla glue method, I've used it for all of my tanks. You can pretty much put your animals in almost right away. To add texture I add cork flats or cork rounds to the background.
Hey Bob, I love your show! I have a question for you. I live in Texas and our yard has isopods everywhere. If I don't use pesticides, would it be safe to snag a few and throw them in the tanks with the balls? Do isopods require live plants? Please let me know. Thanks! Keep up the strong work! 😊
It should be fine as long as they're not bringing in pesticides. I suppose eat decaying matter so they'll eat dead leaves which you can also add to the enclosure. They'll also eat snake shed, stuff like that.
Looks awesome! Also, try a sky hide! I just built out a blackbox 24-24-36 bioG, and Marauder (ball python) loves his sky hide. I did a deep heat projector, and in working out the heat gradients, the sky hide is 89-90 degrees.
Hey man - just started following your channel, great stuff very entertaining and informative! Also, I think I just randomly saw you in a 2013 movie call “Biggest Spider”?!?….or was that Kent?! 😂
That looks great, I am planning on doing something very similar akin to Clints method as well! Your enclosure works great, you should go on the next snake discovery build off!
When you have a radiant heat panel do you not need a heat mat for belly heat? Do you have to have the heat panel up high so inside the hide is 91 deg? I always thought that belly heat was more important than above heat.
Snakes don't need belly heat at all, that's just sometimes the easiest way to get heat to them especially in a glass enclosure. Heat from above works really well especially in a PVC enclosure
I would love your advice. I have a 50 gallon tank. I’m going to be setting up bio active. I’m going to use ceramic heat emitter. What wattage of heat emitter should I use? I will also have a heat pad underneath the enclosure on the Hot side.
I don't know the exact dimensions of a 50 gallon fish tank but your wattage doesn't really matter because you're going to have both your heat mat and your overhead heat source on separate thermostats and your thermostat will control how much wattage is put out. I'm guessing even a lower wattage CHE will be more than enough to give you a hotspot
@@GreenRoomPythons thank you so much for such a quick response!! I am a fan of The Inspector by the way. Recently discovered your channel. Using all your plant suggestions from your older video!
Your videos are awesome... I live in Los Angeles and have 2 ball pythons in a 332 vision cage. What substrates would you recommend for both non bio active setup and bio active setup. This is my first ball python experience. You mentioned in one of your videos you're substrate could depend on your area climate.
Congrats on your new snakes. I recommend Coco husk for substrate. It works well in the dry Los Angeles area. For bioactive I just buy substrate from the bio dude
Hey, have you considered trying African Nightcrawlers (Eudrilus eugeniae) as part of the cleanup crew? They might actually be able to eat poop quickly for you (they are used in Vermicomposting), and they do best in the same temps as Ball Pythons. I haven't heard of anyone trying them in bioactive before, so it's an interesting thought... Maybe something you could experiment with?
would you suggest heat panels over heat mats for ball pythons? i will be ordering two new 4x2 cages for mine soon and they are currently on heat mats. one seems to be giving me a bit of trouble but i’m concerned heat panels or heat emitters might kill humidity.
@@GreenRoomPythons sweet! they will be Kages enclosures. you just drill these into the top of the enclosure and suspend a probe? are there different wattages? which size did you get and if the inside of the hide is the right temp, won’t that mean the top is potentially too hot if they move over it?
@@ericlucci2829 talk to the cage company about what their options are because they'll probably be able to install it for you. Your snake isn't going to spend much time at the top of the cage. Just make sure that they don't have access to any bulbs
I have a RHP/ thermostat probe question! I need to set mine up in the new enclosures to monitor temps before moving my BPs in, but I’m debating the probe placement. I’ve heard both arguments of cool side to not overheat vs warm side to keep heat high enough. What do you recommend? I’m being very indecisive because I don’t want to drill a hole in the wrong place lol. Thanks!
You absolutely want to put it on the warm side for accurate temperature monitoring. Putting the probe on the cold side is not helpful advice at all :-) Make sure that you have a temperature gun so you can monitor the temperature anywhere in the enclosure though.
@@GreenRoomPythons Awesome, thank you!! I have my probe on the warm side with my current set up of basking light and heat mat, but wasn’t sure if the different heating source would require a different placement. You’ve cured my indecision, you rock!
I place it on the wall near the heat panel about halfway down. And then I'm using a temp gun to register the heat and adjusting the thermostat based on that.
Sadly I can't get the Bio Dude's substrate where I'm from. Do you have any idea if I'd need a drainage layer if I used Exo Terra Rainforest substrate? Love the look with that temple!
Can you use the Bio Dude background blend on nonbioactive enclosures. I just got a black box cage so I'd like to mimic your background because it looks great.
Hi Bob. How did the heat in the hide work out? I am thinking about getting a blackbox cage and was wondering if I would be able to get the heat in the hide correct. Currently I have a glass enclosure and have to run a heat mat to get heat in the hide.
It's working out because I have a couple of subterranean hides, but if I were to do it again I would use a CHE with a wire cage around it instead of a heat panel for this size enclosure. I think anything 4 ft long or longer would be fine with a radiant heat panel though.
@@GreenRoomPythons Thanks for the reply! I will keep that in mind. Keep the great videos coming! BTW I am a new Ball Python keeper and have been binge watching your videos.
Well ball python still hasn’t eaten going to try 1 more time before going back to the vet, but she’s got grey eyes and is about to shed for the 3rd time since the hunger strike, so still shedding but not eating
Best of luck getting her to eat. It's not very common that a snake would have multiple sheds without eating so there might be a medical issue that the snake is trying to heal.
@@GreenRoomPythons the vet said she was just fat last time we took her in and is self regulating her weight maybe she’s shedding because she had enough nutrients to do so idk I’ll find out if she doesn’t eat after the shed from the vet 🤷🏼♂️
So I got my crested gecko a PVC enclosure and considering doing the gorilla glue background, but quick question if you see this! How thick did your background end up being? Would it stay relatively flat as long as you keep pressing it while it expands?
I have a number of videos about handling ball pythons and what to do with your new ball python, stuff like that. Those videos will help you. It's going to depend on the snake but 10 to 15 minutes each day when they're not digesting food and when they're not in shed would be good at first.
I love the bio active inclosure but in watching the subterranean hides i became curious. Would you not want to do that for a regular inclosure or is it a bad idea?
Non-bioactive enclosures don't usually have 6 inches of substrate. You normally just have a layer of substrate, so there's not really an opportunity to go underground
Hey I just got my first ball python less then a week ago and I have been misting it twice a day to keep the humidity up but I’ve noticed when I most it the water doesn’t get soaked up. I use eco earth and spaghnum moss right now and it is jsut soaking wet I usually re spray it in the morning and at night when the humidity gauge gets down to about 38% has anyone had this issue or now how to help it I don’t wanna take him out and stress him too much but I don’t want stuck she’d issues
I have a ball python care guide that will help you. Basically you don't want to mist at all because it will just evaporate immediately. Instead mix water directly into the substrate.
@GreenRoomPythons oh I meant how's it going with the one you built since it's been about a year? Have you had to make a lot of changes to it or anything since then?
@@ObsidianSally that's the one I'm talking about. I've had to do a bit of replanting. That just has to do with having a large snake in a bioactive enclosure
I’m interested in something like this, I understand why you need all the bugs (isopods as well) but I’m leaning away from voluntarily allowing them space in my home… but I love love plants. Can I do this with only plants and leave out the clean up crew? Really don’t enjoy the thought of bugs and things in the house
You would have to change the substrate often. The isopods (which are actually not bugs, they are crustaceans) and the springtails work as the cleanup crew getting rid of bacteria and other nasty things in the enclosure.
Yes! I think that’s so cool that you said there more related to lobsters! I’m just eh about them in the house haha. Okay cool, maybe just a it in it’s own pot inside the tank somehow 🤔 BTW, so much respect for you for responding to everyone! Can see how much you genuinely care! Thanks for all you do!
Yes! I think that’s so cool that you said there more related to lobsters! I’m just eh about them in the house haha. Okay cool, maybe just a it in it’s own pot inside the tank somehow 🤔 BTW, so much respect for you for responding to everyone! Can see how much you genuinely care! Thanks for all you do!
@@emilypetrecca1407 Thanks, I can't respond to everyone anymore but I do what I can. Don't worry about the isopods and springtails getting in the house. They pretty much stay inside the enclosure and you can't really see springtails anyway, they're too small
Well my friend, Little Kent has decided he no longer likes black rats...... I buy in bulk , so i don't want to waste any , do you think giving 2 oe 3 of the smaller rats to my big girl would be ok for a meal ? or just give her one here and there extra as a snack ?
One of my Ball Pythons refuses to eat dark colored rats as well. It took me forever to figure it out! I'm sure Bob will chime in, but it's fine to feed two smaller appropriate sized rats. Personally, I would alternate between a normal sized rat and two smaller ones every other feeding.
That's crazy when they decide they have a color preference... If you want to give her more than one, do it in one feeding so you're not starting her digestion process over mid-week. Just give her time to get the 1st one into her belly and then offer a second
@@Erica-PlaneSnakes Cool thank you, yeah I tripped out, I tried to feed him , he didn't want it ,so i have it to the big snake then thought hum wonder if its the color ,< i have heard stories > went and got a white one and he took it right away, so the next feeding I did the same and sure enough ,little sucker wouldn't take the dark rat lol
@@GreenRoomPythons OH WOW>>>>>>> great idea, I never thought about that . Shes my garbage disposal so shell eat anything . Thanks I really would of kept feeding them to her not even thinking about it being mid week of feeding...
@@GreenRoomPythons Oh and Yes, this little guy is a whole new world lol. Wanted paper as substrate, no more dark rats , goes back to his enclosure on his own when hes sick of me, I swear my big girl taught him that 🤣 ..... Wouldn't use hides only water bowls for the longest time ,even though he had 3 perfect hides lol Hes a whole new breed lol..... and his colors are just amazing, every shed hes prettier then before.... Thanks again I love him....
i tried bioactive but my girl kept sitting on all the plants XD i just got 6 rats :) 2 breeding pairs. ive decided to breed my own food but also my girl is hunger striking and ive tried everything other then a live feed and assist feed so im hoping when i get my first litter to smalls she will take a live rat
I LOVE ancient ruins in snake enclosures! Make them look like a giant guardian of the ruin. My House Snake lives in an overgrown peace garden setup with fake ferns and sphagnum moss to cover his hiding tubes, with a rock hide where there's a tiny Buddha statue. It's gorgeous to look at even when I can't see him.
Glad you like this one, I was really happy with the Temple piece :-)
Can I just say, I'm so happy I found your channel. I've been looking to redo my BP's bioactive and gathering inspiration and you are the FIRST person to consider the snakes PERSONAL needs and behavior and I freaking love it. So many people are enamored with making things visual for their needs and rarely if ever the snakes'. Thank you for being an awesome keeper, a level headed person and a freakin' delightful youtuber.
Thanks so much, I appreciate the kind words! I'm glad you found the channel :-)
Okay, the double decker hide on the warm side is super neat! I think the Inspector is going to love the new bioactive (because I do, so he probably will too)!! Can't wait to see the updates with the tree roots in the temple and the additional plants and such! Great job!!
The Inspector does tend to like the same things you like Amy, so I'm guessing he'll be pretty happy about his new situation! ;-)
SERIOUSLY you do not know how utterly helpful this video was…..I was getting bits here and bits there of info about doing this set up in a certain way, and TF I found Bobs video……Thank you so so much this is incredibley helpful ❤❤❤❤❤
We did the same gorilla glue method also from Clint’s reptiles for our ball python. Super easy and very pleased with the outcome.
It's a great method!
OMG!! I absolutely love the “Kent” section I CRACK UP!! I really enjoy your videos ty and keep up the good work! 🎉
Thanks so much!
I’m so excited for The Inspector! I hope he likes his new enclosure and I’m sure we are ALL excited for the video showing him inspecting his new digs. Love what you’ve done so far and the finished enclosure is going to be amazing, I’m sure!🐍❤️🐍
Thanks Lori, I'm excited to get them in there too!
Big love, Bob. Double decker hide - what a treat! Ours is off her food right now, knew it had to happen some time. She made it way past the 1000 gram wall, at least.
I'm sure she'll be just fine taking a break from food for a while :-)
Oh my god, both subterranean hides are absolutely AWESOME and I *need* to replicate that. Thanks for sharing this awesome idea!!
Yeah I love the hides with the hole cut into the top
This was exactly what I needed , exactly when I needed it.
Thank You SO much, Bob❣️
That looks great! I am confident that Detective Inspector Rorschach will be very happy in there when his snoot bump is all healed up.
Thanks Keith!
I have been using Gorilla glue since I saw Clint build the enclosure on Snake Discoveries build off .... It works great, now i keep a bottle always . I am extremely smart , I get my ideas from Clint and you !!!!! See extra smart
It's such a better method, right?
@@GreenRoomPythons it really is so much easier , and faster
Same.
Double decker hides are popular with many of my snakes. Good choice.
You mean I'm not the first to think of that?! Dang it. Okay, I'm going to invent the TRIPLE-decker hide!
You might want to add leaf litter, isopods eat it and hide in it, also they add extra enrichment for the snake.
Leaf litter is great to have in a bioactive enclosure. I keep a large bag of it and add more every several months
Hi Bob. I'm really tempted to have a go at this.
Here in the tropics every enclosure wants to be bioactive whether we like it or not! I spend all my time trying to keep unwanted additional wildlife out. My garden would be a perfect, already established, bioactive set-up and the climate is spot on. Ball Pythons can be kept outdoors here. I would just need an escape proof cage and I have my own little slice of the wild and it isn't space limited! This is how snakes are kept at the Melaka Reptile Sanctuary, but they have concrete floors in the enclosures for ease of cleaning. A landscaped terrarium with a flowing stream and yes, a temple with real vines really got me enthusiastic!
One thing you said put me off about attempting this indoors in my snake room. If you still need to clean poop and sheds, where is the advantage of a bioactive set-up vs a conventional one? If I was to set up a bioactive terrarium, my intention would be to never have to clean at all. My GTP lives in a naturalistic terrarium with dry coco husk substrate on the ground (where he never goes) and I still spot clean this. It's pretty easy to do and minimal work, so what would I gain from going bioactive? I never spray this enclosure because there is no need and damp substrate would be smelly and moldy in no time. My current set-up works really well and looks fantastic.
My biggest worry is that if springtails and isopods can live in the substrate, then it's going to be way too damp for a Ball Python to sit on. We don't use heat mats here because there is no need, which means the snake also will not have a "dry" spot to sit on. We have 80% humidity at 30C plus centigrade year round here so we actually spend all our time trying to keep things dry. Scale rot can develop very quickly if we leave substrate damp. Humidity is something that needs to be in the air, not from the ground on which they sit. I know many people require substrate to hold humidity, but here its the opposite. We don't use substrate because it makes things soggy and moldy. We need to have really good ventilation to ensure we don't get condensation and PVC enclosures are not necessary to retain either heat or humidity.
The only bioactive setups that seem to work here are either for amphibians which naturally need to be damp, or for tree dwelling species like GTP's that don't spend all their time sitting in damp substrate. The choice of tropical plants is obviously endless here and I have seen some really nice terrariums with all sorts of different tropical plants, but no animals live in them.
I'm going to think about this some more and see if I can't modify things a little to try it. I think it needs to be drier than your arrangement to work here, which might not suit the clean-up crew. It will go well with my terrarium behavioural experiments I have been doing with snakes in tubs vs snakes in terrariums, which would be my main reason for looking at this. And my main reason for wanting to set-up an outdoor enclosure as well.
The subterranean hide is a great idea. I extended this to incorporate the whole bottom of the terrarium I built. I actually build a terrarium with a subterranean bottom section simulating a rodent burrow system with tunnels and a "breeding chamber" accessed via tunnel entrances at ground level. Sort of like the windowless basement. I also built in climbing opportunities in the main terrarium so they have a high rise penthouse as well. Because there is no added heat and therefore no behaviour associated with thermoregulation moving on and off hot spots (we're in the tropics here, heat is already perfect), no prizes for guessing where my snakes spend all their time. I have a fully decorated terrarium with all sorts of enrichment opportunity and they don't use it. They go underground and stay there for months at a time. They poke their heads out of the tunnel to be fed. I have used a spy cam to track their movements at night and apart from a couple of hours around dusk and dawn, where they consistently set up an ambush position where they have been successful before, they don't move around at night either. And it's a right royal pain to strip it down to clean the underground tunnel system. I have tried this with several different ball pythons now and they all do exactly the same thing. And yet when allowed out to free roam, they are all willing participants in moving around confidently and without shy and fearful behaviour. And breeding season where they do get a bit more active.
Yeah it sounds like you might have some humidity challenges if you tried to do indoor bioactive. I would say there are absolutely no practical advantages to a bioactive enclosure for a ball python. I did it as an experiment a little over 2 years ago and it's still an ongoing experiment but it's definitely not easier than a non-bioactive enclosure. The only thing that makes it easier is you rarely if ever have to do an entire clean out with a full substrate change. But I'm still spot cleaning and I'm often pulling out plants that were killed or rearranging plants. I enjoy that work and I don't mind it but I would say that it's as much if not more work than a non-bioactive enclosure. I think with other species and especially amphibians, It probably saves time but not with a heavy bodied snake. I just think of it as an ongoing hobby project that I enjoy working with and looking at.
The snake I have living in there definitely moves around in the evening and at dusk but he stays in his hide most hours. He will also set up ambush spots if he's looking for food but he does use the space to move about for short periods of time at night. I would say that he is less active than some of my other ball pythons and probably more active than a few others but my guess is that most of my snakes would probably utilize the space at some point at night. I can usually catch most of my snakes out of their hides at night so I'm guessing they would be out of their hides in a larger vavarium and probably moving about... Your underground system sounds really cool though and maybe provides the snake with enough room to move about without feeling the exposure that a glass box gives them.
Loooooove Black Box Cages!!! 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽
They are pretty great, right?
Amazing, wonderful!!! Loved learning about the gorilla glue technique, thank you (and Clint) so much! We've used the great stuff foam before in our dart frog tanks and it always ended up disappointing as it got disgustingly soggy and spongey overtime and didn't remain stuck to the glass. I really like the look and thought you've put in the new setup for Inspector. I'm not sure if you're already intending to do so, but adding leaf litter on top of the soil can be very beneficial giving nutrients for the plants as they break down and also add an appealing look! Thanks again for the video, this gave me some inspiration for future setups. 😊
Yes, leaf litter is going in there. Thanks for reminding me!
I am OBSESSED with this new bioactive!!! I love the innovative design that went into it!
All I kept thinking with the gorilla glue is “that’s alot of glue musta been expensive!” Then I remembered you showing it in a video with the horde and saying you judge it based on dollar amounts hahaha
Fortunately I only used half of one of the bottles so I can send back the other $35 bottle 😄
I'm glad you like the new setup!
This is such a cool setup!
Thank you!
For the “vines”, I learned a great trick where you can get some twine or rope, cover it with clue and the rub it around in coconut fiber. It was another UA-camr I saw this on but it might work well in this setup
That's a great idea!
Double decker hide is genius
Thanks, I hope it works for him!
Ok, that subterranean hide is genius! I love that idea! Thank you for this! I've been looking for adult bioactive tanks WITH plants. Going to upgrade to one of these PVC enclosures soon as well. Love this set up!!!!
That Black Box cage with the subterranean hide is really cool. Highly recommend it.
Very cool thank you for sharing
I can't wait until the market is saturated with 4x2x2 enclosures...so that all of the reptile UA-camrs can start recommending 6x4x2 as the minimum standard for adult Ball Pythons.
Bigger is often better depending on the individual snake. Most people don't have room for a 6 foot enclosure so it wouldn't be a practical standard size - but if you have the room for it, that's a great size to go with!
@@GreenRoomPythons That's my point. The end goal is to get people to keep these animals in the biggest enclosures possible. The Rep-tuber community has decided that most people have room for a 4x2x2...this year. Once a lot of people have them, the trend will be to say that everyone has at least one six foot long wall in their home, so they should go with that. Why not just skip the middle man and save a bunch of impressionable people a lot of money in the long run? They might as well just bite the bullet and spend $1000+ on their enclosure setup once, rather than spending $500+ now and another $1000+ later.
Bob I love love love this video! Great video going over your process. I’m definitely going to refer to this video when I make a new tank in the future. And I’m going to steal your double decker hide. That is magnificent!
That double decker hide has actually become a favorite thing about that new enclosure. It's working for The Inspector really well.
@@GreenRoomPythons That’s so great! I think Howl would enjoy that 😌
I totally used gorilla glue…because of Clint’s video! Funny 😆
Also….loving your gear today. Prayers to Brian ❤
Thanks, I'm happy to help out Brian and hope that others do as well :-)
ahhhh I want to give you the biggest snake hug, I'm planning on getting my first ball python after owning a few cornsnakes and yours has been my favorite channel to learn about them, I'll be sure to send you a pic of Bimbo once I get him! :)
Aw thanks so much, congrats on your new snake!
Love your channel Bob! Super excited for The Inspector’s new home! I just got my first ball python a month and a half ago and your videos helped me so much when I was doing my research before getting my sweet boy Onyx! Keep doing what you’re doing & make sure to give Kent a day off here and there, he risks his life every day for you! 😂
Aw thanks so much, congrats on your new snake!
wow the inspector is going to live this new setup!the temple ide a is great .can't wait to see how he enjoys this ❤ heal up inspector , aww w.
Thanks Ava glad you liked it!
@@GreenRoomPythons yes I loved it n I'm shure he will too .super cool temple idea
shure lot of us gona steal this deco idea
Looks great!
And when you have a good colony of isopods and springtails they will absolutley demolish any shed that is left behind. It's fascinating to see how fast they work! Try it! Put a good chunk(or a whole one) of shed in there and watch it desintegrate in a few days.
That is true they love shed. I just don't want people thinking they don't have to spot clean when they have a bioactive :-)
@@GreenRoomPythons Of course!
Been subbed for a few months.
I breed BPs Hognose, MBKs, Leo's and a few other types of reptiles.
So im just here for the content and a good laugh.
Kent is so different than anyone else.
I'm glad you're enjoying the channel!
Love it bob that’s so sick love your videos bud
Thanks Cory!
Fn AWESOME Bob!!!
Thanks Frank!
That's awesome! Love his 2-story hide! The curing time on silicone was kinda holding me back from creating a background in my non-bioactive since my snake already lives in it but I'm going to try the gorilla glue and she can go to a temporary tub for a shorter time.
Yeah it's fully cured and ready to go in under 2 hours.
I love the gorilla glue method, I've used it for all of my tanks. You can pretty much put your animals in almost right away. To add texture I add cork flats or cork rounds to the background.
11:25 you're going to get springtails in your beard. Maybe even a couple isopods
It's probably a good environment for them anyway ;-)
And that’s a really nice set up, I’m considering going bioactive but girlfriend isn’t okay with living bugs in it
Yeah some people have a problem with bugs in their enclosures
Hey Bob, I love your show! I have a question for you. I live in Texas and our yard has isopods everywhere. If I don't use pesticides, would it be safe to snag a few and throw them in the tanks with the balls? Do isopods require live plants? Please let me know. Thanks! Keep up the strong work! 😊
It should be fine as long as they're not bringing in pesticides. I suppose eat decaying matter so they'll eat dead leaves which you can also add to the enclosure. They'll also eat snake shed, stuff like that.
Looks awesome! Also, try a sky hide! I just built out a blackbox 24-24-36 bioG, and Marauder (ball python) loves his sky hide. I did a deep heat projector, and in working out the heat gradients, the sky hide is 89-90 degrees.
Sounds like a great setup!
Hey man - just started following your channel, great stuff very entertaining and informative! Also, I think I just randomly saw you in a 2013 movie call “Biggest Spider”?!?….or was that Kent?! 😂
Glad you're enjoying the channel! Big Ass Spider was either me or Kent. I don't remember ;-)
That looks great, I am planning on doing something very similar akin to Clints method as well! Your enclosure works great, you should go on the next snake discovery build off!
Thanks, I'm glad you like it. Best of luck with yours!
Is it going to be difficult to clean when the snake smears poop on the decors attached to the background or the underground box?
The background has never been a problem to clean and the underground box is removable
I’m sorry for the question but I was wondering what temp do you like to keep his “hot” hide at?
I keep the warm end somewhere between 87 and 90°
When you have a radiant heat panel do you not need a heat mat for belly heat? Do you have to have the heat panel up high so inside the hide is 91 deg? I always thought that belly heat was more important than above heat.
Snakes don't need belly heat at all, that's just sometimes the easiest way to get heat to them especially in a glass enclosure. Heat from above works really well especially in a PVC enclosure
I would love your advice. I have a 50 gallon tank. I’m going to be setting up bio active. I’m going to use ceramic heat emitter. What wattage of heat emitter should I use? I will also have a heat pad underneath the enclosure on the Hot side.
I don't know the exact dimensions of a 50 gallon fish tank but your wattage doesn't really matter because you're going to have both your heat mat and your overhead heat source on separate thermostats and your thermostat will control how much wattage is put out. I'm guessing even a lower wattage CHE will be more than enough to give you a hotspot
@@GreenRoomPythons thank you so much for such a quick response!! I am a fan of The Inspector by the way. Recently discovered your channel. Using all your plant suggestions from your older video!
((( Great Show ,,, Great Knowledge ,,,,,,,, )))
Thank you!
Your videos are awesome... I live in Los Angeles and have 2 ball pythons in a 332 vision cage. What substrates would you recommend for both non bio active setup and bio active setup. This is my first ball python experience. You mentioned in one of your videos you're substrate could depend on your area climate.
Congrats on your new snakes. I recommend Coco husk for substrate. It works well in the dry Los Angeles area. For bioactive I just buy substrate from the bio dude
Hey, have you considered trying African Nightcrawlers (Eudrilus eugeniae) as part of the cleanup crew? They might actually be able to eat poop quickly for you (they are used in Vermicomposting), and they do best in the same temps as Ball Pythons. I haven't heard of anyone trying them in bioactive before, so it's an interesting thought... Maybe something you could experiment with?
would you suggest heat panels over heat mats for ball pythons? i will be ordering two new 4x2 cages for mine soon and they are currently on heat mats. one seems to be giving me a bit of trouble but i’m concerned heat panels or heat emitters might kill humidity.
If you are getting a PVC enclosure, heating from above works better than heat mats
@@GreenRoomPythons sweet! they will be Kages enclosures. you just drill these into the top of the enclosure and suspend a probe? are there different wattages? which size did you get and if the inside of the hide is the right temp, won’t that mean the top is potentially too hot if they move over it?
@@ericlucci2829 talk to the cage company about what their options are because they'll probably be able to install it for you. Your snake isn't going to spend much time at the top of the cage. Just make sure that they don't have access to any bulbs
@@GreenRoomPythons thanks, Bob!
I have a RHP/ thermostat probe question! I need to set mine up in the new enclosures to monitor temps before moving my BPs in, but I’m debating the probe placement. I’ve heard both arguments of cool side to not overheat vs warm side to keep heat high enough. What do you recommend? I’m being very indecisive because I don’t want to drill a hole in the wrong place lol. Thanks!
You absolutely want to put it on the warm side for accurate temperature monitoring. Putting the probe on the cold side is not helpful advice at all :-)
Make sure that you have a temperature gun so you can monitor the temperature anywhere in the enclosure though.
@@GreenRoomPythons Awesome, thank you!! I have my probe on the warm side with my current set up of basking light and heat mat, but wasn’t sure if the different heating source would require a different placement. You’ve cured my indecision, you rock!
Love the new set up but I have a quick question where do you have ur thermostats probe I’m not sure where to place mine for a heat panel
I place it on the wall near the heat panel about halfway down. And then I'm using a temp gun to register the heat and adjusting the thermostat based on that.
@@GreenRoomPythons thank you
Sadly I can't get the Bio Dude's substrate where I'm from. Do you have any idea if I'd need a drainage layer if I used Exo Terra Rainforest substrate? Love the look with that temple!
Can you use the Bio Dude background blend on nonbioactive enclosures. I just got a black box cage so I'd like to mimic your background because it looks great.
Sure, the bioactive part of it just has to do with substrate, bugs and plants. That background can go in any enclosure though.
@@GreenRoomPythons since you can't replace the background material is there any worry about it molding or anything?
@@Schade50 not generally. Make sure you use wood that is unlikely to mildew or mold, like cork bark
Hi Bob. How did the heat in the hide work out? I am thinking about getting a blackbox cage and was wondering if I would be able to get the heat in the hide correct. Currently I have a glass enclosure and have to run a heat mat to get heat in the hide.
It's working out because I have a couple of subterranean hides, but if I were to do it again I would use a CHE with a wire cage around it instead of a heat panel for this size enclosure. I think anything 4 ft long or longer would be fine with a radiant heat panel though.
@@GreenRoomPythons Thanks for the reply! I will keep that in mind. Keep the great videos coming! BTW I am a new Ball Python keeper and have been binge watching your videos.
@@RJR-9603 I'm glad you're enjoying the videos!
kind of a random question, but what type of temperature probe do you use?
It's just the probe that comes with the thermostat. I'm using a Herpstat on this particular enclosure
Need an update. Working on a 4x2x2 bioactive right now!!!
"Hi" 😂
😉
Well ball python still hasn’t eaten going to try 1 more time before going back to the vet, but she’s got grey eyes and is about to shed for the 3rd time since the hunger strike, so still shedding but not eating
Best of luck getting her to eat. It's not very common that a snake would have multiple sheds without eating so there might be a medical issue that the snake is trying to heal.
@@GreenRoomPythons the vet said she was just fat last time we took her in and is self regulating her weight maybe she’s shedding because she had enough nutrients to do so idk I’ll find out if she doesn’t eat after the shed from the vet 🤷🏼♂️
Which gorilla glue are you using
Just the original Gorilla Glue
So I got my crested gecko a PVC enclosure and considering doing the gorilla glue background, but quick question if you see this! How thick did your background end up being? Would it stay relatively flat as long as you keep pressing it while it expands?
Just keep pressing it and it will stay pretty flat. This background is probably less than an inch
@@GreenRoomPythons Thank you for the reply! I might go for it 👀
How often should I handle a 6 month old store bought ball python to create a friendly and safe bond with her?
I have a number of videos about handling ball pythons and what to do with your new ball python, stuff like that. Those videos will help you. It's going to depend on the snake but 10 to 15 minutes each day when they're not digesting food and when they're not in shed would be good at first.
@@GreenRoomPythons I really appreciate it boss, your videos have been a lot of help 🙏🏼
Could I do this for a dwarf retic (10-14) ?
You can, but heavy snakes tend to ruin plants in a bioactive enclosure so you may be replacing plants occasionally
I love the bio active inclosure but in watching the subterranean hides i became curious. Would you not want to do that for a regular inclosure or is it a bad idea?
Also love the channel
Non-bioactive enclosures don't usually have 6 inches of substrate. You normally just have a layer of substrate, so there's not really an opportunity to go underground
Would you consider selling the file for the temple so others could buy it and print it? I would love to add it to my enclosure, it looks great!
I don't do 3D printing. A fan made this for me and sent it
Hey I just got my first ball python less then a week ago and I have been misting it twice a day to keep the humidity up but I’ve noticed when I most it the water doesn’t get soaked up. I use eco earth and spaghnum moss right now and it is jsut soaking wet I usually re spray it in the morning and at night when the humidity gauge gets down to about 38% has anyone had this issue or now how to help it I don’t wanna take him out and stress him too much but I don’t want stuck she’d issues
I have a ball python care guide that will help you. Basically you don't want to mist at all because it will just evaporate immediately. Instead mix water directly into the substrate.
Thank you
Do you have an update on the Inspector's vivarium? I was hoping to do something similar for my new BP, Chai but was wondering how yours was going.
Black Box cages is a great option. Bioactive is fun to do but large bodied snakes will kill plants occasionally, so it requires replanting sometimes
@GreenRoomPythons oh I meant how's it going with the one you built since it's been about a year? Have you had to make a lot of changes to it or anything since then?
@@ObsidianSally that's the one I'm talking about. I've had to do a bit of replanting. That just has to do with having a large snake in a bioactive enclosure
@GreenRoomPythons oh I had forgotten the name of the company. So sorry. 🤦♀️ You still haven't had to completely replace the substrate yet either?
@@ObsidianSally no, bioactive substrate doesn't need to be replaced unless you have some sort of problem with mites or something
My snake shedded by his head isn’t fully shed, what do I do? It hasn’t eaten yet and I just got him for 2 weeks. How can I help him with his shed???
I have a video on shedding that will help you. It's probably best to give your snake a humid hide and let him get that stuck shed off himself
I’m interested in something like this, I understand why you need all the bugs (isopods as well) but I’m leaning away from voluntarily allowing them space in my home… but I love love plants. Can I do this with only plants and leave out the clean up crew? Really don’t enjoy the thought of bugs and things in the house
You would have to change the substrate often. The isopods (which are actually not bugs, they are crustaceans) and the springtails work as the cleanup crew getting rid of bacteria and other nasty things in the enclosure.
Yes! I think that’s so cool that you said there more related to lobsters! I’m just eh about them in the house haha. Okay cool, maybe just a it in it’s own pot inside the tank somehow 🤔
BTW, so much respect for you for responding to everyone! Can see how much you genuinely care!
Thanks for all you do!
Yes! I think that’s so cool that you said there more related to lobsters! I’m just eh about them in the house haha. Okay cool, maybe just a it in it’s own pot inside the tank somehow 🤔
BTW, so much respect for you for responding to everyone! Can see how much you genuinely care!
Thanks for all you do!
@@emilypetrecca1407 Thanks, I can't respond to everyone anymore but I do what I can. Don't worry about the isopods and springtails getting in the house. They pretty much stay inside the enclosure and you can't really see springtails anyway, they're too small
Superworms 100% consume full poops and sheds. I know cuz I use them 😊
I love gorilla glue, i used this for my gargoyle gecko tank
Would Cody (Hi) make us copies of handsome Dan's 3d ball?
He didn't make the one that I have but I'm sure he can make them. I'm guessing they would be pricey but I can ask him.
@@GreenRoomPythons worth supporting GRP and affiliates (IMO)
im kent when it comes to bioactive tanks lol i hate bugs
But how do you feel about crustaceans?
should of made the temple a hide
Well my friend, Little Kent has decided he no longer likes black rats...... I buy in bulk , so i don't want to waste any , do you think giving 2 oe 3 of the smaller rats to my big girl would be ok for a meal ? or just give her one here and there extra as a snack ?
One of my Ball Pythons refuses to eat dark colored rats as well. It took me forever to figure it out! I'm sure Bob will chime in, but it's fine to feed two smaller appropriate sized rats. Personally, I would alternate between a normal sized rat and two smaller ones every other feeding.
That's crazy when they decide they have a color preference... If you want to give her more than one, do it in one feeding so you're not starting her digestion process over mid-week. Just give her time to get the 1st one into her belly and then offer a second
@@Erica-PlaneSnakes Cool thank you, yeah I tripped out, I tried to feed him , he didn't want it ,so i have it to the big snake then thought hum wonder if its the color ,< i have heard stories > went and got a white one and he took it right away, so the next feeding I did the same and sure enough ,little sucker wouldn't take the dark rat lol
@@GreenRoomPythons OH WOW>>>>>>> great idea, I never thought about that . Shes my garbage disposal so shell eat anything . Thanks I really would of kept feeding them to her not even thinking about it being mid week of feeding...
@@GreenRoomPythons Oh and Yes, this little guy is a whole new world lol. Wanted paper as substrate, no more dark rats , goes back to his enclosure on his own when hes sick of me, I swear my big girl taught him that 🤣 ..... Wouldn't use hides only water bowls for the longest time ,even though he had 3 perfect hides lol Hes a whole new breed lol..... and his colors are just amazing, every shed hes prettier then before.... Thanks again I love him....
i tried bioactive but my girl kept sitting on all the plants XD
i just got 6 rats :) 2 breeding pairs. ive decided to breed my own food but also my girl is hunger striking and ive tried everything other then a live feed and assist feed so im hoping when i get my first litter to smalls she will take a live rat
OH Boy, hope you like pet rats lol
Best of luck! I would advise to not assist feed at all. If your snake already knows how to eat, they'll take a meal eventually.
@@GreenRoomPythons okay thanks for the advice i wont try that
@@notyourgma i have a pet shop which will buy my rats all i got to do is co2 and package them
Can we be friend