Bio-Active Supplies
Bioactive substrate, leaf litter, cork bark, seed pods, and captive bred springtail cleanup crews from our dry goods partners. Everything you need to build a self sustaining bioactive vivarium or terrarium for your tarantulas, reptiles, amphibians, and other small animals.
Shop Bioactive Supplies by Category
Everything here is built to work together: bioactive soil and drainage, leaf litter and seed pods, a cleanup crew to run it, and the cork and wood that hold it all in place.
Soil & Drainage
FaunaReady and FloraBoost bioactive substrate, hydroton drainage layer, sphagnum and milled peat moss, horticultural charcoal, GeoForm terrarium clay, and pumice rock. The base every bioactive vivarium is built on.
Shop Soil & DrainageLeaf Litter & Botanicals
Live oak, magnolia, sea grape, tamarind, and Indian almond leaf litter, plus magnolia seed pods, coconut huts, alder cones, and botanical variety packs. The layer your bioactive cleanup crew lives and breeds in.
Shop Leaf Litter & PodsWood & Hides
Sterile cork bark slabs and rounds, manzanita ghost wood, tree fern background panels, and rock cave and skull hides for climbing, webbing anchor points, and cover.
Shop Wood & HidesCleanup Crews
Springtail culture kits, springtail food and clay media, bioactive isopod substrate, and calcium supplements. Springtails handle mold and fungus from day one.
Shop Cleanup CrewsHow to Build a Bioactive Vivarium
A bioactive setup is layered, not dumped in all at once. Start with a hydroton drainage layer so water has somewhere to go, add a bioactive substrate deep enough for your animal's care type, then top it with real leaf litter and seed pods. That top layer is where your cleanup crew actually lives.
Add springtails first. They handle mold and fungus and tolerate a fresh setup better than isopods do. Give the enclosure 4 to 8 weeks to establish before your display animal goes in, longer if you are building for a fossorial species that needs a deep substrate bed. A pocket of sphagnum moss in one corner gives you a humid microclimate the animal can choose, which matters more than misting the whole enclosure.
Cork bark, wood, and a hide or two finish the layout, and they matter more than they look like they should. They give a bioactive cleanup crew somewhere to retreat to during the day, which is when most of the actual waste breakdown happens. Terrarium clay is worth knowing about here too, since it lets you anchor cork and build ledges that will not shift when the substrate settles.
Sizing the enclosure to the animal first makes all of this easier. Our tarantula enclosures are built with bioactive setups in mind if you are starting from scratch.
Why Bioactive?
A bioactive enclosure is not just a pretty setup, it is a living ecosystem that does the work for you. The right combination of bioactive substrate, leaf litter, and cleanup crew breaks down waste, controls mold, and keeps your animals healthier with less maintenance from you.
A bioactive enclosure is not just a pretty setup, it is a living ecosystem that does the work for you. The right combination of bioactive substrate, leaf litter, and cleanup crew breaks down waste, controls mold, and keeps your animals healthier with less maintenance from you.
Healthier Animals
Stable humidity, natural microfauna, and a more enriching bioactive environment reduce stress and support natural behaviors.
Works In Any Enclosure
The same core build, drainage layer, bioactive substrate, leaf litter, and cleanup crew, works for tarantulas, reptiles, amphibians, and other small animals. Only the moisture level and substrate depth change.
Less Maintenance
Springtails and isopods handle mold, fungus, and decaying matter. You spot clean instead of doing full substrate changes.
It Looks Better
A living bioactive vivarium with real leaf litter and a working cleanup crew is a display piece, not just a cage.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bioactive Supplies
What do I need to set up a bioactive vivarium?
A drainage layer, a bioactive substrate, real leaf litter, and a cleanup crew to keep it all cycling. Cork bark, seed pods, and a couple of hides finish the layout and give your cleanup crew somewhere to shelter while they work.
What is the best substrate for a bioactive enclosure?
A pre fortified bioactive substrate over a hydroton drainage layer is the simplest place to start, since it already carries the nutrients and structure microfauna need. Depth is what changes by species, an inch or two for most terrestrials and considerably more for fossorial species that burrow.
How long does a bioactive enclosure take to establish?
Plan on 4 to 8 weeks before the cleanup crew and microfauna are dialed in enough to keep pace with waste. Add your display animal once the crew is established, not on day one.
Do I need springtails and isopods, or just one?
Springtails are the ones to start with. They establish fast, handle mold and fungus, and tolerate a fresh enclosure better than isopods. Isopods are a useful addition once the setup has settled, since they break down heavier organic matter, but they are not required for a bioactive enclosure to work.
Will a bioactive setup work for my tarantula, reptile, or amphibian?
Yes. The same core build, drainage layer, bioactive substrate, leaf litter, and cleanup crew, works across tarantulas, reptiles, amphibians, and other small animals. Moisture level and substrate depth are what change from species to species.
Do I still need to clean a bioactive enclosure?
Less, not never. Springtails and isopods break down waste and mold so you are spot cleaning instead of doing full substrate swaps. You will still want to top off leaf litter as it breaks down and keep an eye on moisture levels.
Do email subscribers get a discount on bioactive supplies?
Yes, a flat 5% off, automatically, for every email subscriber, the same as feeders. It does not climb with your VIP tier the way the invertebrate discount does, and supplies do not add to your freebie credit. Full details are on our VIP and rewards program page.
Email Subscribers Save On Every Restock
Subscribe to our free email list and 5% comes off bioactive supplies and feeders automatically, no code needed. It applies at checkout for as long as you stay subscribed.