Bioactive vivariums are often described as self-sustaining, low-maintenance systems. When they succeed, they can be stable, functional, and deeply rewarding. When they fail, the problems are rarely sudden — but they are common. Persistent mould, declining clean-up crews, rotting plants, unpleasant odours, or animals that never seem to thrive are all signs that something in…

The term bioactive vivarium is used widely, but often loosely. In recent years it has come to describe almost any enclosure that includes plants and a clean-up crew. While these elements are important, they do not on their own make a system truly bioactive. A genuinely bioactive vivarium is not defined by what it contains,…