Instead of silicone and & substrate you can use drylok on its own & dyed with concrete dye/paint or use drylok and substrate over it while it’s still wet!
See my bioactive enclosure doesn't include any silicone or spray foam it's a 85% mixed dirt with 15% sand but under that is lava rock for drainage with a thin layer of just sand then the mixed stuff with live plants ill put rocks n logs and leaf litter aswell as moss in it then i add isopods and other insects that will keep the cage keep and healthy
First off I wanna say that you have built an amazing enclosure for your blue tongue skink! I do have an alternative method to your silicone that is a little easier. It is essentially the same process as you do with the spray foam, carving away, but instead of using the silicone we use gorilla glue. With the gorilla glue it is activated with water and expands just like the expanding foam. So after you brush it on you mist it then pile on all of your substrate and what it do its job. Once you lift up the tank the extra substrate will fall off. I can get paint to add a little bit more texture to the background. I was watching your video to get ideas on our next enclosure we are going to be building for a new blue tongue skink. Which we are super excited about. My daughter has her own RUclips channel also and soon we will be posting One about our method using the gorilla glue. If you want to check her RUclips out it’s ruclips.net/channel/UCPWVGWpAJbYHLqBvHShXAMQ But your enclosure came out absolutely stunning!
Thank you so much for the advice! I will definitely have to try this method out and maybe you'll see it in my next build video :D I'll check out your channel!
this is a beautiful enclosure! Eponine looks really happy and healthy. :D i was wondering, have you had any trouble with unwanted pests in your enclosure? i'm dealing with some fungus gnats at present, and i was curious if you've ever had to dry out your enclosure to get rid of a pest like that. im worried about my isopods!
Ugh fungus gnats are the WORST! They are the only pest I can't get rid of. I have fly traps set all over my reptile room to catch them, as well as a Katchy fan. I recently bought predatory mites that eat gnat babies, so I'll upload a video on them if they work for me. Fingers crossed!
Hey Brynn! After months of battling them, I finally found the solution to fungus gnats! Gnatrol! It's safe for animals and other inverts, but kills gnat eggs. I made a whole video about it, but I highly recommend!
If you don’t mind me asking, what are fungus gnats? I’m looking into getting a blue tongue skink and doing a bio active terrarium and aren’t familiar with those/
@@juliakrasinski they're a common pest when working with plants generally caused by excessive water. They're especially annoying because they're so hard to get rid of.
Have you thought about using an LED that has a sunrise and sunset feature? I've been looking at aquarium lights like the Fluval 3.0 for my skink setup and I'm really tempted to get it.
I've thought about it, but it doesn't seem worth it to me at this point. The heat lamp ramps up over time to simulate sunrise/set, and the other lights turn on/off automatically at a set time but without ramping.
@@TatianasTinyZoo That's fair. The LED I have isn't really big enough for the larger enclosure I just set up so I think I'm going to try that one out and see how it goes.
Your mist King video is my and should be even one's GOTO video on how to set a mist King up,Best l have seen. Only bad thing in Australia is that it cost around $1000 from pet stores.
Thank you! It means a lot and I'm glad my video helped explain the setup. They aren't cheap here either but I didn't realize they are so expensive in the Au!!
Great clip. Every thing covered without wasted babble. You show the steps without taking too long on one part. You are engaging but not dominant. Odd comment I know, but I start many of these and this is the first I watched through. Keep it up.
Gli stai dando troppo da mangiare, devi regolare bene il cibo. Se è adulto non dargli solo cibo per cani: fai 75% cibo per cani 25% verdura. Gli può fare seriamente male
Curious how you know how much I feed my pets from watching this video...75% dog food is WAY too much protein for an adult blue tongue skink. She eats once a week and gets 50-60% vegetables, and 40-50% protein.
@@bella.gianda5295 No problem :) I have a skink care guide video and a skink diet video up on my channel that show exactly how I keep her. If anyone ever has questions on my care, I'm happy to answer them.
She has never had any interest in eating plants! That's why I have to use a food processor to make her food, otherwise she eats around all the greens 😅
I know i’m late but I have a couple questions! Did you use sliding glass doors or a drop down door? Also what are the dimensions on the skinks tank without the extra tank added on? Absolutely love your setup :)
The door is drop down style made out of acrylic. The tank (without the extra addition) is about 4.5 feet by 2.5 feet! Let me know if you have any other questions :)
@@TatianasTinyZoo Thank you so much! 😊 I’m trying to make my own enclosure and yours is a huge inspiration. I’m just kind of stuck with knowing what exactly to do haha. I do have another question if you don’t mind! How deep is the substrate barrier? I’m also having trouble figuring out how deep I should make mine since I’m also wanting to go bioactive.
@@boozebrains The substrate barrier on the front of the tank is only a few inches, but the substrate itself is at least 4-5 inches deep. Wishing the best of luck in your enclosure build!
You say you added plastic screening over your drainage layer. What type? Or specifically what did you use. I'm struggling to figure out exactly what type of plastic mesh I should use.
The plastic I used is a roll of Weed Block mesh I purchased from Home Depot. You can also use window screening or something similar. Basically any permeable plastic that will hold the dirt and bugs, but still let water drain through it!
I put a red brick in the corner to hold down my Pothos and for my isopods to hide behind and my Halmahera chews on it! Do they need minerals from clay added to their diet? My African Grey Parrot has a piece of cactus covered with mud from a river in Africa that he chews on.
I have never heard of this before, so no idea! Maybe not enough calcium I'd say if you aren't adding a reptile multivitamin to their diet maybe try that and see if your skink stops?
For being an arid species they are doing amazing in this tropical setup! Their population is actually so big, I take groups out to start new colonies in other enclosures :)
All blue tongue skinks that are kept in captivity get pretty large. Smaller skink species include crocodile skinks, pink tongue skinks and fire skinks are both slightly smaller than blue tongues, but they can still get pretty big!
Hei, did the hot spot up in the hide work for the BTS or was it way too high for her?? Need to make my own enclosure so I'm trying to get the best scape posible
Hot spot up on the hide worked great! She spends most of her time inside the hide but I catch her basking up top too. I needed to reinforce a few cork pieces for her to actually climb up there but otherwise it worked great!
@@Shazzer_1 If we really want to get nitpicky they are two different words, and Silicone is correct for the way I intended. However I've often seen them used interchangeably 🤷♀️
![Cody Johnson - I'm Gonna Love You (with Carrie Underwood) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yy9PuYMU29g/mqdefault.jpg)
Instead of silicone and & substrate you can use drylok on its own & dyed with concrete dye/paint or use drylok and substrate over it while it’s still wet!
Thank you for the suggestion! I'll have to look into it :) Do you know if dry lock allows plants to root in the same way that eco earth would?
Would this work for ball python encloser too???? 🤔 because im absolutely in love
See my bioactive enclosure doesn't include any silicone or spray foam it's a 85% mixed dirt with 15% sand but under that is lava rock for drainage with a thin layer of just sand then the mixed stuff with live plants ill put rocks n logs and leaf litter aswell as moss in it then i add isopods and other insects that will keep the cage keep and healthy
First off I wanna say that you have built an amazing enclosure for your blue tongue skink! I do have an alternative method to your silicone that is a little easier.
It is essentially the same process as you do with the spray foam, carving away, but instead of using the silicone we use gorilla glue. With the gorilla glue it is activated with water and expands just like the expanding foam. So after you brush it on you mist it then pile on all of your substrate and what it do its job. Once you lift up the tank the extra substrate will fall off. I can get paint to add a little bit more texture to the background. I was watching your video to get ideas on our next enclosure we are going to be building for a new blue tongue skink. Which we are super excited about. My daughter has her own RUclips channel also and soon we will be posting One about our method using the gorilla glue.
If you want to check her RUclips out it’s ruclips.net/channel/UCPWVGWpAJbYHLqBvHShXAMQ
But your enclosure came out absolutely stunning!
Thank you so much for the advice! I will definitely have to try this method out and maybe you'll see it in my next build video :D I'll check out your channel!
this is a beautiful enclosure! Eponine looks really happy and healthy. :D i was wondering, have you had any trouble with unwanted pests in your enclosure? i'm dealing with some fungus gnats at present, and i was curious if you've ever had to dry out your enclosure to get rid of a pest like that. im worried about my isopods!
Ugh fungus gnats are the WORST! They are the only pest I can't get rid of. I have fly traps set all over my reptile room to catch them, as well as a Katchy fan. I recently bought predatory mites that eat gnat babies, so I'll upload a video on them if they work for me. Fingers crossed!
Hey Brynn! After months of battling them, I finally found the solution to fungus gnats! Gnatrol! It's safe for animals and other inverts, but kills gnat eggs. I made a whole video about it, but I highly recommend!
If you don’t mind me asking, what are fungus gnats? I’m looking into getting a blue tongue skink and doing a bio active terrarium and aren’t familiar with those/
@@juliakrasinski they're a common pest when working with plants generally caused by excessive water. They're especially annoying because they're so hard to get rid of.
@@jakehunnicutt8760 ahhh okay thank you for the info!!
Can a pink tongue skink live in here with a few adjustments?
Hello, could someone help me buy the house that the lady in the video has
SUPER DOPE
I've got a savannah monitor and really want to put together something like this for him.
Do it! I'm sure your Sav will love it!
Thats a hefty sausage
wouldn’t spray foam be harmful to ur blue tongues breathing ?
nvm didn’t realise there was gunna b another layer lol
Beautiful skink
I will begin designing the Forbidden whip cream merch now 😂
lmao please do!
Who else got triggered when she said silicon
Hello great video information Tatiana
Thank you!
Have you thought about using an LED that has a sunrise and sunset feature? I've been looking at aquarium lights like the Fluval 3.0 for my skink setup and I'm really tempted to get it.
I've thought about it, but it doesn't seem worth it to me at this point. The heat lamp ramps up over time to simulate sunrise/set, and the other lights turn on/off automatically at a set time but without ramping.
@@TatianasTinyZoo That's fair. The LED I have isn't really big enough for the larger enclosure I just set up so I think I'm going to try that one out and see how it goes.
Your mist King video is my and should be even one's GOTO video on how to set a mist King up,Best l have seen.
Only bad thing in Australia is that it cost around $1000 from pet stores.
Thank you! It means a lot and I'm glad my video helped explain the setup. They aren't cheap here either but I didn't realize they are so expensive in the Au!!
Great vid, I'll have to borrow some ideas 😁
Thank you, glad I can inspire!
Great clip. Every thing covered without wasted babble. You show the steps without taking too long on one part. You are engaging but not dominant.
Odd comment I know, but I start many of these and this is the first I watched through. Keep it up.
Thank you! This comment means a lot to me :D
What a great enclosure! She's so big now! I remember she was pretty small when you first got her! She's like a long pancake with legs haha 😂
I know right? She's a sausage now!
Lol that's what I named my bluey 😁
Gli stai dando troppo da mangiare, devi regolare bene il cibo. Se è adulto non dargli solo cibo per cani: fai 75% cibo per cani 25% verdura. Gli può fare seriamente male
Curious how you know how much I feed my pets from watching this video...75% dog food is WAY too much protein for an adult blue tongue skink. She eats once a week and gets 50-60% vegetables, and 40-50% protein.
@@TatianasTinyZoo ok scusa, ho usato un modo sbagliato per provare ad aiutarti. Comunque l'animale è tuo e sei libera di decidere come tenerlo
@@bella.gianda5295 No problem :) I have a skink care guide video and a skink diet video up on my channel that show exactly how I keep her. If anyone ever has questions on my care, I'm happy to answer them.
What a beautiful tank with a big beautiful girl! I can't wait to see that update video, especially once she sheds and shows us those colors!
Yessss her normal colors are so amazing, I can't wait to share them!
They eat plants 🪴 has she tried eating them?
She has never had any interest in eating plants! That's why I have to use a food processor to make her food, otherwise she eats around all the greens 😅
What type of blue toung skink do you have and how big can he get?
The type of blue tongue skink I have is a Kei Island blue tongue. She's about maximum size right now, but she's still pretty large!
I know i’m late but I have a couple questions! Did you use sliding glass doors or a drop down door?
Also what are the dimensions on the skinks tank without the extra tank added on?
Absolutely love your setup :)
The door is drop down style made out of acrylic. The tank (without the extra addition) is about 4.5 feet by 2.5 feet! Let me know if you have any other questions :)
@@TatianasTinyZoo Thank you so much! 😊 I’m trying to make my own enclosure and yours is a huge inspiration. I’m just kind of stuck with knowing what exactly to do haha.
I do have another question if you don’t mind! How deep is the substrate barrier? I’m also having trouble figuring out how deep I should make mine since I’m also wanting to go bioactive.
@@boozebrains The substrate barrier on the front of the tank is only a few inches, but the substrate itself is at least 4-5 inches deep.
Wishing the best of luck in your enclosure build!
How is this still holding up? Looking to follow these steps for my Indonesian skink
So will It mold
No. Of course you will have to spot clean the poop but the bioactive cleanup crew. Especially the ‘springtails’ will consume the mould
Beautiful tank! What variety of Dracaena Marginata is that? The pink stripes are neat.
Easy way to silicone is dilute it w/ mineral spirits and paint it on, it takes a 10th of the time
You say you added plastic screening over your drainage layer. What type? Or specifically what did you use. I'm struggling to figure out exactly what type of plastic mesh I should use.
The plastic I used is a roll of Weed Block mesh I purchased from Home Depot. You can also use window screening or something similar. Basically any permeable plastic that will hold the dirt and bugs, but still let water drain through it!
When you make the substrate mix, do you measure by volume or weight? That part has always confused me!
Volume. Typically I pick a cup or bowl to scoop with and use that volume as 1 part. It's not an exact science!
I put a red brick in the corner to hold down my Pothos and for my isopods to hide behind and my Halmahera chews on it! Do they need minerals from clay added to their diet? My African Grey Parrot has a piece of cactus covered with mud from a river in Africa that he chews on.
I have never heard of this before, so no idea! Maybe not enough calcium I'd say if you aren't adding a reptile multivitamin to their diet maybe try that and see if your skink stops?
Giant canyons are the most arid tolerant isopods there are and you add them to a tropical setup?
For being an arid species they are doing amazing in this tropical setup! Their population is actually so big, I take groups out to start new colonies in other enclosures :)
What is the smallest blue toung skink type you know??
All blue tongue skinks that are kept in captivity get pretty large. Smaller skink species include crocodile skinks, pink tongue skinks and fire skinks are both slightly smaller than blue tongues, but they can still get pretty big!
Will her burrowing disturb the drainage layer?
It hasn't so far, she's kept her burrowing limited to the built in hides I made for her, and hasn't really dug much further than that.
This is so beautiful. I want to make something like this for my northern blue tongue.
Thank you! And I believe you can make a wonderful enclosure for your northern~
This is gorgeous!!
Thank you so much! Hopefully she doesn't destroy it within the week lol
@@TatianasTinyZoo Haha😂
Hei, did the hot spot up in the hide work for the BTS or was it way too high for her?? Need to make my own enclosure so I'm trying to get the best scape posible
Hot spot up on the hide worked great! She spends most of her time inside the hide but I catch her basking up top too. I needed to reinforce a few cork pieces for her to actually climb up there but otherwise it worked great!
@@TatianasTinyZoo ok nice thnx.a lot!! ^^
Around how much money did this Cost to make?
I didn't add it up but probably between 500-800 for the wood, supplies, plants, lighting and clean up crew
Does water go into the drainage area through the plastic?
Yeah that is what you want tho
It's siliCONE not siliCON.
Go OFF 👏👏😂
@@TatianasTinyZoo no I think not you were correct its Silicon
@@Shazzer_1 If we really want to get nitpicky they are two different words, and Silicone is correct for the way I intended. However I've often seen them used interchangeably 🤷♀️