80 Gallon Bioactive Arid Tank Build For Leopard Geckos!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Here's how I put together my first 80 gallon, bioactive, arid, Leopard Gecko tank! All helpful links are below ▼▼▼
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Tank Build • Building A Leopard Gec...
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Bioactive Tank Myths • All About Bioactive Re...
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Thank you for watching! 2 years on, and we officially have our own kits with Custom Reptile Habitats! Check them out here 👇🏼👇🏼 customreptilehabitats.com/collections/official-leopard-gecko-talk-products?sca_ref=123016.UAGNEDPUo1
This is the kind of thing I want to do someday for my gecko Eliza. Shes 14yo and loves her 40 gallon but I want to give her a wonderful palace to live in during her elder years. Hoping shes got at least another 6years with us ❤❤❤
Awww sweet :) I feel the same with Gizmo too 💕
@Olivia Kraus keep an eye on your local Craigslist! Lots of ppl get rid of their old tanks on there for cheap
Is she still going? (Seeming this comment was 2 yrs ago)
The weed stopper does allow water to get through, It's like a dry microfiber cloth it needs to be wet for a little bit. 😊
🙈🙈 oh god, see that's what I thought, but then I didn't want to set it all up only to find it didn't work. But it's probably best I changed it since I doubt it will stay damp lol But thanks anyway, now I know for the future :)
Yeah I'm not sure I'd use it in an arid tank myself. I use it in my mourning gecko tank and it drains fine, but not "freely" (the water sort of percolates down where the barrier is resting on the LECA drainage layer vs. hydro fleece where it just runs right on through wherever you pour it).
I did the same exact thing. I bought a weed mesh and got worried and used something esle
If you do get isopods maybe try giant canyon isopods porcellio dilatatus, can handle more arid setups plus are burrowing isopods so they will often be under the substrate out of sight of Diego.
Thank you, i'll definitely look into it :)
Your gecko must love it! My gecko is in a 20 gallon long
Thanks :) Ah nice, better than a 10 gal :) lol
@@leopardgeckotalk Hahaha
Mine is too! He loves it!
Literally anyone else who keeps reptiles: *You should have around a 20 gallon for your leopard gecko*
Leopard Gecko: *sorry, we don't do that here*
Ink Mantis For an adult? Absolutely not. 20 gallon MINIMUM.
@@dustmondo no for a baby I would do 10+ gallons and a adult the bare minimum is 20 but I'd recommend 40
Ink Mantis If it’s a baby, yes, but if it’s an adult gecko, no. 20 gallon is minimum for adults, and I recommend something bigger than that.
@@dustmondo you can keep ur leopard gecko in a 10 gallon for a very short amount of time. Maybe as a quarantine tank do like about a month but get a 20 gallon or bigger as soon as possible
@@dustmondo if you can go bigger than 10,then yes I would say 15 gallon but still, it's best to get a 20 gallon
I love how the tank turned out
Thank you :)
So happy I'm not the only one with a big tank for my leo, he has a 65gal tank and uses all of the space hes given
I just got my 64 gallon REPTIZOO Reptile Glass Terrarium, Sliding Doors. I think the size is perfect!
A good clean up crew for arid enclosures are, dermestid beetles, darkling beetles, porcellionides pruinosus, arid springtails, red runner roaches, probably some millipede species, and there are other isopods good for arid setups.
Thank you :)
No problem, I'm happy to help.
I will definetly do this for my gecko Darkstalker later on in his life since he is only 1. This video is so helpful and amazing I absolutely love watching you!!!!! Best TH-camr Ever!!!
Aw thank you so much :)
@@leopardgeckotalk Thank you so much for replying you make my day! :)
This is awesome! I hope Diego enjoys his new kingdom. I can’t wait to see his little face exploring his new digs. ☺️
Thank you :D
Awesome!!! I like how the grass looks. Congratulations Diego, all the girls must be sooo jealous. 😄
Thank you :D
The best way I've found to water plants in a vivarium is by SYRINGE! You can direct it right to the roots because sometimes misting just isn't enough
I tried that once before but it just sort of flowed over the top of the soil, maybe I should stick the syringe in the dirt a bit first?
@@leopardgeckotalk yes I stick the syringe close to the root ball! Also if you mist first then use the syringe that will help reduce the initial hydrophobic quality of the substrate 😊
Currently watching this with my little guy, trying to show him that, as soon as I'm able, I'm going to try and give him something like this. It looks so cool! I bet my leopard gecko son (the little guy in question) would LOVE this. It's probably going to stay a 20-gallon tank, or maybe a 30- to 45- gallon tub, I don't know yet, but I can't wait!
7:25 if you had poured the water from directly above, down the crown of the plant, it would have got to the plant and roots better.
Next month marks my crested geckos 3rd birthday! Just wanted to thank you for all the tips and guides about gecko care and handling as you inspired me to become a gecko owner three years ago. I love your content keep up the amazing work!
Aww congrats, happy birthday to your gecko! :) Glad I could help :D
who else REALLY wants this leopard gecko setup for their geckos? So baisically, i really like this setup and i was wondering how you get the rock backgrounds and where you get all the rocks and slate from because I really want my gecko to have the same as that bc it looks sooo niceee! well done
The tank looks amazing! Love the arrangement. Diego is a lucky boy :D
aw thank you :D
You did an amazing job Rebecca! It's beautiful and I can't wait to see Diego's next video. I think he must have the poshest tank in the UK now. 👍
Haha thank you :D
i got my first leopard gecko yesterday!! her name is chicken and i love her so so much
this is absolutely my dream tank, if i had the money and ability to make this oh goodness. Right now my girl is just in a lil tank, ive made it as nice as possible but its hard to get stuff currently :'(
Very nice ! I like that Diego has so much to explore now. He must be or will be happy with it. How's the carex comans working out in your tank? I'm curious to see that grow in this enclosure.
Thank you :) After the first day or two I started to notice some strands were curling, so I made sure I kept on top of watering just at the base of the plant, they seem to be doing a bit better now, but we shall see :)
Is it possible to know what lighting exactly is needed to keep the plants alive too? I'm building a bioactive viv and have heating but was wondering if there was one light that would do UV and help the plants grow?
This is SO incredible, you really have an eye for it!
aw thank you :D
Hi i am Alex i loved this video i am turning 12 in a few weeks and i am going to use this arid tank build for my leopard gecko Leo because i would like to buy an 80 gallon tank for him i have checked out reptile enclosures custom and the price is good for such a large range seeing how the mold might build up i will most likely buy a cleaning crew for the tank it seems like it is worth the money
Glad to see the build finally complete!
Thanks :D
Diego's Realm is fantastic!
Thanks :D
What is easier to care for , leopard gecko or crested or chahoua
Your leopard gecko has a bigger tank than my sister’s bearded dragon! 😳
That’s sad, Bearded Dragons require large enclosures.
Freedom Anderson Yes, my sister keeps him in a 75 gallon a believe. At least it’s better than those who keep them in 20.
Oh right lol
Kenzie G That’s perfect!
@@kenzieg1260 actually 75 is the recommended minimum do that's not horrible
Hi! I got my leopard gecko today! You helped me so much on my journey for getting one! I got her or he from PetSmart which I know is not the best place..But I got everything in there and she or he is in a hide and is happy on the heat mat :)
Aw nice :) Did they have all the supplements, etc that you need? and a thermostat?
Leopard Gecko I tried to tell my mom to get thermostat but she didn’t so I’m going to make my money for one :( And they had all the stuff I needed except a thermostat. I’m going to order one but I’m going to have to be cautious about the temperatures and stuff rn. Yeah his or her name is Willow:)
Leopard Gecko and btw I have Willow in a 15 gallon for now she or he is a baby still but I will be upgrading when it gets older :)
Hi Rebecca, WOW that vivarium is amazing!. I LOVE those fake rocks!. I currently use real ones and as you said they are expensive so I only have a few collected over time. I have found the most success with Orange Isopods in my arid bioactive Leo setups. They live in the centre caves in both my Leo vivs and often can be seen scuttling about between the cave, the water dish and the handful of leaf litter. I keep the inside soil of the cave sprayed and regularly pop custodian fuel sticks and the odd piece of carrot or a few peas inside for them. gone in seconds! (They are also thriving in my Crestie bioactive setups). They do not eat the live plants either which is VERY important. The grey isopods decimated my live plants. None of my Geckos eat the orange ones but my male crestie used to eat the greys (they are all gone now). I imagine the Orange isopods will thrive in your 80 gallon as there are so many nooks and crannies to hide in. I am quite envious of your New 80 gallon I have to admit.
Thank you :) Ah nice. Yeah my orange isopods kind of took over my Crestie tank, I rarely see the grey ones now. I may start with springtails and see about adding in isopods. :)
@@leopardgeckotalk I have not been successful with springtails in my Leo vivs but I think that there just isn't enough moist space for them (maybe the isopods eat them too?)
PS snake plants (mother-in-laws tongue) do well in an arid biome, I had the dwarf variety but you have room for the tall varieties :o)
Thank you for show me this I’m a new leopard gecko owner and my tanks to plain and I don’t want to use reptile carpet because it’s toes can get stuck and I’ve been trying to find substrate
Ive never owned a reptile before. I'm planning on getting a leopard gecko in a few months after I've got all the supplies and everything set up. I'd love to make a bioactive tank but I dont even know where to start 😂
Absolutely stunning love it so much looks amazing given me ideas when men hubby build my vivariums in summer
Thank you :D:D
i’ve been waiting for this for sooooo long
haha my bad, I was waiting for a fake rock :')
Leopard Gecko OMG YOU REPLIED TO MEEEEEEE IM SOOOOO HAPPYYYYYYYYYY UR MY FAVORITE TH-camR!!!!!!!!!!
what bulb are you using for the plants? I just set up a bioactive with a bunch of live plants for my leo. i wanna make sure i have enough light for the plants but not too much for my leo at the same time
I think it’s a jungle dawn led bar
Love your videos😍 they really help me about geckos keep up this amazing work
aww thank you :)
Blending my stone background in now. Then add side ledges next. Then blend them. Your videos are a great help!
Love the set up. How do you spell the grasses name? I need that for height.
Ah I'm glad, thank you :D Carex Comans :)
I love the tank you did a wonderful job
It looks amazing! I was looking forward to this!
Thank you :D
Very cool. Nice job
Thank you :)
I have been waiting for this!
Same lol
Love your videos. They are so inspiring
a very nice build. Well done
Magnifique 👍👍🙏
When i get enough room i plan to keep both my geckos in their own 75 gallon
The best isopod first arid tanks are powder blues and powder oranges AKA tropical gray wood lice. It is often used in leopard gecko bioactive tanks. Could you do more videos of isopods specifically tropical grey wood lice and their care?
Ah I have heard the orange ones are good. I have so many in my other tanks because they breed so quick, I may try them. Sadly I rarely see the grey ones, the orange ones have kind of taken over. I have some in a separate tank, but I don't know what people want to know about them lol
yesssssss! We have been waiting :)
yeah haha there was a lot of waiting around for supplies to arrive :)
Could you tell me what the grass was you used please? I picked up carrots grass but I didn't get anything similar with a Google search.
turned out awesome!
Thank you :D
wow your gecko is so spoiled!! haha, my gecko is in a 20 gallon long and we are upgrading her to a exo-terra 50 gallon :)
Hello to the nice lady doing this video where do you get your tanks from and how much.? thank you
There's a link in the description
Hi! I'm gonna be changing my geckos tank to Bioactive shortly. What plants should I use? And what's a recommended cleanup crew?
Succulents and air plants are good. For the cleanup crew you can use isopods (powder blue/orange, porcellio scaber, and armadillidium sp. are a few good species), springtails, and darkling beetles.
what is the full name of the grass plant i really like it, and i cant find anything called carrot grass online.
Hi I love you channel and recently got a leopard gecko! :)
Thank you! Ah awesome!
Hey i am new on leopard gecko, and i saw your channel and its very helpful. I want to ask is it ok if i change my substrate using cocopeat for bioactive enclosure ? Thanks
5:42 you should’ve used the sledgehammer! 😂
haha don't tempt me lol
I wish my gecko had a terrarium like that
I feel so fortunate! I've had leos now for 13 years, and it's the first time I've been able to get such a lovely tank like this :)
I was so hyped about this video 😍
Ah im glad :D
hi there! i really want to build a background for my gecko, but i cant have him out of the tank (i have a larger critter carrier for when Im cleaning) as I dont have a spare one. Is there a way I can build it, and then put it in the tank??
We’re do you get earth mix arid?
Hopefully soon I can get a Leo. I have a question. Do I need a light in it’s vivarium? There’s quite a lot of natural light in my room
If I'm going to buy a used terrarium, what is the best way to disinfect it? I don't know if you've ever done this but I thought I'd ask.
Turd Ferguson I just got a used tank for My gecko, I first cleaned it with vinegar, then I used the Zilla terrarium cleaner, and then I used water. I did this like two or three times, you might also want to use rubbing alcohol if it’s really dirty.
@@vanengelhardt7586 OK thank you, I'll do this when buying a bigger tank.
Yeah reptile disinfectant tends to work well. The best on the market is F10 disinfectant, its veterinary standard but a little more pricey.
Looks great 🙂
Thanks :)
Love this build! What type of grass was used? Is there another name for it in the states?
I love the tank! Are two 60 watt bulbs and a heat mat enough for a 65 gallon tank? I am moving my leopard gecko from a 20 gallon to a 65 gallon.
Thanks :) Whats the 60W bulbs for?
I would go for a ceramic heater, or deep heat projector. For just some 'daylight', but no UVB or UVA, I'd recommend an LED.
Thank you!! I will look into that. I got the socket for the bulbs from a store selling things meant for reptiles. I ordered the bulbs online and I was they would add some extra heat because I was struggling a little with keeping the temperature hot enough in the tank. (I had lightbulbs that weren’t as strong before and a heat mat) Once I got the tank at a consistent temperature that was warm enough I got the new tank. Now I have the lights and a heat mat in the new tank and the temperature is still a little low so I will definitely look into a ceramic heater/deep heat projector!
Almost at 200K subscribers!
ikr, ahhh so close can't believe it :)
I agree with Feature Creature, I keep giant canyons with my Leo. Especially if you add some leaf litter, its very unlikely Diego will ever see enough of the isopods that it would cause any impact on the population.
Yes I may look into that, it seems people have had a lot of success with them :)
amazing Tank!
Thanks :D
My leopard gecko has an 80 gallon I think but was previously a tortoise viv (I did throughly clean it) but he’s only like 8-9mths old so I want to know what else to add also
What's the best clean up crew for leopard geckos ?
I'm going to start with springtails, but it seems like a lot of people have had success using isopods too
@@leopardgeckotalk what about worms ? Idk if their good or not
I really like your vids
I just yesterday adopted a leopard gecko with a 2 by 1 foot cage if it big enough or do u need to upgrade her she is only a year at the moment x also your videos have helped me so much thank you 🥰
Definitely upgrade. The bare minimum amount of floor space for an adult is 2.5 by 1ft or 2 by 1.5ft, and bigger is ideal.
Fiona Shepley I just checked my mistake the cage is 2.5 by 1.5 do I still need to upgrade and sorry for my mistake
Jasmine Lomas that’s fine, bigger would still be better though
Fiona Shepley Thankyou for your help
What type of projector/light do you use? I struggle with finding a good durable one.
A halogen flood bulb connected to a dimmer/dimming thermostat is the most natural and beneficial option. The bulbs only last a few months but it’s worth it considering how beneficial they are.
Now that its been 11 months how did the carrex grass do longer term?
Nice:) it's finally done
Thanks!
It looks awesome
How do DHP's penetrate into the warm hide? Do you need a heat mat as well?
You don’t need a heat mat as well. They can penetrate into the warm hide if the hide is made of a heat conducting material (like stone, or even resin sometimes). But it’s not a big deal if they don’t. Just setup a good basking spot with slate. You can provide plant coverage around it.
@@nightinggale6470 I literally just set up my first DHPs today and answered my own question 😂 Loving them so far
Wow I was waiting in my house during social distancing for this very video
aw haha
Hiya, love this video!
I just moved my leo into a wooden vivarium and currently use earth mix arid, however I'm having a real issue with humidity. It shoots up when I add the substrate and I can't seem to keep it down. how I can deal with this???
I think it just needs some time to dry a little. It shouldn't last too long, just make sure the viv has good ventilation.
@@leopardgeckotalk okay thank you!!
yay a new video!
Will sphagnum moss work as a medium for a moist hide?
It can been known to cause impaction and the death of geckos. Coconut fibre or soil would be better
Would you ever own a millipede? I got really into millipedes because of bioactive enclosures. I don't own any yet, but I love finding them out in the woods when I look for isopods.
At one point I really wanted a rainbow millipede for some reason, but thats the closest I've gotten to wanting one :')
i plan on puting my baby leopard gecko when he gets bigger in a 30-40 gallon!
What would you think the best size is for a leo? I have a 4ft x 15 x 16.5 hes in. Is that alright for him. Have rocks and bark etc. But cant build it like you have because I'm scared he'll get to his dhp. Thanks 😊
That’s a great size! You can build it like she has, just put the DHP in a cage.
How do you get springtails?
so we can use sand for gecko? will it be okay if he eat it accidentally when eating insects?
Is Diego’s deep heat projector 50w or 80w?
Hey! I cant tell if this is what you did but you should put the thermometers at the bottom of the tank near the ground. You want to temp of the ground and the dirt, because thats where they are, not flying up top! :)
Nope it's important to have one near the thermostat, where the hottest point will be. If we put it on the bottom, and we try to heat the ground to 32oC, the top of the rock could be 40-45 maybe even more, which is dangerous.
Have you ever tried the bio dudes Terra Sahara
Yeah tbh I've heard mixed things about it. When people want an alternative to Earthmix Arid in the US I may mention his, because that's all I know, but I don't think it's as good as E.M Arid.
Almost 200k 🥳
Wooo getting close :D
Ficou muito legal 😁
I use just a heat pad do I need overhead heating?
You don’t necessarily need it, but it would greatly benefit your gecko. Promoting basking, raising the ambient temperature, and more natural in general. A deep heat projector connected to a dimming thermostat would be great
Thanks!
Love it❤🦎🌵
Is 70% organic topsoil and 30% sand a good bioactive substrate?
Yep! Or 60% organic top soil and 40% playsand.
Where do you find a uvb 2% 300mm Arcadia lamp ?
Where did you get the fake rocks?
Couldn't the loose substrate that you are using cause impaction for the leopard gecko?
Not with proper temps. They encounter loose particles in the wild all the time. Tons of people, including me, use loose with zero issues. It offers beneficial digging enrichment.
Yes ITS OUT
the temp on my slate is around 34 degrees. I found that the thermostat was not at all reliable around slate - I don't know why, but I tried failed to get it to work - it now measures ambient near the heated spot and is set at 28. He loves the heated slate. Not nearly as fun as yours though. When the future is more secure (virus free) I might sort out an awesome rocky back and sides like yours....
Ah right, yeah slate is a weird one, I wonder whether it appears cooler because it's lighter, and whether darker slate would absorb the heat better?
@@leopardgeckotalk Yeah - it was a dark slate I initiallly had problems with (a proper thin tile)- I now have the same slate as you I think which is also thicker and I suspect that helps keep the temp lower as well. But the issue is that the thermo stat doesn't pick up the slate temp at all on either of them... The slate could be at 40 degrees (on the darker), and the thermo would not kick in. I have the same problem with this slate, it's just more managable because it doesn't get so hot so I can temp gun it and use the thermo stat for the ambient temp near the hot spot. Well anyway, his kingship loves it and doesn't seem to have any problems otherwise. It may be why I can spray the tank more frequently ....
Yaaasss