Bioactive Bearded Dragon Tank Update. After a year, it's time to refresh this enclosure! 

Man not only is this guy a lizard expert and a teacher, according to that certificate to the right he's a black belt in taekwondo. You sir, are a legend.

Good stuff. Maybe consider burying small "planter pots" in the soil. A plastic kids cup with lid and a few holes poked in the bottom. The lid, with hole for the plant stem, would prevent access to the perlite and would limit moisture evaporation. I grew fresh micro greens in my beardy's terrarium and he loved eating the fresh sprouts

You remind me of my 8th grade science teacher. Mr. Messina. His love for fish and yours for reptiles makes me have faith in schools once again.

Hey Richard I am a plant lover and I have a little trick you can use to get rid of the soil from the garden center that has the vermiculite and perlite in it. Some platers will so this if they need to acclimate a plant to a specific soil type. what you can try to do is manually massage the roots without braking them to get as much soil off as possible. Then you need to get a bucket of clean water so you can repeatedly dip/soak the roots while gently rubbing to loosen the soil and shouldn't shock the plant too much. then transplant it into the soil you have. then all you have to do is water like normal. This will help not damage the roots so the plants should be okay but sometimes they cannot acclimate and will die anyway. Any who, I am sorry for the ramble and I hope this helps you. I really love your videos and is giving me something to think about when it comes to picking a set up for my potential bearded dragon baby (I'm still in the learning phase of all this).

I love how he's just hanging out and watching you. My girl is in my kitchen so she watches me all day 🦎❤️

I just wanted to thank you for these awesome videos. I'm wanting to get my first bearded dragon and provide a nice habitat for them. But so many things that I found only spoke of all the dangers and expensive products that you must buy to not hurt them. So it is super refreshing to finally see someone that is letting them live normally while still being safe, smart, and responsible about it. Thank you again!

His love of the food bowl is so wholesome.

First time I've seen a bearded dragon bioactive video that wasn't filmed right after setting it up. I've always wondered how things go for the lizard long term. Thank you for posting this follow-up video. Very informative to see a setup long term.

wow this is amazing most people that dont live in australia think its all dessert and thats not true this setup makes it look like the real outback love your work :)

You may try feeding greens at the first sign of hunger and add insects much later. Thank you so much for your details of caring for your Beardie 🥰🦎

Really found your videos incredibly informative. Beautiful tank setup.

Also, thank you for this awesome tutorial on bioactive habitats and the subsequent check in, it helps to know it worked!

Digi looks great! Love the videos 👍

Great pair of video's, thank you! Love the idea of growing herbs in the viv. I used to feed my beardy dandelions, he loved them, flowers, stems and leaves!

That food dish has 100% got to be a blessing. I am so getting it, thank you XD

The drainage layer you added is what's causing the soil to get too dry. You don't need it for an arid enclosure. It's pulling all the water to the bottom of the tank.

hey this is Ayden, Cindy Bickwermert grandson. Thanks for the Video!

Thank you for this video update! I plan on getting a bearded dragon soon and I've been watching a lot of videos on how to setup a tank. Your videos have been very informative and its helping me narrow down the things that I need for my future beardy. *New Subscriber here*

To get the dirt out of the roots is fairly easy. I knock off what I can as gently as possible. I soak them in water and than gently rinse off the soaked mud. You really can’t get 100 percent of it off but you will get all of the perlite out

Thanks For the update.

Alright, thanks for the update! He looks great, I really like that bioactive setup. Great video, wonderful beardy tank, very informative. Thank you for informed ideas/examples, and not getting into all the hype of things to do and NEVER do. My son and I are looking to get a bigger tank for our beardy. He’s grown so much. Considering making one. I do like this bioactive for the setup. Thank you very much, we really enjoyed your beardy videos. 👍 🦎

you should post again! i enjoy listening to you talk and i love your beardie:)

Yeah your Beardy is beautiful and super alert, you know you're doing a fantastic job if you got a lizard that looks like that! :)

Great video! Thank you for showing Digi while you're redecorating his enclosure. Totally relaxed and calm... precious :) So many people show only their faces talking and explaining, which is not right. Love your attitude towards the cleaning crew - they also must be happy :) I came across to your video just now, why not earlier?!

Awe he’s so cute

i was scard my beard oh tank was not to well and now i know what to do you legend thanks.

Enjoyed this and the prior video. You are completely right about the misplaced fear on humidity. It's just not an issue for most situations. That being said though, I wanted to mention that thermometer/hygrometer combo you are using to measure you humidity, sucks. I have a few of the same ones that I've tested. The temperature is pretty accurate, the humidity is way off on it. You can test your hygrometer yourself to verify. Just google how to calibrate a hygrometer (many cigar sites have guides). But really, good job on the videos, and the information.

I like how digi said earthquake 😱😄

Dude you are amazing

For plants to put in your tank, soak the nursery mix off, transplant into clean soil a few weeks before putting into your tank so they have a chance to settle thier roots in after the soak/cleaning and will have some strength built up when they get into the tank.

Great video. I learned quit a bit.

Hey! Just found your channel and love your informative vids! Just a quick question: are you using any specific kinds of leaves, or just random ones from around the place? And how long and for what temp do you put them in the oven? I love the BioActive setup idea! Thanks for this :)

thanks so much! I'm going to get a bearded dragon soon so i want to give it the best life possible :)

Thank you for this! :) I was wondering about getting a LED light for my plants as well!

Thx will try that food bowl! so tired fishing dead bugs from their water dish!

Your habitat is amazing! Thank you for sharing!! I'm working on converting my beardie's habitat to bioactive, and this video with the first video answered so many of my questions. But now I have more questions- does digi (sp?) like the habitat? Does he climb and play or does he just laze around? Does he ever dig up the plants? I tried to give Mushu (my beardie) some plants but she was digging a lot and just dug them up. Also, poop- does he poop on the rock where it's easy to clean up? Does he poop on the substrate? Does the clean up crew help keep the poop situation under control or do you have to keep on top of it? I'm assuming there were no problems with him eating the substrate/impaction, the leaf litter is a clever and natural way to deal with that problem. Thanks again for your videos!!

I use a daylight bulb for my rare tropical houseplant collection. $4 at dollarama in Canada. Works great!

Terrific job, way better! awesome

Bearded Dragons in the wild are subjected to 40% humidity pretty much all the time. So you're good!

so what’s killing the plants is root shock. you can fix this by slowly integrating them into the same soil , though this would require much patience and commitment lol

Omg I totally forgot. I cut 4 inches off a garden hose and ran it down to the screen on the humid side then add water so it so I'd goes into the rocks and soaks up thru the bottom. Never had an issue

I’m not a professional by any means, but 2 tips that may help: 1) feed him the salad 1st a few hours before the bugs since he’s not a fan and fills up on bugs 2) get some bee pollen and sprinkle that over the salad, it’s like a yummy salad dressing for lizards I’m loving your videos your bearded dragon is beautiful and your bio active setup is awesome! Best of luck!!!!

Next time you can submerge your plants in water in a bucket or some type of container prior to get all the perlite out without damaging the root systems hope that helps i remember i had an issue ones time with my plants and needed to get rid of all the prior soil fast and thats what i thought of my plants thrived right after not too much stress on them

This is an awesome set up! We have just bought our 13 yr old son a habitat for Christmas, after asking for 2 years, we now feel he is old enough to help care for the dragon safely. We are in the UK and though the options for the substrate here seems to be the bagged gravel stuff, you and others on youtube kindly advise of dangers if consumed. It has made me want to try replicate the incredible natural tank like you have with plants.. It is fantastic & very interesting. Thank you so much. :)

dont worry about pearlite i use it in my setup and it is tested with a all bd ages

I need your help, I think I’m doing it all wrong. I have a red light and white light and I leave them both on all day, then at light I leave the red one on to keep her warm. I see you don’t have a red light, am I doing it all wrong? I bet I am cause she doesn’t seem to be growing to well, I really hope to hear back

Only thing I might add is adding some mealworms into the soil to help aerate. Don’t use straight earth worms.

Hi, I have owned a Chinese Water Dragon and a Uromastyx in the past. I’ll be getting my bearded dragon soon and was wondering how much soil you used when you updated your bioactive vivarium, I would like to get it right the first time so I don’t have to re-do. Thanks so much for your help.

I have to ask where did you get the enclosure and stand from? I love the setup, I was worried about the substrate in the beginning, but I realize it's ok.

if you soak your plants you can massage off all of the old soil! It is kind of tedious but it works if you're careful!

Here in Florida, we are lucky if we get tank humidity down to 50%

this is good, not great, but good.

I sub to your channel. Keep up the great work …

You need a cool side. Growing Portulaca is great for dragons. Mine eat it, but not much faster than it grows. They like to eat the flowers and they are drought tolerant. Chickens live to eat them too.

Where do you get your clean up crew from

Where did you get your isopods and springtails

What is the charcoal that you use as the drainage layer?

have you tried the Rapashy bearded dragon food? its a powder you mix with hot water and let it set up like a firm jello. its a complete diet but could help get him to eat his veggies. i get the Bluey Buffet for my blue tongue skink and he loves it. from what i read it's hit or miss f you pet will like it or not.

Do you mist your tank to water the plants? If so how often do you do that?

Where do you order your roaches at? Can you link that? Do you breed them to keep a nice supply of them?

My bearded dragon loves blueberries!

My beardie only eats arugula for a veggie incase u have not tried it. Great videos

I might have missed it, but what size food bowl did you order?

What kind of isopods?

You really have helped me and Slayer out!! Thank you!! He’s the sweetest guy ever! Where did you purchase your plants? At a retail? Is this ok?

Can a beardie eat isopods instead of the roaches. Mine doesn't go for the roaches really.

so the "cleanup crew" are you not worried about them making their way into your living space or is that nearly impossible?

Can you please add a link for all the things in the soil.

Thanks for the update, very interesting. Can you share any details on the light stands as I'd really like to track down the same? Your light set-up is more than sufficient IMHO.

Did you glue your rocks ?

Is there a video about your substrate?

What size is the enclosure? I can't figure out where I could find some like these! Thank you for these videos.

Hi dear friend, did the new LED lamp help the plants and they grew? Is it enough? How many watts is it? I ask because I also want to put in my terrarium some succulents, I love your videos!

how is the smell on a bio active setup? Do the aromatic plants help much?

I would love to know how Digi is doing now!

I have a question that I asked the first time you made this habitat. I have a 15 gallon tank and one 20-23 gallon I was hoping that is okay for one bearded dragon because I’m kinda on a tight budget and was wondering if it okay for my possible future bearded dragon.

I really like watching him Eat

how much did this cost?

Did you replace the whole substrate or just a little?? Thank you

That's odd. If the plants are getting UVA and UVB from the lamps, what are they missing from sunlight to be doing badly?

Does the UVB light get enough tank coverage, I thought a bar like a T5 would be better? Otherwise there will be spots not getting adequate UVB

What humidity do you personally aim for ?

Hey I’m thinking of getting a beardie I was wondering how many gallons your tank is?

You should try rinsing the plant roots with water 1st. Or you could propagate so plants in water so you don’t have to remove any peralite

how often do you change the soil?

hey one more question, how much did you spend on all the bearded dragon features in the tank? I'm trying to make budget and it would be nice to have a price limit!

Quick question? What gallon tank do you have?

what's his name

Is this possible or do I need a biology degree?

Isn’t humidity 30% and higher at risk for giving a bearded dragon a respiratory infection?

Can't keep isopods because my guy is such a savage and he eats them all instantly

Because he really likes that protein the bugs have protein

what size is the tank?

Maybe you should get aa thermometer

Why no uvb bulb ?

Another update????

I miss digi already

You are no lizard master, why? COIL UVB

I love your video and i was wondering if you cold send a video of why I should get a beard drogaon to my mum please please I really want a bear dragon and i think if you send a video mum wold say yes and my name is luca

You dont have plant lights in ur tank ah there ya go plant light lol