Bioactive terrarium

In a functional bioactive terrarium, the waste products will be broken down by these detritivores, reducing or eliminating the need for cage cleaning.

[citation needed] Waste products of the primary species are consumed by a variety of detritivores, referred to as the "cleanup crew" by hobbyists.

[4] Additionally, bioactive terraria typically have a flourishing population of bacteria and other microorganisms which break down the wastes of the cleanup crew and primary species.

[9][4][5] Bioactive enclosures require some form of substrate to grow plants and to provide habitat for the cleanup crew.

The choice of substrate is typically determined by the habitat of the primary species (e.g. jungle vs desert), and created by mixing a variety of components such as organic topsoil (free of pesticides and non-biological fertilizers), peat, coco fiber, sand, long-fiber sphagnum moss, cypress mulch, and orchid bark in varying proportions.