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We publish a blog post every week on Thursday. We cover a range of topics related to reptiles, fish, bio-active setups, and plants. Below you will find a wealth of information for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

How to Select Substrate for Planted Aquariums

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Aug 13th 2020

How to Select Substrate for Planted Aquariums

How to Select Substrate for Planted AquariumsFretting over which substrate to add to your planted aquarium? You don’t have to. The good thing about substrate choice is that in most cases, you can’t go terribly wrong.That bein … read more >

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aquascaping indoor garden indoor grower tropical fish exotic pets

The Quick Guide to Perfect Aquarium Water

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Aug 6th 2020

The Quick Guide to Perfect Aquarium Water

The Quick Guide to Perfect Aquarium WaterWant to know one of the best ways to keep your tropical fish healthy and happy for a long time? It’s simple. Maintain the right habitat for them.And for fish, that means making sure th … read more >

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exotic pets tropical fish aquascaping indoor gardening indoor growers

Why Your Bioactive Tank Smells (And How to Fix It)

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Jul 30th 2020

Why Your Bioactive Tank Smells (And How to Fix It)

How to Prevail Against Horrendous Bioactive Tank OdorsGot a smelly vivarium? It can certainly leave you scratching your head since bioactive setups are supposed to mimic a more natural setup and kind of “clean themselves.”And … read more >

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bioactive terrarium smell bioactive tank odor anaerobic bacteria terrarium fix smelly bioactive bioactive terrarium troubleshooting bioactive tank tips

A Simple Bioactive Maintenance Routine

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Jul 26th 2020

A Simple Bioactive Maintenance Routine

A Simple Bioactive Maintenance RoutineYou may be looking at this title and thinking: “Bioactive maintenance routine? But I thought a bioactive terrarium took care of itself.”And that’s true, but only partially.Having a bioact … read more >

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exotic pets bioactive microfauna reptiles amphibians indoor gardening indoor growers

Aquarium Plants for Beginners (Easy Growth Guide)

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Jul 16th 2020

Aquarium Plants for Beginners (Easy Growth Guide)

How to Grow Thriving Aquarium Plants, Even If You're a BeginnerPhoto courtesy of IrinaWhether you keep tropical fish or not, aquascaping is a form of gardening that can be easy and help you save on space, if that’s a concern. … read more >

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exotic pets tropical fish aquascaping indoor gardening indoor growers

Do I Need a High or Long Aquarium for Tropical Fish?

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Jul 9th 2020

Do I Need a High or Long Aquarium for Tropical Fish?

Do I Need a High or Long Aquarium for Tropical Fish?Keeping fish seems like a pretty simple way to enjoy pets, right? For the most part, that’s true, but different fish do have different requirements, and some things that see … read more >

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tropical fish aquascaping exotic pets

Bioactive Drainage Layer: Why Water Levels Matter

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Jul 2nd 2020

Bioactive Drainage Layer: Why Water Levels Matter

Why You Need to Keep Water Levels Low in the Bioactive Drainage LayerMaybe you’ve heard that you need to have a “false bottom” or drainage layer in your bioactive terrarium, and that’s true. But what you may not realize is th … read more >

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bioactive drainage layer water level bioactive terrarium hydroballs drainage bioactive substrate layers false bottom terrarium bioactive terrarium setup

Best Lighting for Bioactive Terrariums: What Actually Works

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Jun 25th 2020

Best Lighting for Bioactive Terrariums: What Actually Works

The Surprisingly Easy Solution to Lighting in a Bioactive SetupSo you’ve got a bioactive setup, and you’re ready to let your plants and exotic pets live together in harmony. There’s just one hitch: in separate gardens and hab … read more >

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exotic pets reptiles amphibians bioactive indoor garden indoor grower

Do Dart Frogs Make Noise? Calls, Volume, and What It Means

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Jun 18th 2020

Do Dart Frogs Make Noise? Calls, Volume, and What It Means

How to get Your Dart Frog to Call Did you know that different species of frogs have unique calls? And if you keep frogs, you can actually encourage them to call. It can be a fun way to interact with your amphibians, prov … read more >

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amphibians exotic pets bioactive

Can Fish Recognize Their Owners? Yes, Here's How

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Jun 11th 2020

Can Fish Recognize Their Owners? Yes, Here's How

How to Persuade Your Fish to Like You Photo courtesy of Narcis Ciocan Although mammals like dogs and cats are the pets most known for their sociable natures, anyone with an exotic pet knows that these animals do l … read more >

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do fish recognize owners can fish recognize faces fish intelligence fish bonding tropical fish behavior smart fish species pet fish personality

Do You Need to Feed Microfauna in a Bioactive Tank?

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on Jun 4th 2020

Do You Need to Feed Microfauna in a Bioactive Tank?

Do You Need to Feed Microfauna? Photo courtesy of Hans Braxmeier There are two answers to the question, “Do you need to feed microfauna?” The first answer is, well, no, you don’t have to. They’ll probably survive. Bu … read more >

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feeding microfauna bioactive terrarium microfauna cleanup crew feeding isopod feeding springtail feeding bioactive cleanup crew microfauna bioactive

Mushrooms in a Bioactive Terrarium: Good or Bad?

Posted by Diedra Blackmill on May 28th 2020

Mushrooms in a Bioactive Terrarium: Good or Bad?

Is it Okay to Have Mushrooms in My Bioactive Terrarium? So you started a bioactive terrarium, and everything was going great. Until now… Suddenly you have mushrooms growing out of the soil in your tank. Is that okay? D … read more >

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exotic pets bioactive indoor gardening indoor growers