Scenic City Bioactive

specializes in top quality, custom-built, bioactive environments for reptiles, amphibians, & invertebrates.

  • Amphibians

    Exposure of amphibians to higher temperatures – up to an optimum - increases growth rates and decreases maturation times. As amphibians produce little heat through metabolism they are dependent on the ambient temperature or sun basking to regulate their body temperature. Basking is widespread in anurans and increases body temperature from 3-10ºC above ambient air temperature. Temperatures should be chosen dependent on the temperatures that occur naturally in the environment. They should be selected as predicted low temperature, optimum, and high temperature. The boxes can be kept in selected rooms to provide the required temperatures.

  • Invertebrates

    Insects placed on a surface that provides a temperature gradient (warmer at one end and cooler at the other) often congregate in a narrow band at a particular temperature, providing behavioral evidence of sensitive thermoreception. Among invertebrates other than arthropods, the leech Hirudo medicinalis can make temperature discriminations with an accuracy of 1 °C.

    The temperature sensitivity of bloodsucking arthropods (e.g., lice) is considerably greater than that of nearly all other arthropods; the warmth of the victim’s body is the primary influence in stimulating and guiding such blood feeders. In most insects thermoreceptors appear to be located in the antennae.

  • Reptiles

    Reptiles are ectothermic: their body temperature depend on the environment. Heat sources should be placed out of the reach of the reptiles to avoid burning. The preferred temperature for most diurnal reptiles is 27-35°C with a basking area that is above 40°C. Nocturnal reptiles prefer a temperature of 21-27°C with a warmer area that is 32-35°C. Nighttime temperature should be slightly lower. Temperature zone reptiles hibernate at temperature of 5-15°c. Reptiles in cold climates hibernate at the lower end of the range.

Scenic City believes that every lover of pet reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates wants the best bioactive environment for their pet. This is why we offer top-notch high-quality custom-built bioactive environment products in our store. We do not just offer every product available but we instead make available unique, high-quality products to present customers with the best bioactive environment choice for their pets. Scenic City Bioactive specializes in selling complete bioactive setups, individual components, and DIY kits specific to your various dimensions and inhabitants.

 FAQs

  • Bioactivity promotes and sustains natural biological processes in an enclosed area. It is a specific kind of flooring that provides various living animals and plants housed together in the enclosure an optimal environmental condition for them to thrive.

    Why bioactive?

    In one word, interface. Bioactive enclosures start with a complex substrate mixture rich in good bacteria, fungi, and other beneficial microorganisms. One of the key components of bioactivity is the nitrogen cycle.

  • A nitrogen cycle is a biogeochemical process which transforms the inert nitrogen present in the atmosphere to a more usable form for living organisms.

    Why does that matter?

    Nothing on Earth lives without Nitrogen. It is responsible for amino acids, proteins, etc...Over 80% of the Nitrogen on Earth is unusable, so what we do with the other 20%, matters.

  • The use of live substrate and live plants in a bioactive terrarium provides cover for animals inhabiting the enclosure, is aesthetically pleasing in a display enclosure, and absorbs nitrogenous wastes that could otherwise build up in a system. This is both beneficial and a form of enrichment for both you and the enclosure's occupant.

  • Microfauna refers to the microscopic and near microscopic animals and organisms that exhibit animal-like qualities. In this case, we will be focusing on Isopods and Hexapods.

  • Pill bugs, roly-polies, woodlice - Isopods go by many names. If you have ever flipped over a rock or a piece of wood, you have probably seen Isopods. They are neither bugs nor lice, but rather crustaceans. Even within the individual species, isopods have exploded with new varieties and color morphs. Their diversity in the bioactive community has become as much of a focus in the enclosure as the macroorganism for which the enclosure was designed.

    What do Isopods do?

    Isopods are responsible for chewing and eating organic detritus, such as rotting wood, decaying plant material, and fungi. Isopods contribute to decomposition and soil fertility.

  • Hexapods are arthropods (or true insects) with six legs divided into pairs. In this case, we are referring to Springtails.

    What do Hexapods (Springtails) do?

    Springtails have an important role in ecosystems: as ecosystem "cleaners" they recycle dead material such as detritius, and they feed on microbes, such as bacteria and fungi. By doing so, they improve soil structure and make nutrients more available to plants.

  • In this section we will be focusing on the flora; we will give some examples of flora that flourish is humid, arid, as well as flexible ecosystems.

    Humid: Calathea, Fittonia, Polka Dot, Dracaena, English Ivy, Monstera Adansonii, Philodendron Brasil or Philo Rio, Scindapsus Pictus, Adiantum, Anthurium Andraeanum, Syngonium, and Strobilanthes Sinuata.

    Arid: Ponytail palm, Aloe, Agave, Succulents such as Crassula or Jade, and Haworthia

    Flexible: Snakeplant, Pothos, Shefflera, Tillandsia, and Pilea.