Many of you know me from various reptile expos around the Pittsburgh area where I sell plants and clean up crews to help you get your very own bioactive enclosure up and running for your pets! A bioactive enclosure is one that includes plants, soil, and a clean up crew usually consisting of microfauna such as springtails and isopods. The clean up crew will help to eat any mold, decaying plant material, and droppings from your animals, as well as help to fertilize your plants. Essentially, you are creating your very own mini ecosystem! Bioactive enclosures are meant to mimic the natural environment of your pet as much as possible, while also creating a low maintenance enclosure. Caring for a bioactive enclosure is as easy as spot cleaning, picking up droppings as you see them, cleaning the glass, and any other care your pet may need, such as misting. Trimming plants and aerating the soil should be done on an as needed basis. To properly replicate your pet's natural habitat, you must first learn about where your pet comes from.

"Always Good" Plants

     There are a few plants that are what I like to call "always good" plants. They can tolerate a range of watering and humidity requirements, as well as the damage that can be caused by your pet going about its day to day life. This list is short, but these plants will not steer you wrong, especially in a tropical, temperate, or other enclosures that require similar moisture levels.

Pothos

     Pothos are an extremely common houseplant that you can often find in bioactive enclosures. They're very adaptable, being able to occupy the base of your enclosure, creating a ground cover that still leaves space for your skink to hide. They can also climb, especially if you mist the wood the pothos is trying to attach to. Misting the wood behind the pothos vine will encourage roots to form and latch on. This plant is easy to cut back, just pick a point on the stem and cut! These plants come in a variety of colors and patterns, some of which grow faster or slower than others.

Spider Plants

     Spider plants may be related to asparagus, but it certainly acts more like a grass. It tolerates a mow very similarly to grass does, so if the plant begins to outgrow the enclosure, a simple cut back will help to mitigate that. They come in solid green, variegated, and curly! Spider plants will eventually send out the iconic pups. If these pups are allowed to touch the soil surface, they will root elsewhere in the enclosure. If you do not want it to spread, simply cut the bloom stalks as they form.

Groundcover

     Groundcover plants are those that will cover the ground and not grow too tall. These plants are often vines and will help to provide lots of hiding areas for the clean up crew, in addition to any leaf litter you may add. They also help to hide the substrate, if that is something you would prefer.

Tradescantia

     Tradescantia, spiderworts or inch plants, come in various sizes and colors. They all do wonderfully as houseplants and enclosure plants alike. They grow very quickly which can be both a blessing and a curse. Consider the size of your enclosure and the frequency at which you are willing to trim plants in order to decide if you should add this plant to your enclosure. They are a favorite among chameleon keepers, as they grow fast enough to tolerate the damage their pets can do. If your gecko is particularly destructive, this may be a good choice for you. If branches of this vine break off, they will easily re root into the soil and create a whole new plant.

String of Turtles

    String of Turtles is a very popular houseplant. It is called such because its circular leaves look like the shells of turtles! This plant goes by the latin name Peperomia prostrata. You will often find them displayed in the succulent section, however they are not succulents. They are tropical plants native to Brazil, making them the perfect plant for the tropical enclosure needed for your geckos. As a slow to moderate grower in most circumstances, this plant does not need much maintenance in an enclosure.

Strawberry Begonia

     Strawberry begonias are neither strawberries, nor begonias. They also go by the names creeping saxifrage or Saxifrage solonifera. They are a unique goundcover that spreads in the same way strawberries do, by sending out long runners with a plantlet on the end. They are hardy plants that will tolerate geckos walking over them. Any unwanted plants are easily removed or prevented from spreading by trimming the runners as they form. Eventually, they will send up white blooms on tall stalks that almost resemble a pair of pants with their two long petals. They have hairy, textured leaves and thrive in the conditions needed to keep your skink happy and healthy.

Monstera adansonii

     This species of monstera is another that is often grown like a pothos, either climbing or trailing. The biggest difference between them are the holes in the leaves! Monstera adansonii naturally have holes in their leaves. This adds interest to the enclosure, both visually and for the gecko. The leaves of monstera tend to have longer petioles than those of pothos, meaning they hold their leaves further from the stem. Sometimes called the Swiss cheese plant, this monstera species will behave like a pothos, meaning it will crawl or climb, and can be easily trimmed back the same way.

Baby Tears Pilea glauca

     There are many plants that go by the name "baby tears." In this instance, I am specifically talking about Pilea glauca, pictured above. These baby tears have blueish, almost metallic leaves and bright red stems. Easy to trim and a quick grower, this plant should not be discounted when it comes to an easy groundcover!

Understory

     What I am calling "understory" plants are the the plants that will act as a midway point between the tallest and shortest plants in this list. They will fill the space between nicely and give your skink some nice places to feel safe. Ironically, most of the plants on this list are considered understory plants when taken out of this context and placed in the wild.

Prayer Plants 

     Prayer plants are those within the Maranta and Calathea genera. These plants are named such, as the leaves fold up at night, as if they are folding their hands in prayer, but lay flat to absorb sunlight during the day. This means there will be plenty of places for your gecko to hide in during the day, should something spook them, and they can nestle into the folded leaves at night to sleep. They range in size and have a moderate to slow growth rate, meaning trimming will not be frequently necessary. When trimming this plant, be sure to trim the stem, not the petiole, or the portion of the plant that connects the leaf to the stem.

Peperomia

     Peperomia is a genus that contains over 1,000 species, each with their own unique size, color, and growth pattern. Some peperomia stay short, even acting as groundcover, such as the aforementioned String of Turtles. Others have strong, sturdy leaves that give a unique appearance to your enclosure. Others yet would behave more like a small shrub, like Peperomia 'Rosso,' which will provide a space for your animal to hide within. It can be hard to tell what is a peperomia and what isn't, due to their extreme diversity, but they are all pet safe, and most are going to be great additions to your gecko's enclosure. Some are too fragile to withstand the daily activities of particularly active geckos, but others, like Baby Rubber Trees are able to tolerate their mucking about. Be sure to choose ones that are tough to ensure they will hold up.

Ferns

     Ferns are a plant that enjoy high humidity and a moist substrate. Ferns provide a lot of leaves and greenery for your frogs to use as a hide. Birdsnest ferns have thick leaves that can act as a climbing surface and will give the enclosure a different appearance and texture than maiden hair ferns have light and airy leaves that geckos can make their way between and feel safe and protected in. There are so many ferns in between you can choose from! Each species of fern can be used in slightly different ways, but they will all provide a place for your geckos to feel safe within.

Polka Dot Plants

    While not as closely related as it may appear, polka dot plants and nerve plants are both very similar. They are in the same family, but different genera. Both the "nerves" of the nerve plant and the speckles of the polka dot plant range in color from white to red, making them an easy way to add color to the enclosure. Both plants do best when in enclosures with high humidity and moisture, making them wonderful additions to the gecko's home. They can grow up to 4 inches tall, making them wonderful hiding places.

Chinese Money Plant

     You may also hear this plant referred to as the UFO plant. Both common names are in reference to their leaf shape, near perfect circles resembling UFOs or coins. This plant is native to areas of Southern China. With an upright growth habit, the leaves will provide a strong enough surface for the frogs to climb. This plant also has the common name "Pass it on plant" as it produces pups, or baby plants from the roots. Should the pups get to be too extensive, they can be easily removed from the tank with a trim or by digging the plantlets and transplanting them to another enclosure.

Canopy

     Canopy in this sense refers to any plants that will grow to the top of the enclosure. These plants are going to be the tallest ones, allowing for vertical interest while looking at the tank, giving it a finished look. If you plan on keeping your skink in an enclosure that is less than 12 inches tall, some of these should be avoided.

Chinese Evergreen

     Chinese evergreens, Aglaonema spp., come in a variety of colors and forms, though they all have a very similar growth habit. Their large, colorful leaves will bring vertical interest into the enclosure, as well as support your gecko as it climbs. This plant has a moderate growth rate and is a relatively low maintenance plant. Should it need any trimming, simply choose a space on the stem and snip! Like the dracaena, the plant will grow back with branches. 

Alocasia 

     Alocasia is a genus of about 90 species, some of which would be better suited for the Understory category. Alocasia 'Polly' is a common species that will get to be tall for the geckos to climb on. The large leaves characteristic of the Alocasia genus will make your gecko feel safe, while also giving them a space to climb!

Dracaena

     Dracaena is a wide and varied genus in the asparagus family, now containing plants that used to be in the Sanseveria genus. I would like to note before continuing that snake plants, those that used to be classified as Sanseveria are not included in those that would do well in a day gecko enclosure. They need substrate that is too dry. Tropical dracaena, sometimes called dragon trees or corn plants, don't have leaves or branches that often can give them a nice area to hide in, but there are other species of tropical dracaena will have shorter or thinner leaves that will still allow the area to feel open. There are some species that stay smaller and could be classified as an understory plant, while others grow tall. Should your dracaena grow too tall for the enclosure, simply cut its stem. The plant will callous over and begin to grow branches.

Money Tree Stumps

     Money tree stumps are money trees that were allowed to grow to a significantly larger size, then cut back to achieve a certain appearance. These money tree "stumps" are still very alive, growing new leaves similar to that of the umbrella plant out of the top of the stump, near the cut. This results in a nice, thick trunk with luscious leaves on top! These plants are very resilient and low light tolerant, making them fantastic for a gecko's enclosure. The leaves at the top of the stump will provide an interesting look and are easy to trim if they become too tall. The stump itself will provide a climbing surface, though the leaves will not be able to support a mature gecko.

Anthurium

Anthurium is a genus of plants that range in both size and price. The most common anthurium also goes by the common name Flamingo Flower. They have some on the longest lasting flowers. The red bract, the modified leaf surrounding the spadix, will last for weeks on end. They are strong enough to support any climbing your gecko may attempt with this plant. Some anthurium have larger leaves that can help to make your gecko feel secure while out and about in its enclosure. The most common and readily available species of anthurium will have a fairly open base, as pictured to the right. This makes it a great plant to include near a water dish or a hide, as it won't dip into the water or crowd the entrance to the hide.

     Choosing one or two plants from each category will help to ensure you create a wonderful bioactive tank for your gecko. If you choose to forego the groundcover, consider adding leaf litter to the soil to give space for your cleanup crew to hide. Having these plants does not mean you do not need to provide other, nonliving areas for your gecko to explore. Adding cork bark or other types of wood and branches will give your gecko a reliable place to climb, as they would in the wild. When you are building your bioactive enclosure, remember to leave space for any necessities, such as hides and water bowls. It's easy to get carried away!

As always, if you have any questions on how to assemble your bioactive enclosure or what you should include, please send me an email at cedarbridgebotanicals@gmail.com.