How I Setup A Bioactive Gecko Enclosure! (Start To Finish)

Watch me build an incredible bioactive enclosure for Sadie and Slinky, my Malaysian cat geckos! This video will show in detail how I created a DIY custom background, how I created a drainage layer and prepped the enclosure for plants, as well as the plants and isopods I chose to add. Finally, we will be adding Sadie and Slinky into their new home. While I created this enclosure for cat geckos, you can still use this as inspiration for many other species such as crested geckos, gargoyle geckos, tree frogs, etc.
Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my channel, and LIKE this video! Be sure to check out my social media for even more fun animal content.
Social media:
Instagram: @emmasam99
TikTok: @emmasam99
Twitter: @emmasam99
Business email: [e-mail]
Music: All music provided by epidemic sounds

[@WaysideArtist]

Of all the people who make bio-active enclosure videos, yours have the clearest most concise instructions. Somehow you turn the project into something fun, beautiful, and species appropriate in easy to understand and follow steps. This enclosure looks amazing.🐉💚

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you so much, your words truly mean a lot to me! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the video so much 😊

[@Creatureexotics]

Favourite pet tuber at the moment!! Your factual/tank build content is fantastic and I love seeing the reptile room. Your passion for the animals and the fact you really strive for the best natural set up with UVB etc is brilliant!! 😁

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you so much for watching and supporting my channel! I really appreciate it 😊

[@ZoesZoo]

You're so close to 100k subs! 😱

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Fingers crossed I get there soon 🤞🏼

[@merissajanatik4457]

Your tank is beautiful & your geckos are so cute

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you! Cat geckos are incredibly adorable ❤️

[@merissajanatik4457]

Yes they are I want a pair so bad

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

I hope you’re able to get them!

[@LukinsNotmanMusic]

The moss was a type of selaginella really liked your plant choice for this tank.

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you!

[@isabellacortes9785]

I wish I could live in that enclosure

[@JUSTDOIT539]

Beautiful enclosure Emma!

[@santoroaquatics5038]

Hi emma you are the best and the greatest I always enjoy seeing all of your amazing reptiles and animals keep it up

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you! :)

[@lizrasper1213]

This tank turned out so amazing! You have given me so much inspiration as I am keeping cat geckos now too and will be setting up more long term enclosures! :) I was told that males and females should be housed separately, but I have two juveniles, that I believe are a pair, housed together since they were very little and they seem to be doing just fine! Keep us posted on how they are doing in the same enclosure, I am super interested to see if I could keep my pair together and if yours cohabitate successfully, that would be very promising. Good luck Emma! Hope they do well!

[@RedsFaunaverse]

OMG It looks so good!

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you!! I’m obsessed with how it turned out 😍

[@SCORPlOPATH]

Awesome video! 👍🏼

[@ChantalsCritters]

Wow looks good. Great video

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you!

[@theartsygecko9518]

This is so cool! Gives me a lot of ideas for future bioactive setups for my geckos!

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@michaelbonj4090]

The tank looks so cool

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you :)

[@xiaoranmo7308]

Way better than my cat gecko enclosure now, I need to upgrade my gecko enclosure now 👍👍👍

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you! I’m sure if you make an upgrade it’ll be great!

[@rachelkunz611]

Looks awesome! I really like Cat Gecko's and hope to get a pair one day. They are so beautiful ❤️ great video 👍

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you so much! I hope you’re able to get a pair someday, they’re so incredible!

[@barbhelle5481]

Looks really nice.

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you!

[@sarahpercival6783]

this looks so cool !!!

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you! I’m super pleased with how it turned out

[@anikatyanna2366]

Can you do a video on bioactive enclosure maintenance? Like, how often do you have to maintain, and what about cleaning the glass? Thank you!

[@elliehoffman3199]

7:40 omggg roly pollys

[@karenmcisaac22]

I love it 🥰

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you!

[@_taliajanae]

im getting a crestie next month is it safe to set up a bioactive enclosure then put them in the next day??

[@poshbureaucrat9917]

Hey Emma! I have an idea for the enclosure (which looks good btw). You could, when trimming the plants, add the greener leaves to add diversity within the ground coverage.

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you for the suggestion! 😁

[@wildside306]

It's amazing!! Can I hire you? 😂

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you!! 😊😂

[@themegatron3981]

so im looking to get come crested geckos in a few months, as far as cleaning the Great Stuff wall, could you just spray down that and the cork? or would you need to replace them? that might seem obvious but im honestly not sure, seeing as you dont deep clean all that often

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

No need to replace! Just wash the surface of it if it’s dirty :)

[@desireemassey2890]

How often do you recommend maintenance to a bioactive setup - in terms of substrate change.

[@lisamccullough5150]

You don’t. You add substrate if some starts to go away but the point of bioactive is it’s an ecosystem that never needs whole changes like that.

[@kylamulvanity7706]

I ❤️ it

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you 😊

[@Strwbbe]

how expensive did it take you to set the whole thing up?

[@Mani-period]

Ahhh, yes. The lovely isopods have found purpose in life lol

[@LinkBeats15]

Feeding video please, your geckos & set up is beautiful. Just bought 2 females

[@varanaut1308]

The moss is selaginella, a spikemoss.

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Thank you!

[@YouCrackedIt]

Do you think Cat Geckos would be ok in a 36x18x18?

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

I think that would work alright as long as you make sure there’s lots of things for them to climb on!

[@lizrasper1213]

Most research shows they are more arboreal and prefer vertical space over horizontal. I would recommend something with more height than width like an 18w x 18d x 24h.

[@elliehoffman3199]

4:56 they look like Maltesers

[@SepticShockAKAVin]

Aren't you afraid that they'll eat the foam or paint? Do you have to make sure it's non-toxic?

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

animals aren’t just going to randomly eat things like foam that aren’t food. Just the same as they’re not randomly going to eat a rock or a piece of wood. Not to mention these geckos jaws would be nowhere near strong enough to rip a piece off. But yes, this is non toxic

[@SepticShockAKAVin]

@@EmmaLynneSampson Oh, cool! By the way, do you *have* to make a bioactive enclosure or can you do a normal?

[@lila8688]

How are you gonna clean it?

[@shylasaldana28]

So i wanna work with reptiles when i am older and get good money but idk what jobs there are besides a zoo so if you work with reptiles can u tell me what its called or know any other jobs besides a zoo

[@zookeepersam888]

Most jobs with animals are not high paying. They are usually minimum wage unless you have a higher up position, but it's still not great. That's just my experience in my area though.

[@lisamccullough5150]

Just some advice. You should move to PVC or ABS enclosures. Much better.

[@jamiewalton6982]

Do tortoises interest you and will you get one in the future? I know this isn’t a Q/A but just curious lol 😂

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

I LOVE tortoises and really hope to have one in the future. Only reason I don’t have one yet is because they need a lot of space, which I don’t currently have!

[@jamiewalton6982]

Emma Lynne Sampson oh good wish to see one in the future then 💙😊

[@chipperandlola5457]

Hiiiiii

[@EmmaLynneSampson]

Hi!

[@chipperandlola5457]

@@EmmaLynneSampson hi

[@krisnabudiono2737]

Udah nikah belum 😂