How to set up a corn snake bioactive habitat (Nagini & Fierce get a major upgrade)

[@windows2054]

9:10 the "wow that looks awesome". Admire the love you put in your craft man

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Thanks man, I appreciate the support!

[@itshadesyo]

This was so neat! Ive had my corn snake, Bird for 3 years and have been researching going bioactive and more natural for him. This was an amazing set up!

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

How awesome! Whenever you're ready to begin the transition, we got you covered! 👍🏻

[@thestruggleisrealpc]

Josh, i have purchased plants, leaf litter, substrate, and your bio mix.. for my Leopard gecko Naga. It is thriving! thank you for the great education, and products!

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Great to hear! sounds fabulous!!!! :)

[@sunriselanez2204]

@@TheBioDudeJoshHalter hey getting a zoo corn snake soon is there any other heating system other than the heating pad method because I have read a lot of reviews and people are saying that they are not good because they can burn your snake and the guy at PetSmart said the same thing so looking for other options don't want to hurt my snake

[@Lorena5799]

@@sunriselanez2204 you can use a heat lamp with a basket for protection

[@sunriselanez2204]

@@Lorena5799 thanks I'll get that instead

[@sunriselanez2204]

Will any basket work

[@no_where_land9947]

This is so great. I recently got my third snake, my first corn snake. Rorschach’s only a baby currently (and dealing with some mites), but I can’t wait till they get bigger and I can use this as inspo! This is really helpful, thank you!

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Glad to hear it was helpful!

[@scoobysnacks209]

only recently found your channel and i have to say that the way you handle yourself the business and ethicasy really is heart warming i would love to be able to get your products over here in europe/ireland love the videos love the attitide .keep up the great work and passion .

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

I appreciate that! thank you!! we are working on overseas shipping!

[@tylordow7776]

I love that you keep them together

[@CopperheadCustoms]

Love your vids mate. I have never had any luck keeping ferns alive in snake enclosures. I would love to see you do a tips and tricks for maintaining live planted vivarium.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Thanks for the idea Damian! it would be the same just without adding in a reptile, and the UVB for the reptiles. The Dudes soil mixes and BioShot are perfect for planted enclosures! Hope this helps! let us know if you have any further questions! The Dude Abides

[@ronalbanesi1594]

Nice job dude love that cage set up look good 👍

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Thank youuuu!!!!!! :)

[@MrB-YYC]

Awesome work. Good video. Great job. Thanks Josh 🙌🙌

[@HIPIGIG]

keep it up josh good job

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Thanks will dddooooo!!! :)

[@blank3097]

Dude, I got the substrate I enjoy that it has a higher amount of charcoal than mine This stuff is crazy. The roaches love it It’s good stuff dude Right tf on bro✊

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Glad they love it!!! Awesome!

[@blank3097]

@@TheBioDudeJoshHalter they enjoy it so much. There was two molts in less than 12 hours Well done dude

[@djlibby8805]

The tree frogs 😍

[@WWfootball]

Great vids

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Thank you!!! Glad you enjoy them!

[@WWfootball]

Where do I get my corn snakes as baby’s in the uk

[@boxofbeasties6075]

Looks great

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Thank you!

[@boxofbeasties6075]

I did send you an email ... not sure if you got it.

[@_Velqine_]

the terrarium is really beautiful! but i think this is too small for 2 cornsnakes..

[@devon-qd3vg]

he shouldnt even be housing two corns together

[@herscher1297]

Also nearly no verticality

[@herscher1297]

@@knigthravo16 nice way to show that you know nothing about them. Cornsnakes are avid climbers and giving them the ability to move around is important for their physical and mental well being. The idea that they lay around all the time also means that you have never seen them at night. You really need to educate yourself on these things before telling them to others.

[@_Velqine_]

@@knigthravo16 Thats the funniest and dumbest comment I have ever seen

[@HalAltman]

My favorite part is all of yall don't own a successful reptile company and he does lmao

[@diogoferreira7558]

Does the terrarium has a drainage layer under all that substrate? I would like to start a bioactive but I have some doubts regarding the soil, humidity and plants. Any tips or video recommendations are welcome!

[@monsterkajiu1912]

Why do you have 2 corn snakes in the same enclosure?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Because I can and I do lol

[@koenjansman5483]

If you know how to corn snakes are quite cohabitable

[@monsterkajiu1912]

How do you know, they don't cohab in nature.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Hey everyone, I added a note int he description since I neglected to mention why in the video!

[@avaogara]

nice upgrade n have to tell you it's risky to keep 2 corn snakes together.better in separate enclosures next to each other.

[@herscher1297]

Not really risky, just more stressfull for them

[@elijah.9139]

You should make a video on how to set this up step by step like how you did for your ball python one so people (including me) know like what to put in first and how to set everything up

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Thank you for the recommendation, I will be sure to add it to our list!

[@larainewhite]

have you done one for a common or red tail boa constrictor yet?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Hey there! no, what a good idea! adding it to the list! Thank you!

[@therealcheezzz3991]

Do I leave the feces in the enclosure for the bugs to eat or should II remove it as soon as I see it? Because the bugs are all over it.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Initially you will need to remove it, but after a few months with your micro flora and fauna developing you will not need to as it will do it naturally for you. Snake urates will need to be pulled year round as they are not readily broken down by microfauna.

[@fruit4880]

Is it okay to use drift wood thats been in the sea because ive collected quite a bit but im not sure if i want to include it in my snakes habbitat

[@JefferyWatson-zo7qe]

So cute, wish I had a snake

[@carlitosverduzco88]

I just subscribed yesterday been watching your videos Dude Nice Nice. I want to set up a bio habitat for a California Kingsnake and will be getting the tiera firma and everything from your website. I'm still doing you tube research, but I will be getting in touch with you soon thanks Bio Dude.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Thanks for the sub, we appreciate the support!

[@cobefriend7797]

Josh when will the big cork tube trunks come back to the online store?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

My container is set to land on September 4th, so hopefully around the 8th!

[@bryantpeppers50]

I have a corn snake and I want to do a bio active set up, who often do you must the tank?

[@ebgone5684]

if done properly you should very rarely (if ever) have to mist the tank. My 75 gal tank (bioactive) for my corn snake stays between 45-55 and the only water I every add is to the plants and to the water dish.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Hey there! we mist daily to provide fresh water, as well as fresh water in their waterbowls, this also helps keep up the daily necessary percentages. However extra misting is done when the humidity has dropped too low, we monitor this by using a Hygromoeter and they are GREAT! i will link one here! Hope this helps! let us know if you have any further questions! www.thebiodude.com/products/vivarium-electronics-digital-thermometer-hygrometer

[@dagu2]

The aquarium looks clean and not mossy, how do you keep it clean?..

[@naegwut]

New viewer Nice work

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Thanks and welcome, glad you like it !!

[@j_j_1979]

what is your Kages enclosure on? looks like a short stand, lift or frame? thank you!

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

We built it out of wood and painted it!

[@jessicaschwartz1959]

Please could you do ab update video on how the bio is doing pls

[@terezalun5604]

I wonder how do you change the substrate and keep it clean? do you take everything out or you just taking out poops ? thanks for advise your set up so nice :)

[@FreshDesignLLC]

I know this is an old comment, but typically if you have a healthy population of cuc: or clean up crew you shouldn’t have to completely empty the substrate out but ideally spot cleaning occasionally removing their fecals is a good step to take.

[@Gonjadote]

is a 20 gallon good for a baby python ? and then obviously upgrade the size when it gets bigger

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

You could start with a 20 gallon for a baby as long as you continue to upgrade as their grow. The bigger is always better.

[@beachaddict7653]

Does your Solar grow lights give off UVA and UVB? I found out recently that small amounts can be beneficial for snakes.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Good morning! The Solar Grow LED is just the LED. It give off 6400K out put for the plants. YES! that is correct! UVB is vital to +almost+ all species on this planet in one way or another so lighting is a big deal for us, for our babies! :) For a corn snake i would recommend this UVB - www.thebiodude.com/products/arcadia-shade-dweller-d3-7-uvb-t5-bulb-replacement Hope this helps, let us know if you have any further questions! The Dude Abides!

[@arcanemoonlight]

Woah- I can put insects in my corn snake tank? I find worms and rollie pollies in my yard sometimes- would these be fine? I’d love to introduce some decomposers to help the plants.

[@ashleynunez6909]

I have a question about the halogen, what do you use to keep the temperature high at night ? Don’t the lights have to be turned off?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Hey there! Yep! the lights are turned off in the evenings and nights controlled by a timing system, thankfully cornsnakes require a lower night time temperature that goes with our store fronts ambient room temperature. If your home is like mine and kept like the artic at night (lol) I would recommend the use of a CHE - Ceramic heat emitter, this will emit heat without emitting light. you can also use a deep heat projector. I will link the CHE I use here, this also works as a daytime heat source if you are using other sources for light such as an LED and UVB- www.thebiodude.com/collections/reptile-heat-bulbs/products/exo-terra-ceramic-heat-emitter-60-watt reptifiles.com/corn-snake-care-guide/

[@onioncontrol]

Corns get bigger than I'd imagine.

[@ryankenny7726]

I'm in a bit of a pickle. Currently I only mist my enclosure once every week or two. Anymore then that and the humidity gets to high. So I'm concerned if I go bioactive will my humidity be to high when I have to water the plants?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Hey there Ryan! thanks for reaching out! Spikes in humidity are normal when misting, as long as the general range stays between 40-65% the plants would only need individual watering at random times to keep them healthy and the soil with everything inside, plants, cleanup crew and biodegradeables will help regulate the humidity and you can monitor and change the amount you mist from there. you can also open the enclosure to "air it out" and dry out every so often to help keep it in the levels it needs to be. Bioactive is great for humidity honestly! one of the best reasons TO go bio!! Hope this helps, let us know if you have any further questions!

[@ryankenny7726]

@@TheBioDudeJoshHalter your entire channel is a huge help! Unfortunately I'm in Canada so I don't think I'm able to order most things from your website. But let me tell you you're doing great work!!

[@asneakyproduction7144]

Just wanna say that having cornsnakes together in the same enclosure is very likely to cause them stress. To anyone not being experienced, do not keep corns together 😊

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Yes! I should have stated that in the video-- I’ve had them forever so I’m so used to them and their signals that we have success. Wouldn’t recommend it for any novice or inexperienced keepers

[@_Velqine_]

i would say of the terrarium is big enough, then its ok

[@Emma-wi8ri]

@@_Velqine_ no matter enclosure size solitary animals shouldn’t be housed together u always have the risk

[@thejourney1360]

@@Emma-wi8ri blah blah blah “expert” I live in jersey and regularly flip over wood stacks/rocks/holes and find multiple corn snakes laying together

[@Emma-wi8ri]

@@thejourney1360 ok? And? Would you like a cookie for that? This might be hard news for u to grasp but captivity is not the wild🙌🏼

[@tazzyboi5119]

Should their hot spot be that high? I keep my corn snake at 85 at his hot spot and low 70s at his cool spot, should I be keeping it higher?

[@nicolewhite4677]

Hey Josh, how deep is your substrate in this?

[@chunkthebaliguy5676]

My corn snake is like two feet and I had him for a couple of years now

[@nontrickpony]

Would it be possible to start off with building a bioactive terrarium with just plants and bugs and introducing some critters at a later date? I’ve never maintained something like this, I feel like if need to learn how to look after the plants and manage the humidity and keep it healthy for a while first. Are they self sustaining/cleaning after a while and you just maintain them with misting and supplementation? They’re so beautiful even if it was just a mini rain correct to look at.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Absolutely, we recommend getting your enclosure set up Bioactive and giving it time to establish before introducing your critters. We have some enclosures specifically for the naturalistic look and don't plant to put any reptiles within them.

[@porterricko4023]

My ispods are eating my plants in one of my vivariums. They're munching on my fittonias (white and red vein), and just found a piece of fikus pumila they like. I have a bunch of leaf litter in there, but they seem to like the plants instead. How do I prevent this?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Try adding a Calcium bone or denser wood, such a cork or seeds pods. They are looking for more surface area : ) Lotus seed pods are a great starter!

[@porterricko4023]

@@TheBioDudeJoshHalter thank you for the response. why would they be looking for more surface are? and how would the seed pods help?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

@@porterricko4023 Essentially like people, they like to have a varied diet with lots of options, humidty variants and temp radiants available to them. With that being said, Using different fibrous biodegradeables can make all the difference when it comes to what they eat vs what they will leave alone

[@porterricko4023]

@@TheBioDudeJoshHalter Thank you for your replies. The guidance is much appreciated. A reptile shop gave me some Omega One Goldfish flakes to try. You think this could help I scattered them under the leaf litter.

[@Shelby_JAE-77]

Just wanna ask, how do you keep your snakes together? Do they fight I’ve never tried to cohab but I want to and I’d love to know how your able to achieve this

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

We generally advise against cohabitation of snakes unless you have a breeding pair in a large enclosure. It's incredibly situation-specific and we monitor any breeding groups carefully to make sure there aren't competitive behaviors that warrant separation. We have separated these 2 snakes recently, and the video will be coming out soon!

[@adriantexas5403]

I have 3 baby geckos what do I do with them

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Hey there! please reach out to our care team with species information, enclosure size and address at [e-mail] so we can get you set up! The Dude Abides!

[@sinfulgamer9019]

So I was looking to go bioactive with one of your kits but I have a larger tank than usual for my ball python it's a 6'×2'×3' but I was curious if you had any recommendations for how much terrafirma to buy and what grow light to get.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Hey there! i would recommend give or take 6 inches of soil, so that would be - x5 36 quart bags of Terra Firma with 3 6 quart bags of Terra Firma added in. For the grow light i would also recommend this one here- www.thebiodude.com/collections/led-reptile-lighting/products/22-tincman-herps-led Hope this helps! let us know if you have any further questions!@

[@droneggiando7764]

Hello! I’m about to buy corn snake (fire ) I live in an apartment so I’ll buy a similar size terrarium for her. I wonder if it’s ok not to use real plants, but just substrate and woods, dry leaves and other cool stuff. Also, does the terrarium need to be cleaned? Like what about their poo and pee? I see many people only have empty boxes with tissues, that doesn’t sound / look great. I want to do something cool !

[@Shishio25Lim]

Hey Josh, awesome video as I am looking to home my corn snake in a bioactive enclosure in the future! I do have a question since I am a new reptile keeper. With all the clutters and litters strewn about in the enclosure, how do you pick up the snake especially if they are the type that loves to hide in their hide? (I guess in Nagini and Fierce's case it'd be if they are hiding deep in their cork bark hide) I seem to have trouble trying to pick them up if they are hiding in the hides that are placed in high clutter areas/hard to reach. Thank you in advance if you happen to answer my question! 💕

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

It is common for them to hide but once adjusted to their new enclosure they should begin coming out to explore and bask. I would begin grabbing them during those times when they are already out so your not disrupting their natural behaviors.

[@k-lou7012]

I hold mine towards the end of their tails, if you grab more toward their head they'll strike

[@misterdragon9253]

Does anyone know what tank they used for the enclosure?

[@AxelFoley-sb5re]

Hi Josh, I have two young corns that and it’s time to get them their forever enclosure. Do you sell one big enough for the two of them? They still have growing to do, but I want to get it done and out the way.

[@katieh6353]

Are they both male or both female? You should get separate enclosures because as they become adults they can get stressed together

[@AxelFoley-sb5re]

@@katieh6353 Thank you for your concern, but I know what I’m doing….been doing it for years! Thanks.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Hey there Mel! We have a large supply of big enclosures in store at this time! As we do not ship these, you can place the order and be able to pick it up or visit The Dudes store front to obtain whats needed! Please let us know if you have any further questions, 7173050684 [e-mail] The Dude abides!

[@joeestes4958]

BioDude it looks like you've done this a thousand times. So sick!

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

I would say so too!! lol THANK YOU!!!

[@LilKutthroat]

Hey, i rehomed two female (i think) corn snakes, they came together in one viv.. One is slightly smaller than the other, howver the bigger one i think is dominating the smaller one? Not sure. Basically smaller one moves around the viv an the bigger one follows her, seems really twitchy in her movement, and the smaller one seems to try get away/stay out the way. I personally think its like "bullying" There is no striking or biting, but the larger one seems to twitch instead of smooth movements when following the smaller one. Yet when moving around alone, smooth movements, no twitching etc. As far as i am aware they have always lived together...?

[@metalcowgirl34]

I haven’t had corns in a long time, and only tried breeding once, but when I did, the male followed the female around making jerky movements. Have you confirmed they are both girls?

[@jaymarie1282]

So I have two Schneider skinks wild caught from Egypt and I would love to set a bio active enclosure buuuut I don’t see how to do a desert theme bioactive PLEASE HELP!!

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Hey there! check this one out- kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZyqZmxrm9yZhZo

[@ryemars]

Do you think it’s a good idea to get my bio active enclosure completely set up and thriving before getting my snake and setting them up in there?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Absolutely

[@1764bns8]

So my brothers leopard gecko had some bad shed and now he van barely see in both of his eyes so is there a way to fix this

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

A visit to a qualified reptile vet is recommended. Check your husbandry and parameters and see what needs to be fixed. Do daily warm soaks for about a week.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

hey there! Unfortunately, sheds like that occur when not enough humidity is offered and can often cause "stuck shed" or eye caps, both which can lead to infection. I would recommend using a BioDude Hygrometer to monitor humidity levels to be on the safe side and spraying / misting the enclosure more often can up the humidity for your gecko :) We would also recommend a vet visit to help the gecko and his little eyes as these can be a sensitive area for reptiles. Hope this helps! Let us know if you have any further questions! The Dude Abides!

[@1764bns8]

@@TheBioDudeJoshHalter So we went to an animal vet yesterday and after a few hours he recovered. Also thank you for the shed tips we will use them to prevent this from happening again

[@1764bns8]

@@TheBioDudeJoshHalter hey so we got a call from the vet and said that he had a vitamin a and vitamin d deficiency so would switching feeders from meal worms to Dubai roaches be better?

[@jordenhemenway]

Could I do this for a milk snake, or should it be different?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Absolutely, but you are going to want to look at their individual husbandry requirements and niches and adjust accordingly.

[@helenstead646]

I have 2 corn snakes, one is 2 and a half and the other is 9 months old. Can they meet out of the enclosure, obviously there not housed together

[@ssnajaushha]

i know this is an old comment but no it won’t benefit them whatsoever, will only cause stress

[@Embernie101]

So we wanna put our baby corn snake into a bioactive tank but we are unsure how to start it. do you have kits wthat can be ordered online that would come with all the stuff we may need?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Yes, we do offer our advance bioactive kit specifically for Corn Snakes. It will provide all the recommended items to get your bioactive journey started. In addition to that, we do have a substrate kit that will get you set up with just the base dirt components. I will attach 2 links below for reference. Advance Kit: www.thebiodude.com/collections/bioactive-snake-terrarium-kits/products/corn-snake-bioactive-kit Substrate Kits: www.thebiodude.com/collections/terra-firma-bioactive-substrate-kits

[@userpp9]

I'm thinking about upgrading my youngest corn snake, Ivy (to a bioactive setup). And I was wondering, will corn snakes get scale rot because of how damp it is?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

We personally have never run into that issue with our enclosures. As long as you are maintaining your soil and monitoring your misting schedule, your snake should be safe and happy!

[@JacobColson34]

What are you keeping ypur Humidity at in a Bioactive for Cornsnake ?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Hey there Jake! we do a range between 40-50% with occasional spikes when we notice they are going into shed for extra humidity.

[@Joshua.A.M]

Can you do a emerald tree boa setup?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

we shal add it to the list!

[@MrChryz707]

I thought you can’t put two corn snakes together all the time.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

We dont recommend it. We do it because they have been together for many years and have lots of experience. I would not recommend it for inexperienced or novice keepers.

[@6STRINGAHOLIC]

How do you deal with snake urates in a bioactive enclosure?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

When utilizing our substrate to create your Bioactive enclosure, the urates will naturally breakdown and replenish the soil. It is helpful to introduce clean up crew to speed up that break down process and further aerate the soil.

[@6STRINGAHOLIC]

@@TheBioDudeJoshHalter is this the same in any bioactive setup? Or just in one using your substrate? I'm in the UK. I'm not sure if you ship here

[@6STRINGAHOLIC]

I watched a video explaining how substrate in a bioactive setup becomes too acidic over time and has to be changed periodically. Is this not true?

[@Tarasaurus13]

So do you actually sell reptiles at your store? I hear you mention in a few videos that you breed a few species

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

We sure do!

[@jacobtucker6130]

Can you build something like your for me also like that

[@jacobtucker6130]

Can you build like your i want too

[@trudymartens8844]

Too bad u dont ship to canada I have wanted to purchase some of ur items but I live in canada and there's no shipping option to canada

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Nope, but we do have a Canadian Distributor! Reptiles R Us

[@trudymartens8844]

Thank you for letting me no

[@kaciek6893]

I thought that You weren’t supposed to cohabitate corn snakes.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

hey hey! This pair has lived together for many years prior and the staff at the bio dude pays close attention with daily monitoring to their stress levels, eating cycles and shedding cycles as well as overall activity to ensure they are happy and healthy. Only experienced keepers should try to keep corn snakes together that are not breeding. Hope this information helps!

[@TheRichardgomm]

I always thought cornsnakes were solitary

[@TheRichardgomm]

Sorry, you are aware they shouldn't co habit, but your doing it anyway.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Should probably read description and comments

[@bearbiter9051]

I wish you had a branch here in the Philippines 🥺

[@Lorena5799]

The terrarium should be higher, as corn snakes love to climb...also I wouldn't house a male and a female together. 2 females can be fine though.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

One day I Hope to have a 4' tall, but they will have to be happy with 24" of height right now : ) They seem to love it!

[@thedriftmc]

I take it you knew Nagini was Maltese for Snake....

[@anthonyranzie5352]

To much corn snakes don't even need all that

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

They really do benefit from as much space you are able to provide for them and will utilize every inch. Being that they are in captivity, it is nice to accommodate and replicate their natural habitat.