Bioactive Hedgehog Setup *UPDATE* Things I liked/disliked

[@supersimly5881]

Your succulents died because they need a light, gritty/sandy soil that is fast draining.

[@tylerrugge]

ope

[@XX-sv3qu]

@@tylerrugge also many types of succulents are extremely poisonous.

[@UpsideDown853]

@@XX-sv3qu THANK YOU! Was quite worried about that point, could already see the hedgehog nibbling on something it shouldn't... Would have been surprised if the succulents survived with that substrate. Probably got too wet.

[@juliannakepler6561]

He got hedgie safe succulents

[@demetrialexander3358]

The cool/blue toned silver hair is nice.

[@tylerrugge]

THANK YOU

[@KkrizztiART]

That blue hair is so cool😍 rocking it👏

[@tylerrugge]

Thank you😭❤️

[@rebeccalabs3931]

One of the reasons why I didn't want a hedgehog was because of their poop; it's not hard like a rabbits or guinea pigs, it's more runny.. I can understand why you didn't want fleece.. Glad to see a video again! Great job on the bio active setup!!

[@carrie9716]

Same

[@avahouston5571]

I own a hedgehog and his poop is hard, you kind of have to scrape it off of their wheel, but otherwise it’s not a very big struggle for me

[@sarahshine6026]

Rebecca Labs my hedgehog is litter trained so I don't have to deal with poopy fleece

[@resevil333]

@@sarahshine6026 did you litter train it?

[@sarahshine6026]

kayscull yup!

[@nisasemione]

For plants, you probably didn’t have success because succulents enjoy extremely arid conditions. I’ve only ever seen succulents successfully used in bioactive leopard gecko enclosures with dry substrate. You’d probably have more success with hardy tropical plants that enjoy moisture and don’t have intense light requirements. I’d recommend some species, but am not sure which are safe for hedgehogs to eat... maybe ferns?

[@JaidaPhelps]

You have every animal I’ve ever wanted. You inspire me thank you ❤️

[@tylerrugge]

❤️❤️❤️

[@sagealeese3919]

A tip to keep any future plants from being uprooted is when you set up a bioactive it’s best to give the enclosure a cycling period of around a month- two months to allow the roots to root fully into the soil. Also if the plants are dying it could be due to the light and water requirements of eat plant not being met. It could also just be your soil. Eco earth has no nutritional value for plants

[@danjasrats2676]

Such a lovely set up and it makes so much sense! I can see how a hedgehog would be very happy digging for their bugs like that.

[@AleahS1441]

I love bioactive enclosures there so cool

[@christineyoung3120]

I built a bioactive cage other day for my hedgehog and within 24 hours the roaches were climbing out. I thankfully caught them all

[@parkerloudermilk1756]

I love your videos and your pets I want a snake but my mother is so scared of snakes 🐍

[@mojavebp5579]

My mother was also scared of them in fact she still won’t touch mine but I did convince her to let me have them it took a lot of work I asked her her main worry’s then did a care sheet covering how they won’t effect her and gave it to her I also promised to work for it and after a lot of beginning and showing that I knew what I was on about I finally got my first snake and now I have two and my mum likes them but only from a distance 😂 hope this helps you and gives you some ideas

[@abbacadaver]

Same. My dad chased her with his pet snake on their first date and now she’s scarred. Won’t even go in the reptile isle in pet stores.

[@parkerloudermilk1756]

😂

[@jovanac.1529]

Jack Frost is that you

[@keara2248]

You are an AMAZING example of someone who actually cares about your pets. Love your videos!

[@9Brandi4]

"I 100% blame Momo" XD

[@Kenderra]

If you feel like the work there is a netting a lot of greenhouses will wrap around the roots of plants which could maybe help. you could even do a layer of mesh under the topsoil to protect some of the clean up crew and roots from being completely attacked. Im not sure if a hedgehog would just try to eat the mesh though... Im so glad this worked for you! I have been sitting on the idea for a while, I use fleece and I HATE it it all gets ruined my hedgehog would rather just sleep under it anyway and she doesnt really explore her cage much either.. I think shed enjoy being able to burrow much more

[@AsheValendis]

Your hair is sending me to a parallel dimension where I’m having a crisis and I have gone through 5 different hair colors. Wait... that’s actually my real life. Whelp, time to go pink!

[@trusanimals8881]

Hi Tyler, I was wondering how much the enclosure cost when you set it up and how much it cost mouthy. I really hope that I would be able to do this for my hedgehog! Thanks!

[@jsbelljr83]

I'm so glad you brought up about the bugs not escaping

[@pjdynomight]

I was on the fence about getting a hedgehog until now. I keep several lizards all bioactive. What your missing is full spectrum lighting for plants. The snake plants will be fine with the natural lighting in your room but a lot of other plants need direct sunlight or full spectrum lighting.

[@laurenmorriseidson4009]

Yay new video!! Love you Tyler and momo

[@gabriella4177]

This is really cool! I didn’t know you could do this!

[@juliaxiaoa]

Currently I have a fleece blanket for my hedgehog which is actually working fine because he hates stepping in his own poop 😂 so he just avoids it, but I can tell he’s bored and not as happy as he used to be. I want to try a bioactive enclosure but I live with my mom and she won’t let me. I’m working so hard to convince her, but she’s really stubborn. Thanks for making this video though it really helped me!

[@damvcoool]

Would you do another african pink pygmy hedgehog specific bio-active enclouse update?

[@Jarrodavey]

You are an amazing example for people who want to own a pet.

[@merkules6]

Unlike some pettubers

[@Leo-tu8gh]

Meridia's Bacon taylor nicole dean take notes

[@merkules6]

@@Leo-tu8gh Exactly!

[@gloriagilbert9403]

There’s bio active hedgehog community groups on Facebook guys if you need info on safe plants and everything!

[@mayaphillips2634]

I just love how happy momo looks in that photo while you’re talking about her up rooting the plants😂😂

[@Uniquegagel]

How often do you replace the clean up crew and how many bugs do you put in there?

[@kirstenmcallister2156]

Wow didn’t even know you could do this!!! This is such a cool idea. Love your videos!!!

[@justfive555]

Just a tip, excavator clay is supposed to be used as more of a way to mold a natural looking hide, not necessarily for the ground substrate (at least if you want your animal to have substrate to burrow in). But if your pet doesn’t need to burrow then you can use it for both hide and substrate

[@twiggyt]

Thank you for the update! I was wondering how it was working out for you. I'd love to do this for my hedgehog, but she has quill loss, and despite being to two vets we can't figure out exactly what's up. I'm hesitant to move her to something like this for fear I'd have to trash the whole thing after doing all the work to set it up.

[@hugginsobly3572]

your such a great human. k cant wait until you get to the millions

[@camilasadventures1605]

Biggest reason Momo probably left your snake plants alone is because they’re actually toxic if ingested… so if she tried nibbling on them she probably learned really quick that they would make her feel ill… Other than that, I found this video really helpful! I adopted a hedgehog from a friend who wanted to get rid of theirs so I’m looking to improve her life as much as I can

[@hopep6715]

I did this for my rats. They love it! Highly recommend for any pet ❤️

[@heidik.9005]

Hparisi 17 what kind of substrate did you use? Do the rats get dirty? I would love to do a section of their cage like this but i dont want them being covered in dirt!

[@hopep6715]

Heidi K. Yeah I did use dirt. They do get pretty dirty, but they're very good at cleaning themselves. A lot of the dirt from the paws came off on the fleece, but it came right out in the washer. I used sphagnum moss at the bottom and dirt on top of it. I put earth words and springtails in it. They loved to dig and eat the earth worms. I also put a bunch of Rat safe plants in it, but they destroyed most of them. I would recommend just the snake plant (like he said). It's a bit expensive, but totally worth and something that is so fun for the rats to play in all night. Let me know if you have anymore questions ❤️

[@elianarivera4987]

I have a question!! how many cultures of springtails did you start out with in your bioactive rat soil? & did you decide to start breeding your CUC, like did you have a back up enclosure for your CUC? or did you not have any back up enclosure & just kept a close eye & topped the CUC off when needed? im reeeeeeallly looking into making the switch for my boys.

[@hilarymelgar7817]

Could you do one for sugar glider, I haven’t seen a good quality one yet.

[@jessicadjbird]

How often do you have to replenish the cleanup crew? I'm thinking of doing this for my hedgie but I've never had a bioactive enclosure before :)

[@sterreheerlien4788]

Yes I want to know that 2

[@nottoday3440]

Where do you get the clean up crew?

[@rabbitquartet9273]

Love the blue hair 💙

[@laurapickering6991]

Not sure if wandering Jew is safe for hedgehogs or not but they are very versatile and would basically root wherever they touch soil

[@noe_-gf7gu]

Omg I’m obsessed with your hair and videos ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@tylerrugge]

Thank you so much😭

[@cakelake963]

I absolutely love this!!! If I ever get a hedgehog I’ll definitely do this! I wonder if people do this with any other small pets (hamsters, guinea pigs, etc.)

[@HlastaCaled]

Have you seen a diference in how or what she is anointing her spines with? I have heard that hedgehogs anoint themselves with they feces .... Did you consider sand instead of the clay? sand lets moisture through clay block moisture?

[@9Brandi4]

Also. how often do you have to replace the clean up crew?

[@MrFrisco1981]

Dosent the open terrarium with the grid invite alot of fruit flies? Note sure if it is a wise ide to have an open terrarium like that, you will get alot of diffrente types of bugs in there. I grow isopods and springtails, and if the lock isen't closed tight, then fruit flies will arrive, and to kille of the fruit flies is almost impossible.

[@pjjimenez6040]

I have a couple questions, because I have a hedgehog and I’m now interested in doing this. How big is your cage, do you still have a wheel, do you still have a food and water dish?

[@taoutdoors8110]

For the cyprus mulch, what brand did you use? Josh's frogs? Galapagos brand? Or did you use forest floor??

[@benko_dzso]

It would be helpful if you could tell whats in the soil mixture. Thanks!!

[@mikej7467]

Where do you get those wooden hides? They’re so nice and natural looking. Also do you think the excavator clay could work if mixed with equal parts sand, or is it better to just leave it out altogether?

[@dianathomas2674]

Amazing idea. Heads up: I just learned that most small animals can get sick from cypress bedding, and it should not be used.

[@haddenguineas3084]

love this set up.. hopefully will own a hedgehog one day!

[@missbrussow324]

I finally got to see you at the reptile expo this weekend.!! ❤️

[@Mel-fu4cr]

Hey, Did you continue on with the bioactive?

[@TT-xm6ro]

Can you do a bio active cage in a fish tank type enclosure ? The roach thing freaks me out

[@smithplayz1564]

Can u do an updated hedgehog care vid plz!!

[@SavvyMarion]

Yesss been looking for a video like this

[@makenziwilson9181]

You’re teeth are amazing. Also, love your videos!

[@DonkeyDongs]

Good job on taking care of her properly!

[@S0dap0pb0ttle]

No question. I just love your blue cloud ☁️ also your content. But the cloud definitely stole some attention lol

[@faelir3886]

What do you use to heat her place and where do you put it?

[@mitchellcuddy8393]

She seems very happy awesome job

[@patanddawg]

would you ever consider housing a hedgie and a tenrec together? I have a fairly large Bio-active enclosure for my Hedgie and I have been trying to find anyone who houses there HH with other (non CUC) animals. I see them often get along with cats and dogs, so why not other animals (desert pet species like maybe a tortoise, iguana, chameleon, bearded dragon or a desert toad? Do you have any thoughts on this? Thank you in advance!

[@kaitlyng.473]

I wonder if this would work well for hamsters with a few modifications. I will have to do some more research on this!

[@autumnsmith6201]

Kaitlyn G. Hamsters do best in a natural setup. But no insects as domesticated hamsters aren’t the best hunters. I’d look up German style natural hamster enclosures

[@JurassicJoey17]

You’ve inspired me! I feel like you’re my twin in every way ha!

[@alygator04]

This might be a stupid question, but are plants necessary?

[@miloainsworth5423]

I don't think they are absolutely necessary, but a nice cage decoration and may help it look more bioactive. Hope this helps!

[@freysummerstar]

can I ask why your hedgehog is in a barred cage? they should be kept in a vivarium, they need apt heat and bars are extremely dangerous if they ever manage to climb, they can get stuck and fatally injure themselves

[@jonathancheng5650]

Hey you're back finally!

[@tylerrugge]

YESSSSS

[@MM-ct2te]

I have a hedgehog...her name is Amy! Love love love her! Best pet I've ever had. However, I do live in California and they are illegal here. I purchased her from a breeder in Nevada for $250 which isn't bad for an EXOTIC pet when it comes to their overall health being guaranteed. I do let her run about in the backyard on nice days which she loves. There are however a lot of plants and flowers in my backyard and I have learned that Amy does like succulents. She actually consumed a piece of one and I freaked out a little bit uncertain of how her body would react to it. Fortunately, she was just fine and tends to find her way to the section of the yard where my succulent garden is planted. Amy does like to eat them...however I am unsure how healthy this may or may not be for her. One flower that Amy absolutely does not like and will turn away from every time and really surprised me because its a flower that smells beautiful... ROSES!! Weird right?! I thought so. I too created a more natural environment for Amy...the whole plastic container for starters just seems wrong. I did originally have her in a cage a little smaller than yours and tried the newspaper, wood chip bedding, shredded paper, fleece and even cotton pads for potty training puppies. I didn't care for any of it. Also, I did not want to just put her bugs down on the bedding so I decided to take a plastic bin with organic dirt and that is where she ate her bugs. Amy loved it! She started digging, scratching and rolling around. I even caught her flip flopping herself back n forth...so cute. This was a game changer and seemed to be the answer to my problems. Its true...hedgehogs POOP A LOT! Mostly in their wheel then it gets on their feet and is carried down onto the fleece, bedding etc. Very MESSY, STINKY and not fun to clean up...which had to be done on a very regular basis. I've watched videos where owners clean the cage and wheel once per week...that is CRAZY and unhealthy. Amy now has a bioactive cage and we all love it. The only down side is Amy's quills tend to get dirty much faster and her feet are still just as dirty...so every morning she gets a warm foot bath and needs bath time more frequently. I think what you do is great for all your pets. I am a huge animal lover myself and animals of all kinds even pets of my friends that don't like most people are naturally drawn to me. I think it is more of a spiritual thing. ANYWAYS...It's nice to see that you are a pet owners that actually care about their pets and take their natural habitat into consideration vs putting them in a storage bin. lol It shows that you have a good spirit and love these animals vs having them just because you can. Love your content Love your channel!!

[@noturmamalol728]

Thanks for this info! I NEED my daughter to work on a better set up for her hedgy, the smells kill me! My question is about water... do you have to water the plants in the cage or mist the soil regularly or does it just maintain itself with the pee/poop? And do you clean off the logs and wheel often yourself?

[@PorkChopz]

I would like to know if this would work for my bunny? My mother is thinking of building my bunny a screen in habitat that's kind of outside but also inside. She wants concrete for walls and as floor 3 feet in the ground then using plexi glass and metal mesh for the siding. If we fill the concrete hole with dirt and bugs it should work. Right?

[@whitneymosier2130]

I need to get a hold of those bugs. Whats the best source to get the dubia roaches, isopods, mealworms and is that the complete list of bugs i need? My hedgehog believe it or not was a rescue kinda. He must've escaped someone who was breeding. He is 4-6 mo old the vet said. I just want him to be happy. And my cage setup while im genuinely trying just... i like the bioactive idea!!

[@juliawidmark3394]

How long and wide is your cage?

[@justycependergast3024]

i have a few questions that i would love for you to answer because i am thinking about getting a hedgehog and using a bio active se up.... 1. what do you do for cleaning the cage and do you spot clean it or no if so what do you do and how often 2. how often do you replace the clean up crew 3. where did you get your hedgehog and how much was she 4. do you feed her other food besides the bugs 5. how would you recommend setting up a bio active cage in a c and c cage 6. can you tell me how to set up the heating in a c and c bio active cage I would REALLY appreciate it if you responded to me and answered my questions it will help a LOT thank you 😊

[@gabydiaz217]

yasss love you and your blue hair 😙💙

[@Roux-AtlasCreation]

Have you considered cosplaying Jack frost cause I mean....

[@saharasimpson1281]

Can we get another update please and approximately how much you spent

[@maryrivera83]

Could you have a play pin that is not bioactive as well as a home dwelling? Or if you switch that's the only way?

[@chelseabockius1547]

Hey Tyler!!! This is so fascinating. What soil did you use and mulch? Where did you purchase everything including the woods for her to climb on? I’m looking at switching all of my hedgies over to bioactive.

[@demetrialexander3358]

The mulch is cypress, but I'm not sure on the soil. Try Hedgehogs of Asgard on Tumblr, they have a bioactive cage as well.

[@demetrialexander3358]

So, I looked into it, it's eco soil without added fertilizer.

[@laurenknobloch8346]

was it hard to go from fleece to this? Do you have links to where you got all the soil and bugs from. Thanks this was really helpful!

[@pjjimenez6040]

Can you do another update on this? I’ve been thinking of doing it lately

[@artemis6297]

I’ve been wanting to do a bioactive enclosure for my guinea pig, any advice?

[@EastCoastFinz06]

Cool video I just got a Sulcata Tortoise

[@carriej73]

How much of each Cleanup Crew species did you add for that size enclosure?

[@jennypherespinosa581]

hi, do you know if this could be done safely for tenrecs? I'll love to do this !

[@zarab581]

Omg i love u so much u rock every hair colour like how

[@avahouston5571]

I think it’s my hedgehogs goal to poop on every thing he sees lol, he also loves to go to the bathroom during foot baths... he also loves to attack my toes lol

[@delphine6016]

I have an off topic question about birds. Do you know if the spca usually has birds like monk parakeets and African greys?

[@shayrose7705]

TheStrangeOne look up parrot rescues in your state :) they will have larger parrots like African greys cockatoos cockatiels even, macaws senigals etc.

[@delphine6016]

Shay Rose Thanks! I think the closest rescue is an hour and a half away, but I’ll check. I miss owning a large parrot so I was looking at one again.

[@danidevo]

Love this idea!!

[@pommymommy8394]

Do you just let her eat the bugs or what all do you feed her?

[@MrStorbusan]

Doesn't your super worms metamorphisise into flying *roaches*(not sure if that is what they are but they look like it) after they burrow? Mine did that a lot.

[@tylerrugge]

I’ve never witnessed this happen but I’ve heard the Beatles actually make good cleanup crew as well! And they actually can’t use their wings therefore they don’t fly (:

[@MrStorbusan]

@@tylerrugge Omg that is a relief. I always thought they could use their wings and threw them out THE VERY SECOND i saw them become a pupa because otherwise they would escape and infest my house or somthing.

[@sarawittner2921]

Hi Tyler, Every hedgehog I have ever had has needed a heating pad in their enclosure. I see a light. Is that what you do to keep Momo warm? Thanks! Sara

[@stellawilliam7306]

Sara Wittner hello, it is not really a light but instead a clamp with a ceramic bulb. This emits zero lights so that the hedgehog can have a natural sleeping pattern.

[@peterhayes7349]

how often do you find you have to replace the clean up crew once a month ? could you give me an idea thanks

[@lauraaaa2010]

Do you have to trim hedgehogs nails? And if yes, does the bioactive enclosure keep her nails from getting long quickly?

[@tylerrugge]

Yes their nails have to be trimmed! The bioactive enclosure doesn’t help keep their nails down from what I’ve seen because there still aren’t any rough surfaces that they wear their nails down on

[@CekiNinja]

Love that your going beyond what America thinks is acceptable:) keep up the amazing work dude! I enjoy a lot of or videos. Would you ever consider doing a video of how you afford all your animals? I’ve been pretty curious how people with a lot of pets afford all the food and husbandry

[@tonypepperoni9954]

Do you think you could do a setup like this for rodents like mice, rats and hamsters??

[@meganembry8053]

I love this. My only concern is the bugs.. do they get out?

[@nicolewolstein4466]

Megan Embry he literally answered that in the video

[@catalinavazquez9684]

How many times do you add more bugs

[@koathetrickchicken1172]

Do you know of anymore mammals that can live in a bioactive setup?

[@irrationallyhappy]

Thank you SO MUCH for this video!! My hedgehog poops SO. MUCH. Def going to try this out!!!

[@miraclesmith2847]

Love the hair😍😍 when are we getting a house tour🤔😂💕

[@nataliabirchall9093]

That’s a good idea! Wonder if you can do this with a hamster

[@ScubaX29]

Did you also take out the play sand also and how do you keep her weight in check when she has access to insects all the time? Great video as always Tyler!

[@markrosens]

Tyler, do you think a bioactive setup like you show in this video would work for degus (i.e. if added to a standard degu enclosure)?