We Built Our Water Dragon A Bioactive Enclosure

[@animalwondersmontana]

The first 1000 people who click the link will get 2 free months of Skillshare Premium: skl.sh/animalwondersmontana0820. Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring this episode!

[@kristianwilliams441]

A note - springtails aren't actually insects! Springtails (Collembola) are in the class Entognatha rather than Insecta because their mouthparts are internal, as opposed to the external mouthparts of insects.

[@timapiepgrass8702]

I had a thought along these lines but you said it 100x better than I could have.

[@AlbertaGeek]

Neat! I did not know that!

[@juliusroman8616]

How are their mouthparts internal?! Are they like starfish?

[@kristianwilliams441]

@@juliusroman8616 I'm actually not sure exactly how the anatomy works! I just know that that's the reason springtails aren't insects, haha.

[@Cary0G]

I would love a before and after of this tank in a year, and also of one of the older bioactive enclosures you've made!

[@animalwondersmontana]

That's a great idea! We have some bioactive enclosures that have been going solid for a few years now, and we have some that have failed. I think sharing our successes and failures would be beneficial for anyone thinking of going bioactive.

[@davidf2244]

@@animalwondersmontana please do that sounds great. Especially the failures: what mistakes to avoid, and warning signs to watch out for.

[@rudresh10000]

I'm curious how you keep track of what you need to do for the day? I'd find it very inserting if you could share how you guys schedule stuff.

[@Ver4a]

I love the videos about the bioactive enclosures, it's fascinating! I would actually love more videos about all the different enclosures you have for the animals! Also, the moment I move to a flat with more light, I am getting aaaaalllll the plants. I too, want to live in a bioactive enclosure.

[@curiousfirely]

If you don't watch them already - check out Snake Discovery. They've done a number of videos on bioactive enclosures.

[@nerdisaur]

I love Loki and his biodome 😊 once I get a job again I’ll definitely be donating to these happy lizards!

[@madelinemcdonald2609]

I’m in a herpetology class this semester and I love it so much. Today hiking we saw two juvenile five-lined skinks! I don’t know why people don’t like herps I just think they’re so cute. Thank you for loving yours!

[@tzxazrael]

because "ew icky lizards! they're slimy!" (which is bull.) basically, most things that people dislike are learned behaviors.fc

[@curiousfirely]

This is the exact reason I am thinking of a Herp (or Tarantula) as a classroom pet, when I get to the point in teaching that I have my own classroom! I want to teach them they are NOT slimy or gross, but super cool and fascinating!

[@juliusroman8616]

@@curiousfirely I think a snake would be great to have (as they can be cute, and way less intimidating when you learn you can handle them without bites or death (as long as they're not venomous).

[@patrickm3656]

Jesse you folks are the best! Love your channel and all the animals. Would love to see more Kemo, how’s he doing? He’s my absolute favorite and I even bought some of his quills:)

[@animalwondersmontana]

We've had a few requests for more Kemosabe. I guess we'll have to get our prickly friend back in front of the camera!

[@margaretturtle5827]

The mushroom that grows, take it out or keep it in? And why

[@animalwondersmontana]

I leave them in, but knock them over before they send out spores. They're non-toxic, so if I removed them I'd just be taking out nutrients that the isopods could utilize. But if I let it mature and send out spores it could create an unnecessary irritation to the inhabitants or human keepers. So I keep the nutrients in the cycle and eliminate any risks.

[@margaretturtle5827]

Thank you !

[@gunasundariganeshbabu7169]

I love your channel! I wish you had unlimited resources to care of those animals in need. I'm so glad that the animal at animal wonders are having a incredible life!!! We would like to help your organ...is there any other way rather than buying stuff from your Amazon wish list?

[@animalwondersmontana]

Thank you for offering your support! There's a few ways to help out, each is a bit different so you can choose what works best for you. 1. Donate directly! You can go to our website animalwonders.org or follow this link animalwonders.networkforgood.com/projects/97399-support-animal-wonders 2. Become a patron on Patreon to help support our YT channel (we get 50% of your donation, our production company get the other) 3. Schedule a Virtual Tour and get to see the animals up close and visit with Jessi, Taylor,or Augusto. Link www.animalwonders.org/virtual-tours.html 4. Sponsor an animal! Information can be found on our website. 5. Purchase AW merch at dftba.com, link store.dftba.com/collections/animal-wonders 6. Amazon Wishlist fulfillments. You can purchase small to medium items you know are needed. 7. Join our Amazon Smile program. Choose to have Animal Wonders as your charity and we'll receive 0.5% of the total you spend on Amazon shopping. Only trick is you need to sign on trough amazonsmile and not just amazon.. 8. Share our videos! Thanks for asking!!

[@gunasundariganeshbabu7169]

@@animalwondersmontana hey Jessi, when i was thinking what to do for helping your organisation, I decided to buy stuff and then post it to your address. But I cannot send items through amazon cause there were few problems. I thought I can get items for stores here and then pack them together, and courier it to your location here is a list of things I thought would be useful for you, pls tell me which is most needed 1. millet sprays (for bird training) 2. bird perches 3. towels 4. saff flower and sunflower seeds( becuz there is a boom in their production, so they are so cheap now) tell me what you would love ❤️

[@animalwondersmontana]

@@gunasundariganeshbabu7169 Thanks for thinking it over and finding items that might help. Of the ones you mentioned, bird perches and safflower seeds would be the most beneficial for us. Thank you so much!

[@procrastinator99]

I know it can't be done super often because the plants need to grow, but occasional updates on how the living space is developing would be awesome!

[@kw6248]

He looks so much happier! Are bioactive enclosures appropriate for pythons? Would you recommend any particular resources for learning more? Would you please consider making a video about the maintenance of bioactive enclosures? Thanks for the great video and inspiration!

[@animalwondersmontana]

You can definitely do bioactive for pythons. SerpaDesign on YT does some amazing builds and has some great educational videos on how to do custom bioactive enclosures. If you're on Facebook, there are some excellent groups you can join for inspiration and help from experienced folks. I'd recommend Reptile and Amphibian Bioactive Setups for starters. Have fun!

[@kw6248]

@@animalwondersmontana Thanks so much! My carpet python enclosure upgrade is about to get a whole lot better. You continue to inspire me to look for new ways to enrich my pets' lives, so thanks for that too!

[@MaryJo22]

You did such a good job with this bioactive setup! Hat's off to you and I wish you the best in these difficult times

[@chedrrs]

The dislikes are from the other jealous water dragons

[@callunas]

I used to have a bioactive aquarium like this. It's so satisfying to have a little slice of nature in your own home.

[@erin1777]

Woah! It’s a lizard wonderland! That looks like a pretty amazing place for a water dragon to live.

[@tzxazrael]

♫ Walkin' in a Lizard wonderland... ♪ lmao, sing THAT at the next family xmas...

[@eliotdaoust3765]

This video comes right at the perfect moment! I am about to do the same type of new costum built inclosure for my chinese crested! Lots of great info thanks for sharing!!!

[@juanfallas7402]

Loved the dedication and how it turned out. It's a great way to have everyone for in and feel comfortable!

[@carschmn]

That’s such a cool enclosure! Good work!

[@serenityrose6946]

Love the videos wanted to know what should I get for a first time pet owner besides dogs or cats

[@marim0y]

Who's disliking this wholesome content? 😠

[@elskabee]

yes! another bioactive enclosure! I think it's so cool that you can do that, I bet it saves a lot of cleaning having those detritivores at work :)

[@danniemikeey579]

Omg its so rare to see water dragons this big 😍 I love this!! I need to do something like this for mine.

[@alysonshorthouse8858]

I love Loki's little hands holding his branches. He's gorgeous

[@mikefitz2124]

Grow tents are best for super slightly reptiles like water dragon and sailfin dragons… protects tremendously from nose damage

[@cathyrined9984]

Loki's got sweet digs. I hope the rattle snake prayer plant survives it looks great in there.

[@lapizzalazuli]

First!

[@angryowl6226]

You're ACTUALLY the first person to comment on this vid! :)

[@lapizzalazuli]

@@angryowl6226 first time being this early

[@angryowl6226]

@@lapizzalazuli Yeah same!

[@ResurrectionFern]

Any update on Hazel the bunny's health?

[@hannahgearhart2336]

Who would dislike this video!

[@mutantgoat4964]

How did you guys light this? I'm having problems finding the right lighting for my new enclosure. 5foot tall; 4 foot long, 2 feet wide. Bioactive. Looking for all sources of light and day/night heating. Options? Please and thank you.

[@MrKingsbury94]

Animal wonders Montana I urgently need your help, in regards to the lighting scenario for the water dragon. I've been using Zilla dome reflectors and exo Terra halogen bulbs and they just keep blowing every basking Bulb i use blows... Please send detailed description of your lighting setup even a link of where I can purchase I'm tired of f****** around.

[@kristinedewolf7217]

I would like to add a water tank to the bottom of my bio active enclosure. It will be 2’x15”x9”H. Do you know what aquatic organisms I can include in the tank to prevent having to change the water? I have a double filter waterfall that will be incorporated, I have live aquatic plants in his current feature. I would like to include a snail species or something to provide additional cleaning power. Maybe an algae eater and a species or two of fish.

[@lottieevans3219]

Aww so cute! 😩🥰❤️🙈🙉😁

[@aBatwoman]

Needs a heat lamp. Always wanted a bioactive but plant tent is cheapest and best to go. Glass is terrible for them. I named mine Star-Lord I like Loki had a rat named Loki and a crested gecko named Charizard.

[@doit4chicago25]

I love you enclosure you did in fact I love you KZbin channel all together but I was wondering wouldn't a water dragon need water like a section big enough to swim or run across

[@kristinedewolf7217]

Also, can the bugs included in the enclosure get out? I know that our door doesn’t exactly close with a seal, what does that mean for bugs in the house?

[@taylor-]

I know Chinese water dragons poop in the water. How does the cleanup for that work in a bioactive setup?

[@570exotics9]

If I was to do Chinese water dragon u should of brought up how see thru glass is bad idea because they nose rub other than that it's a beautiful setup my green basilisk would of loved that setup

[@culwin]

A perfect place to house my brother -Thor

[@WhimsyLuna1up]

About how large is the living space for loki(only)?

[@carsonokeeffe]

can you provide an update on how this bioactive closure is thriving?

[@MrCleanEmpire]

Nice water bowl for your WATER dragon 😂

[@shilohivy4590]

He’s super chill compared to my cwd hatchling

[@kalahnshelby]

Is there an update video on Loki's enclosure yet? It's been a year!

[@madbroshow4731]

Bought my anole a uv light but it still doesn't eat all the time what should I do reptile lovers?

[@sylvester452]

yasss

[@lizdyson3627]

What size exo tetras are your leopard geckos in please Jessica?

[@Nick-lh7rp]

Could you post a list of the plants used in Loki's enclosure?

[@ominoustomato]

Early squad!

[@christianmorgan104]

I would love an update on Loki’s home

[@JenniferDziuvenis]

I love you guys so much I watch you guys on epic

[@Jungleroomreptiles]

I built mine a whole Jungle Room 22ft long

[@kgabr4856]

I have a Chinese water dragon to omg cool

[@alipetuniashow]

Can you make a video on this type of setup.

[@apollosmoon8658]

Well I can tell by his face you've never covered the glass. They can't process transparent things like glass, so they bash their face into it. Poor guy

[@animalwondersmontana]

Poor Loki buddy was not kept in appropriate housing when he was young. We received him when his previous owners relinquished him at about 6-9 months old. He had an open wound on the front of his face that, with proper housing and medical treatment, took many weeks to heal. We gave him a larger enclosure with plenty of places to hide and solid wall coverings so he would stop the destructive behavior of glass rubbing that had become a habit in his previous home. While his mouth will never look normal again, we share him in our public presentations to teach about preventing animals from suffering due to human caregiver inexperience and ignorance, and encourage research on proper environment and respect for all animals.

[@tzxazrael]

awesome video! i'm not even that into herps.. lol... but Loki is lucky to have found his way to you guys. random question; if you don't mind saying, how big is the actual property you guys have, and what's around you? eg, parks.. residential.. etc

[@ExtremeUnction1988]

That is a VERY weird dog.

[@jorgecanales798]

I would to live in his enclosure tbh. I love plants as well , I’m currently propagating pothos and have a snake plant and several lucky Bamboo stalks.

[@shellinboots]

wow i might've teared up just a little bit knowing Loki is so happy and well cared for. thank you for the work you do, Jessi!

[@pidgelord9445]

Such an amazing habitat construction rundown! Would be super interested to hear you talk about avian habitat design (or even doves in particular).

[@j4n3r]

What happened to its mouth?

[@themaddiemads]

The knowledge you have about each species is so clear when you look at how well both Jade, and Loki blend into their enclosures. Jade's is more brown/beige toned, and Loki's is so green, which is very cool to see! Also love to see how much better Loki's poor nose looks now!

[@timapiepgrass8702]

Thanks for doing another bio-active enclose video, I was really hoping for one!

[@lisaenglert3202]

Looks amazing! I’m sure he’s happy. Nice job you guys!

[@latieplolo]

My dream project is a tall plywood tank like this, except with storm door glass for the front and all water in the bottom.

[@adamwishneusky]

Dang you’re good at what you do! And I love Loki just chillin on your hand throughout the video 😄

[@ampPLrant]

I would love to see a detailed video about the detritivores in your bioactive enclosures. It would be really interesting to follow the food web in the enclosure and learn more about the tiny clean up crew.

[@jdandkikisExotics]

do chinese water dragons need a swimming area or is a 40 gallon plastic tub enough

[@djpollo2474]

40 gallon is not enough, also they can't be in tanks or any thing with a screen or window and why you might say? Because they do not know the concept of it unlike other reptiles so they will head bash the screen until their face literally deforms. They need very high enclosures and large for water so they can swim alot. Sorry for the long message but I like them a lot and today I decided to do a lot of research so yea, oh yea they may be inexpensive (to buy) but most are imports so most likely have parasites

[@djpollo2474]

Wait did you mean 40gallon filled with water? If so then sorry I misunderstood

[@jdandkikisExotics]

@@djpollo2474 yea thats what i mean but i think ima move that to a project down the road anyways

[@jdandkikisExotics]

@@djpollo2474 the enclosure i was going to do was a 4x3x7

[@djpollo2474]

@@jdandkikisExotics wow for sure its going to thrive, in fact ill write it down to remember because I also want one but right now I can't. They for sure are beautiful animals

[@Guydude777]

Such a nice enclosure!

[@Xballawanaka]

Hey that is an awesome enclosure ! Do you have links for some ressources if we want to create a similar enclosure for other reptiles ? :)

[@I_am_Lauren]

I love natural and bioactive enclosures. The little extra work it takes to plan an appropriate habitat is worth the better life the animal who lives there has!

[@milkshake-380]

I'm the 1,000 like!!

[@TheJLAMAR23]

My god I need a male water dragon! I have an 8 year old girl that I love to death but the males are so much more to look at. Awesome tank too!

[@cherryXcanary]

So cool!!!!!!!! It looks great you did an amazing job!

[@Alyss93]

That's one lucky lizard!

[@joan4239]

You always do such a great job of building habitats 😍

[@mokimon5079]

I would die for Loki

[@anna.m8]

Loki happily chillig on her hand is everything 😌

[@ediekoller1144]

Love Loki's new home he is so cute. Thanks so much Jessi:)

[@rickymullane9973]

very nice tank

[@shilohivy4590]

Swimming area?

[@christianmorgan104]

This is amazing

[@rubymimosa]

Oh gosh, good for y’all! And giii for Loki!

[@hashvithgummadi7874]

S

[@nicksexotics5229]

Is there no basking light for him to thermoregulate ?

[@animalwondersmontana]

I would have installed a heat lamp, however the light strip makes a nice temp gradient 98°F top / 85°F bottom during the day and the whole enclosure drops to about 78°-80°F at night.

[@nicksexotics5229]

AnimalWonders Montana the basking lamp is more than just temperature too though it’s the correct type of infra red radiation that the bulbs give off that is what the lizard needs

[@banterbick7381]

Good good dog gooooooooood food poop

[@phancyisfancy8510]

Emily would be proud

[@beastboy9660]

🖤🖤🖤

[@ruditapper7487]

How often does he poop ?

[@aBatwoman]

Usually daily with CWD.

[@lukagutierrez1050]

Can you do a video about water dragon care?

[@aBatwoman]

If you've never had a Chinese Water Dragon I wouldn't as a first pet I would do a crested gecko or leopard gecko. They are super high maintenance.

[@lukagutierrez1050]

@@aBatwoman I have had all three as pets, and currently have my second water dragon along with my African fat tail gecko and leopard gecko, sadly my crested gecko passed a couple months ago , but yes I have had experience in the area , I would just like to see how you take care of yours

[@eviceskating4873]

Cool

[@AlexsAgamids]

As a Chinese water dragon breeder. It's nice seeing a proper habitat on KZbin being maintained by a knowledgeable reptile keeper. Too many times I see Chinese water dragons on videos and on social media with their noses rubbed raw and or stunted growth because inexperienced keepers put them in glass fish tanks or screen habitats. Keep up the great work and sharing correct info!

[@Discussbicycle]

I know I’m late but what substrate do you use and at what percentages

[@AlexsAgamids]

@@Discussbicycle I personally use a base substrate of 50:50 organic top soil: coc husk/bark. With female Chinese water dragons I also add a deep nest box to offer them an egg laying area.

[@justinsevenster2342]

Second

[@numbblackpicture]

Oh man, I can't get over people being so enthusiastic about an enclosure that barely has the size of a quarantine setup. This is like 5 times smaller than it needs to be to to even start getting exited about. It looks dope, gotta give her that. But why do you keep animals like that if you clearly can't give them the space they need? This would be a nice enclosure for a day gecko or a crested gecko.. anoli, something like this.. like heck, people in europe would hate you for even putting a giant day gecko in there, it's still like half the size of what is legally required for one of these. With an adult water dragon we're talking half a room you need to dedicate to them... (well, depending on the room but you get the point)

[@uniqueeveryone]

is this a reupload....? or am i going insane

[@animalwondersmontana]

Not a re-upload, but we did make an episode on our savanna monitor build a bit ago. So maybe that's what you're remembering?

[@dentednj]

I just don't like the solitary confinement of keeping animals that would normally run through the branches of trees, or fly through jungles or whatever, in cages. In a much larger room sized enclosure with lots of space to move around and not just sit here or there, and with other animals to stimulate his brain maybe he'd have a decent life. Your new setup is very nice but not for an animal that size. Maybe tiny frogs or something very small.

[@animalwondersmontana]

Oh, we'd absolutely love to give him a whole room! Though, based on his personality, I'd guess he would only use what he needed in order to keep himself fed since water dragons don't engage in play behavior. Thinking about maintenence for the room if it was bioactive, it would be very difficult to keep it properly heated and provide appropriate uv lighting in the areas we thought he'd use most, as well as making sure there was adequate lighting for the plants to grow indoors especially during our MT winters. Then we'd also need to figure out how to keep the substrate healthy and not compacted too much from us waking on it.. As far other animals sharing the space, in the wild most other animals he would encounter would be prey or predator, or competition for resources and/or mates. We'd have to be very picky on which animals he co-habitated the space with since our goal is to keep him alive and healthy. Since water dragons don't thrive on socialization, being housed alone isn't isolating and is most likely less stressful than being housed with another water dragon. I often dreamed of what we'd do to improve the lives of each the animals and if we had unlimited funds I'd be happy to build each individual a huge space even if they didn't use it (for example: giving a water dragon a variety of branches to climb and lounge on like he should do since that's what they do in the wild, only to have him happily lay directly on the plants on the floor 🤭). Please remember that our organization takes in displaced wild and exotic animals that have been abused, neglected, discarded, or lovingly rehomed by previous owners. We do the best that we can with what we have and sometimes the animals we take in are in poor shape and take a significant amount of medical care to get healthy ❤ We try to make our funds go as far as possible, but there are absolutely limitations to what we can do. When we can make improvements, we do! 😊

[@davidcampos1463]

At the beginning of your videos there's a cartoon intro. You are one of the people who could control these cartoons best. Try a double intro if you can. And others as needed.

[@saranobutt]

I don't think I can get those over here where I live in London. There's so many reptiles I want but they just don't have them here at the pet stores that I go to.

[@nathan8268]

Sara Wilcker might have to go to a reptile show, but that will make it harder to verify reputable sellers.

[@NinaDmytraczenko]

You can check in online groups, there may be people giving up lizards for adoption! I got my second pup this way

[@liammarsh655]

CWD’s? Yes, you can, there’s at least 3 shops down here in Bournemouth that stock them