Originally posted on Feb 25, 2024 on our Patreon.
Cost: About $250
Supplies Used:
– Exoterra 12x12x12″
– Spider wood (from Amazon)
– Great Stuff Foam x2
– Live plants of choice
– Terrarium Sphagnum Moss
– Coconut hide
– Hot glue gun + non-toxic glue
– NEHERP: Substrate Base Kit For Bioactive 12x12x12 Enclosures
- Select Substrate Blend:: NEHERP V2
- Select Leaf Litter: 0.5 Gal. @ $4.49/ea
- Select Springtails / Isopods:: Both @ $20.48
- Included Substrate: 1.5 Gallons (Not Adjustable)
- Included LDL: 1.5 Gallons (Not Adjustable)
- Included Screen Separator: 12×12 (Slightly Oversized)
Step 1:
Plan out ideas for where you want the hide and sticks to be positioned in the wall. Remember that your gecko will spend most of their time climbing, or near the top of the enclosure, so this is where I would position the hide. Leave gaps between branches so that they can practice jumping. I highly recommend doing this before you use the foam, as this small tank is crowded and difficult to move around in, and the foam is sticky.
Step 2:
This is important. Wear eye protection, use gloves, and even a face mask if possible. Wear a dirty shirt. Be aware that anything the foam touches will get ruined, including knives, shirts, etc. Apply the spray foam to the walls as slowly and carefully as possible. Try to avoid leaving any holes or gaps, either in the wall you’re creating itself, or the side on the inside of the glass. You will have to hold the sticks and hide into place to let the foam settle.
Step 3:
Use a knife to carve the walls however you please. I preferred a flatter surface so that there’d be more space in the tank, but you can make it bumpy or cave-like too. This is a bit taxing and time intensive, as the foam is rather thick to push through, and the little pieces cause a mess. You’ll want to clean these out of your tank and area completely.
Step 4:
Apply the live moss across the walls using hot glue. This is a bit sticky and difficult, and takes some working to do. I found it best to clump moss into balls, stick the glue on the back, and press and hold them on. It’s best to cover the walls as completely in moss as possible, though this will likely take touch-ups, not just a day later but months later into the enclosure.
Step 5:
Prepare your draining substrate. My kit (NEHERP V2) included small clay balls. The packaging asked for me to wash these in the tub until the black stopped draining out of them.
Step 6:
Add your draining substrate until it fills approximately 2-3 inches. I made mine come up to about just under the divider at the front of my Exoterra.
Step 7:
Add draining and substrate separation liner. The one that came with my kit looks like a tight mesh screen. I added it to the tank a few times to check the size and cut off edging. I did this until it was still slightly too large, but fit well. Then I placed this over the drainage layer.
Step 8:
Add about an inch of your official substrate on top. Mine came with some leaf litter so I added it at this stage.
Step 9:
This is the time to add your ground sticks and plants. It’s a smart idea to do a quick search to find out what plants are gecko safe, but here’s a few: Pothos, bomeliads, ferns, snake plants, and Chinese evergreen.
Step 10:
Time to add your critters! The springtails, isopods, and the gecko, I mean.
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Did you find this helpful to you? Would you make any changes?