So you've decided to make a bioactive setup for your crested gecko, that's great!
Let me help you get started.
*NOTE*- I recommended reading the entire guide before setting anything up
This guide also works for gargoyle geckos.
You will need the following supplies
A drainage layer
Hydroballs
A substrate barrier
Terrarium Draining Mesh
A soil that can support plants
ABG soil
Organic topsoil
Reptisoil
Exo Terra Rainforest Substrate
Moss
Mood Moss
Sheet Moss
Sphagnum Moss
Pillow Moss
Spanish Moss
Leaf Litter
Mongolia
Oak
Mulberry
Guava
You can choose any of the soils, mosses, or leaf litters listed above, you do not need all of them.
Next you will need to add some plants. Almost any plants can work but some won't be well in this environment.
Some good choices would be
Pothos
Bromeliads
Snake Plant
Philodendron
Wandering Jew
Bella Palm
Creeping Fig
Creeping Jenny
Lucky Bamboo
Coffee Plants
Spider Grass
African Violet
You will also need a clean up crew (CUC) that will help decompose dead plants, poop and uneaten food.
Clean up crews are made of springtails, isopods, darkling beetles, and various worms such as earthworms, mealworms and superworms. It is recommended to buy your CUC and not catch them from the wild as wild insects can have parasites or diseases.
To setup your bioactive you will put down 2-3 inches of your drainage layer, then the substrate barrier, next the soil and then the moss and plants and finally the leaf litter.
Once you have put all that in the you can scatter in your CUC and then add in your crested gecko!
You can add a few things to your bioactive that make it just a bit more special but you do not need these items.
A background
A waterfall
To create a background you will need the following
Great Stuff Foam
100% Silicone (black and/or brown)
Planters
Orchid Bark (optional)
Coco Fiber
Black Enamel Paint (optional)
Sphagnum Moss (optional)
Driftwood
Carving Tools
Gloves
Paintbrush(es)
Shop-vac (optional)
Paint thinner (you won't need this if you don't use the paint)
First clean where the background will be placed with rubbing alcohol. By cleaning the tank you will help the silicone stick to the tank.
Next figure out where you will be placing your driftwood, if you choose to use some.
To make sure the driftwood does not move you can tie fishing line to the ends and hang it from an area so that it does not shift out of place too much.
If you will add plants into your background, plastic pots are recommended. Place paper towel in the pots so that the foam does not come in the pot through the drainage holes. Set these aside for later.
Get your foam out and put on some gloves so that you don't get any foam on your hands. Next apply an even layer of foam on the glass of the tank. Build up the desired levels of foam as you apply it and don't worry if you add too much as you can simply carve it away. It is recommended not to create a background deeper than 2 inches but you can go a tad larger. It will take anywhere from 8-24 hours for your foam to dry depending on how thick you make it.
Once the foam has begun to dry, after about an hour, place the plastic pots in the foam where desired.
Once the foam is fully dry (hard to the touch), then get carving tools ready and remove any fishing line if you used any.
When carving the background make sure there is at least 4 inches on the bottom of the tank so that you can place in your substrate.
When carving your background think of the animal(s) that will using the background. You can carve in different depths, crevices, and even caves depending on the animal(s).
Since a crested gecko will be using this you will want to put in lots of different depths so they can climb on it.
Once you are done carving remove all the debris. It seems easiest to remove it with a shop-vac.
Next get your silicone and the cap(s) from the foam, and paintbrush(es). Squeeze the silicone into the cap(s) and use the paintbrush(es) to spread the silicone on the foam.
It is recommended to wear gloves as this is also messy.
Next spread the sphagnum moss and orchid bark onto the silicone. Then spread the coco fiber all over the background and pack it down. Let this dry for 2-3 hours. Then tip the tank to make the excess fiber come off the background.
Then use a carving tool to scrape off the excess silicone on the tank after about 6 hours of it drying or after 24 hours.
*NOTE*- Let the silicone dry for a total of 24 hours
Now the black enamel paint comes into play. If you don't want to see the foam on the outside of the tank then paint on two layers of the black enamel paint.
*NOTE*- Do not put any paint on the inside of the tank where the gecko will be.
If you want to add a waterfall I recommend buying the Zoo Med Naturalistic Terrarium Waterfall Kit. It provides helpful instructions and comes with just about everything you will need. You will need to get a cork background unless you build your own background. Some additional things you could buy that would be a nice addition for the waterfall would be cork rounds and/or mopani wood.