Free tool
Bioactive Build Planner
Pick your animal, tell us how many and what size enclosure, and get a complete bioactive plan: layer depths, exactly which products and how much, a one-click bundle, and a care and cleaning routine.
1
Choose your animal
Search 200 popular reptiles, amphibians, arachnids and insects.
2
How many will share this enclosure?
3
Enclosure size
We’ve pre-selected the smallest common size that suits your animal. Change it to match the enclosure you have.
Your custom build plan appears here
- Whether your animals can share an enclosure
- The right enclosure size
- Every layer and how deep to make it
- Exactly which products and how much – as one bundle
- Care and cleaning routine, plus guides
How the Bioactive Build Planner works
Choose from 200 of the most popular reptiles, amphibians, tarantulas, scorpions and insects kept in Canada. The planner checks whether your animals can share an enclosure, suggests the right enclosure size, and works out every layer of your bioactive build: drainage, soil, leaf litter and moss. Then it matches the exact products and quantities from our range, including Canadian-made soils from Jurassic Reptile Products, as a one-click bundle.
How deep should bioactive soil be?
For most tropical builds, use 3–5 cm of clay balls for drainage under 8–10 cm of bioactive soil. Burrowing species such as blue-tongued skinks, ball pythons and many tarantulas do best with 12–15 cm. Desert and semi-arid species like leopard geckos and bearded dragons need no drainage layer, just 12–20 cm of a sandy, semi-arid mix that holds burrows. The planner sets the depth for your species automatically. For more detail, see our drainage layer guide and substrate guide.
Frequently asked questions
Are the enclosure sizes minimums?
Yes. They're the minimum we'd recommend for an adult animal. Bigger is almost always better, especially for active lizards and snakes.
Why does the planner say my animals should be kept alone?
Many reptiles are solitary and become stressed or injured when housed together, even if they seem to get along at first. When a species is best kept alone, the planner plans one enclosure per animal.
Does the bundle include a clean-up crew and plants?
Not yet. Springtails, isopods, live plants, lighting and heating aren't sold by us, but the planner reminds you what you'll need. See our clean-up crew guide.
Can I share my plan?
Yes. The page address updates with your species, number of animals and enclosure size, so you can copy the link and send it to anyone.