There’s something exciting about building a tiny, thriving, self-contained ecosystem where life, moisture, and light coexist in delicate balance. Whether you’re envisioning a misty rainforest alive with dart frogs or a desert microhabitat for reptiles, a vivarium is more than just a decorative enclosure; it’s a slice of nature where plants, soil, and animals live in harmony.
Setting up a vivarium isn’t just about filling a tank with greenery; it’s about understanding how life interacts on a small scale: how moisture cycles through the air, how microorganisms keep the soil healthy, and how every leaf and stone and animal plays a role in the environment. In this guide, we’re going to help you understand how to set up a vivarium with all the tips and tricks you need to know when creating a balanced habitat in your own home.
What is a vivarium
A vivarium is a small, enclosed space designed to replicate a natural environment so that plants, animals, and microorganisms can live and interact in balance. They are self-contained habitats where everything in them plays a part in sustaining the enclosed environment. For example, the plants will produce oxygen, and microorganisms will break down waste.
Vivariums can also take many forms, like desert setups for reptiles or mixed land-and-water habitats for amphibians. To help you better understand the terminology (and what kind of setup you’ll need), here are the differences between a vivarium, a terrarium and a paladarium and how we distinguish between them in terms of products:
Vivarium - these are classed as a wooden box with a glass screen at the front, suitable for recreating an arid environment for bearded dragons and leopard geckos, and some invertebrates like scorpions.
Terrarium - this is a glass tank, usually with an opening on the front and mesh at the top, which are best for creating a humid environment like a jungle or rainforest, for animals such as crested geckos and frogs.
Paludarium - these are functionally the same as a terrarium but with a water section at the bottom, they are sometimes sold as a purpose-made paludarium which has more space below the front doors (to allow for more water), but you can use a terrarium as a paludarium if the height up to the doors is the limit for the water height.
Choosing the right enclosure for your reptiles
To start with, you’ll need to understand what your animals (and plants) need. This will help determine everything else that follows this step. For example:
- Tropical rainforest vivarium - These usually come with high humidity and dense foliage, making them great for frogs, geckos, and tropical plants. If this is the type of vivarium or terrarium setup you’re interested in, keep reading this guide to find out how to set one up.
- Desert vivarium - This type of vivarium will be set up to contain dry, warm conditions, ideal for reptiles like bearded dragons or desert plants such as succulents. If you’re planning to set up this type of vivarium, then you can read our blog on how to set up a bearded dragon vivarium.
- Water vivarium (Paludarium) - A mix of water and land, perfect for amphibians, fish, crabs or even a mix of different species. These often resemble swamp or jungle-like environments, and you can read more about these setups on our ‘How to set up a toad vivarium blog
Depending on which vivarium you’re planning on creating, the tank you need will be different. For example, wooden vivariums such as this Vivexotic Repti-Home Maxi Vivarium with Cabinets are great for creating desert-themed vivariums, but the wood won’t bode well with humid environments, as it can cause the wood to warp over time. For more humid environments, such as a bioactive vivarium, we would recommend a glass terrarium, such as this Betta Terra Glass Flat-Pack Terrariums as the enclosure, as the glass is much more suited to the wet conditions of a tropical vivarium.
Vivexotic Repti-Home Maxi Vivarium with Cabinets - £279.99
Betta Terra Glass Flat-Pack Terrariums - £229.99
How to set up a bioactive vivarium
Setting up a bioactive vivarium is a fun and rewarding project; it’s like creating a living work of art right in your own home. However, in order to create a stable habitat for your plants and animals, you’ll need to ensure you’re setting it up in the right way to ensure stability.
As mentioned above, vivariums can be set up in many different ways depending on what animals and plants you have, so it’s essential to research what kind of conditions your animal needs before getting started.
1. Set up the base layers
The first step after picking a suitable terrarium enclosure that can handle the humid environment needed for your reptile is to add the base layers. These layers (in order) include:
- A drainage layer (not needed in desert-themed vivariums)
- A screen layer (not needed in desert-themed vivariums)
- A substrate layer
The drainage layer is the first layer you’ll need to put down, and it does exactly as it sounds: it catches any water that flows through the substrate and keeps the substrate from becoming too saturated. This helps sustain a healthy humidity level and ideally should have a depth of 2.5-3 inches, but can vary depending on the size of your enclosure. You can use things like Pebbles, LECA, or hydroballs, but make sure to rinse them thoroughly in dechlorinated water before adding them to your vivarium.
The screen layer sits above the drainage layer and below the substrate, and is a non-toxic fine screen mesh that allows air & water to pass through it without allowing the substrate to reach the drainage layer and avoid the substrate getting wet.
The substrate layer is the final layer and will be needed in a vivarium of any kind, water-based or dry desert. Proper vivarium substrate must sustain plant life, microfauna life, the lives of the inhabitants, and resist breaking down long-term. Choosing the wrong substrate is a very common issue among beginners, so to help you get started, here are some good examples of vivarium substrates:
- Coco-coir / coconut fibre - good for moisture retention, but should not be used alone as it can compact or foul if too wet.
- Soil, peat & forest floor mixes - they’re rich in organic matter, good for plants, and microfauna, but must be free of fertiliser/chemicals.
- Sand, gravel & clay pellets - these are good desert setups or used in drainage base layers. However, they should be used carefully because of ingestion/compaction risk.
To finish off your substrate, you can incorporate leaf litter. Leaf litter provides a handful of important benefits to a live vivarium, such as offering a realistic touch to your built habitat and providing hiding places for the small inhabitants of your vivarium. They will also break down over time, which will provide small amounts of nutrients to the plants and microfauna in your tank.
2. Install lighting
Installing proper lighting is an essential step in creating a healthy and natural environment inside your bioactive vivarium. The right lighting not only helps plants grow but also supports the well-being and natural behaviours of any animals you keep, as lighting can mimic the natural day cycle.
Most vivarium plants do best with bulbs in the 5000-6500K (Kelvin) range; however, it’s much different for animals. Reptiles will require a much different kind of bulb than amphibians and aquatics, for example, so you have to make sure you’re getting the right light for your species.
Given that there are so many species and options to pick from, we would recommend something more general, such as this Arcadia LumenIZE Jungle Dawn. It offers bespoke control over the lighting of your vivarium to meet your inhabitants' needs, with a great dawn til dusk simulation to replicate the natural day cycle and keep your reptiles happy.
Arcadia LumenIZE Jungle Dawn App-Controlled LED Bars - £57.45
Important: Always double-check the needs of your inhabitants and what heating and lighting works best for their health before making any purchases, as every species is different.
3. Add your plants
Adding plants to your bioactive vivarium is one of the most exciting and creative steps in the setup process; it’s where your miniature world truly comes to life. Choosing the correct plants for your vivarium is absolutely the key to the thriving ecosystem you're looking for. However, you’ll have to coordinate the right plants with the right species to create a habitat they can thrive in. For example, geckos prefer plants such as Pothos, Bromeliads, and Ferns for tropical setups. You will want to ensure the plants you pick for them are safe for them.
Plants not only make a vivarium look great, but they also play a vital role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem by improving air quality, stabilising humidity, and providing shelter for animals. When choosing plants, consider the type of environment you’re recreating. Tropical species like ferns, bromeliads, and pothos thrive in humid setups, while succulents and cacti are better suited for dry, desert-style vivariums.
Once planted, give them time to adjust and establish their roots before adding animals. This gives you time to ensure that your ecosystem is stable.
4. Introduce microfauna
After you’ve added in your plants and your habitat is looking stable, it'll be time to introduce microfauna. Microfauna are tiny organisms like springtails and isopods (woodlice), and essentially make the clean-up crew that makes sure the bioactive vivarium stays in top shape. They break down decaying flora, eat fungus & mould, as well as any waste from your vivarium inhabitants. Here’s what we recommend:
Springtails - they are the most common type of microfauna and the least expensive. There are many different types of species, and many work well in vivariums, especially the "tropical" or "temperate" types. Springtails are smaller but breed quickly, making more microfauna to help keep the place clean.
Woodlice - These are bigger microfauna and tend to breed more slowly, but as they’re bigger, they can clean up “bigger messes” than the average springtail.
You can actually introduce a mix of both springtails and woodlice as they can coexist, making a much more effective clean-up crew - this is recommended for vivariums that house larger inhabitants such as bearded dragons and snakes.
To introduce them to the vivarium, simply sprinkle the microfauna onto the substrate or gently place them near moist areas where they can thrive. They’ll quickly establish colonies and begin working quietly behind the scenes to maintain the health of your environment.
5. Add decor
This is often considered the most fun part of building your vivarium. Not only will it help tie the look of your vivarium together, but your inhabitants will appreciate the extra climbing and hiding spaces. Decorations will need to be cleaned before being put into the vivarium, and for this, you can use dechlorinated water to help maintain a balanced ecosystem.
We recommend grabbing some hides and caves, such as this Exo Terra Small T Rex Skull Realistic Hide. Not only does it add a nice prehistoric touch to your vivarium, but it also offers the inhabitants stability and a comfortable place to hide away when they’re feeling anxious or tired.
Exo Terra Small T Rex Skull Realistic Hide - £7.16
6. Install heating and humidity control
If you want to create the right environmental conditions, then the heat and humidity of your bioactive vivarium have to be spot on. Many tropical or reptile vivariums require consistent warmth and humidity to mimic natural habitats. Heating elements, such as heat mats, ceramic heat emitters, or heat lamps, help regulate temperature and create comfortable zones for your animals to bask or retreat.
We recommend a nice heating lamp, such as this Exo Terra Daytime Heat Lamp, to help recreate the natural day cycle and conditions they would find if they were out in the wild. You should also always have a thermostat such as this Exo Terra Wide-Range Horizontal Thermometer to ensure your vivarium is always within the right temperatures for your inhabitants, for your peace of mind.
Exo Terra Daytime Heat Lamp 40w - £8.75
Exo Terra Wide-Range Horizontal Thermometer - £3.95#
Tropical and jungle vivariums require humidity control, and misting is key. We suggest installing an automatic misting or fogging system to ensure the right balance of humidity. Regular misting keeps the substrate moist, supports plant growth, and maintains proper humidity levels that amphibians and tropical species depend on. Ensure that you’re always using dechlorinated water for the misting process.
Try a mister such as this HabiStat Rainmaker Terrarium Mister. It removes the need for manual enclosure spraying and has a number of advanced settings to ensure your vivarium is getting the right amount of humidity and replicates natural rain cycles, perfect for keeping your vivarium in top shape and the inhabitants happy.
HabiStat Rainmaker Terrarium Mister - £103.99
7. Add your inhabitants
We recommend waiting at least 3 weeks before adding your inhabitants to help your vivarium stabilise (ideally, you want your vivarium to go through an entire month's cycle). This will ensure everything is balanced and all plants are acclimatised while also allowing enough time for your microfauna population to grow.
We recommend only having one species of animal per enclosure. A mixed vivarium should only be considered when you have a large enclosure and plenty of experience to keep a balanced habitat.
FAQ’s
What's the difference between a vivarium and a terrarium?
A vivarium is a broader term for any enclosed environment designed to replicate a natural ecosystem habitat. It can include land, water, or a mix, and can house plants, animals, or both. Whereas a terrarium is a specific type of vivarium that is primarily land-based, usually filled with soil, plants, and sometimes small animals like frogs or insects.
How do I maintain a vivarium?
Vivariums are usually self-sustaining and won't need as much maintenance as something like an aquarium, for example. However, whether a vivarium is high maintenance depends largely on its type and inhabitants. Plant-only terrariums are generally low-maintenance, requiring only occasional watering, trimming, and cleaning. Whereas paludariums or aquariums are moderately more demanding, as they involve managing water quality, filtration and water changes.
What are the different types of vivariums?
Vivariums come in a variety of forms, each designed to replicate a specific type of natural habitat. A few of these include:
- Terrarium - Land-based, filled with soil, plants, and sometimes small animals like frogs or insects. Ideal for creating a miniature forest or jungle environment.
- Herpetarium - Designed for reptiles and amphibians, with controlled heating, lighting, and hiding spots to meet their needs.
- Paludarium - Combines land and water to create a semi-aquatic environment, perfect for frogs, newts, or small fish.
Set up your bioactive vivarium with Aquacadabra
Whether you choose a lush tropical terrarium, a semi-aquatic paludarium, or a desert-inspired setup, creating a vivarium is about creating a living, breathing miniature world that reflects the beauty and balance of nature. With careful planning, attention to your plants’ and animals’ needs, and a little regular maintenance, your vivarium can thrive as a self-sustaining ecosystem for years to come.
If you want to get started on building your very own vivarium, then make sure you find the perfect tank for your plants and animals and browse our full vivarium collection at Aquacadabra.