The branches look like real wood pushing through the glass. The magnets just aren't strong enough for a crested gecko.
Video · 10 min watchWritten by Brian
Two things here: my newest custom bioactive cage, and a set of magnetic branches from Feral Creations.
The new build
It's a fully custom cage with a Great Stuff foam background, built the same way as my bioactive hexagon terrarium. Inside:
- a moss-covered jungle vine running through the cage
- a log bridge at the top, from a local pet store, which makes a good basking spot
- a pothos and a second plant
- sphagnum moss over all the bedding
- a background stick for climbing and hiding
- Josh's Frogs Bio Bedding underneath
- a Pangea magnetic acrylic ledge for food dishes, which I really like because it looks clean and crisp
No drainage layer
Like my hexagon tank, this one has no drainage layer. Many people in the bioactive community think that's heresy. In a cage this small, an extra 2.5 cm (1 in) of drainage layer takes room the plants need to root and grow. A bioactive without a drainage layer is possible. You just have to watch how wet you keep it. If the water has nowhere to drain, a soaking-wet cage can go badly. Keep an eye on it and it will be fine.
Feral Creations magnetic branches
I saw these in an ad, I think on Facebook, and bought them with my own money. This is not sponsored and I haven't spoken to the company.
Each one is a short, realistic dead branch held to the glass by three magnets. The outside magnets are shaped like wood, so it looks like the log runs straight through the glass. They all come from the same mold.
What I liked:
- They look incredible, much better than the plasticky, artificial 3D printed decor many companies make. For a naturalistic cage, these are what I'd recommend.
- They're easier to keep clean than natural wood, which is hard to sanitize. Drop them in a bleach solution, dry them off and they're clean.
- They're hollow, with a notch where a small gecko can get in. That makes a hide you can see into through the glass.
What I didn't like:
- The magnets aren't strong enough. I bought them hoping to use them for crested geckos, but one adult crested gecko sitting on a branch would pull it off the wall.
- They cost about $30 each, which is a lot for their size, especially when they can't hold any gecko with real weight.
Verdict
For small, light geckos of 7.5 cm (3 in) or less, such as mourning geckos and small day geckos like peacock day geckos, they make good-looking basking spots with a built-in hide. For crested geckos, they need stronger magnets. I'd like to see a 15 cm (6 in) version with stronger magnets for crested or chahoua geckos.