ProRep Bio Life Drainage Medium is a fired substrate layer designed for the base of bio-active terrariums. It creates a functional water reservoir beneath the main substrate, supporting moisture gradients and providing a thriving environment for the beneficial bacteria that keep a bio-active system running cleanly.
How It's Made
The medium is produced by firing ash at high temperature. During this process, air bubbles within the material expand to form a honeycomb of interconnected internal chambers — the result is a hard, lightweight, and inert material with a substantial surface area packed into each individual ball.
What It Does in the Build
Placed at the base of a bio-active setup, the drainage layer holds water without becoming waterlogged, allowing moisture to wick upward into the substrate above. This creates a natural moisture gradient from the drainage zone to the surface, which is essential for many tropical and humid-environment species.
Beneficial Bacteria Support
The interconnected internal structure of each ball provides ideal conditions for colonies of beneficial bacteria to establish and grow. These bacteria work within the ecosystem to neutralise potentially harmful waste products, reducing the build-up of toxins and helping to maintain a self-sustaining enclosure over time.
For keepers building a bio-active vivarium from the ground up, the ProRep Bio Life Drainage Medium is a reliable and well-understood foundation layer — inert, durable, and genuinely functional within a living system.
- Free delivery to UK mainland addresses on orders over £79.
- In-stock items ordered before 12pm Monday to Friday usually ship the same day.
- Standard vivariums go free next working day; the largest sizes travel by pallet.
- Live animals and custom vivariums have a £50 delivery charge. Custom vivariums take approximately 2 to 4 weeks to build.

