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Vivarium Management

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Overview

ReptiDex vivariums are collaborative digital workspaces that revolutionize reptile management through true collaborative breeding operations. Unlike existing software that simply adds “users to an account,” vivariums provide independent collaborative workspaces with sophisticated role-based permissions, cross-vivarium partnerships, and enterprise-grade collaboration features designed specifically for professional reptile operations.
Core Value Proposition: reptidex vivariums go far beyond simple “shared accounts” - they’re independent collaborative ecosystems that enable true breeding partnerships, cross-organization collaboration, and professional-grade operations that scale from hobbyists to commercial enterprises.

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Vivarium vs. Traditional “Multi-User” Software

reptidex vivariums represent a fundamentally different approach to collaboration compared to existing reptile software:
  • Traditional Multi-User (Husbandry Pro)
  • reptidex Vivariums
Simple Account Sharing Model
  • Additional users added to existing account
  • Shared access to owner’s data
  • Limited role differentiation
  • Single organization structure
  • No cross-account collaboration
  • Basic permission controls

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Key Differentiators

Cross-Vivarium Partnerships

Unlike simple account sharing, vivariums enable breeding partnerships between different organizations while maintaining independent operations

Animal Transfer System

Complete ownership transfer with historical data - impossible with traditional shared account models

Independent Business Operations

Each vivarium operates as its own business entity with unique settings, workflows, and marketplace presence

Scalable Role Architecture

Four-tier permission system designed for complex operations from family partnerships to commercial enterprises

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What is a Vivarium?

A vivarium is a shared digital workspace where multiple users collaborate on managing reptile collections. Think of a reptile store with 1-2 owners who employ people to manage different aspects of their operation - vivariums are the digital representation of that collaborative structure.

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Vivarium Use Cases

Commercial Operations

Reptile stores with multiple employees managing inventory, breeding programs, and customer sales

Breeding Partnerships

Collaborative breeding projects between multiple breeders sharing animals and expertise

Family Operations

Hobby breeders running home-based operations with family members helping with care and management

Solo Keepers

Individual pet owners with personal collections who want professional-grade tracking software

Educational Institutions

Zoos, schools, and research facilities with multiple staff managing animal collections

Veterinary Practices

Veterinary offices tracking reptile patients and boarding animals with collaborative care teams

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Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Vivariums implement a hierarchical permission system with four distinct roles, each with specific capabilities:

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Keeper (Viewer)

Read-only access for observers and learners
  • View animals, pedigrees, and clutches
  • Access care guides and husbandry information
  • View breeding records and genetic information
  • Cannot modify any data or settings

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Handler (Editor)

Day-to-day animal management
  • Add and update animal records
  • Create and manage pairings and clutches
  • Upload and organize media (photos, videos)
  • Record feeding, health, and care events
  • Cannot modify vivarium settings or manage members

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Curator (Admin)

Vivarium management without financial control
  • All Handler permissions
  • Manage vivarium members and role assignments
  • Configure vivarium settings and preferences
  • Set up care schedules and breeding programs
  • Cannot delete vivarium or manage billing/subscriptions

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Herpetologist (Owner)

Complete vivarium control
  • All Curator permissions
  • Delete vivarium and all associated data
  • Manage subscription and billing settings
  • Transfer vivarium ownership
  • Ultimate authority over all vivarium operations

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Multi-Vivarium Membership

Users can participate in multiple vivariums simultaneously with different roles in each, enabling complex collaboration scenarios:
Scenario: Sarah is an experienced gecko breeder who also collaborates with other breeders.
  • Geckistry Vivariums: Herpetologist (Owner) - Her primary breeding business
  • Tikis Geckos: Handler (Editor) - Partnership with another breeder for specific projects
  • Gecko Research Lab: Keeper (Viewer) - Educational collaboration with university research
This flexibility allows users to maintain their own operations while participating in partnerships, educational programs, or mentorship relationships.

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Animal Ownership & Transfer System

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Vivarium-Based Ownership

  • Animals belong to vivariums, not individual users
  • Ensures continuity when team members change roles or leave
  • Maintains complete historical records with the collection
  • Enables seamless collaboration without ownership conflicts

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Animal Transfer Capabilities

Animals can be transferred between vivariums to support:
1

Sales Transactions

When selling an animal, transfer it to the buyer’s vivarium with complete historical data
2

Breeding Loans

Temporarily loan animals to other breeders while maintaining ownership records
3

Business Transfers

Move animals between business entities or partnership structures
4

Organizational Changes

Reorganize collections as business needs evolve

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Cross-Vivarium Breeding & Collaboration

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Breeding Partnerships

reptidex supports breeding collaborations between different vivariums:
  • Cross-vivarium pairings for collaborative breeding projects
  • Shared clutch management with split offspring allocation
  • Joint genetic tracking for complex breeding programs
  • Collaborative record keeping with shared access to breeding data

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Data Sharing & Privacy

Each vivarium controls its data visibility:
  • Private Animals
  • Public Animals
Visible only to vivarium members - ideal for proprietary breeding projects or personal collections

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Collaboration Features

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Activity Tracking & History

  • Comprehensive audit trail of all vivarium activities
  • User attribution for every change and update
  • Timeline visualization of vivarium evolution
  • Change notifications with customizable preferences

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Configurable Approval Workflows

Vivariums can implement approval requirements for sensitive operations:
  • Genetic information changes requiring expert validation
  • Animal sales requiring owner approval
  • High-value transactions with multi-step verification
  • Custom workflows tailored to organizational needs
Default Setting: Approval workflows are enabled by default but can be customized by Curators and Herpetologists to match operational requirements.

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Notification System

Users control their notification preferences across multiple channels:
  • Email notifications for important updates
  • SMS alerts for urgent matters
  • Push notifications for real-time collaboration
  • Frequency controls to prevent notification overload
  • Event-specific preferences for granular control

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Vivarium Settings & Customization

Each vivarium operates independently with its own:

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Operational Settings

  • Care schedules tailored to species and life stages
  • Breeding programs with genetic goals and timelines
  • Feeding protocols optimized for collection needs
  • Health monitoring with veterinary integration

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Business Configuration

  • Marketplace settings for sales and listings
  • Pricing strategies and inventory management
  • Customer communication templates and workflows
  • Reporting preferences for business analytics

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Member Management

  • Role assignments and permission levels
  • Access controls for sensitive information
  • Collaboration tools and communication preferences
  • Training resources for new team members

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Conflict Resolution & Data Integrity

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Concurrent Editing Protection

reptidex implements collaborative editing safeguards:
  • Real-time conflict detection when multiple users edit simultaneously
  • Version control system for tracking and merging changes
  • User notifications about potential conflicts
  • Rollback capabilities for error recovery

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Data Consistency

  • Validation rules ensure data integrity across collaborators
  • Referential integrity maintains relationship consistency
  • Audit trails provide accountability and transparency
  • Backup systems protect against data loss

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Technical Implementation

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Database Architecture

-- Vivarium core table
CREATE TABLE vivariums (
    id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT gen_random_uuid(),
    name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
    description TEXT,
    settings JSONB DEFAULT '{}',
    created_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT NOW()
);

-- Membership and roles
CREATE TABLE vivarium_members (
    id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT gen_random_uuid(),
    vivarium_id UUID REFERENCES vivariums(id),
    user_id UUID REFERENCES users(id),
    role VARCHAR(20) CHECK (role IN ('keeper', 'handler', 'curator', 'herpetologist')),
    joined_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT NOW(),
    UNIQUE(vivarium_id, user_id)
);

-- Cross-vivarium breeding support
CREATE TABLE breeding_pairs (
    id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT gen_random_uuid(),
    primary_vivarium_id UUID REFERENCES vivariums(id),
    sire_id UUID REFERENCES animals(id),
    dam_id UUID REFERENCES animals(id),
    collaboration_type VARCHAR(20) DEFAULT 'internal',
    pairing_date DATE,
    status VARCHAR(20) DEFAULT 'active'
);

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Permission Matrix

ActionKeeperHandlerCuratorHerpetologist
View animals✅✅✅✅
Add/edit animalsx✅✅✅
Upload mediax✅✅✅
Create pairingsx✅✅✅
Manage membersxx✅✅
Vivarium settingsxx✅✅
Billing/subscriptionxxx✅
Delete vivariumxxx✅

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Benefits & Competitive Advantages

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Beyond Simple Account Sharing

  • Multi-vivarium membership - users participate in multiple independent organizations
  • Cross-organizational breeding partnerships impossible with traditional account models
  • Professional workflow management with configurable approval processes
  • Enterprise-grade security with granular role-based permissions

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> Enables New Business Models

  • Breeding partnerships with shared investments and risks
  • Educational collaborations between institutions and experts
  • Service businesses managing customer collections

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=� Supports Growth

  • Easy team expansion without software limitations
  • Knowledge transfer through collaborative records
  • Succession planning with role transitions

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= Enterprise-Ready Security

  • Role-based access control for sensitive operations
  • Audit trails for compliance and accountability
  • Data ownership clarity for business partnerships

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reptidex vs. Husbandry Pro: Multi-User Comparison

FeatureHusbandry Proreptidex Vivariums
Multi-User AccessAdditional users on single accountIndependent vivarium memberships
Organization StructureSingle account owner + usersMultiple independent vivariums per user
Role PermissionsBasic user roles4-tier hierarchical system (Keeper, Handler, Curator, Herpetologist)
Cross-Organization BreedingNot supportedFull cross-vivarium breeding partnerships
Animal OwnershipAccount-basedVivarium-based with transfer capabilities
Data IsolationShared account dataIndependent vivarium data with controlled sharing
Business OperationsSingle business entityMultiple independent business configurations
Approval WorkflowsBasic permissionsConfigurable approval workflows per vivarium
Collaboration FeaturesLimited sharingActivity feeds, notifications, audit trails
ScalabilityAccount size limitationsUnlimited vivarium participation

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Why Vivariums Matter for Professional Operations

Traditional Multi-User Limitation: Sarah owns a gecko breeding business and wants to partner with Mike for a specific project. With traditional “multi-user” software, Mike would need access to Sarah’s entire account, seeing all her animals, customers, and business data.Vivarium Solution: Sarah creates a “Gecko Partnership” vivarium and invites Mike as a Handler. Mike maintains his own business vivarium while collaborating on specific breeding projects. When they breed animals together, offspring can be allocated between their separate vivariums while maintaining complete breeding records.
Traditional Multi-User Limitation: A family reptile business wants to expand by hiring employees. With account-based systems, employees either have full access to everything or very limited permissions, making it difficult to delegate responsibilities effectively.Vivarium Solution: The family creates role-specific access levels - employees can be Handlers for day-to-day care, trusted managers can be Curators with member management rights, while owners retain Herpetologist control over financial and critical decisions.

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Future Enhancements

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Phase 2: Advanced Collaboration

  • @mentions and task assignments
  • Real-time chat and communication
  • Collaborative breeding calendars
  • Shared resource libraries

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Phase 3: Enterprise Features

  • Advanced approval workflows with custom logic
  • Integration APIs for existing business systems
  • Advanced analytics and business intelligence
  • Multi-vivarium dashboards for large operations

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Phase 4: Ecosystem Integration

  • Veterinary practice integration for health records
  • Laboratory connections for genetic testing
  • Marketplace syndication across platforms
  • Educational institution partnerships

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Getting Started

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Creating Your First Vivarium

  1. Define your operation - personal collection, business, or partnership
  2. Set up member roles - invite collaborators with appropriate permissions
  3. Configure settings - customize workflows and preferences
  4. Import animals - add your collection with complete records
  5. Establish workflows - set up care schedules and breeding programs

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Best Practices

  • Start with clear role definitions to avoid confusion
  • Establish approval workflows for high-value operations
  • Regular training for new team members
  • Backup procedures for critical data
  • Communication protocols for effective collaboration
Ready to Start? Vivariums are the foundation of reptidex’s collaborative approach to reptile management. Whether you’re a solo keeper or managing a complex commercial operation, vivariums scale to meet your needs while maintaining the detailed records and genetic tracking that serious reptile professionals require.