Isopods in Bioactive Vivariums

 The idea behind a bioactive vivarium is that it is self-sustaining and that the main inhabitant lives alongside plants, a clean-up crew and all the natural microbes to create a healthy ecosystem for all the living things in the enclosure.

 It's a bit of a mistake to say that it will be completely self-sustaining. Especially if you have a reptile that feeds infrequently, and so will have a large amount of waste say once a month. It's not realistic to expect a small clean-up crew to take care of that. Now if you feed your crew between them to keep the numbers up, then they might, but then they will be producing their own waste. So you may have to do a bit of cleaning. You will also have to replace the soil every so often. I work on taking out about a third every 3 or 4 months. This is to give the plants, and the clean-up crew some fresh substrate, but also to remove any build-up of bad microbes. Don't forget that a lot of water runs through your soil depleting it of nutrition.

 Bioactive isn't the act of putting plants and a clean-up crew into a viv and calling it bioactive. It needs time for the fungi and moulds to grow to feed the smaller members of the clean-up crew, you need the microbes that can convert ammonia from the waste products, into nitrates, although a heavily planted viv will take care of that. You need the colony of the isopods to get established.

The Single Best Reason to Go Bioactive.

  You’ve probably heard that recent research has shown the importance of gut health, and having an animal in an environment that mimics what they would see in the wild, then they’re exposed to the microbes that can help them improve their own gut health. The exposure to the normal soils and microbes that they would in the wild, or similar enough species to occupy the same role, will help their entire digestive system and their health.

Clean Up Crew.

 There's a fair number of species that can help in a bioactive set-up. But the main two to consider are isopods and springtails, (link to both in the shop). You can either buy a small group and let them breed until you have a consistent culture, or buy a bigger group to get things started even quicker. The latter is a better option if you have any sort of inhabitant that may snack on the clean-up crew.

Clean up crew for dart frogs and similar.

  High humidity, a smaller enclosure, regular misting, and water to fall into there are some issues when you consider looking for a clean-up crew for amphibians. There are a few options to look at, my personal favourite are Porcellionides Isopods - specifically Pruinosus Isopods also known as powdered isopods as these have a great appetite so are very efficient cleanup crew and are very hardy.

Clean Up Crew For Ball Pythons

 Here's where the issues of big poops, with big spaces between them, but there are some industrius examples of clean-up crew that you can get. You'll need to feed them to keep the colony going.

 With Ball Pythons liking a humidity and temperature gradient you can have a wide range of species. Have a browse in the shop and see what suits your needs.

 

Clean Up crew for Bearded Dragons

 Despite the fact there are isopods that live in the deserts of Africa, there are fewer isopods that thrive in the drier conditions needed for bearded dragons. But Porcellionides pruinosus is something to consider. They're a hardy species and will breed fast enough that even if the dragon has a snack on some you will have a robust colony.

Clean Up Crew For Tortoise Tables.

 This is more difficult, different species of tortoise need different humidities and substrate types, but there are a fair number of options. Each of the species we have in the store will have a humdity requirement on the listing, so once you know the humidity that your tortoise needs check out the shop and see what suits them best. Be aware that your tort may need different humidity as it grows, so take that into account.

 Isopods can make your vivarium a better place, they can add another layer of enjoyment, looking for the colony as they expand, waiting to spot them hanging out, or just making the space better for your pets.