Bioactive Questions Thread

[PabloTheCham]

They should reproduce fast. If you have have had them for about a month you should see some new offspring.
What are you feeding them?
Check this video out.
Super knowledgeable when it comes to isopods.

leaf litter and rottting wood along with reptibark.

 

[BrothaJordan]

leaf litter and rottting wood along with reptibark.

Try gettting some Organic Sweet Potato. They love that stuff. I also use bug burger and morning wood to give them a variety of foods to eat along with their leaf litter. With 10-15 you wont really notice if they are eating. Once you start getting to 50+ youll start to noticing the food disappear.

 

[PabloTheCham]

Try gettting some Organic Sweet Potato. They love that stuff. I also use bug burger and morning wood to give them a variety of foods to eat along with their leaf litter. With 10-15 you wont really notice if they are eating. Once you start getting to 50+ youll start to noticing the food disappear.

oh. I did the whole bioactive setup today, and I just dumped them all in. Zebras and the native ones. I will order springtails, but I don't know how those work yet.

 

[BrothaJordan]

Cool. Keep me posted on how the Isopods do! I have tons of spring tails and wouldn't mind sending you some.

 

[BrothaJordan]

oh. I did the whole bioactive setup today, and I just dumped them all in. Zebras and the native ones. I will order springtails, but I don't know how those work yet.

Cool. Keep me posted on how the Isopods do! I have tons of spring tails and wouldn't mind sending you some.

 

[BrothaJordan]

oh. I did the whole bioactive setup today, and I just dumped them all in. Zebras and the native ones. I will order springtails, but I don't know how those work yet.

I have the "Temperate" Springtails

 

[PabloTheCham]

I have the "Temperate" Springtails

sure, i would love some! How do you care for them?

 

[PabloTheCham]

Try gettting some Organic Sweet Potato. They love that stuff. I also use bug burger and morning wood to give them a variety of foods to eat along with their leaf litter. With 10-15 you wont really notice if they are eating. Once you start getting to 50+ youll start to noticing the food disappear.

don't isopods just eat leaf litter and rotting wood?

 

[PabloTheCham]

Also, can i give them sawdust?

 

[BrothaJordan]

sure, i would love some! How do you care for them?

Awesome! Just shoot me a message and I will send em out. They are pretty easy to care for. I use charcoal for their substrate with some water for humidity. I keep them in plastic tubs. Open it up about 3 times a week so they can get some air. I feed them some Springtail food I found on amazon. I also feed them uncooked rice.

 

[BrothaJordan]

don't isopods just eat leaf litter and rotting wood?

In the chameleons enclosure they will eat that.
In the culture I have they eat Vegies and fruits and some Protein.

I have never given them sawdust. I will have to look into it.

 

[cyberlocc]

don't isopods just eat leaf litter and rotting wood?

Ispods, at least the ones we use in the hobby are Detritivores, they eat Decaying matter, Plant/Wood/Animal. They also consume Animal Feces, and pretty much anything they can find. They will also eat molds and fungus somewhat.

They are "Decomposers" the trash recyclers of the ecosystem.

Springtails are microbivores mostly, but they do dabble in decaying and plant matter, making them all 3. Their preferred diet, is bacteria and mold, but they will vary for nutrition, and in absence.

So when they are fed rice (common food item) they don't eat the rice they eat the mold, and bacteria that grows on the rice, as it decays in the water, and becomes riddled with bacteria and molds.

The reason that people like to keep them in a charcoal substrate is the same. Charcoal is a natural filter. If added to your soil, it absorbs the nasties, such as bacteria and pathogens, molds ect. The spring tails, eat this bacteria and such from the charcoal, so the charcoal becomes a big ole buffet of pathogens. Its akin to keeping supers on bran, it provides there needs as a substrate, in that they can burrow and hide in it. However it also provides a food source.




You can supplement food for both, with similar. Their is CUC food on some sites like joshs frogs, that is a decaying matter ball, that then molds over and becomes even more food. Fruits and veggies work, as would lizard poop. If you have some extra, or even roach frass or other decaying herbivore poo.

Isopods, will enjoy some calcium source as well. Processed and crushed organic egg shell, whether reptile or chicken, as well as cuttlebone, or just some calcIum dust in their dirt, will be appreciated.

Isopods are not insects, they are Crustaceans like Crabs, Lobsters, Shrimp ect. There shells are Calcium heavy, and require calcium to grow and thicken.

 

[PabloTheCham]

Ispods, at least the ones we use in the hobby are Detritivores, they eat Decaying matter, Plant/Wood/Animal. They also consume Animal Feces, and pretty much anything they can find. They will also eat molds and fungus somewhat.

They are "Decomposers" the trash recyclers of the ecosystem.

Springtails are microbivores mostly, but they do dabble in decaying and plant matter, making them all 3. Their preferred diet, is bacteria and mold, but they will vary for nutrition, and in absence.

So when they are fed rice (common food item) they don't eat the rice they eat the mold, and bacteria that grows on the rice, as it decays in the water, and becomes riddled with bacteria and molds.

The reason that people like to keep them in a charcoal substrate is the same. Charcoal is a natural filter. If added to your soil, it absorbs the nasties, such as bacteria and pathogens, molds ect. The spring tails, eat this bacteria and such from the charcoal, so the charcoal becomes a big ole buffet of pathogens. Its akin to keeping supers on bran, it provides there needs as a substrate, in that they can burrow and hide in it. However it also provides a food source.




You can supplement food for both, with similar. Their is CUC food on some sites like joshs frogs, that is a decaying matter ball, that then molds over and becomes even more food. Fruits and veggies work, as would lizard poop. If you have some extra, or even roach frass or other decaying herbivore poo.

Isopods, will enjoy some calcium source as well. Processed and crushed organic egg shell, whether reptile or chicken, as well as cuttlebone, or just some calcIum dust in their dirt, will be appreciated.

Isopods are not insects, they are Crustaceans like Crabs, Lobsters, Shrimp ect. There shells are Calcium heavy, and require calcium to grow and thicken.

Thanks!
Does that mean i have to feed my springtails and isopods apart from adding leaf litter as it goes?
Also,what kind of charcoal do I feed them? Do I just mix it into the soil?
What does it mean that the egg shells are processed?
Also an unrelated question, when does the mold start growing to "cycle" the setup? A few days?

 

[cyberlocc]

Thanks!
Does that mean i have to feed my springtails and isopods apart from adding leaf litter as it goes?
Also,what kind of charcoal do I feed them? Do I just mix it into the soil?
What does it mean that the egg shells are processed?
Also an unrelated question, when does the mold start growing to "cycle" the setup? A few days?

You dont HAVE to I dont think, but I would, for more production.

You dont feed them charcoal, you have charcoal substrate for the springs, and they eat the bacteria from the charcoal (and possibly the charcoal as well, but too slow to notice). Lump Hardwood Charcoal, sold for Smokers and BBQs work, NOT the Briquettes, the Lump Hardwood Charcoal. Or you can use Horticultural Charcoal, this is smaller bits, and way more expensive BUT you can buy smaller quantities, up to you, if you have a place to store the larger bag of Lump Hardwood Charcoal.

You can mix small bits into your soil, or put a layer of charcoal between the screen and the soil. For a springtail colony container, just use straight charcoal and some water, like Brothajordan said.

When you break an Egg, there is that film in the inside of the shell, that all has to be removed, and then boil the shells to remove any bad bacteria. Then crush them to small bits, its honestly easier to just get cuttlebone, but whatever you want to do. Cuttlebone can be bought pretty much anywhere that has animal supplies, even walmart, its sold for birds to chew on, its like a dollar or 2.


Usually in the first couple of days, you will know, its going to be the white hair mold, and its going to be all over.

 

[PabloTheCham]

You dont HAVE to I dont think, but I would, for more production.

You dont feed them charcoal, you have charcoal substrate for the springs, and they eat the bacteria from the charcoal (and possibly the charcoal as well, but too slow to notice). Lump Hardwood Charcoal, sold for Smokers and BBQs work, NOT the Briquettes, the Lump Hardwood Charcoal. Or you can use Horticultural Charcoal, this is smaller bits, and way more expensive BUT you can buy smaller quantities, up to you, if you have a place to store the larger bag of Lump Hardwood Charcoal.

You can mix small bits into your soil, or put a layer of charcoal between the screen and the soil. For a springtail colony container, just use straight charcoal and some water, like Brothajordan said.

When you break an Egg, there is that film in the inside of the shell, that all has to be removed, and then boil the shells to remove any bad bacteria. Then crush them to small bits, its honestly easier to just get cuttlebone, but whatever you want to do. Cuttlebone can be bought pretty much anywhere that has animal supplies, even walmart, its sold for birds to chew on, its like a dollar or 2.


Usually in the first couple of days, you will know, its going to be the white hair mold, and its going to be all over.

ok thanks!