[krypticrhacs]

Hey so I was thinking about putting an isopod in my henkelis cage, but I was wondering if the henkeli wont eat them and there well fed will they end up overrunning the cage?

Dan

[MeiK]

Populations will boom & subside, but so long as there's plenty of arboreal room for them - the geckos won't be bothered. In all honesty - springtails probably won't be enough to keep the vivarium 100% clean with such a large gecko. You'll probably want some isopods, as well. We use spanish orange & giant grey species with a bunch 'o luck. They are still both too small for the geckos to eat, but they haven't really overrun the enclosures, either.

G/L!

[miguel camacho!]

First off, I wanna make sure that krypticrhacs understands there is a difference between isopods (aka rolly poly, wood louse) and collembolans (springtails). The size difference is pretty big. Springtails are roughly the size of a pinhead cricket and isopods are usually about 1/8-1/4 inch.

I've heard from a curator I know that isopods don't really do much for the diet. He swears he's seen them pooped out by geckos, still alive.

I doubt springtails would take over a terrarium. They do become numerous, and I'll admit that I've questioned whether a few eggs I found too late went bad because of them. I would be just as cautious with isopods. But if you think of it, you don't really want your geckos eating the same things that might be eating their feces.

[krypticrhacs]

Very true, and yeah I figured the springtails would be too small for the henkeli to be interested in. I was mainly interested in putting the springtails or isopods in the tank as a cleaning crew not a food sourse, however I was unsure of how the colony would regulate itself with nothing really eating them. Now I like the idea of having "cleaning crew" but is it really worth it in a henkeli tank?

Dan

[pakinjak]

My experience is that they'll be there whether you like it or not. I mean the springtails, not the isopods. I think they're good to have around and won't harm the geckos any, unless you count the possibility of spreading something between enclosures.

[krypticrhacs]

What do you mean they will be there whether I want them or not? Do you mean that they could just one day start a colony in my tank, are springtails in NY?

Dan

[pakinjak]

They're pretty much everywhere. If you use any natural foliage, you'll already have them.

[miguel camacho!]

Yea, they're likely to show up in enclosures. Extremely common leaf litter insects found pretty much everywhere. They don't take over enclosures, although they can be abundant. The only down side I can see is some of the natural cage furnishings will slowly but surely be gnawed at by these little critters.

[Robin Skrumsager]

I use springtails in my uroplatus tanks, as a cleaning crew. and they help alot. You dont see them unless you really look after dem, and they help break down organicwast.

Im currently considering also adding some woodlice to the vivs. as they will help with the breakdown and keeping the substrate/litter "heatlhy". The downside with woodlice is that they have a high demand for calcium for their exoskeliton, but i think one can solve the problem with add some empty snail houses from your garden onto the substrate.

either way, springtails is a great asset to any viv.