Masqueepo Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 I've been seeing a lot about springtails and isopods as a cleaner bug in the colonies. I was wondering what people did with them when the colony is cleaned. The springtails are so small that I see it being pretty difficult to separate or anything. Isopods like damp right? How do you keep the colony damp enough for the isopods without making the frass and everything moldy and killing the colony? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masqueepo Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 Also, I have a redworm bin for compost and I have seen tiny white bugs crawling around the food and stuff...are those springtails? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 When springtails and isopods are present in decent numbers, they will consume the materials on which mold grows, so you don't have to worry about mold when you keep the colony damp enough to support them. The cleaning is a continuous process and it never really ends, so your cleaner "bugs" are always fed and always propagating. For the most part, since they're so small and so ravenous, they will consume their own dead and any other byproducts they create are either broken down by their young or by bacteria which are presumably already present in the substrate and furnishings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masqueepo Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 So should I lightly mist the container every few days to keep it moist enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Not necessarily. It all depends on the ventilation. I only mist my containers once a week and sometimes they don't even need it then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masqueepo Posted August 26, 2012 Author Share Posted August 26, 2012 What do you do or use to determine if you need to spray? By feel or how it looks or did you get the humidity meter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 What do you do or use to determine if you need to spray? By feel or how it looks or did you get the humidity meter? I determine by how it looks. I use coconut fiber as the primary base for my roach substrate mixes, and if it's dark it's usually full of water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masqueepo Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 OK cool. Thanks for the info. I nabbed some isopods so I guess I'll see how it goes. I am going to start a separate colony just in case something goes wrong that way I don't have to start all over again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skullking Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 This is my isopod set up but they dont seem to be doing to well i found a few dead and i have no idea why. foods starting to mold. Should I take that out or is that something I should leave in there for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masqueepo Posted September 6, 2012 Author Share Posted September 6, 2012 They will eat the mold I've heard. Finding dead ones should be common as well as they will grow old and eventually die. If more or younger ones continue die I'm not sure. Someone more experienced will have to answer that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 Instead of carrots try romaine lettuce, but let it stay in the tank for a day or two as it gets soft they love that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KitKatie329 Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Personally, I purposely just feed them rotten left over fruits and veggies, I let some get kinda gross and kinda moldy and they go bonkers for it. If you haven't seen isopods swarm, well, it's awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre72 Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 Personally, I purposely just feed them rotten left over fruits and veggies, I let some get kinda gross and kinda moldy and they go bonkers for it. If you haven't seen isopods swarm, well, it's awesome. When I gave my discoid roaches fresh food, it attracted invaders like fruit flies and ants. So I stick them to fish flakes, vitamin supplement powder, and an accasional piece of bread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 When I gave my discoid roaches fresh food, it attracted invaders like fruit flies and ants. So I stick them to fish flakes, vitamin supplement powder, and an accasional piece of bread. I'm not trying to sound rude, but if your getting ants in your house you should get an exterminator to find how they get in so the holes can be plugged up. Fruit flies on the other hand anyone can get in the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre72 Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I'm not trying to sound rude, but if your getting ants in your house you should get an exterminator to find how they get in so the holes can be plugged up. Fruit flies on the other hand anyone can get in the house. Actually, that was 8 years ago and I've moved since then. I post this comment on different pages to suggest to other forum members what is an easier, less messy, and safer for the roaches way of feeding. While nutritional needs may very, my Discoid seemed to fair pretty well with Tropical Fish Flakes, and Fluker's Vitamin Powder and so do the German that I have now. It should also be less expensive since that stuff won't go bad and thus doesn't have to be replaced so often. Fluker's also has water gell which is easier and safer than cotton balls and water dishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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