Bioactive terrariums and substrate use

[Thekla]

Admittedly I'm a noob when it comes to T's. However I've kept and bred many species of Dart frogs for years.

I just started keeping dart frogs. I got my first froglets in April and they still live and thrive, so, there's hope I'm doing something right.

How many T keepers use a "bioactive" terrarium with microfauna, ie. Isopods and Springtails? Is it a newer trend among T keepers?

I always had (and have) kind of a bioactive substrate with dwarf isopods and springtails as well as some soil from outside mixed with coco fibre for my more moisture dependent Ts (e.g. Cyriocosmus sp.).
I never had any problems, on the contrary, I never have to bother with removing boluses... those are taking care of.

How many T keepers use alternative substrates like ABG Mix? It seems as if straight coco coir is the norm. Old standard or behind the times?

I wouldn't use ABG mix for my Ts though, partly because I think it's not good for burrowing and also I'm not sure about the pine bark and tree fern I have in my ABG mix.

How many utilize live plants or leaf litter?

I never tried real plants with my Ts, I just don't want to bother with the moisture and light they would mostly need. But I use leaf litter all the time, mostly for aesthetic purposes, but my GBB also loves to include it in her webbing.

As for a real bioactive enclosure, I have some pictures of my dart frog vivarium:



And this is my pair of Dendrobates tinctorius Brazil:

Erna...


and Bert


Originally, I named them "Ernie & Bert", but when they grew up I realised I actually had a pair, so, Ernie became Erna.

 

[Frogdaddy]

I tried to upload some frog enclosures from my phone. I guess I'll have to use my laptop.

 

[Vanisher]

I have done some planted terrariums during the years. I have used springtail and small speicies of tropical woodlice and isopods in those. There are some rules to remember. When it comes to plants, use plants that are tolerating low level of lights, like Epipremnum, and some speicies of Photos. In a T blondi tank and a tank for a Cyriopagopus sp i used those plants and others, like orchids and small ferns. In those tanks i had lityle more lightning than i usally recommend. Nowdays i have Epipremnum planted in one terrarium, with no light. Those plants are hard to kill. About springtails and isopods. I had no problems eith tarantulas eating those, but i have heard that they can, nor did i hsve problems them hurting the tarantulas. I have no picture left on those tanks, but they looked really nice. I had a period when i just like some other here tried to mimic tarantulas diffrent habitats!

 

[woodie]

While I think the US is behind on planted invert enclosures, I think it can be down on a budget. Top photo is more expensive planted tank, middle is cheap pretzel jar planted vivs that I really like. As far as cheap substrates last is fossorial T on sifted sand and clay from the yard in tupperware. So budget can work great too

 

[Frogdaddy]

While I think the US is behind on planted invert enclosures, I think it can be down on a budget. Top photo is more expensive planted tank, middle is cheap pretzel jar planted vivs that I really like. As far as cheap substrates last is fossorial T on sifted sand and clay from the yard in tupperware. So budget can work great too

The US is behind Europe in every animal hobby. Aquariums, Herps, Tarantulas etc. I don't think things should be too complicated. Having a very complex design will only lead to inverts and T's rearranging things and uprooting plants to their liking. Plus with heavily planted vivs there is always going to be pruning of plants which will disturb and annoy a T. A simple pothos cutting may be all that is needed to help "cleanse" the air in a vivarium.
@woodie what is the plant in the pretzel jar on the left?

 

[Arthroverts]

While I think the US is behind on planted invert enclosures, I think it can be down on a budget. Top photo is more expensive planted tank, middle is cheap pretzel jar planted vivs that I really like. As far as cheap substrates last is fossorial T on sifted sand and clay from the yard in tupperware. So budget can work great too

Pardon if I asked before, but how do you light those pretzel jars?

I am really liking the idea of desk micro-vivs, and am experimenting to see if they can run successfully in a typical work room. Just imagine walking into your bosses office and seeing a slice of the jungle (or desert, or savannah, or temperate forest, or...) containing any small invertebrate...

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[woodie]

Pardon if I asked before, but how do you light those pretzel jars?

Just cheap and nasty Led shop lights from Walmart

 

[l4nsky]

I'm honestly a really big fan of bioactive enclosures and I've commented on a lot of threads how I think the benefits outweigh the negatives. From an aesthetic standpoint, they cant be beat. Here's my prototype custom enclosure I made that I will model the rest of mine off of.

And here it is about 10 months later, all matured (needs a little bit of a trim).

She hasnt complained about it yet.


As far as substrate, I didnt go with ABG because its really light and fluffy. I wanted to offer something that was more compressible and could hold its form really well while still holding a decent amount of moisture I settled on 3 parts Reptisoil, 3 parts coco coir, 1 part sphagnum moss, 1 part orchid bark, and 1 part vermiculite. It's a pretty heavy mix. The reptisoil by itself compacts really well. Over time, it kind of forms a crust and gets to the point of water pooling on the surface before gradually diffusing into the soil. That's not really desirable, so I cut it with coco coir, sphagnum, and vermiculite to make it more permeable while still being fairly compressible and able to support burrowing. As for microfauna, I originally used springtails and dwarf white isopods, however a predator mite population decimated the springtails and all I have now are the isopods. They are doing well and keep the enclosure clean all by themselves. I've heard anecdotes of tarantulas being harmed by isopods during/after a molt but they are few and far between in comparison to the horror stories I've heard regarding Scolopendra sp and isopods. Possibly the molt mat provides some protection for T's as opposed to centipedes (total guess)?

 

[woodie]

The US is behind Europe in every animal hobby. Aquariums, Herps, Tarantulas etc. I don't think things should be too complicated. Having a very complex design will only lead to inverts and T's rearranging things and uprooting plants to their liking. Plus with heavily planted vivs there is always going to be pruning of plants which will disturb and annoy a T. A simple pothos cutting may be all that is needed to help "cleanse" the air in a vivarium.
@woodie what is the plant in the pretzel jar on the left?

Cissus discolor

 

[josh_r]

Alex, is that you?????

I have an old thread on here on a communal liphistius setup I made. I had a teaming population of isopods in there and the spiders bred and successfully had babies, molted etc. It just depends on the species of isopods you use. I used white dwarfs. I am sure you could use many species of springtails and isopods successfully. Just experiment.

Check thst thread here

https://arachnoboards.com/threads/update-on-the-liphistius-communal-setup.124856/

Cheers man.

One more thing... Go with a good natural loamy soil to keep your spiders on. Don't go with pest or coco products. You will get more natural behavior from most species by using a substrate that they are naturally found on. Very VERY few species are found on peat like substrates in nature... Oddly, we found a new species here in Peru thst does burrow in wet peat type substrates at 4100 meters in elevation.

Natural soils buddy. Good luck

 

[Arthroverts]

Alex, is that you?????

I have an old thread on here on a communal liphistius setup I made. I had a teaming population of isopods in there and the spiders bred and successfully had babies, molted etc. It just depends on the species of isopods you use. I used white dwarfs. I am sure you could use many species of springtails and isopods successfully. Just experiment.

Check thst thread here

https://arachnoboards.com/threads/update-on-the-liphistius-communal-setup.124856/

Cheers man.

Nooo! The evil Photobucket strikes again! But seriously now, that is awesome! What ever happened to it?
@TrapdoorSpiderLover, do you see this?

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[josh_r]

I sold this setup many years ago for something like 600 dollars. Can't remember exactly how much, but all the females were bred and the new owner was surprised with a ton of babies.

 

[Arthroverts]

I sold this setup many years ago for something like 600 dollars. Can't remember exactly how much, but all the females were bred and the new owner was surprised with a ton of babies.

Wow, that is awesome! I've always wanted to try a trapdoor communal, and now maybe I've the found the species to do it with.
I don't mean to pry, but do you know what happened to it under the other person's care?

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[StampFan]

So you only keep Isopods and not T's yet you're dispensing information on how Isopods are not good with T's?
Since you are dispensing anectodal information I'll relate my experiences. I've keep Giant Orange Isopods with small Dart frogs from the genus Pumilio, as well as other thumbnail frogs (Ranitomeya sp) as well as larger Dart frogs. I've never puncture had Isopods attack and eat vulnerable egg clutches even when the clutches were laid amongst the leaf litter where Isopdods live. Perhaps it is because the Isos had plenty of decaying organic (leaf litter) matter to properly feed on.
Granted Giant Orange Isos are a larger species. What about dwarf white Isos?

Protein hungry isopod species (eg. P scaber) will happily gnaw on a molting invertebrate.

 

[Frogdaddy]

Protein hungry isopod species (eg. P scaber) will happily gnaw on a molting invertebrate.

I've never had P. scaber prey on any frog eggs or tadpoles. With T's I would use the dwarf white isopods.

 

[woodie]

That was always one of my favorite terrariums on here. Inspired me to try out a Liphistius communal. set with background slope made of powdered clay and loamy soil mixed. Heavy as hell since has 6"+ Thick backwall