How many isopods?

[Peter Parker]

How many isopods do you keep in you tanks for your Theraphosa species?

 

[Popper]

I have only been using Isopods for a few months, but with really good results.

In my single tarantula tanks I will put maybe 5-10 depending on how big the spider and tank are.

For my communals, maybe 30-50 and I find there numbers will stabilize depending on food available.

One key thing with Isopods is that they need moisture... And will quickly die off if they can't get to any.

I don't think they will hurt anything so let 'em rip! You can always remove them afterwords if the numbers get out of hand.


Jon

 

[Peter Parker]

Thanks Jon appreciate it. Up until now i feel like I have had no use for them but with my Goliath I feel like I need them. I have a hot water humidifier running 24/7 but the theraphosa terrarium I am using much more purified water to keep the substrate swampy. I just don't want mold. What tarantula species do you use your isopods with?

 

[Popper]

I keep some in every enclosure that will support them.

But the biggest benefits are in my communal tanks. Because of all the piled cork bark and stones and plants it would be impossible for me to clean out blouses and dead crickets without taking everything apart. So in go the Isopods.

So mainly H. Incei and Oligoxystre sp. Atlantic Forrest.

But also in with my pokies...

I have just rescently added springtails, red wiggler worms, small land snails and dwarf tropical woodlice into my Oligoxystre tank.

Honestly after about a week, the results are outstanding.

The only thing that you may have an issue with is the super-high humidity. They seem to do Beat Ina "moist" too much humidity may not be too good. If tho is the case, get some of the dwarf tropical ones. They will eat mild as well.

Jon

 

[Peter Parker]

Thanks Bro. Do you think they would would be good in My King Babboons tank? She is super picky about when she wants to eat. I am super picky about my burrowers substrates my substrates are moist and holds burrows like concrete. I don't like when I see a burrower dead because the owner just used coco and wonders why there burrow species is dead. I used black caulking on all the tank walls so its pitch black. She loves me but I never see her. Half the time I just stick a roach down her burrow because I am not even sure if she is hungry at all. I have not cleaned her terrarium in awhile but when she was younger I would find some times a dead roach that she never ate. You think the isopods would eat up the dumb dead roaches.

 

[z32upgrader]

I've put a few in my OBT's enclosure but he/she keeps eating them. Oh well, guess I'll have to brave clean up myself.

 

[Popper]

The Isopods will do well down in the burrow. If you keep a stone or waterdish at the top just wet underneath it periodically. If you flip anything over in my communals they are under it. I have seen many Isopods crawl right up into the T's tube webs. The only time I've seen them get eaten was with slings and smaller juvies...

Jon

 

[Shell]

I've put a few in my OBT's enclosure but he/she keeps eating them. Oh well, guess I'll have to brave clean up myself.

If you're keeping your OBT properly the isopods wouldn't survive even if it didn't eat them. Isopods need to be in a moist enclosure to survive, OBTs like it far too dry to support isopods. Mold really shouldn't be an issue in an OBT enclosure.

 

[freedumbdclxvi]

I don't like when I see a burrower dead because the owner just used coco and wonders why there burrow species is dead.

I am not sure what you mean. Coco packed well is a decent substrate for burrowers. I have had many haplos in just coco, and they thrived.

 

[Shell]

Coco packed well is a decent substrate for burrowers.

Um yeah, this ^. I keep my burrowers on coco, packed well the burrows never have an issue, and it holds moisture just fine. My spiders thrive.

 

[z32upgrader]

If you're keeping your OBT properly the isopods wouldn't survive even if it didn't eat them. Isopods need to be in a moist enclosure to survive, OBTs like it far too dry to support isopods. Mold really shouldn't be an issue in an OBT enclosure.

Mine seems to be doing fine. I've never added water to the moisture that was originally in the substrate, but I'll let it dry out further. Thanks for the correction Shell. It is just a sling, so is it fine for a little extra moisture? It's not big enough for a water dish yet. Only 3/4" from my estimation.

 

[Ludedor24]

How many isopods do you keep in you tanks for your Theraphosa species?

about a dozen or so

 

[macbaffo]

There is no precise answer to the original question. More isopods you put, faster they will breed and faster you will have a decent micro cleaning crew.
They don't do miracles and absolutely don't replace normal maintenance.

 

[Curious jay]

There is no precise answer to the original question. More isopods you put, faster they will breed and faster you will have a decent micro cleaning crew.
They don't do miracles and absolutely don't replace normal maintenance.

Isopods breed based on availability of food the amount you put in is irrelevant if there's a large amount of food sources they wil breed like crazy.

 

[macbaffo]

Put 4 isopods in a big enclosure and hope they find each.other to mate.
So bigger the number, bigger the possibility that they meet and mate and faster the population will increase.

 

[Storm76]

Bottom line:

* Use them in the moist enclosure as they won't survive in the arid ones

* Certain species CAN be adjusted to a more arid climate if provided a waterdish appropriately sized - isopods are pointless then, too

I used to use isopods in my Psalmopoeus and Avic spp. enclosures, now I only use them in the ones of the slings. The adults adjusted to a more arid climate, I do moisten the ground some, but only every 2 or so now and let it dry out. Their waterdishes provide them with the moisture they need and I've found them drinking from them, too. Yes, even the A. avic female goes down and actually drinks...

 

[Shell]

I used to use isopods in my Psalmopoeus and Avic spp. enclosures, now I only use them in the ones of the slings. The adults adjusted to a more arid climate, I do moisten the ground some, but only every 2 or so weeks now and let it dry out. Their waterdished provide them with the moisture they need and I've found them drinking from them, too. Yes, even the A. avic female goes down and actually drinks...

This is how I've always kept my Avics, and I haven't lost a single one. They all go down to drink as well, I have many pics of my MF A. avicularia drinking from her bowl. I keep their water bowls full, and dampen the substrate once every few weeks (sometimes less lol) and they have done very well. Even as slings I don't go crazy on humidity/moisture for Avics. Isopods do not survive in my Avic enclosures.

 

[Storm76]

Yep, pretty much same with mine, Shell That's for example one of the things I had to learn from here and it works fine. With my slings I'm a little bit more anal about it, but not to the point of "Oh my god - I forgot to mist!". Basically, when it's feeding time I put some droplets on their webbings and refill their little waterdishes, that's it. Personally, I still think ventilation is the more vital part for Avics, as stale air kills them off rather fast, they don't take well to that.

 

[Shell]

Yep, pretty much same with mine, Shell That's for example one of the things I had to learn from here and it works fine. With my slings I'm a little bit more anal about it, but not to the point of "Oh my god - I forgot to mist!". Basically, when it's feeding time I put some droplets on their webbings and refill their little waterdishes, that's it. Personally, I still think ventilation is the more vital part for Avics, as stale air kills them off rather fast, they don't take well to that.

I don't go crazy with slings at all (of any kind), nor have I ever worried too much about ventilation with Avic slings. Actually thinking back, the first vial that my (now MF) versi was in as a sling had really minimal ventilation, and she's done just fine. Poor ventilation will come into play if you're keeping them really moist, as things get gross and stagnant pretty quick that way, just from my experience of course. They are not as delicate as people think, in fact I think a lot of the problems people have with them is likely over care. I am a very laid back keeper, sometimes too laid back, and I haven't had any problems.

 

[Storm76]

Poor ventilation will come into play if you're keeping them really moist, as things get gross and stagnant pretty quick that way, just from my experience of course. They are not as delicate as people think, in fact I think a lot of the problems people have with them is likely over care. I am a very laid back keeper, sometimes too laid back, and I haven't had any problems.

It all comes down to personal experience in the end, I guess. I had my versis and my now juvie female irminia in cups without the meshlid and only some holes poked into them. All three of them were not doing THAT well really. Basically they didn't web, didn't want to eat and were often close to the ground in case of the Avics. Once I got those new cups, I quickly became a fan of them as my slings don't show any signs of that stuff anymore. They web, they are active at night, take well too feeding and seem overall just happier. Since I didn't really change the care too much with the new cups, my thought is that the way better ventilation here did the trick. I don't keep their susbtrate moist either, like I said - every other week only...the rest is just a little waterbottle cap as waterdish.

I also fully agree that they aren't as delicate as they are made out to be. However, I don't think it's overcare most of the time - but certainly often enough.