How to stop mold in isopod tank?

[Brohamster]

I had isopods and one day I checked on them and the container was filled to the top with black and yellow mold. All the isopods were dead. Recently I got more isopods and now I'm paranoid that it will happen again. What should I do to prevent mold?

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

increase ventilation. check on them more often. pluck out mould when you see it starting. add springtails.

(the first of these will make the biggest difference, FYI)

 

[Stardust1986]

I had isopods and one day I checked on them and the container was filled to the top with black and yellow mold. All the isopods were dead. Recently I got more isopods and now I'm paranoid that it will happen again. What should I do to prevent mold?

I always recommend springtails in this circumstance, they eat mold and are a basic clean up crew. They do require humity and moisture, mine like the water dish in a dry enviorment

In a wet environment they thrive, if you have a deep enough tank, sucker fish are recommended

 

[AlbaArachnids92]

more ventilation + springtails should go a long way to stopping that again. How often are you dampening the substrate? Were you misting?

 

[chibicricket]

Something I do when I have mold issues in my invertebrate enclosures, instead of misting, I will add a balled up paper towel in a little water bowl and keep that wet. Prevents accidental drowning while still having the moisture available.

 

[Brohamster]

increase ventilation. check on them more often. pluck out mould when you see it starting. add springtails.

(the first of these will make the biggest difference, FYI)

Ok, all try all those. I don't want to order springtails so how can I get some from my backyard?

 

[Scorpiobsession]

Ok, all try all those. I don't want to order springtails so how can I get some from my backyard?

You can cheaply buy springtails and start a colony that you can use to add springtails to isopod enclosures.

 

[Reezelbeezelbug]

Try not to soak the entire enclosure. I choose one end and just add water to that same end every time, the other end stays relatively dry. And ventilation like the others have said, that probably makes the biggest impact.

 

[Brohamster]

Ok. Where do I find springtails?

 

[Dry Desert]

Ok. Where do I find springtails?

Where everyone else does. Search the classified ads, or your local friendly pet store.

 

[Matts inverts]

Ok, all try all those. I don't want to order springtails so how can I get some from my backyard?

You can get them from a ton or reptile shops online or from a local store. For example, bio dude has some. My shops don’t carry them often unfortunately so I have to divide mine. They can naturally get into the tank but this isn’t likely and you will probably get mites

 

[Ponerinecat]

Ok. Where do I find springtails?

Sift leaf litter or organic matter filled soil with thin mesh. Collect only the species that are somewhat elongated, the rest as a rule do not do anything about mold. Your best bets are any entomobryomorphs from moist habitats (dry loving species will probably die from the mold faster than the isopods), onychiurids, and hypogastrurids. Most other springtails are useless for your purposes. Springtails are usually not very useful in situations where mold is already well established, generally you can only expect them to act as competition towards mold or snack on spores before they develop.

 

[The Snark]

Ventilate. Springtails do not eat the mold spores. Regrowth is inevitable. Ventilate. Reduce moisture - humidity. Ventilate.

Mold regrowing in our bath tub. I'm one of those people that had a reputation for damaging or destroying things in science labs because of our penchant for fantastically noxious chemicals. So of course I've tried everything on our mold short of high bursts of gamma radiation. Solution for our bath tub? Bust a hole in the side of the house and install a fan. Ventilate.

 

[dragonfire1577]

Be careful adding springtails into bins with more sensitive or small isopods. If you aren't careful about feeding enough food preferred by the isopods they can compete with the juveniles and slow the colony growth.