Importance of Humidity with isopods

[Irithyllian]

So today I bought a Linothele megaloids, and while I was researching their care, I thought I should get springtails.

of all the T’s I own, two of them, xenesthis intermedia and Pamphobeteus nigricolor, I have a screen and drainage layer since they need extra humidity, so today I added springtails to both them and the new Linothele.

my question being with springtails involved, does this mean I should make sure it stays more moist than before? Previous to this about every week I would pour some water down each corner of the enclosures, if I saw moisture in the lower layers of substrate when its time to, I tried to hold back, with springtails should I keep it more moist or is putting too much worse than having less?
Sorry for the jumble of words, sometimes it can be hard to word a question.

 

[l4nsky]

Are we talking about springtails or isopods, as they aren't the same thing?

 

[Irithyllian]

Are we talking about springtails or isopods, as they aren't the same thing?

Sorry I thought springtails were considered the same I haven’t tried bioactive enclosures yet, I bought springtails specifically, I filled a part of the cup up with water and poured many of them into the enclosures, then put a little extra substrate and mixed it a bit, then followed up with a bit more water in the enclosures

 

[BoyFromLA]

Of all the T’s I own, two of them, xenesthis intermedia and Pamphobeteus nigricolor, I have a screen and drainage layer since they need extra humidity.

I both keep Xenesthis, Pamphobeteus fairly dry.

 

[Irithyllian]

I both keep Xenesthis, Pamphobeteus fairly dry.

perhaps I’ve made a mistake then, I’ve heard it’s important for them to be more humid, would you recommend then for their enclosures to stay about as dry as a harpactira pulchripes and an Obt? I heard they were pretty tropical.

 

[l4nsky]

Sorry I thought springtails were considered the same I haven’t tried bioactive enclosures yet, I bought springtails specifically, I filled a part of the cup up with water and poured many of them into the enclosures, then put a little extra substrate and mixed it a bit, then followed up with a bit more water in the enclosures

Nope, they are completely different organisms. Springtails are hexapods (but not technically insects) while isopods (aka wood lice, pill bugs, or roly polys) are actually crustaceans. Both live in the soil and most species are considered moisture dependant. If you keep the lower levels of the substrate moist, then they'll be fine.

 

[BoyFromLA]

perhaps I’ve made a mistake then, I’ve heard it’s important for them to be more humid, would you recommend then for their enclosures to stay about as dry as a harpactira pulchripes and an Obt? I heard they were pretty tropical.

I am not at all the expert, nor any professional keeper/breeder, but I keep over 75+ tarantulas in dry enclosures. So far no problems occurred while eating, molting. (Yes even T. blondi)

However, this is just my how to keep, and I am not in any ways to enforce anything to others. Thus I have not come across a single tarantula that would actually need drainage for humidity.

 

[Irithyllian]

Nope, they are completely different organisms. Springtails are hexapods (but not technically insects) while isopods (aka wood lice, pill bugs, or roly polys) are actually crustaceans. Both live in the soil and most species are considered moisture dependant. If you keep the lower levels of the substrate moist, then they'll be fine.

oh perfect, good to know I don’t need to go overkill on it then for future reference, should I happen to get actual isopods, do they have different instructions? Do they burrow and live in the substrate too?

I am not at all the expert, nor any professional keeper/breeder, but I keep over 75+ tarantulas in dry enclosures. So far no problems occurred while eating, molting. (Yes even T. blondi)

However, this is just my how to keep, and I am not in any ways to enforce anything to others. Thus I have not come across a single tarantula that would actually need drainage for humidity.

75+ is impressive, and I’d trust someone with experiences of their own over ‘experts’ so that’s a bit of a relief to hear, if your T’s do good semi dry then I’ll try and not go too much on the humidity, although the springtails do seem to be there to stay now

 

[BoyFromLA]

although the springtails do seem to be there to stay now

One thing is clear. You are to blame, now that I am craving for spring rolls, and pho noodles with lots of cilantros.

 

[l4nsky]

oh perfect, good to know I don’t need to go overkill on it then for future reference, should I happen to get actual isopods, do they have different instructions? Do they burrow and live in the substrate too?

Some species do and some species prefer to stay up top. The only isopod I trust for tarantula enclosures are dwarf whites. The larger species can pose a threat to a freshly molted tarantula in certain conditions.

 

[Irithyllian]

One thing is clear. You are to blame, now that I am craving for spring rolls, and pho noodles with lots of cilantros.

Gotta say, everything’s better with cilantro hopefully you can satiate your craving

Some species do and some species prefer to stay up top. The only isopod I trust for tarantula enclosures are dwarf whites. The larger species can pose a threat to a freshly molted tarantula in certain conditions.

good to know springtails seem to be the best option then for sure. thanks man

 

[Smotzer]

since they need extra humidity,

No they do not need extra humidity, you are getting your info from thhe wrong places, tarantulas are in varying degrees of soil moisture dependent ei, moist vs. dry and inbetween. Any relative humidity given off my the substrate moisture is fine, but you should not be worrying about humidity as a whole, or measuring it. This will make your life and your care much simpler.

 

[RoachCoach]

Springtails are by far the most beneficial soil gremlin you can get. Hard as hell to kill and they are parthenogenetic. So even if you try to kill them, sans dehydration then you got them for good. They are only a nuisance if you have mold issues in your house they are feasting on. Even then springtails are the least of your worries. They are more a bellwether.

 

[l4nsky]

Springtails are by far the most beneficial soil gremlin you can get. Hard as hell to kill and they are parthenogenetic. So even if you try to kill them, sans dehydration then you got them for good. They are only a nuisance if you have mold issues in your house they are feasting on. Even then springtails are the least of your worries. They are more a bellwether.

I managed to find a way to kill them.... Got some Hypoaspis miles in an ill-researched attempt to treat a mite infestation on a Scolopendra dehaani. Worked wonders, but they spread to my bioactive regalis enclosure and hunted them to extinction. Two years later and I still can't keep them. The H. miles are able to stick around in small numbers because they can scavenge organic material. As soon as I try to reintroduce springtails, the population comes back with a vengeance and wipes the springtails out in a matter of weeks.

 

[IsopodTarantula]

Some species do and some species prefer to stay up top. The only isopod I trust for tarantula enclosures are dwarf whites. The larger species can pose a threat to a freshly molted tarantula in certain conditions.

I've heard some people have had issues with dwarf whites with terrestrial inverts. They do so well and are so prolific that if the food in the substrate starts to run out they may start to eat at other living organisms. That being said, I don't really keep dwarf whites in many enclosures with other animals - unless the buggers manage to get into my other isopod cultures that is! I personally would only keep them in with aboreal tarantulas, geckos, etc. as the main inhabitant(s) of the enclosure wouldn't be on the ground all that much.

One example I can remember was that Tom Moran had a group of Tityus stigmurus scorpions that were eaten by the dwarf whites, he says about it in this podcast if you want to check it out:

The Dangers of Isopods and Wild Caught Shame - Tom's Big Spiders - Tarantulas and Inverts

First, a huge thank you to Lexi for chiming in on the isopod topic. For those who ask why I won't use these with tarantulas again, this podcast will pretty much sum it up. Also in this podcast, I've been contacted by several people in the past two...

www.buzzsprout.com

Anyways, springtails are always a good thing to have, I find that I'm always needing more and more of them!

 

[l4nsky]

I've heard some people have had issues with dwarf whites with terrestrial inverts. They do so well and are so prolific that if the food in the substrate starts to run out they may start to eat at other living organisms. That being said, I don't really keep dwarf whites in many enclosures with other animals - unless the buggers manage to get into my other isopod cultures that is! I personally would only keep them in with aboreal tarantulas, geckos, etc. as the main inhabitant(s) of the enclosure wouldn't be on the ground all that much.

One example I can remember was that Tom Moran had a group of Tityus stigmurus scorpions that were eaten by the dwarf whites, he says about it in this podcast if you want to check it out:

The Dangers of Isopods and Wild Caught Shame - Tom's Big Spiders - Tarantulas and Inverts

First, a huge thank you to Lexi for chiming in on the isopod topic. For those who ask why I won't use these with tarantulas again, this podcast will pretty much sum it up. Also in this podcast, I've been contacted by several people in the past two...

www.buzzsprout.com

Anyways, springtails are always a good thing to have, I find that I'm always needing more and more of them!

Yep, thats typically the case that a lot of people cite when they say all isopods are a bad idea as Tom is a very knowledgeable individual and a living legend from his site and YT channel that's purely focused on husbandry and not cringe (big fan of Tom's work). Personally, I've used dwarf whites with three species, a female P. pulcher, a female P. regalis, and a female P. metallica. Of the 3, the P. pulcher was the only one who was never frequently on the ground (She no longer shares an enclosure with any isopods). The two Poecilotheria sp both still live with dwarf whites and are constantly in their corkbark rounds or the burrows they created at the back of the corkbark. I haven't had any issue. If I had to theorize why Tom had an issue, it would be due to a lack of an absolutely massive size difference. T. stigmurus are a rather diminutive species, and if I remember correctly, his weren't adults either. Being so small, it would take a lot less attention from the dwarf whites to prove fatal as compared to an 5"+ pokie. I touched on the dwarf white's prolificity in a recent thread as well. I seeded my enclosures with only a 10ct each, I don't supplement their diet, and I don't keep the soil as wet as one would do for dart frogs. In fact, I'll dry it out from time to time as well. A few years in and the populations have been stable at an acceptable level. I think this method of husbandry combined with an invert of atleast 4" in size greatly mitigates any risk, but that's just my opinion based on the observations in my own collection.