Keeping rolly polies/pillbugs in a bioactive tarantula enclosure?

[animalgirl555]

Recently I started a bioactive enclosure for my Avicularia avicularia, and I added in some rolly polies a.k.a pill bugs to the enclosure as a cleanup crew. So far they seem to be doing fine, and I've seen these baby microscopic rolly polies hanging around in the enclosure .
Anyway, some people say that they are safe in a tarantula enclosure, but some say that you can't keep them in there because they might eat your tarantula if it molts....? I don't know what to think, and I'm not going to say that it's wrong because the world is an unpredictable place. Besides, I'm not an expert *shrug*.
So, any advice for me?
Should I keep them in there or remove them as best I can?
Thanks!

*just a note that so far they haven't done anything to harm my tarantula, and have been extremely helpful in maintaining the enclosure/plants.

 

[SpookySpooder]

As far as I know you should be fine with isopods since they eat decaying organic matter. I don't think they would attempt to eat a living or molting tarantula but they might stress it out while molting.

I don't keep large isopods or "rolly pollies", but I use springtails in my enclosures and they don't bother the tarantula at all.

I have read some stories online about scorpions being eaten by starving isopods, so maybe somebody with experience on keeping them together can chime in.

 

[kingshockey]

research the conditions all your animals need to thrive and live in

 

[SpookySpooder]

Here, I found a thread for you using the search bar.
There are a lot more like it, like this one.

Based on what I've read, I wouldn't do it.

A few things I would also like to mention...
- Your enclosures should not be poorly ventilated or so humid that mold or fungus can develop in the first place
- You most likely will not need a clean up crew, isopods or springtails if you remove uneaten feeders or food waste within a day

Avicularia require plenty of ventilation, generally good ventilation is more important than high humidity.
Most keepers allow the substrate to dry out and then add water by dripping or misting the sides or substrate when needed.

 

[viper69]

Bioactive

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

As far as I know you should be fine with isopods since they eat decaying organic matter. I don't think they would attempt to eat a living or molting tarantula but they might stress it out while molting.

I don't keep large isopods or "rolly pollies", but I use springtails in my enclosures and they don't bother the tarantula at all.

I have read some stories online about scorpions being eaten by starving isopods, so maybe somebody with experience on keeping them together can chime in.

Yeah it may work for true aboreals but I’d be worried about any small pokies or Ts that often burrow as slings and web may end up a meal .
scorpions being eaten doesn’t make a t any safer … There just as vulnerable.

Here, I found a thread for you using the search bar.
There are a lot more like it, like this one.

Based on what I've read, I wouldn't do it.

A few things I would also like to mention...
- Your enclosures should not be poorly ventilated or so humid that mold or fungus can develop in the first place
- You most likely will not need a clean up crew, isopods or springtails if you remove uneaten feeders or food waste within a day

Avicularia require plenty of ventilation, generally good ventilation is more important than high humidity.
Most keepers allow the substrate to dry out and then add water by dripping or misting the sides or substrate when needed.

I never kept my aboreals wet enough for isopods back when I had them.

 

[MariaLewisia]

I frankly know to little about isopods to judge the safety of keeping them in tarantula enclosures. I know some people who claim to have done it for years with no issues, but I also know some people who claim that the isopods snacked on their spiders. I only keep springtails in my enclosures. They're 100% guaranteed to not harm even the smallest of freshly moulted T's and they are a also great snack for those itty bitty 1/16th inch slings to hunt.

 

[moricollins]

Recently I started a bioactive enclosure for my Avicularia avicularia,

If you mean an enclosure with high humidity, plants, etc. then you've created a death trap for your tarantula.

So, any advice for me?

Ditch the "bioactive"

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Recently I started a bioactive enclosure for my Avicularia avicularia, and I added in some rolly polies a.k.a pill bugs to the enclosure as a cleanup crew. So far they seem to be doing fine, and I've seen these baby microscopic rolly polies hanging around in the enclosure .
Anyway, some people say that they are safe in a tarantula enclosure, but some say that you can't keep them in there because they might eat your tarantula if it molts....? I don't know what to think, and I'm not going to say that it's wrong because the world is an unpredictable place. Besides, I'm not an expert *shrug*.
So, any advice for me?
Should I keep them in there or remove them as best I can?
Thanks!

*just a note that so far they haven't done anything to harm my tarantula, and have been extremely helpful in maintaining the enclosure/plants.

Any pics ? Of this set up ?

If you mean an enclosure with high humidity, plants, etc. then you've created a death trap for your tarantula.

Ditch the "bioactive"

yeah just like the whole sads catastrophe years ago but they kept them wet like frogs ? Why were so many avics dying was it humidity chasing ?

 

[viper69]

Any pics ? Of this set up ?

yeah just like the whole sads catastrophe years ago but they kept them wet like frogs ? Why were so many avics dying was it humidity chasing ?

SADS- fake
Deaths- due to moist stuffy cages- kills Avics fast

 

[animalgirl555]

SADS- fake
Deaths- due to moist stuffy cages- kills Avics fast

I don't let the enclosure get all humid and moist, I just water the plant every once in a while. (Isn't the main problem that people decide to continually mist/spray/water the enclosure to make it like it would be in the wild? Or something like that?)
I like to wait a week or so for the water to evaporate a bit so that I don't over-water/over-humidify the enclosure and create a stuffy enclosure that could kill my Avic.
(California during the summer = very hot and dry). I'll still keep an eye on it to make sure the enclosure doesn't have very high humidity.

 

[viper69]

I don't let the enclosure get all humid and moist, I just water the plant every once in a while. (Isn't the main problem that people decide to continually mist/spray/water the enclosure to make it like it would be in the wild? Or something like that?)
I like to wait a week or so for the water to evaporate a bit so that I don't over-water/over-humidify the enclosure and create a stuffy enclosure that could kill my Avic.
(California during the summer = very hot and dry). I'll still keep an eye on it to make sure the enclosure doesn't have very high humidity.

I wasn't indirectly referencing you if you thought that. I would have quoted you.

I know California very well. Not all of Cali is dry, the San Fernando Valley is humid relative to Culver City. All things are relative

We see all sorts who say they don't do this or "that often/that much", none of that means a thing generally as they are subjective words, and who knows what the cage looks like. Ultimately people learn by trial and error, and the latter means death for the Avic more often than not.

I wouldn't be worried about DIRECTLY watering a plant IMO.

I never use plants with Avics, more trouble than it's worth.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Recently I started a bioactive enclosure for my Avicularia avicularia, and I added in some rolly polies a.k.a pill bugs to the enclosure as a cleanup crew. So far they seem to be doing fine, and I've seen these baby microscopic rolly polies hanging around in the enclosure .
Anyway, some people say that they are safe in a tarantula enclosure, but some say that you can't keep them in there because they might eat your tarantula if it molts....? I don't know what to think, and I'm not going to say that it's wrong because the world is an unpredictable place. Besides, I'm not an expert *shrug*.
So, any advice for me?
Should I keep them in there or remove them as best I can?
Thanks!

*just a note that so far they haven't done anything to harm my tarantula, and have been extremely helpful in maintaining the enclosure/plants.

I wasn't indirectly referencing you if you thought that. I would have quoted you.

I know California very well. Not all of Cali is dry, the San Fernando Valley is humid relative to Culver City. All things are relative

We see all sorts who say they don't do this or "that often/that much", none of that means a thing generally as they are subjective words, and who knows what the cage looks like. Ultimately people learn by trial and error, and the latter means death for the Avic more often than not.

I wouldn't be worried about DIRECTLY watering a plant IMO.

I never use plants with Avics, more trouble than it's worth.

I don’t think my basement gets enough sunlight to support pothos or low light plants so I don’t have any atm ..: I could try it out maybe but I don’t really see the point . I may try to with the plants outside the tanks to see if they survive .
And until pics are produced not much else to say … I can’t critique or comment on something that’s not show .

 

[Tarantulasareanimalstoo]

From what I understand keeping isopods is safe as long as you have a bio enclosure if you just keep them with a T in a non bio enclosure they will turn to the T for calcium. I would personally use springtales instead but that’s me. Good rule of thumb is don’t keep anything (bugs/animals) bigger than your T’s abdomen in its enclosure whether food or a bio enclosure. Just keep an eye on the T and the isopods and as long as they have plenty of food they should be fine. Can I see your T please? (No reason I just want to see it)
Keep your T safe and happy keeping