# How often do i add springtails and isopods?



## lburgess72 (Apr 29, 2020)

hello i am new to dart frogs and vivariums, and i was just wondering how often i should be adding springtials and isopods to my vivarium?


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## cobe (Oct 10, 2015)

I add every couple of weeks or so. Add them at night so the frogs do not eat them all before they get the chance to hide.


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## LRM (Apr 18, 2020)

I’ve not needed anymore since I first put them in and now there is thousands in there! I’ve not got frogs in there yet so they will eat them but it’s been running for 3 months with mourning geckos


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

lburgess72 said:


> hello i am new to dart frogs and vivariums, and i was just wondering how often i should be adding springtials and isopods to my vivarium?


It depends.

Frogs that morph out froglets in the viv could use additions of springs regularly, as many springs as a person might reasonably have available, since the froglets depend on springs in their early days. 

On the other hand, my adult leucomelas will eat springs to the exclusion of FFs, which would not be good for them. In their viv, I don't really add springtails at all unless I want to see the leucs go nuts -- but that is for my benefit, not theirs.


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## Broseph (Dec 5, 2011)

I seed every vivarium I set up with springtails and isopods. The only time I ever add microfauna to an established tank is when I have froglets that depend on springtails. I’ve never added extra isopods. 

I’ve also boosted the existing in-tank populations by adding things like Bug Burger, Morning Wood, and fruit/veggie scraps to the leaf litter (in very small amounts).


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Every vivarium is different. In my experience, establishing a constant supply of springtails without ever adding more, is heavily influenced by the build.
If you have a thin layer of substrate and not much leaf litter, where do your bugs go to escape hungry frogs? Establish proper areas for your bugs to have a safe haven. The more safe haven areas you have, the more bugs will be generated.
The animals within will also influence it greatly, but establishing safe havens will help to alleviate that.


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## Broseph (Dec 5, 2011)

Pumilo said:


> Every vivarium is different. In my experience, establishing a constant supply of springtails without ever adding more, is heavily influenced by the build.


Wait. You're saying not everyone makes their setups exactly like mine!?!?? 

(obviously kidding, this is a useful insight)


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Broseph said:


> Wait. You're saying not everyone makes their setups exactly like mine!?!??


Well, if you get a flashy YouTube channel going, and use it to sell marginally useful viv products, perhaps in time everyone will make theirs exactly like yours.


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## Broseph (Dec 5, 2011)

Socratic Monologue said:


> Well, if you get a flashy YouTube channel going, and use it to sell marginally useful viv products, perhaps in time everyone will make theirs exactly like yours.


Hey guys broseph here with another video I know you all are going to love. You know a lot of you guys have been asking me about my misting routine so I thought I'd take a sec to show you what I'm using. Hey make sure and smash that like button and don't forget to subscribe and be sure and leave a comment if you have any questions.... [cue 30 second generic beat drop intro with lots of spin graphics]... (video length = 10:01)


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

@lburgess72 -- post a pic of your setup. A picture is worth a thousand words.

For CUC purposes, I only _REALLY _add springs and isos when setting up a tank. I'll add more if I notice that the frog poop is adding up, or there is significant mold build up.

For isos, I'd recommended maybe adding 3-8 per frog for waste management. There are people that are adamant that isopods will devour your frogs alive like piranha -- to be clear they will not. However, you don't want to be adding 200 isopods to a small enclosure, and be surprised if your frogs die from the stress of having things crawling over them constantly. Also don't be surprised if all those isopods then go onto eating the only real source of nutrition.

So isopods I'll add more maybe once a year?

Springtails get eaten up like candy. I think I add those every other month, or every 2-3 months.

Never add so many bugs to your vivs that your frogs will get stressed out. You can always add more later, but it's hard to remove them from the enclosure once they're in there.


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## amolerane (Mar 15, 2020)

I only added small white tropical isopods (and springtails). Would it be a best practice to add a larger species of isopod as well?


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

amolerane said:


> I only added small white tropical isopods (and springtails). Would it be a best practice to add a larger species of isopod as well?


Some folks have found that different isopod species outcompete each other, so that's a reason not to add a larger species.

I kept powder orange isos in a culture for a couple months and decided there was no way I would put them in a viv -- they tear through ABG/leaf litter substrate like a puppy through new shoes, leaving a matted, worn out mess. My very conservative recommendation is to keep a species of isos separate for a while before committing to them.


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## Broseph (Dec 5, 2011)

EDIT: ha, ha; wrong thread. But I stand by my comments. 

EDIT 2: HA HA HA!!!! It was actually the correct thread all along. Chess mate, dendroboard!

I pretty much agree with @Socratic. I don't think the larger isopods add value unless you really like seeing them. In that respect, the giant oranges seem to stay out in the open more than the all the dwarf species I've kept, so they can add visual interest. 

But they also seem to eat a lot. A lot of background, leaf litter, and substrate. And they are sexually attracted to standing water. Any vivarium water feature = giant orange isopod death trap.


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## fishingguy12345 (Apr 7, 2019)

Broseph said:


> EDIT: ha, ha; wrong thread. But I stand by my comments.
> 
> EDIT 2: HA HA HA!!!! It was actually the correct thread all along. Chess mate, dendroboard!
> 
> ...


I had Porcellionides pruinosus powder blue in a dart frog vivarium for awhile, the Isopods routinely committed suicide by climbing into any sort of spot that had water. Even climbing up the dirty glass to crawl into a raised water dish (tadpole drop container) 8" off the ground. 

I almost never see the dwarf whites in my tanks, but that's ok, when they come out they are almost immediately frog snacks and I'd rather have them as janitors than snacks


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

I haven't really noticed P scaber eating too much, or through everything. But then again, I add very little individuals to start with... I'm employing them strictly as a CUC; I've found smaller species such as the "dwarf whites" to be completely ineffective in this regard.



Broseph said:


> And they are sexually attracted to standing water. Any vivarium water feature = giant orange isopod death trap.


HA! I thought I was the only one and my isos were suicidal or something!


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