# Woodlice



## OlyFroggyBoy (Nov 18, 2009)

Ive just ordered some woodlice and springtails for my tree frogs as they s**t loads and i needed something to clean it up, is it just as simple as putting them in the cage and then its done, or is there anything else that needs to be done.


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## ilovetoads2 (Oct 31, 2008)

I was thinking of getting some for my gecko tank...their poo is like bird poo...easy to clean when it is on the leaves of plants, but a pain when it lands on the soil...grrr.

I wanted to know which was better, springtails or woodlice? And woodlice...may be a stupid question, but are they going to destroy the wood that is in the tank?


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## kroot (Mar 11, 2010)

Does depend on the size of the treefrogs.

Small ones may eat all of the springtails/woodlice.

I tend to use a small slab of bark or wood chip and put the main colony under there, thus they get to have a good refuge from the hungry frogs.

Also found it's worth keeping them fed so the colony stays healthy.

Place the food under the slab and then you can check on numbers.


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## Bearnandos (Nov 24, 2009)

ilovetoads2 said:


> I was thinking of getting some for my gecko tank...their poo is like bird poo...easy to clean when it is on the leaves of plants, but a pain when it lands on the soil...grrr.
> 
> I wanted to know which was better, springtails or woodlice? And woodlice...may be a stupid question, but are they going to destroy the wood that is in the tank?


No - woodlice only eat rotten wood....yhe wood that gets all crumbly and yucky. Get both as your baby peacocks will luv em


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## OlyFroggyBoy (Nov 18, 2009)

What do you feed them as I bought them intending on them eating the frog poo??


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## kroot (Mar 11, 2010)

I use collembola food.

Also old turtle pellets left under the logs tend to go fungusy and then end up feeding them well.


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## OlyFroggyBoy (Nov 18, 2009)

Will there not be anough 'natural' food in the tank for them to eat.?


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## peterspets (Dec 17, 2009)

I use a sprinkle of ready brek to feed them with.


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## deadmeat30 (Mar 29, 2008)

i feed mine fish food! the cultures have exploded!!


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## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

woodlice are very simple to keep and culture,

have a read of my blog in my sig


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

In an established tank with plenty of organic waste, they shouldn't need feeding much, but in new vivs with a fairly 'sterile' substrate they may not find enough to eat, so fishfood etc is a good idea. It also has the plus of gut-loading them if the frogs decide to snack on some of them. Both species would generally be better- increase the bio diversity a bit! :lol2: That way, they are likely to clean up a wider variety of waste. 

Alternatively, if you didn't want to shell out for the tropical species, I find that ordinary European woodlice tend to do well in most of my vivs, and I also find it useful to mix 'live' leafmould (from a beech/sweet chestnut wood on the North Downs) in with my substrates- undoubtedly, some of the organisms in it can't stand the higher temps for long, but enough do to be effectively self-cleaning.


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