# The Basics Of Terrarium Custodians



## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

*The Basics Of Terrarium Custodians*​
This is a very simple guide for keeping and rearing custodians ( natures garbage men ) for the terrarium.
*
Springtails*

Springtails ( Collembola ) are Cryptozoa.

The majority found for sale as livefood / custodians are very small ( -6mm ) and have a white colouration. They are primarily used to keep terrariums clean as they eat food bolus, mould and poop.

Rearing springtails is a very easy task that is very undemanding. You can rear springtails in a variety of tubs and boxes but no need to purchase a special tub for keeping them as a simple margarine tub will suffice. Place about 2cm damp coco choir / peat in the bottom of the tub add some springtails and away you go. You can also feed your springtails with foods such as fish flakes and dried yeast or purchase one of the specially formulated springtail chows available on the market.

Keep the substrate damp with a temp of about 28C but not soaking wet and they should begin to culture nicely in no time.


*Woodlice
*
Woodlice ( Isopoda ) are Crustaceans.

Various species of woodlice are available to enthusiast. The most common woodlice used as terrarium custodians are the tropical white woodlice ( _Trichorhina tomentosa _) 

Culturing woodlice either as livefoods or terrarium custodians is a relatively easy task. Any small tub ( cricket tubs etc ) will work well as long as you provide the sufficient products to allow them to breed. Just place a medium layer of substrate ( coco choir / peat etc ) in the bottom of the tub, on top of that place a small layer of leaf litter and some pieces of bark for them to hide under and snack on. Pieces of cardboard can also be added to the substrate, as this starts to mould the woodlice will also munch on this. Other foods used include, fish flakes, vegetable leftovers, and even the odd dead cricket / locust / cockroach etc. Also available on the market are specially formulated woodlouse chows.

Keeping the substrate at a heat and humidity gradient will allow the woodlice to have the best chance of beginning to culture. If you are culturing the tropical white woodlice then a "hot" end of the tub at about 28C works great, along with a damp "strip" running along the adjacent side of the tub allowing the woodlice a choice of four conditions ( Hot and damp, hot and dry, cool and damp, cool and dry ) doing this will offer the best opportunity of having a thriving, reliable culture.

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If there is anything else you wish to add to this post, please leave a reply.

Thanks

Jake


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## RAZZ-MCFC (Jan 25, 2010)

snowgoose said:


> *The Basics Of Terrarium Custodians*​
> This is a very simple guide for keeping and rearing custodians ( natures garbage men ) for the terrarium.
> *
> Springtails*
> ...


quality cultivation sheets mate

might want to add that woodlice need carrots as they use them as a source of potassium


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

Nice sheet there mate, looks useful.

I wonder if silverfish would make decent custodians...


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## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

Hedgewitch said:


> Nice sheet there mate, looks useful.
> 
> I wonder if silverfish would make decent custodians...


I doubt it as they mainly consume items which contain polysaccharides, such as starches and dextrin found in adhesives.


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

snowgoose said:


> I doubt it as they mainly consume items which contain polysaccharides, such as starches and dextrin found in adhesives.


Thought so, it was just a thought.


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

RAZZ-MCFC said:


> quality cultivation sheets mate
> 
> might want to add that woodlice need carrots as they use them as a source of potassium


how do wild woodlice manage in a garden such as mine, which is completely devoid of carrots?


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## Oderus (Nov 24, 2009)

garlicpickle said:


> how do wild woodlice manage in a garden such as mine, which is completely devoid of carrots?


Easy they go get bananas from the local supermarket instead :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

Oderus said:


> Easy they go get bananas from the local supermarket instead :Na_Na_Na_Na:


don't be silly, where would they get the money to buy bananas? And how would they carry them home?


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## RAZZ-MCFC (Jan 25, 2010)

garlicpickle said:


> how do wild woodlice manage in a garden such as mine, which is completely devoid of carrots?


they get it from the earth in your garden, there's all sorts of things in there that aren't in the coir etc you use for your T's


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

Definitely a worthy guide however I have a few comments. I'm of the understanding that woodlice (or pillbugs as they are known in the states) require a level of moisture to breathe as they haven't developed lungs, so providing a dry area is of litltle use keep them dry but don't drown them!
Any rotting vegetation works well so I feed them leftovers from my roach colony.
Both woodlice and springtails can be kept together and will help to reduce mite infestations in moist environments by competing for the same food source at a faster rate. It's also rumoured they'll eat mite eggs.
In my experience feeding them dead insects in a warm moist environment is not a good recommendation due to an increase and escape of mites plus the rather pungent smell that results.
Silverfish are a dry loving species but I'm unsure of their suitability in a terrarium.


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

Poxicator said:


> Silverfish are a dry loving species but I'm unsure of their suitability in a terrarium.


Firebrats are dry loving, silverfish however are most definitely not. They need high humidity or they die.

I kept some for a while, then forgot about them for a week (they're photophobes, I think I had them in a cupboard)... in that time the tub dried out enough that I didn't have silverfish anymore so much as protracted silver pills  Seems they shrink lengthways when dried. That is why firebrats are found in furnace rooms etc, but a silverfish is most commonly found in bathrooms and kitchens.


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

Ah! Seems to make sense.
/me wonders where the info came from


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

Firebrats are very similar looking and closely related insects... on dartfrog.co.uk they list firebrats under silverfish and mention how they love dryness. Alas, no actual silverfish... I'd quite like some more but no-one sells them, they only sell ways of killing them.


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## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

garlicpickle said:


> how do wild woodlice manage in a garden such as mine, which is completely devoid of carrots?


Most greens have some amount of potassium in them, therefore I would say they get their required amounts from the decaying green matter they consume



Poxicator said:


> Definitely a worthy guide however I have a few comments. I'm of the understanding that woodlice (or pillbugs as they are known in the states) require a level of moisture to breathe as they haven't developed lungs, so providing a dry area is of litltle use keep them dry but don't drown them!
> Any rotting vegetation works well so I feed them leftovers from my roach colony.
> Both woodlice and springtails can be kept together and will help to reduce mite infestations in moist environments by competing for the same food source at a faster rate. It's also rumoured they'll eat mite eggs.
> In my experience feeding them dead insects in a warm moist environment is not a good recommendation due to an increase and escape of mites plus the rather pungent smell that results.
> Silverfish are a dry loving species but I'm unsure of their suitability in a terrarium.


I am keeping various species of woodlice and springtails in the same tub, therefore of the woodlice don't eat the decaying animal remains, then the springtails should


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