Cleanup Crew without Full Bioactive

[edwintheskink]

Hello,

I have a northern and I want to avoid changing his substrate too often because of costs (I currently use a mix of coco coir and cypress mulch). However, I do not want to go full bioactive for several reasons. Has anyone ever experimented and/or succeeded with a cleanup crew for a northern without going fully bioactive (i.e., no live plants). If so, what species of isopod and springtails would work best for such a setup. Also, would the substrate need to be deeper so the crew can have a higher humidity? I know some people use beetles for a cleanup crew instead of isopods in arid bioactive a but I feel that my little guy would love to eat them.

Thanks

[kayla990]

Tricky to say how well a clean-up crew would do in more dry environments. They do need moisture to breed well (which is possible in drier tanks by making moist corners or boxes of damp moss in the tank), but I know it could be difficult to balance it out the moisture levels needed with Northerns.

In general, springtails are used to clean up mold; which builds up the most in humid/damp substrates - so you may not need the clean-up crew in general since the conditions will be drier.

Agree that beetles and isopods would be food targets for Blueys, so may just be easier without. If you have a deeper substrate that'll benefit your Bluey in general as they can dig around. Instead, if you want to have more healthy soil, you can mix it by hand once per week/every few days to avoid bacteria building up in the layers.

[splashy07]

Buffalo beetles. They are tiny and do not bother anything living.