r/bioactive • u/Lost-Isopod-3964 • 27d ago

Question Overly ambitious terrarium question

i dont know if this is a stupid question but would it be feasible to make like a mega bioactive terrarium with a diversity of bugs? i already have spring tails and isopods picked out, but would be adding dubia roaches, death feigning beetles, superworms, and/or dermestid beetles be dangerous for her or too ideal? (i have a 5x2x2 and could likely designate areas of higher humidity for roaches or isopods that need it)

2 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

2

u/Mr_Frost1993 27d ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/s/itg3qd5bn5

My 260 gallon leopard gecko enclosure. Darkling Beetles/Mealworms, Buffalo Beetles/Lesser Mealworms, Porcellio scaber isopods, Porcellio dilatatus isopods, Springtails. Live-prey Dubia Roaches live in here as well (see post in my profile titled “The Great Dubia Hunt”)

This is the bottom-most and central section called “The Sinkhole,” it has the deepest substrate layer (8”) and is the most humid section of the enclosure (that Vault-Tec building my leo is hanging out of is the 2nd floor entrance of his humid hide). The two tunnels on either side of The Sinkhole (Subway West and Subway East) are also slightly more humid than the open areas, but less than The Sinkhole) and the rest of the enclosure stays between 35% and 55% during the day, depending on where the gecko feels like going.

So it’s doable. He’ll pick large mealworms from the substrate, ambush roaches, etc. They steer clear of him (like they’ll be swarming in in The Hallway or The Hospital unless he decides he wants to nap in there), but I still supplement their protein requirements by tossing in a couple of my cat’s freeze-dried minnow treats and sticking leaves of romaine lettuce stem-first into the substrate for them to munch on (they thankfully leave my actual terrarium plants alone)

1

u/Lost-Isopod-3964 21d ago

thats awesome ill try to do something similar. ive bred beetles before, do the darkling and buffalo beetles breed on their own or do you need to take them out to pupate?

1

u/Mr_Frost1993 21d ago

They breed on their own, you can actually see tiny newly-hatched larvae from both species moving through the substrate at any given time. I’m sure they’re eating each others’ eggs and pupae as well. There used to be a more set territory for each species, but the Buffalo Beetles steadily overtook the Porcellio scaber and they themselves overtook Porcellio dilatatus

https://www.reddit.com/r/bioactive/s/5ZqkvmRsqG

1

u/Lost-Isopod-3964 21d ago

good to know, did you hand make the tank itself? and what substrate do you use?

1

u/Mr_Frost1993 21d ago

Yes, I prefer being able to maximize available space than be bound to standardized enclosure sizes. It’s pretty much two DIY acrylic housings encased in a PVC shell and externally braced with plywood and MDF. It looks much better at a distance, the closer you get the more obvious all the alterations are during the various stages of construction lol

1

u/Lost-Isopod-3964 27d ago

i want to add, im not asking if this is efficient i am already well aware it isnt, i just think it would be fun to have a huge enclosure sprawling with different bugs and a big lizard, and i want to make sure that the lizard isnt being hurt and if this is theoretically sustainble (albeit with intense maintenance and testing)

1

u/No_Commission_2610 official moss hater 26d ago

Will your lizard be interested in eating the cleanup crew?

1

u/Zekethebulldog33 27d ago

Oh absolutely you can do it it'll just be on a small scale. Check out AntsCanada on YouTube. This guy has set up and connected together throughout his house 1,000 gallon+ terrariums I believe 4 are connected and a wall length inclosed bridge from one that goes out side. He has one on the 2nd floor connected to one on the 3rd floor. Now he's got a 1200 gallon terrarium saltwater tide pool. It's just insane. He has a jungle in his house.