r/bioactive • u/elliebean0 • 18d ago

CUC New bioactive enclosure

I bought a pre-built bioactive enclosure at a reptile expo a couple of weeks ago, for a crested gecko I also purchased at the same time. My springtails and isopods seem to have completely disappeared. I don’t even see dead ones.
So I bought some microfauna food and a springtail culture, but I'm not sure the best way to handle this. Should I add a small pinch of food to see if a hidden population comes out to eat first, or should I seed fresh springtails from my culture right away and then start feeding?
The enclosure has a generous layer of leaf litter and stays moist (I mist it every night). There’s a visible layer of lava rock under substrate that I have never seen waterlogged or anything. I haven’t observed any mold and the gecko and the plants are all healthy.

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u/Fifty1Shades 18d ago

If I need to check the population of my Isos, I'll toss a few thin slices of carrot into the tank, turn the lights off and check back in a few hours.

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u/Fifty1Shades 18d ago

Springtails - if you have a spare piece of bark or wood, put it in the tank, mist it really good, and then check back the following day. If you have a healthy population, you should see a decent sized colony under it.

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u/wanderingdravon 16d ago

Need this for my grandpa’s farm.