Would an avic avic benefit from having Isopods (woodlice and pill bugs) grazing in it's enclosure?

Kron

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I've found multiple sources say that tarantulas that live in humid enclosures (seeing as the woodlice wouldn't survive in a dry one) can benefit from having these guys as they eat mites and fungi of which could otherwise infest the enclosure and so harm/kill the tarantula. I know that A. avics don't need as much moisture as some, so fungi isn't as big of a problem but would one still benefit from it nonetheless or would they just become a nuisance?
And would the amount of moisture in an avics enclosure even be enough to sustain a small isopod population and would I have to feed them additional rotting wood making it counter intuitive overall?
Or could I farm them separately and put one or two into the enclosure every week or something?
 

Kron

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I see so a sustained population wouldn't be possible, but could I have them live elsewhere and put one in everyweek so they don't have to survive, just browse occaisionally or something? or would it just be pointless?
 

freedumbdclxvi

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Why would you put one in every week? Avics are fine with dry sub and a water dish, so mold or mites shouldn't be a problem. All you need to do is spot clean out the boluses as you find them and you're golden.
 

JZC

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Only swamp dwelling species like Theraphosa and Ephephobus live in and require conditions suitable for maintaining isopods.
 

Kron

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Ok, one final thought, I know they're pretty small so wouldn't really fill her up as much as usual medium crickets but could they be feed, like if She were fed daily or every second day or something? I just want to explore all avenues as I would like to farm some anyway so I just want to know if farming them could have any purpose, as any way to increase efficiency I will explore.

---------- Post added 08-28-2014 at 09:24 PM ----------

or perhaps just occasionally as extra nutritional variety?
 

Kron

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They may or may not get eaten. Buy a Dysdera if you want to see a spider munch wood lice.
As soon as I find one ^_^ used to come across lots but haven't come across one in the last couple years for some reason :(

Probably wouldn't buy one though
 

viper69

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Ephephobus live in and require conditions suitable for maintaining isopods.
I'm not so sure on Ephephobus yet. I've raised Blue Fangs with dry substrate and haven't had problems.
 

uli1970

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I keep an Isopod species that is sold here in Germany as "Cuban Isopod". They are easy to keep and very prolific. Adults are about half an inch in size. This species survives under drier conditions. I have some with my Avacularia minatrix. These Isopods seem to be quite tasty, because the A. minatix climb down to hunt for them quite frequently.
 

Poec54

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Only swamp dwelling species like Theraphosa and Ephephobus live in and require conditions suitable for maintaining isopods.
Those species aren't 'swamp dwellers.' That term shouldn't be used in this hobby, as for many people it conjures up images that aren't reality. Those two genera live in rain forests and have evolved to be 'moisture dependent' which is a far better term to describe them.

---------- Post added 08-31-2014 at 08:35 AM ----------

I'm not so sure on Ephephobus yet. I've raised Blue Fangs with dry substrate and haven't had problems.
E murinus does best on moist substrate.
 

Wadew

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Last I checked isopods and theraphosa do not live in the swamp! Neither of these creatures have the ability.If the substrate has depth and you also have life in there (fauna, flora) and live earth, isopods will provide balance and keep bolus or decay in check. So the answer is yes the habitat your spider resides in would have benefit with a few isopods. Also they are not so much edible for the spider.

-Wade
 

Kron

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Last I checked isopods and theraphosa do not live in the swamp! Neither of these creatures have the ability.If the substrate has depth and you also have life in there (fauna, flora) and live earth, isopods will provide balance and keep bolus or decay in check. So the answer is yes the habitat your spider resides in would have benefit with a few isopods. Also they are not so much edible for the spider.

-Wade
I though so too, it's not exactly a rain-forest in my back-garden but the woodlouse thrive there even in the heat of summer. Also the "pill bug" (Armadillidium vulgare) are more resilient than other species so I think it would be fine.
 

freedumbdclxvi

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Wade's example is very specific. *Are* you keeping your Avic in an enclosure with deep substrate, bioactive soil and damp conditions? If not, they you're just gonna end up with dead isopods. While the UK may not be a rainforest, the UK (and anywhere else in nature) has deep soil where they can burrow until they find proper conditions. Unless you are keeping them in the way mentioned by Wade, you don't need isopods.

Edit: I just saw this is your first T. You *definitely* should not be keeping them in such conditons until you have the husbandry down.
 

Kron

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Wade's example is very specific. *Are* you keeping your Avic in an enclosure with deep substrate, bioactive soil and damp conditions? If not, they you're just gonna end up with dead isopods. While the UK may not be a rainforest, the UK (and anywhere else in nature) has deep soil where they can burrow until they find proper conditions. Unless you are keeping them in the way mentioned by Wade, you don't need isopods.

Edit: I just saw this is your first T. You *definitely* should not be keeping them in such conditons until you have the husbandry down.
Why would I have difficulty with deep substrate, I don't see the challenge in that. neither do I see the challenge in having "damp conditions" other than perhaps mold which is why we are talking about Isopods. and bioactive soil? I assume that means organic along with fauna, in which case not quite. The enclosure has coco fibre substrate with a depth varying between 1 to 2.5 inces with on one side of the enclosure some sphagnum moss and then in the center some branch.
It is my first tarantula however my brother has some experience in the field along with me spending the entire holiday researching as well as having quite a large amount of experience raising arthropods in general since I was around 5 such as: Hermit crabs, Sesarma bidens, Lithobius forficatus, Steatoda Grossa, Steatoda nobilis, Drassodes cupreus, Segestria florentina, Pardosa amentata, Eratigena atrica, Eratigena agrestis, Polydesmus angustus, Tachypodoiulus niger, Opiliones, Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale, Armadillidium vulgare, Euscorpius flavicaudis, Lucanus cervus, Cicindela campestris, Sinodenron cylindricum, Staphylinus olens. Plus a bunch of vertebrates: Smooth newts, Common frogs, Slow worms, various fish, 2 cats, 2 gerbils, 3 hamsters, 1 dog. And finally a Giant African land snail. Although alot of these aren't quite as exotic as a tarantula I believe it will have taught me some lessons on how to approach raising an animal. What I am doing here is simply brainstorming so to speak, as I find such experimental Ideas as this fascinating plus I have no shortage of woodlice.
 

freedumbdclxvi

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The challenge is Avics will die in damp conditions unless you have adequate ventilation. That means plenty of cross ventilation. Otherwise, the stuffy stagnant damp air will kill the spider. As for substrate depth, I've found substrates deeper than 6" work best for isopods, giving them the ability to go down away from the drier conditions that will lead to their deaths. Unless you're keeping plants in the enclosure, which again I don't think you should until you have tarantula husbandry down, there is nothing to be gained by giving an Avic deep soil with damp conditions suitable for isopod survival.

And you may have experience with other animals, but that doesn't always translate to tarantulas. I don't see the need to jump right in to setting up an enclosure with so many unknowns just for the sake of doing them. Brainstorming is great, and, once you have tarantula care down, there's no reason why you couldn't experime t with this. I have done so myself with a number of species. But for your first T? Not such a good idea in my opinion.
 
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