bioactive enclosure without isopods and springtails?

I have been looking a lot into getting a crested gecko recently, but I have a question regarding its enclosure. I've heard bioactive set-ups are great at keeping the terrarium clean, they can even start to make the own eco-system and just overall just looks really nice, but to make a bioactive enclosure, do I have to add springtails and isopods? I know they are a big part in keeping the terrarium clean, since after all, they are the main cleanup crew, but in all honesty, I really just can't stand to touch or hold any kid of bugs. Don't get me wrong, bugs are a big part in creation, and God made them Himself with a purpose, but I personally don't like touching them. I don't kill bugs when I see them, but its just that I don't want to have springtails jumping in the enclosure and isopods on my crestie when I go to get It out. So do I have to add springtails and isopods to make a bioactive set-up?

I have 3 bioactive setups (Leachie, Garg and Chahoua) and never had to touch any isopod, neither do they jump, neither I have ever found one on any of my animals.

If you want to have a true bioactive setup than yes isopods are part of it otherwise it's only a naturalistic looking setup, they clean and their waste provide food for the plants.

Oh okay! Do you add springtails as well into your set-up? Also how often do you have to completely change out the soil and everything? Somewhere I read that It can last up to 10 years without a soil change, but that sounded like quite a long time! And when you do completely change It out, what do you do with all the springtails and isopods living in It? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just new to the whole reptile hobby thing! :)

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Originally Posted by Linseylou

Oh okay! Do you add springtails as well into your set-up? Also how often do you have to completely change out the soil and everything? Somewhere I read that It can last up to 10 years without a soil change, but that sounded like quite a long time! And when you do completely change It out, what do you do with all the springtails and isopods living in It? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just new to the whole reptile hobby thing! :)

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While I have been keeping geckos for over a decade it's only recently that I switched to a bioactive setup (about a year ago) so as far as cleaning we will see, the main cleaning is the glass of the enclosures (food and poop smeared all over :rolleyes:)

I do not have springtails I have dwarf white and orange isopods. Dwarf white isopods are perfect, too small for geckos to see, bigger isopods like orange ones can become a target depending on the gecko. In two of my enclosures the orange isopods colony is doing well in the other not so much as they turned into a food source.

I always wondered about if the gecko would eat the springtails lol. The bioactive set-up is starting to look really nice for my future gecko lol!