Health & Care · Cold-Blooded Crew
The Clean-Up Crew Ecology
Managing Springtails, Isopods, and Beneficial Microfauna Populations
The janitors are the smallest animals in the room. 20 modules on detritivores and the forest-floor model, springtail species and why they die when the soil dries, matching dwarf whites, dairy cows, and Armadillidium to the tank, calcium for molting crustaceans, charcoal-and-water springtail farms and coir isopod tubs, feeding the janitors, the wrung-out moisture balance, seeding a vivarium weeks before the pet, booms and busts, hiding the crew from a hungry frog, the leaf-litter layer, mosquito dunks instead of sprays, quarantining new strains, 68 to 78°F, zucchini bait traps, the weekly audit and sour soil, predatory mites and nematodes, and resetting a crashed culture.
About this course
A bioactive tank only cleans itself if the crew in the soil is alive, fed, damp, and breeding faster than the gecko eats it. This course is the crew's handbook. You'll learn what detritivores do on a forest floor and why springtails eat mold while isopods eat waste, which springtail species to culture and why a dry tub kills them in a day, how to match dwarf white, dairy cow, and Armadillidium isopods to a frog tank versus a reptile tank, why land isopods need constant calcium or they eat each other after a molt, how to build a charcoal-and-water springtail farm and a coir isopod tub with a wet side and a dry side, what to feed them and why leaf litter is the staple, how damp is damp enough and how a flooded bin drowns them, how to seed a new vivarium and why the crew moves in three to four weeks before the pet, what the first population boom and bust look like, how deep soil and heavy cork keep the crew out of a frog's mouth, why the leaf-litter blanket never runs out, how mosquito dunks and airflow handle gnats and grain mites without a single spray, why new isopod strains quarantine for 30 days, why 68 to 78°F matters and 85°F kills, how a zucchini bait trap harvests isopods, how a weekly audit catches rotten-egg soil early, when predatory mites and beneficial nematodes join the crew, and how to reset a crashed culture without losing everyone.
What you'll learn
- Detritivore ecology, springtail biology and hydration, and isopod species selection
- Calcium for molting crustaceans, springtail farms, and isopod culture tubs
- Feeding the janitors, the moisture balance, seeding a vivarium, and population booms and busts
- Protecting the crew from predation, the leaf-litter cycle, and chemical-free pest control
- Quarantining new strains, temperature control, harvesting, and transferring cultures
- Weekly culture audits, sour soil, predatory mites and nematodes, and resetting a crash
Who this is for
Bioactive keepers whose springtails keep vanishing, dart frog and crested gecko owners starting their first planted tank, and anyone who wants to stop buying culture cups every month.
Course outline (20 modules)
Quiz & Certificate
Knowledge quiz
After completing all lessons, take a short quiz to test your understanding.
Go to quiz →Completion certificate
Pass the quiz and earn a shareable certificate of completion.
View certificate →Frequently asked questions
Ready to get started?
$9.99 · Lifetime access · 20 lessons