BUGS

[dunderpate]

I have these tiny little insects living in my crestie vivarium, or terrarium, whatever you want to call it. These little bugs appear harmless (possibly Springtails?) but they like to gather when the food dish is out, and you can see them crawling around near the plants. Hard to say how many, but will they have any effect on my cresties health, should i be concerned? Thanks.

 

[Pepper]

You never know they could, have you tried cleaning out his cage to get them out?

 

[OSUgecko]

Pics would be nice!

 

[Sunrise Reptile]

Sounds like fruit flies. They'll stress your crested. Best to clean the cage and get rid of them.

 

[dunderpate]

I cant take pics of them, i would need a macro lens to see anything. They are quite small, smaller then a fruit fly and they crawl around. Not sure if theyre fruit flies. Do they start on the ground before taking flight?

Ever since i got my cresties ive noticed fruit flies in my apartment. Hard to say its stressing my cresties, they seem as normal as they did before, including when i m handliing them which is a few times a week. I would assume they deal with all kinds of strange bugs and birds and whatever else seeks to eat them in the wild.

I have live plants in my tank, so theres a chance they came from there, i dont know, anyone else have any ideas? Safe way to get rid of them, or are they good for the overall ecosystem ive got going in my vivariums, natures compost?
THANKS

 

[Valley Reptiles]

If they are springtails then they are harmless.

 

[AllGeckos]

I have also seen the same problem only with my crested tanks not my tokays leos or others So chances are it is most likely coming from the cgd. I Also see a small trend with me actively raising my humidity. I live in AZ so the 1-2 times misting is useless to me Honestly I might mist anywhere from 5-10 times daily for my cresteds but more my tokays (sorry for the rant) I have not seen any harm with them but I do spot clean or fully clean (if necessary) when ever I spot them Does anyone know if humidity could aid in this? I don't know just a thought

Edit: I would recommend leaving your food dish in as little as possible.

 

[dunderpate]

i know a guy who knows a guy here that knows a lot about bugs. I ll take him a scoop of dirt to confirm what kind of bug it is. I'll update when i find out for those who are interested.

 

[AllGeckos]

very cool look forward to hearing the results!

 

[AllGeckos]

btw I really dig you aviator That dalmatian on those background colors really look cool together

 

[dunderpate]

so the guy i told you about who knew a guy who knew a lot about bugs judging by what he could seeing using his "bug box" says theyre Springtails.

According to Wikipedia

Springtails. Members of Collembola are normally less than 6 mm long, have six or fewer abdominal segments and possess a tubular appendage

Springtails are cryptozoa frequently found in leaf litter and other decaying material,[3] where they are primarily detritivores and microbivores, and one of the main biological agents responsible for the control and the dissemination of microorganisms.

Springtails are currently used in laboratory tests for the early detection of soil pollution. Acute and chronic toxicity tests have been performed by researchers, mostly using the parthenogenetic isotomid Folsomia candida.

Etc....

So i guess they arent so bad......what about plants and coconut fibre instead. Eliminating the need for soil, can the plants still survive without the soil for nutrients? Bugs would be gone, or are they a bad thing for my cresties?

 

[dunderpate]

P.S.

AllGeckos says:

btw I really dig you aviator That dalmatian on those background colors really look cool together

I bought a moonlight and took a photo at night of Lewis being curious perched on his vine. No post time. I liked how the colour turned out too.
thanks.

 

[AllGeckos]

Good update thank you. I can see them being in the bedding... but it seems like the come and go as they please? it seems a bit odd to me. It almost seems as if they come to the food and survive well off the land if that makes sense. Anyhow I doubt the cresteds even notice them.

 

[AllGeckos]

I use to use one of the moonlights but it seemed to bright at night to me. My room is filled with red lights now which I hate the way they look. but am fully accustom to now.

 

[dunderpate]

I removed a large amount of soil when i took it in for analysis. I replaced it with the over priced forest bark. So we'll see how that goes, but now that theyve been examined it im not too concerned.

As far as the moonlight goes, its a 15watt blub, provides minimal heat, and only on if my apartment is cold. Which isnt often despite what country I live in and the stereotypes associated with the climate.

Usually its only on for my viewing pleasure. Or photo purposes. Apparently the moonight is less noticable to my cresties whereas the red infared light which i use for my Leopard is. But for my leopard its used as a heat source, and its 75watts and on for a few hours a day.

AllGeckos says:

I live in AZ so the 1-2 times misting is useless to me Honestly I might mist anywhere from 5-10 times daily for my cresteds

Its quite dry where i live too, minimal humidity no matter what time of year it is. Are you using real plants? For me it makes a difference, and i only have to mist twice, sometimes only once a day. Humidity stays between 65%-80%. Anyway, i hope this thread has been educational for some. For me it has. Thanks everyone!!