Bearded dragons are one of the most popular pet lizards available, and bearded dragon owners often wonder what isopod is best for bearded dragons. Isopods make up a large part of a bearded dragon’s diet in the wild and bearded dragon owners should offer them to their bearded dragon at least three times per week in captivity.
The article will provide information on how to select an appropriate isopod for bearded dragons.
The best isopods for a bearded dragon are bearded dragon specific feeder isopods. These bearded dragon feeders are sold online and in pet supply stores.
Your bearded dragon would love the bioactive vivarium or terrarium with a microscopic isopod in various ways. These isopods help clean the terrarium and provide a healthy environment for your bearded dragon.
Your pet would love the isolated, small scale natural habitat to live and thrive. You can make a vivarium with various kinds of small crustaceans Isopoda. These isopods will make your pet happy and comfortable by offering the most suitable situation that you can offer in a sealed glass or wooden chamber.
Let’s learn some more facts about the kinds, types and benefits for your pet in an enclosed vivarium.
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What are isopods?
The small micro-pets are getting more popular by every passing day. These micro isopods are available in almost every place in the world. You can find these micro-organisms in deserts, jungles or even on the ocean`s crust. There are various types and subspecies of isopods, but the most common ones used as pets in bioactive vivarium are:
- Dairy Cow (Porcellio laevis)
- Giant Canyon (Porcellio dilatatus)
- Dwarf Purple (Trichoniscidae sp.)
- Dwarf White (Trichorhina tomentosa)
- Orange (Porcellio scaber)
- Zebra (Armadillidium maculatum)
- Powder Blue (Porcellionides pruinosus)
- Powder Orange (Porcellionides pruinosus)
These micro-organisms have learned a lot from evolution, and they can adjust themselves to any of the given challenging climates. They are capable of growing inside a vivarium and break down various organic matters. You can use wood chips, water, or soil to keep them alive and colonize them in a confined environment.
When you have created a terrarium for your bearded dragon with the help of these isopods, things take a dramatic turn inside the closed container. These tiny organisms will help generate an ecosystem inside the box.
After some time, you will see that the growth and health of your pet are ingesting significantly. Isopods are capable of decomposing waste and keeping your pet happy and healthy in an isolated, almost natural habitat.
Benefits of Isopods For Bearded Dragons
When you create an isolated system with the glass or wooden box and add isopods, you get the chance to create a tiny ecosystem with the following benefits:
Soil Aeration
These isopods tend to move at a lower yet registered speed. These isopods move in the soil to make it aerate. They move in the soil and create tunnels that allow fresh air to pass from these tiny passages. The passages let the lower air get in touch with oxygen and become rich for plant growth.
You won’t have to worry about changing the soil for different plants. These tiny garners will make the soil perfect for old plant growth and new seed germination.
Waste Consumption
When you have an enclosed ecosystem, waste accumulation is the most drastic setback. But not with the help of these isopods. These tiny scavengers are always on the hunt to eat feeder insects and decaying plant material.
They will also feast upon your pet faeces. When you have these tiny janitors inside the enclosed vivarium or terrarium, cleaning will never be an issue. There will be no odour or harmful compost. And they will turn every possible trash into decomposable plant food.
Nutrient Distribution
Nutrient creation is just the one face of the coin. On the other side of the face, you get a remarkable work of these isopods. These tiny organisms create tunnels within the soil and substrate to move forward.
During their movement, they decompose the nutrients and make them readily available for plants. These tiny organisms also provide the raw material for plants and fungi to use t and thrive at a much better place.
Plants Fertilization
Isopods eat a lot of trash, and they also give off some trash as faeces or discarded material. The waste material coming out from these organisms is a fertilizer for plants.
In the presence of isopods, you will witness a significant increase in plants growth, and their health and freshness will make you say wow. These isopods will let you create a complete and beautiful ecosystem with self-dependency.
Mites And Pest Eggs
These tiny eggs remain hidden from plain sight and are only visible when they hatch or wreak havoc for your pet and plants. These isopods are the perfect enemy for these eggs and eat them in the first instance.
In the presence of these isopods, you don’t need any pest spray and insect killers for making the tiny system safe and healthy for your bearded dragon.
What Type Of Isopod To Use For Bearded Dragons?
Not every isopod works the same way, and you have to be very careful in selecting the right type for the suitable habitat. The most commonly used isopods for terrariums are:
Clown isopods (Armadillidium klugii)
There is nothing better than clown isopod. Their bright marking makes them stand apart from the rest of the other isopods. These colourful creatures resemble Mediterranean black widows. You can easily find them between stones and crevices. These isopods are attracted to humidity and think of creating a humid ecosystem for your bearded dragon.
Granulated isopods (Armadillidium granulatum)
If you are interested in a fifty per cent ratio of humid and fifty per cent arid environment, these isopods will offer you the perfect harmony in the system. These isopods grow and become yellow and are not big fans of humidity.
PILL ISOPODS (Armadillidium vulgare)
These common woodlice are more prevalent in Europe and UK. These thrive greatly in topical and vet conditions. You cannot use them in completely dry terrariums. This type of isopods is slate grey, and there are also some great orange and albino variations available. Their colour combination will not affect their productivity at all.
What Is a Bioactive Terrarium?
A bioactive terrarium is an enclosed ecosystem of plants and soil created for your pet or bearded dragon. This enclosed structure will do great in a glass container.
It will still be good if you make it wood, but the glass terrarium will look more realistic. Isopods whelp you make this tiny ecosystem self-sufficient and provide happy and healthy habitat for your beloved pet.
Isopods are ancient beings with excellent survival instincts. When you want to make a tiny vivarium or terrarium for your bearded dragon adding isopods will help you create a perfectly self-dependent ecosystem.
These isopods will decompose pet and plant waste, eat pests and might eggs. And will also help your vivarium look like a perfect tiny garden and a natural habitat for your loving pet.
Isopods are an excellent addition to bearded dragon vivariums that will help provide a self-sufficient ecosystem.
The little organisms are great at eating trash and providing fertilization for plants through their faeces, which is great for bearded dragons who eat plants.
These isopods make it easy to create a healthy habitat by decomposing waste and eating pests without harming bearded dragons or other living things.
