Isopods tank cleaners?

[CosbyArt]

I've been reading that Isopods (pill bugs, sow bugs, roly-poly's, etc) are great habitat cleaners, or even pets. So I went looking in the backyard for some.

Even though the temperature around here for the last 2 weeks has been below freezing off and on - I still found plenty of insects under the geode rocks surrounding my mom's flower beds. I was amazed that I saw lots of fields crickets (the black ones), centipedes, a few spiders, a strange beetle, ant colonies, slugs, a large group of snails, and of course the Isopods.

I was curious if these typical Isopods will make good tank cleaners for my crickets and mantis?

Seems a mantis won't eat them(?) so they would be great at cleaning up cricket/feeder remains, poop, and whatever else in my mantis tank - and hopefully the crickets tank as well (I'm breeding the crickets so there are many and they can get their tank nasty quick). What little I found about the Isopods they love cat/dog food so no problem feeding them besides their scavenging.

If anyone has some information about these Isopods it would be helpful.

Doing a rough count it looks like I got about 200 of the pill bugs earlier in a hours time...

 

[CosbyArt]

In case anyone is wondering where I read any of this -- I originally read some on our esteem admin Peter Clausen's website BugsInCyberspace.com. There are two varieties Peter sells, and some information on them as well, Oniscus and Armadillidium and Gray Sow Bug.

So I guess the real question is what species do I have? (my image is much larger when clicked above) -- and any experience anyone has with them.

 

[Sticky]

You ought to sell some!

 

[CosbyArt]

You ought to sell some!

Might be a good idea but as I don't know the species, and don't have heat packs for shipping (although I doubt they need'em as they live outside for 3 years under rocks). Heck I'd be willing to make a good deal on them, like 20 for $5 plus shipping or something - or open to trades.

In regards to cleaning though I'm not sure what they do besides hide in the substrate in my habitats, bury themselves in the cricket's egg dirt, and live in the cricket self-waterers. As they are nocturnal I imagine they do some working when I turn the light off and go to bed.

 

[dmina]

No big noticeable difference in the cricket container yet? Do they hinder more then help?

 

[CosbyArt]

No big noticeable difference in the cricket container yet? Do they hinder more then help?

I keep the cricket tank relatively clean (changing egg crates as they get "dirty", removing dead crickets, replacing wilted fruits, etc - usually a few times a week) I keep an average of 100 to 150 crickets at a time, originally for about three weeks before the ispods, and another 3 weeks with them - can't say how much they do or don't help. If I had to guess they are helping as I have no problems with or in my cricket tank. Here is some information about the isopods.

They don't seem to hinder anything. The female crickets were digging them out of the bowl of dirt earlier as they laid eggs - got 5 more dozen crickets today and they are chirping loudly and laying like mad (got a good batch to make eggs it looks like, haven't seen anything like it before).

What I can say is there is no to very low odor from the crickets, no problems with any infestations of mites or mold at all (never seen either in there), or any problems to report. If this is simply from keeping the tank cleaned by me a few times week, or the ispods are helping I'm not sure as I don't have anything to really base it from.

Perhaps someone else can weigh in on the subject as I've read that a few others users have them as well.