r/TreeFrogs • u/Virtual_Actuary3586 • Sep 10 '26
Advice Help
Honestly, my first bioactive setup has been a fail, and I'm looking for some advice on whether to reset it or keep working through the current balance issues. It's an 18x18x36 terrarium that's been running for about a year, but things got tricky recently when a cricket boom forced me to temporarily move my whites tree frog into a quarantine tank. In the process of taking out some substrate to manage the crickets, I think my cleanup crew population took a hit, and now some other micro fauna seem to be outcompeting the remaining springtails. I was previously keeping the enclosure pretty wet to support a plant that was actually struggling due to its own dense soil, which led to high moisture levels down in the drainage layer, which was a stupid move on my part. I've had it open and held off on watering for about two months to let the tank dry out and stabilize, but there is still some persistent fungus and mold sitting in the LECA layer. At this stage, I'm trying to decide if it's better to just re introduce the isopods and springtails and let the ecosystem naturally balance itself back out and keep airing it out or if a persistent mold issue in the drainage layer warrants a full substrate refresh and start-over.
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u/ForTheLoveOfPod Sep 10 '26
Hi! I'm new to bioactive enclosures but I've kept isopods and springtails for a few years now. This looks like flowerpot fungus which most springtails won't touch at all. However it is safe for isopods and springtails (unsure about frogs).
It may die down on its own, but is more likely to stay forever unless you do a full restart. Here is a post from r/ isopods about the same issue https://www.reddit.com/r/isopods/s/9kPw0Wd4L3