What Clean up Crews Actually Do(and Don’t do)
Bioactive ≠ Magic: What Clean-Up Crews Actually Do (And What They Don’t)
Short version: clean-up crews (isopods, springtails, etc.) are forest recyclers. They crush leaf litter, tidy up shed bits, keep mould in check, and turn dead stuff into plant food. They do not fully “eat poop and urates so you never clean again.” You still need to spot clean fresh, smelly, high-protein wastes. Bioactive is “set it and support it,” not “set it and forget it.”
What is a clean-up crew, really?
When we say “clean-up crew,” we’re talking detritivores: isopods, springtails, sometimes small beetles or worms. Their job is to eat decaying organic matter—leaf litter, softened wood, shed skins, boluses, biofilm, and light mould. Think of them as a tiny compost team that supports your plants and soil biome.
What they’re amazing at
- Mould control: Springtails and isopods graze early fuzz before it becomes a tank-wide snowstorm.
- Breaking down leftovers: Shed fragments, boluses, and little feeder bits become tomorrow’s fertiliser.
- Nutrient cycling: Dead leaves → isopod frass → plant food. Healthier roots, happier plants.
- Soil aeration: Tunnelling keeps the substrate from going stagnant or anaerobic (that sulphur “rotten egg” odour).
Soil health starts here. That’s why I seed CUC into almost every planted build.
What they do not do
- They don’t erase poop or pee. Fresh, high-protein waste (looking at you, carnivores/omnivores) can rot, smell, and grow bacteria long before microfauna can process it.
- They don’t neutralise urates. That chalky white reptile “pee” paste? It cakes, it stains, and no, isopods aren’t scrubbing it away overnight.
- They can’t keep up with overload. Big messy animal + small tank = more waste than the system can safely handle. That’s not “bioactive failed,” that’s too much input.
- They don’t replace quarantine or poop checks. You still need to see what your animal is producing.
When you should still spot clean (yes, you.)
- Fresh poop (especially from meat-eaters/omnivores)
- Urates
- Regurgitated or dead uneaten feeders
- Large slimy/damp sheds (e.g., a full snake shed left in a humid corner)
- Anything that smells sour, swampy, or “off”
Rule of thumb: Pull the biohazards, leave the compostables. If it’s wet, fresh, or stinky, remove it. If it’s a dry plant bit or tiny shed fragment, your CUC can finish it.
Is your clean-up crew actually working? Quick checklist
- Leaf litter slowly thins instead of sitting untouched for weeks.
- No persistent fluffy mould blooms taking over décor.
- No swampy/sour odour from the substrate.
- Lift a hide and you see isopods/springtails grazing.
If not, you may need more crew, a bit more humidity, better food (rotting wood, leaf litter, a calcium source), or a lighter waste load.
Quick FAQs (tap to open)
- Do isopods eat poop? They’ll graze older, softened waste, but fresh high-protein faeces is not “gone by morning.” Spot clean.
- What about urates? Remove them. They don’t “disappear” reliably under CUC.
- How many should I seed? Depends on enclosure size and load; seed generously, then support with leaf litter and decaying wood so populations stabilise.
- Best species? Match humidity and temperature. Drier builds often like Porcellio types; humid/tropical builds often like dwarf whites and Armadillidium. Ask if you’re unsure.
Final word
Bioactive reduces long-term scrubbing, odour, and waste build-up—if you support the system. Clean-up crews are there to help you maintain a living soil web, not to replace husbandry. Set it and support it.
Need a starter crew, leaf litter, or calcium blocks? Check the shop, or pop into the Discord and show me your setup—happy to help, zero judgement.