Living systems library
Connect substrate, leaf litter, plants, microbes, and cleanup crews into a habitat that cycles organic material.
Published guides
A planted bioactive vivarium built for golden poison frogs (Phyllobates terribilis).
Photo by Connor Long · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized / WebP; preview cropped.
Essential guide
Choose isopods and springtails for a bioactive enclosure by matching moisture, temperature, food, predation risk, plants, and backup-culture needs.
Read guideOrange isopods and springtails photographed together in leaf litter.
Source, photographer, and license were not provided with this local file.
Essential guide
Isopods and springtails can share a bioactive habitat when their moisture needs fit. They help process organic material, but do not eliminate waste removal or habitat maintenance.
Read guideExplore the topic
See how the living layers work together before choosing ingredients.
Give roots and decomposers moisture, structure, air, and organic matter.
Match springtails and isopods to the enclosure's conditions and inhabitants.
Monitor moisture, replenish leaf litter, and respond to imbalance early.