Cleaner crews for assassins

lovebugfarm

lovebugfarm

Eleventh Instar
So I have a colony of white spot assassins and right now I raise them on egg carton with a dish of wet sand for them to lay their eggs. Its not very pretty but it works. I'm wanting to do a natural setup but last time I used soil there were moldy roach/cricket corpses every where since they only drink their inner juices. So I'm wondering what kinda cleaner could keep up with the bodys of the assassins victims lol I was thinking lesser meal worm or maybe earwigs but I heard if assassins eat earwigs they die... so I'm torn

 
I would think the normal isopod/springtail culture might work? Depends on the humidity levels of course and whether those two eat the corpse remains fast enough.

 
Well I am thinking it will need to be more substantial than isopods to consume around 15 or more dead roaches/crickets a week. I might have to do a combo of as many as I can.

 
Perhaps keep them on a dry substrate and add a small species of dermestid beetle, like Attagenus? The larger bugs probably won't bother with them, and they're good at burrowing and hiding, so if you make sure the smaller assassin nymphs stay well fed perhaps they'll form a stable population and clean up the carcasses left by the assassin bugs?

 
I think they would do the job my only concern is I have personally witnessed dermestids hunt and kill week old crickets. Baby assassin's are about the same size. Are there people who sell specific spieces of dermestids? I'm cautious but curious it could be my solution.

 
Salmonsaladsandwich said:
I think dry sand can make an attractive setup... Pretty sure Platymeris are found in arid habitats in the wild as well.
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I think so too. I actually use dry sand for my assassins, mixed with a bit of coco fiber. I only moisten the area (about 15cm radius) around the water dish only a few times a week. That way, there is no mold, also the dead feeders are easy to spot and I usually take them out of the enclosure relatively quick anyway.

 
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Thanks I normally build forest oriented tanks I havnt built a desert one since I had leopard geckos seems like a fun challenge

 
I have discovered assassin's seem to ignore isopods I tried putting in a binch to feed them but after checking a few times later that night none were eating

 
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They will eat the isopods after a few days or so unless the assassubs aren't eating due to molting or previous feeding.

 
Ahh so maybe its a "famine food" where they leave it as a last resort. I tend to feed them once a week so it was a surprise that they weren't as egger as they normally are. I have checked in on them since then and it does look like the isopods are fewer in number but I thought it might have been cause its a bit drier in there. I sure hope they are eating them that would be great I have to many isopods.

 
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