Isopod Care

[Joshua09]

Isopod Care

Note: I am not an expert. I am just giving you some care and info about isopods.
Beginner Isopod Species
Some isopods species have different requirements and care so we recommend beginner isopods that are good for beginners. We do not recommend advanced isopods (such as Rubber Ducky, Amber Ducky, etc.) as they need perfect conditions so that they can breed successfully and thrive. If they are not in the right conditions, they will easily die and will never breed.

Beginners:
1. Cubaris murina “Little Sea” (common rollie pollie)
2. Dwarf White Isopods (The easiest isopod to care for)
3. Powder Orange
4. Powder Blue
5. Dairy Cow (Fast Breeders)

Before choosing the right isopod for you, you have to do your research. This is the most important thing. You need to know what their requirements are, where they live, what they eat, etc., and search which isopod is easier to take care of. If you don’t do your research, then, you won’t get success and you will never know what their requirements are.

Enclosure

A. Container Sizes
Before putting isopods, you need to prepare an enclosure. Small containers and tanks are good but they are only used for smaller species like Dwarf White Isopods and only used small numbers of isopods (5-10). Once you have a lot of isopods, you can put them into a big container.
Container sizes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5yVbV-XO38&t=86s

B. Substrate
You can use vermicast, cocopeat, and sphagnum moss. Vermicast is good for the isopods because it has decomposing matter. Cocopeat is good because it is a good digging medium for your isopods and allows the air to come in. Sphagnum moss is good for isopods because it holds moisture. If you want to add springtails, you can use activated carbon charcoal as it serves as an egg-laying site.

C. Hiding Spots
You can use leaf litter and wood as a good hiding spot and food for isopods. Wood is a good hiding spot and food for isopods because they last longer than leaf litter. You can use magnolia leaves and acacia leaves (there are more leaves you can use).

Setting Up An Isopod Enclosure

First, mix the vermicast, activated carbon (if you are going to add springtails), and cocopeat.
Secondly, cut a circle in the side and top of the container and put mesh into the hole or poke small holes.
Third, bring your container and add the substrate to the container.
Fourth, moisten the sphagnum moss and add it to your container.
Fifth, mist the moist area then, put a long piece of wood and many dead leaves in your container.
Finally, put the isopods into the container.

Humidity
They need a dry side and a moist side so they can go with whatever moisture or dryness they want but they likely go to a moist side but still need a dry side. You need to spray water on the side of the container, not the sphagnum moss. You will see why if you watch this video below. If the sphagnum moss is still moist, skip the water completely or all the water will absorb all the sides of the enclosure.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVrq_-vy-XA (with additional tips)

Feeding
You can feed them protein such as meat (but most likely get a very bad odor but it still doesn’t harm the isopods), dried fish, and fish flakes but some people don’t recommend fish flakes as it might attract bad mites but no worries I only feed them less. Calcium such as crushed eggshells, cuttlebone, and calcium powder. Vitamins such as fruit and vegetables. I only feed them 1-2x a week. Isopods do not eat mold and wait for a second, why they do not eat mold? You will see why in the video. A lot of websites think isopods eat mold but it does not.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEWI2nRzDnE (And ways to prevent it)

Tip: Do not check on them every day otherwise, they will be stressed and they will never breed. It is like keeping a queen ant. If you check a queen ant every day, she will start to eat the eggs or will never lay eggs.

Benefits
1. Isopods serve as a clean-up crew. It eats up the leftovers of your pets but it doesn’t eat mold. If you want something that eats mold, you will need tiny mold-eating critters, the springtails.
2. Isopods are a great food source for your reptiles but some reptiles do not eat them immediately and the isopods start to live, hide, and breed.
3. They are great for bioactive enclosures.
4. Are you worried that the ants will eat the isopods? Hehe, no worries. Some ants live with isopods because they have a mutualistic relationship but it depends on your ants.

[Joshua09]

But some aggressive species like Solenopsis might kill the isopods.

[Joshua09]

Overcrowding is very bad for isopods and you need to avoid that because they will die.

To Avoid Isopod Crashes (Overcrowding):
1. You have to move or split an isopod culture at 6-8-10 months.

If you want to move all the isopods into the new enclosure, you have to get the cork bark and tap the cork bark gently but there are more isopods in the substrate if that happens, you have to catch them one by one, this is going to take a long time but if you want fast, you have to put their favorite food under the cork bark and let it sit overnight then after that, put their favorite food and the tap the cork bark so that the isopods are now transferred into the new container.

If you want to split, you have to get a cork bark and lightly tap the cork bark. Do not put all the isopods because you want to split.

[SolenopsisKeeper]

But some aggressive species like Solenopsis might kill the isopods.

Large colonies of most larger species will. my Camponotus colony killed theirs within a couple hours. A miniature Camponotus colony irradiated theirs early on.

[Joshua09]

But some aggressive species like Solenopsis might kill the isopods.

Large colonies of most larger species will. my Camponotus colony killed theirs within a couple hours. A miniature Camponotus colony irradiated theirs early on.

As I said, it depends on your ants.