Oh my gosh the whole "I got an orange one!" Super cute

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

GeorgieGG 🤣👍 It was so exciting! It turned out to be a Porcellio scaber that had made its way into the bin, but I didn’t know that at the time. 🤣

@TW5411200474

4 жыл бұрын

Aquarimax Pets how about the result?? Does it work? (:

@heatherloop684

3 жыл бұрын

yah the resalts axarimax!

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

Of the orange one? It was a P. scaber stowaway. 😂

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

Of the orange one? It was a P. scaber stowaway. 😂

"I've got an orange one!!!"...……...Merry Christmas Rus :)

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

colinbarsby LOL! 🤣 Thanks Colin, and Merry Christmas to you!

your family is so supportive. thet sound like me when I'm trying to support my hobby with his hobbies. great video, I'm anxious to start keeping iso pods.

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Lisa Douk Thank you! It definitely helps to have supportive family members. 😊👍

@Clover_knows_pets

4 жыл бұрын

It's ok dont worry about it I keep my isopod in a 5 gallon moss tank watch my KZread videos on my channel called clover deese

@angelkotilainen

3 жыл бұрын

So true, I want to keep isopods and my family take the mick. It's so draining, they don't like any of my hobbies .-.

I love these OG thumbnails

I put a marimo moss ball in with mine after I shut down a fish tank, and my isopods were feasting on the moss ball!

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Suzanne Dargie 🤣👍 They will eat nearly anything!

@jeeperscreepers9114

3 жыл бұрын

Once my bettas moss ball starts to get old, I’ll put it in my little terrarium where I have isopods, worms and all sorts of other stuff

When did this Isopod craze happen and why am I so fascinated with them!? Brings me back to my childhood when I used to catch and keep them in jars :)

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Johnny Galaxy sounds like it happened earlier for you than it did for some! The isopod has really exploded over the past five years or so.

@johnnygalaxy9022

4 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax as a kid I would collect the red calico scabers and the lava morphs and breed them in bunches just out of sheer faschination. Now it seems their stocks have gone through the roof, I would've had thousands worth. Lol

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Johnny Galaxy if only you could go back and warn yourself....🤣

@johnnygalaxy9022

4 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax all I have to do now is go back there and collect them. The gene pool is still running around the property! 🤩

Oh, and congrats on that little Titan pumpkin :) Good luck with it and keep us posted.

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Supreme Gecko Thanks! I will keep you all updated, I am excited!

Thank you so much this was so helpful!!

This has helped me so much tanks.

Out-Standing! Thank you Rus for doing this. I picked up a number of great tips from this video. The ventilation info was especially helpful. Great video that I am sure I will watch again and again. Wally

Great video!!

huge help thank you i have no isopods yet but am doing all the research now!

Thank you so much for this video. Needed it! Planning to get some albino isopods.

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Midnight Mint excellent! Which species?

Silly question, how do you safely change out the substrate in entirety, without accidentally losing any isopods?!

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

Actually it is a great question...and harder to do than it might sound! I made a video about it.: kzread.info/dash/bejne/nI6dlZV6gdGXk7Q.html

Really great video without any bull. Thanks!

I have armadillidium “wild type”! I love them!

Isopods are so charming for some reason. Nice video. I'm inspired now to give mine a substrate refresher. Cheers!

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks! A substrate refresher usually stimulates them to breed and grow quickly. 😊👍

Thank you for this video! 👍

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Karrissen You’re welcome!!

I would love to see a video of how you do a complete substrate change and transfer all the isopods.

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Larisa Pfleegor This is a popular request...I had better do it! 😊👍

@fansiderc9302

4 жыл бұрын

Aquarimax Pets I think it would be an awesome video. I am wondering when I should change and how I do it without leaving anyone or too many behind lol the little babies worry me lol

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Larisa Pfleegor I know what you mean...I may do the entire process during a livestream sometime...👍

Wow - the orange Titan! It sure looks like a Titan baby to me with the pale skirt. Congrats! The whole video was very informative. Thanks again for all you do for the hobby.

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

I caught sight of the orange one again today...it looks bigger already, I think it is a Titan! I will probably separate it into another container with a few siblings to isolate the trait. Thank you Mickie!

Thank you Russ you’ve help me get my millipedes going, now it’s time for the ultimate clean up crew!

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Moombuhs Great! 😊👍 With millipedes I recommend springtails, but isopods can be problematic with them.

Thank you for the info.

Hey Russ, love your stuff! I would love to see a video on how you change out the isopod substrate. Seems like a difficult task to do without loosing a bunch, especially the little guys. Any tips would be great!

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Richard Royster Thank you! This is a popular request, I will make sure to do that...possibly even during today’s livestream, if I can make that work. 👍

Loved the vid. Your isopod tutorial made me set up a colony out of wild ones. Only porcellio scaber and ligia oceanica atm. I cought few very big ones and they all died within a week or so. My guess is that it wasn't humid enough for them as all the small ones are happy out. I had my camera on a timelapse over the enclosure for past 4 days and they have a clear pattern of coming out from under the leaves between 10pm and going back to hiding around 4am. I've figured it's between the hours where most birds would be asleep so they are less likely to be eaten. I'm setting a more detailed timelapse tmorow and I will upload it sometime this weekend :)

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Reptear Ligia species seem to be tricky, hopefully the smaller ones will do well for you. I would Love to see that time lapse!

Never knew isopods could be so interesting, great video!

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

David Rodriguez Thank you! They are a fascinating tax on aren’t they? 😊👍

@DavidRodriguez-jt1ns

5 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax yes indeed they are!.

great questions Wally and great answers Rus! thanks again for sharing such fun and educational videos.

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Sean!

@SupremeGecko

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Wally

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Supreme Gecko Was I able to address your questions Wally?

A super helpful video for beginners, as well as more experienced hobbyists interested in learning how others are caring for isopods. Thanks! A similar video about routine millipede care would also be great.

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Critter Girl Thank you, and a millipede video is a great suggestion!

Great video. I've been meaning to setups a isopod enclosure. Will be looking back when I do for sure.

@Reptear

5 жыл бұрын

I've set up mine in one afternoon. Thats including going out and catching the darn things xD Just do it, once u have it set you don't have to worry about much.

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you! They are so fun, looking forward to hearing about your new colony when you set one up. 😊👍

Thank you soooo much this rly helped. I have orange, tropical grey, and dairy cow isopods. They are in my garter snake viv. The substrate is sphagnum moss orchid bark coco fiber charcoal dry leaves and compost I just got isopods today. How wet should I make the enclosure and do you think this will work well

I've just started a small colony of two pregenant females and a larger male, this helped a lot, Thanks!

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Looney Lion you’re welcome! Best of luck with your colony!

@3an429

4 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax Thank you!

9:29 Me and my 5 year old laughed so hard at the "SUBSCRIBE".

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

Jennie Lyra That catfish does his job well! I don’t think I pay him enough. 🤣

Congratulations on that shiny isopod

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

Canal Muerto thanks!!

Great video my friend i keep isopods as well ☺☺☺☺☺

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Crystal Casares which species do you keep, Crystal?

Yaaaas, great video! I only have one species (Trichorina tomentosa) and have had them for about 8 months. I learned a few things from your video and got some ideas. I wanted to share a learning experience I just had in the hope other people can avoid the negative outcome I had. I have two shoebox cultures and a third culture in a container with a tighter fitting lid. I wasn't aware this was an issue but as it turns out, the sealed one was so humid and wet that it got overrun by nematodes and they wiped out my entire culture. I was so upset to find thousands of isos belly up about a day ago. Thankfully it was only one of three cultures and I have learned my lesson - keep it ventilated! Also time to split and refresh the cultures/substrate - good reminder!

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Another World Terraria sorry to hear about that...too much humidity can definitely be an issue. That is also the reason I sanitize substrate before use...it helps reduce the risk of nematodes and other pests. 👍

@SupremeGecko

5 жыл бұрын

Great information. The low ventilation issue is one thing, but keeping multiple cultures is another great tip. Thanks for sharing. Wally

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Supreme Gecko yes, multiple cultures can be a lifesaver...great point. I try to build positive redundancy that way as well.👍

@ryantime4236

5 жыл бұрын

Aquarimax Pets I’m knew to this bioactive setup idea and have been watching your leopard gecko setup and update videos. I was wondering when you have your springtails and isopods in your tank, do you need to feed them or does the bioactive setup suffice for them?

Hi i love your videos, My question is what isopod good for snakes bioactive cage and they have larg zise?

@Aquarimax

2 жыл бұрын

Which kind of snake?

Great vid, Rus! I’ve only recently set up my first colonies and they haven’t got any ventilation in them, so I’m having to be careful with mould and stagnation. I’ve had some success with tropical greys, giant oranges, and springtails so far, but the dwarf whites don’t seem to have done anything. Do you do anything special to get yours going? Also, why do you have cork pieces in your setups? Thanks!

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

JTB Reptiles Thanks! I just saw this comment, sorry for the delay. Dwarf whites seem slow at first, but they tend to explode suddenly, slightly warmer temperatures help with that. 78-82 F is an ideal range for them. Because Isopods prefer to be in fairly tight spaces, the isopods tend to congregate under the cork pieces, it makes it really easy to check on them and collect them.

Can you do a video on how to replace the substrate so as not to damage and save your isopods.

Great video - thanks! I need to replace my substrate and thought I would just add some fresh to the existing. Maybe this is a dumb question but if you start over how do you get all the isopods moved?

@Reptear

5 жыл бұрын

I font think you will be able to do it. Split your substrate in two, top it up and start a new colony.

Woodlice are very good pets I like them they can eat anything

I have one and I am curious how much he needs others around him or if he will be ok on his own. Getting some fish food soon. He has some organic matter and I try to keep the cage moist give it some water every couple of days. His name is Verusus. Hoping he does well and I have a good amount of time with him. I hear two to five years on life span. He was found inside of the Wingstop I work at crawling along the floor base by the soda machine so he was a bit lost.

I have plenty of isopods in my plant boxes, would you recommend adding supplements into those open environments or should I just let them be - feeding on compost, tiny bugs and etc?

Absolutely fascinating level of interest/knowledge! Are granny greys, to give the Britush name, are hobby in their own right or do you do it as a food source for other pets?

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Tudur Morgan Thank you! There is a thriving (and quickly growing) pet hobby with the more colorful/interestingly patterned of these creatures, abd many are used as cleanup crews for reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates, as well as a supplemental food source. 👍

I was planning on getting a vinegaroon soon and I need some care tips since I can't seem to find many online. I was hoping you could do a care video on them unless you are streaming soon so I can ask there.

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Goredeus I am thinking of trying a livestream this Wednesday if possible...any specific questions you would like me to address?

@goredeus3371

5 жыл бұрын

OK awesome just wanted some basic care tips like how often to feed them and the whole hibernation process

How do you sort out the isopods from the old soil? Do you just sift them out or do you catch the majority and trash the rest?

Hey Rus! Sorry if you've already addressed this and I've missed it in another video. Have you had over-breeding with isopods? Where there is a surplus in your enclosure? If so, what has been your solution? Thank you, awesome videos!

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Holly Garrison Thank you, Holly! I haven’t had to worry about overbreeding with isopods, at least not so far. They do tend to reach an equilibrium based on the resourced available. Of course, in my case I a, often removing isopods to keep up with the demand for them as well. I hope that helps! 👍

Can you put them in a glass tank with a screened in lid?

Hello, love your competent and informative videos. Thank you. I have a question about ‘hard wood’ leaves, is that a necessity? Would apple or plum leaves work as well? Thanks again

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

Plum and apple generally count as hardwood, and they both work 👍🏽

@kkhantailno1

3 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax many thanks!

Awesome! I am a new Isopod caretaker (not really a breeder, i just enjoy them) as well as a worm farmer. I would like to begin splitting my Isopod bin and start a good colony of Armadillum Vulgare. I beleive they add something truly valuable to the soil food web. and there in is a market for them, their feces, molted exoskeleton, etc. I would love to know your thoughts on it sir. u are obviously very educated.

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Chibi Shaw I have heard of vermiculturists adding A. vulgare to their worm bins with beneficial results. Definitely worth a try!

Isopods are quite durable, I find them under rocks here in Arizona where the humidity is almost zero and the temperatures go up to 112 degrees.

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Blue Squirtle they are, aren’t they? Some species seem the be able to handle those extremes of temperature and humidity.

At the end around 9:41, it looks like the Orange Titan launches a springtail just by walking into it *Lol.*

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

Theropod Hunter That is probably precisely what happened! 🤣 Unfortunately, that isopod turned out to be a P. scaber stowaway.

@TheropodHunter

3 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax A deceptive Isopod? Lol.

How do you get rid of fungus gnats/keep them out of enclosures? Also: your videos are phenomenal and there are so few isopod video care videos so THANK YOU because I enjoy your videos and need all the help I can get 😅

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Life According to Me thank you so much! I am glad to hear you enjoy my videos. The small white creatures are Springtails, and they help outcompete fungus gnats. You can also control fungus gnats by making sure the enclosures are well~sealed, with all ventilation covered with very fine mesh. 👍

A weird thing about wild isopods (in the Uk at least!) whenever I'd go outside in the Summer to check for slugs on my precious plants after a rain shower, I'd see woodlice by torch light eating bird poops. Or eating dead slugs that had dried in the sun. I always thought it was weird how they like bird poop!

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

Good observation ...they will eat very nearly any organic matter 😊

@angelkotilainen

3 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax lol thanks! :) There would be so many all in a circle nomming away, I guess it's nice they keep my paths clear! I'd keep an eye out for them so I didn't stand on them. I'm kinda getting into isopod care and I love I just found this channel and all your help, thanks! :) That's good to know! They are nature's cleaner uppers, a sort of mini version of the great white shark :D

Dear Aquarimax, love and appreciate your super competent videos and presentation. I am fairly new to keeping isopods, I have a fluffy fungus that grows in my enclosures despite having boiled everything-except the coco fiber-. It’s this harmful for them? How do I prevent this if it is? Many thanks

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Mold of this sort is fairly common with new isopod enclosures. Springtails, light feeding, and feeding foods on a solid surface, such as a magnolia leaf, rather than the substrate, can really help.

@kkhantailno1

3 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax Thank you, I shall try that

Hi, I'm working on a bioactive terrarium, I'm just no sure what isopods i should get that would do best in a habitat suited for my adult ball python, any help would be really appropriated

One time i found a really big Rolliepoly it was close to a Bottle cap

I know this is an older video, but could you make a video when doing one of the full substrate changes? I’m trying to figure out the best way to do this without hand picking every single isopod to move :(

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Tiffany Geiler I will try to make one. It is a fairly painstaking process, but there are some things that can make it a little easier. 👍

I got the cork bark you have linked from Amazon. Mine seem to be eating it. Is that ok? Will it harm them?

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

they’ll nibble on it, but it will take longer than most woods to erode always and won’t harm them. 👍🏽

How do you change the substrate when there are so many isopods in the old substrate? How do you move them from one substrate to the next?

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

I cover that here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/fXhoxNd7lLDNdqw.html

I like your t shirt 🤟🏻

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Trudie Risby Thank you!

How do you change substrate? What i mean by that is how do you capture them?

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

EHAYES I usually just sift carefully through the substrate, and remove as many as possible. Keeping that substrate for a while, and then putting a moist feeding area to one side, can help collect stragglers.

is this good.for savannah monitor .like c murina and white dwarf to the enclosure ?

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

xinov YT if you have enough of them with the proper substrate and humidity gradient, they could do the job.

Hi Rus. I'm new to the hobby and I have some more questions now. :) How do you change out the substrate without losing babies? Is it okay to feed them leaves from ANY chemical free deciduous tree, like fruit trees, japanese elm, aspen, cottonwood, etc? We have several kinds of trees, but I see a lot in the forums about certain kinds of leaves like oak and magnolia, and it's made me a little hesitant to offer them the leaves that I have. Also, what about pine or fir bark and pine cones that have been baked? Are those safe to add to their containers? Thanks for all of the great information!

@crispers702

5 жыл бұрын

Did you find out how to remove substrate?

Great video! What should i feed my armadillium nastudodum peach

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Sharky101 A good base of decomposing leaves and wood, and then things like fish food, bits of fruit and veggies, and bug burger. I have found my A. nasatum ‘peach’ are quite willing to eat nearly anything. 👍

@Sharky-hx1bg

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Sharky101 You’re welcome! 👍

I added egg shell to my isopod and millipede substrate. Do I need to worry about mold growing on the egg shell?

@nicoledee1320

4 жыл бұрын

Great idea!

Do you have any advice for how to change the substrate? I'm assuming they'd be throughout the substrate, thus making changing it difficult

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

Fairy Possum it is tedious for sure...the best thing to do is to sift through the substrate, and remove what you can, and then save that substrate in a separate container for a while. Keep a moist spot in one corner, and offer small bits of food there. Most of the little isopods should congregate there.

my wild caught silver powder are producing orange too 😂

I have a tank like yours and I have 55 isopods

What if you don’t keep springtails with them and what if you don’t change the substrate?

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Therealgoat it is possible to keep them without springtails, although the springtails are helpful. At some point,if you don’t change the substrate, the nutrients will become exhausted and the colony’s production will decline. If you keep adding new leaves and supplementary foods, the colony will still reproduce, but I find better results from periodic substrate replacement.

I've got powder blues in a growing bioactive setup. What I've found lately is they've started going after my live plants. Focus Benjamina has lost most of its leaves, at first I thought they were dropping, checked just now and the few remaining leaves have had decent sized chunks eaten out of them. Any ideas why? I've got plenty of leaf litter in there, some old snake shed, cork bark and some broken up cuttlefish. Just not sure what else I can add to protect my plants

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

Interesting. If the plant is starting to die already, the isopods might be going after it for that reason. Do they need hydration? You could also try offering fish food pellets if they really go after those, they may just be very hungry.

I just ordered some dwarf purple isopods Trichoniscus sp. Do they need ventilation?

@Aquarimax

2 жыл бұрын

A little, but not much,.

Do you think the spent substrate be used for potting medium for indoor tropical plants?

@Aquarimax

11 ай бұрын

It contains some nutrients, but you would need to make sure you were not adding live isopods to the plant pot.

@ziaearthquake

11 ай бұрын

@@Aquarimax thanks for the quick response! I guess there could be baby isopods in there that could be risky to my plants, or falling out of the planters and dying if they did get in. I get my zebras tomorrow and I’m very excited! Spent a bunch of time on your KZread tonight!

i need to breed some isopods for my snail habitat :)

Hi there. I'm brand new to isopods, but so interested in them now. I have pet snails, and I stumbled upon the topic the way many pet snail caretakers do - by looking for a "cleanup crew". However... WOW, these are cool. Now I'm very excited about also getting to choose isopods to go with the snails I love! I have a question for you already, though. I've already gone out into my yard and started finding them, myself. They already had babies, and they're very cute. :) My question: do you think it's an alright idea to isolate the little colony I created, move them to clean soil (right now they are in soil that also has pests I do not want indoors), purchase a small number of similar isopods online and allow them to mingle? I guess what I would want to avoid are things I can't anticipate, like the "wild-caught" isopods carrying anything parasitic that hand-raised (sorry for any noob terminology) wouldn't be able to tolerate or something. Basically, I'm the type of person who feels bad if I break a bug's leg on accident so I really would prefer to treat all of these little guys with respect. Thanks for your channel, and I look forward to learning more! Those dwarf whites and the ones you called "peaches" are actually really pretty.

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome, and thank you for watching! I think if the wild ones and the purchased ones are the same species, the procedure you describe would work well!

When changing the entire substrate for the isopods, does it become tedious to remove each one, kind of one by one or by group until there are non within the container to finally remove all the contents? Or do you just remove the majority of the contents and then just throw out the remaining substrate with the few ones left behind?

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Scaley bois tedious is a good word for it. I do my best to get them all, (my youngest daughter often enjoys helping me sift through the substrate, hunting for the last remaining isopods) but it is possible I miss a few.

Would repashy detrivore mix be good for isopod?

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

The Jeffrey 27 Yes, many isopod keepers use it. I have been thinking of trying it. 😊👍

Russ I have a question I have a iso pod and I was wondering what can I do if I cant find any of the habitat stuff I can find some but yea 😕

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

Which parts of the habitat are missing?

Question: water that’s carbon filtered, can it be distilled water?

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

AVD reptiles Aaron Yes, though some people worry that distilled water will eventually cause mineral deficiencies. My personal belief is that as long as there are plenty of minerals provided in other ways, distilled water is fine.

How do you separate the isopods from the substrate when you change it?

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Scott Super it is a painstaking process, just manually sorting through. Finding all of the babies takes a while. 🤣

Hello! Question, can I boil my water for it to be safe

@Aquarimax

10 ай бұрын

That will reduce/eliminate some contaminants (bacteria, chlorine l) but not others (such as heavy metals). Boiled and cooked tap water is likely to be better than straight tap water. Carbon-filtered water is what I usually use.

I have found some high yellow common pill bugs!

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Are you going to breed them?

@naturezone1212

5 жыл бұрын

Yes but I only found about 5

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Those should be enough to get a colony started 😊👍

How I obtained & care for my isopods: 1) Asked my dart frog breeder for some (I got about a dozen or so). 2) Put them in my dart frog vivarium. 3) Replace decaying leaf litter as required. Two years later, they're everywhere. No real need to maintain a culture. My vivarium does that for me.

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

balzonurchin i do the same thing in my dart frog and gecko vivariums. It works great!

My isopods aren’t very active, could this be caused by the time of year or are they in trouble? I love your videos btw, I watch every new vid

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

AJ Cudd Thanks for watching, I really appreciate it! Tell me a bit about your setup. Number of isopods, species, substrate, hides, etc. 👍

@alyssa1319

4 жыл бұрын

Aquarimax Pets I have 6 armadilidiums that I gathered from outside. Their exact species I’m unsure but they’re like the ones you say are the most common in North America. They’re container is about 6x6in and I used compost and leaf litter from my back yard. I feed them fruits and other things (on the side, can they eat fish food?) That’s just about all about them. They have high ventilation and I keep one side damp

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

AJ Cudd sounds like a good setup. With only six, you may not see a lot of activity. As the colony increases in size, you will see more.

@alyssa1319

4 жыл бұрын

Aquarimax Pets that’s awesome. Thank you so much! :)

Out of the isopods that you own, which ones seem to be most tolerant of dry enclosures?

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Porcellionides pruinosus is the species I use with my leopard gecko. It is probably the most tolerant of dry enclosures, but will need a humid hide.

What kind of leaves are good vs bad?

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Becca Fern Many types are suitable, but oak, maple, alder, locust, pecan, apple, pear, magnolia, and sea grape are some I have used. Avoid the needles of conifers. 👍

Can you feed crested gecko diet like pangea or repashy? Also is grape leaves ok for isopods?

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Victor G I have offered mine CGD, and they do seem to like it. Dry grape leaves, if free from pesticides, should be fine.

Where do you get your screen? What mesh size?

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Frank Y I buy chiffon at the fabric store. Not sure iof the measurement if the mesh, but it is very fine.

When my betta passed away I lightly buried him in one of my isopod colonies, after just over a week he was completely gone, no smell. When you change the substrate, what do you do with the old one if you don't want to seed a new colony? Just bin it? Or would it be good for a potted house plant?

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Small forest dweller That is a great demonstration of how efficient they are at their cleanup duties. 👍 once you have removed the isopods, the ‘isocompost’ is great for plants, potted or outdoors.

@smallforestdweller6999

5 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax Great thanks :)

Hello Aquarimax, I think I have a culture of blind trichorhina. I found these specimens in a tropical rainforest in Martinique. This species digs a lot and they do not need bark. The population increase is slow. What foods I must to give them.

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Fight Animals Interesting! I am guessing that they would eat the same foods as others (fish food, bug burger, vegetable and fruit) in addition to providing a nutritious substrate.

@exopod5843

5 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax thank you, Now, I only use coconut fiber for my isopods. This is the best substrate I have found. The humidity is better preserved.

I just came to this channel by sheer luck. It's very interesting. Can these isopods be put in a closed terrarium...? Please advice....

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Some species can be kept in closed terraria, but most of the large, active, prolific species would not likely do well long-term. So,e of the small, rather secretive dwarf species, like Trichorhina tomentosa, would be more likely to thrive, but I doubt you would see them much.

@tuntunlove

3 жыл бұрын

You only gave me a like... but did not reply to my query...

@tuntunlove

3 жыл бұрын

Sorry I missed your reply earlier.

How often do u feed wood lice?

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

ReVerses Bot It depends on how many you have, the setup and substrate you have, etc. If you have a rich substrate and a small numbers of isopods, you may not need to feed them any additional food for months. In my setups, I generally keep large numbers of isopods, and I feed two the four times per week.

I have only one small white isopod and i want to find more. Where do i find them because my house is far away from the forest.

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

n0ob attacc You can often find isopods far way from the forest as well. Yards, parks, fields...just look under rocks, wood, and leaves that might hold a little moisture. You can also find them on sidewalks in the early morning when it is cool and the humidity is higher. If there are really no places near you where you can find isopods, they are readily available online. 👍

Does springtails have a bad impact with them?My springtails breed like crazy and I'm thinking they may outcompete the isops.

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

wMgabi generally springtails are very beneficial in with isopods. I’ve never had springtails outcompete the isopods in any of my many isopod enclosures.

@Nyctian

4 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax Well personally I don't see springtails doing any harm.I add them to every enclosure I have but with the isopods they're blooming so much that it looks like It's only for them.I harvest them often but still, should I reset the enclosure or shall I cut the feeding until the springs are less?

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

wMgabi As long as the isopods look like they are thriving, I would just let the springtails do their thing. They will help keep the isopod enclosure from being infested with fungus gnats or mites.

How do you change the substrate and make sure that you don't leave behind any of the smaller ones or the spring tails?

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Crumbs boi it takes a while to sift through the substrate. The easiest way is to take 50% of the substrate out and put it into new culture, the you have two cultures and don’t lose any of the little critters.

@crumbsboi

4 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax thanks

What do you actually use for substrate? I see all kinds of mixes people using. Since I'm a Noob, I've just been using Forest Floor substrate with Dry leaves.

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Johnny Galaxy many different mixes are suitable. I use 1/3 organic compost, 1/3 soaked alder or oak pellets, and 1/3 hpfallen hardwood leaves.I then add some crushed eggshells for calcium.

@johnnygalaxy9022

4 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax thanks. Sounds simple enough. Now I know what to buy today :) Do you sterilize the bark and wood you collect as well in the oven?

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

Johnny Galaxy yes I do, for about 30 minutes at 200 F. 👍

@johnnygalaxy9022

4 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax will do then:)

roly poly (pillbug) enthusiasts... we're on FB

How do I know when they've established in a bioactive enclosure? Will I start seeing some in the open?

@DrakeDragonheart

4 жыл бұрын

I just seeded a more arid monitor setup with P. pruinosus

@Aquarimax

4 жыл бұрын

DrakeDragonheart P. pruinosus is a fairly active species. You should start out in the open to some degree. If you don’t, put a piece of food (such as a slice of veggie or fruit) near one of their hides, and then shine a flashlight on it at night. It should be covered in isopods if the colony is doing well.

Do they need a heat mat?

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

No, not usually. Most species are fine at room temperatures, or even considerably cooler. If you have a very cold room and a species that needs supplemental heat, a heat may with a thermostat on the side of the enclosure would be a possibility, but I don’t use heat mats, even with my tropical species.

You look good with a full beard

In my isopod culture I noticed some patches of black dots hovering on the underneath of some of the dead leaves. I'm guessing this is a type of mold. Do you think I should remove the leaves or redo the substrate? I've heard black black mold is bad if it is that.

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

It does sound like mold...do you have springtails in your culture?

@Plasmaspy

5 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax none at all, I should probably add some

@Aquarimax

5 жыл бұрын

Devilmeow yes, that will likely help 👍

@Plasmaspy

5 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax thanks :)

How do you replace the substrate without losing isopods?

@Aquarimax

3 жыл бұрын

Evan Geese it is difficult, but basically I replace 1/2 of the substrate at a time, and go through the substrate I remove very carefully before I freeze and subsequently discard it.

@evangeese4627

3 жыл бұрын

@@Aquarimax Thank you! I just got some vulgare isopods from outside and this was the only question I had.