Isopods

[AbraxasComplex]

Is there a recommended species of isopod to put in T enclosures? Or are they all going to do the same job there is just a different sizes?

I find dwarf tropical woodlice work best for me since they do not get consumed and survive heat waves. I lose quite a large percentage of my local, temperate isopods during the summer since I do not have AC.

 

[Louise E. Rothstein]

I have seen frogs eat isopods.

Some animals do.

But not desert scorpions.

 

[TarantulaTyrant]

I added about a dozen gray isopods (sorry, don't know the species) to my P. imp tank about a year ago. When I moved the scorps to a new tank recently there were literally hundreds of isopods. I harvested a few dozen to go in my swamp-dwelling tarantula enclosures. Put several dozen in their own little tank to have for later, and the rest went back in with the scorpions. If the imps are eating any of them, it's not noticeable. I've even seen a scorpion chewing on one end of a superworm with an isopod chewing on the other end. In the isopod only enclosure, I've been adding a pinch of ground up dog food once a week or so. They seem to be doing well.

The biggest 'pods I've seen in the tanks were ~0.5". My scorp tank never smells musty, I never see any mold. Substrate (coconut fibre, peat moss, potting soil, and a little vermiculite) looks and smells like clean dirt. 'Pods do a good job.

i only own tarantulas atm...the enclosures are no bigger than just kritter keepers, and a 5.5 gal for my G. rosea....and a 8-8-12 exo terra for my A. avic. so thats all.

where can i buy them and how many would i keep in normal tarantula keepers you see? can i use them in dryer and more humid both? sorry for these questions haha thanks!

 

[stingray]

i only own tarantulas atm...the enclosures are no bigger than just kritter keepers, and a 5.5 gal for my G. rosea....and a 8-8-12 exo terra for my A. avic. so thats all.

where can i buy them and how many would i keep in normal tarantula keepers you see? can i use them in dryer and more humid both? sorry for these questions haha thanks!

I get all my isopods from Jason....
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?226996-isopods&highlight=isopods

 

[Bugs In Cyberspace]

They don't do well in dry environments. A moist substrate is essential, even if it is just portions of the substrate that remain moist. Providing a bit of ground cover helps. I have a caresheet for isopods on my website that may help, but I'm happy to answer specific questions here too. It is best to run a separate tank for your isopods in addition to your tarantula enclosure. A small tupperware container is usually sufficient. This way you always have a backup source, supplementing them with foods that they may not have access to in the T's enclosure. They do a great job cleaning up, but a communal tarantula and isopod tank does require a little bit of attention towards both species.

 

[Saark]

I find this to be very interesting! Could I put a bunch of (and what kind) isopods in my T. stirmi set up? It's a good size tank, 36in x 18in floor space and I keep the substrate (Eco-Earth)very moist to keep the humidity way up. If these little buggers could reduce the possibility of mold (actually I have already cleaned up a little bit of what may have been mold) and eat up the bits left behind by Shelob, that would be wonderful.

 

[Bugs In Cyberspace]

They'll feed on mold a bit, but I think the main benefit is that they help to prevent it from occurring in the first place by feeding on the leftover bits of food that fall through the hole in your tarantula's lip. That and they'll clean up the waste products of your pet. Springtails are great mold feeders, but I suspect they might annoy terrestrial tarantulas. Arboreals might be less exposed.

 

[Saark]

Are there any isopods that are more suited to a terrestrial tarantula tank? I am getting bits of white mold on my substrate for no real obvious reason. The eco-earth is kept damp but there is decent ventilation and no uneaten food/remains lying about. I am trying to let one area dry out a bit but I don't want the overall humidity to drop.

 

[digiwalker]

Reddish Pill Bugs

As a kid I kept Roly Polys and sowbugs as short term pets on the west coast. Well, I recently got a nano terrarium and I knew it was too small for many reptiles/inverts. So I planted it with local mosses and plants and placed it on my desk at work. A few days later I was cleaning behind the shop and moved some old cardboard..it was covered in roly polys! (aka pillbugs) I thought I might gather a few for terrarium maintenance of mold/mildew. While picking up the tiny things I noticed one that was different, a kind of rusty red color, like the soil...that got me to thinking there might be more. So on my lunch I scoured the area more thoroughly and ended up with about six of them.

I put the normal ones in the terrarium. I have the reddish ones housed in a small Gladware container. I am curious to see if this is a trait or if they are in some kind of transition between molting. They are from about 2mm to 5mm so they are all different stages. I have been able to find pictures of red sowbugs on here, and calico pillbugs, but nothing like the ones I found.