# Why do you keep isopods?



## Ghoul (Feb 28, 2017)

*A question for all isopod keepers, why do you keep them?*


I keep them because they are easy to keep, come in so many variations that can be kept together, and they eat literally anything (fun to see them react to different food).
Most people think isopods are just functioning, like robots, but if you watch them they have a bit of personality you wouldn't expect. My favourite thing are the food fights  What about you guys?


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## Stugy (Feb 28, 2017)

I keep them mostly because they are super funny to watch climb over each other for nothing (or trying to get out of their closed deli cup. Plus there are so many really cool variations and sizes. Plus they are good clean-up crews but I don't use them that much. I'm currently using my native colonies as test subjects for some old turtle, hermit crab, and crayfish food I found and wanted to see if they were safe for roaches. Not much of a success since they eat when I'm not looking and the food begins to mold within 2-3 days.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Jerry (Feb 28, 2017)

I keep isopods for one reason and one reason only there AWESOME

Reactions: Like 2


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## Venom1080 (Feb 28, 2017)

how does one go about keeping isopods? theres a bunch around my house and i think they woud make a neat little tank.
sorry OP, dont mean to hijack. if someone could pm me a quick care sheet id be grateful.


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## BobBarley (Feb 28, 2017)

Venom1080 said:


> how does one go about keeping isopods? theres a bunch around my house and i think they woud make a neat little tank.
> sorry OP, dont mean to hijack. if someone could pm me a quick care sheet id be grateful.


Really easy lol.  Moist dirt + lots of decaying hardwood leaves (I use oak) + isopods = colony.  You can add hides if you'd like.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Hisserdude (Feb 28, 2017)

I keep them because they interest me and are easy to keep in breed, plus there are many different color morphs you can isolate if you are lucky. To me, they seem about as close to roaches as you can get without them actually being roaches, their care aspects are similar, (only thing is most roaches don't _need_ dead leaves in their diet like isopods, but there are some that do), and there are new species and color morphs entering the hobby all the time.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Aquarimax (Mar 1, 2017)

I keep them because:
1. They come in a wide variety of colors, patterns, and sizes 
2. They tend do be a critter that a lot of people can relate to (even many people who think 'bugs are creepy' often think of isopods as cute)
3. They are excellent vivarium janitors
4. They're extremely easy to keep. You can go on vacation for a week and not worry at all about them, at least with the proper setup
5. It's fun to watch them go about their business
6. They're easy to breed

Reactions: Like 1


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## pannaking22 (Mar 1, 2017)

I used to keep them for cleanup crews/feeders to an extent, but now I keep them as pets too. I have several species that are just pets now. Another perk is that you can go out and collect several species yourself, so you don't have to buy them or worry about shipping. If you decide you don't like the ones you caught, it's really easy to just go out and dump them in your backyard and they're good to go.

Reactions: Like 2


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## All About Arthropods (Mar 1, 2017)

I keep them out of pure enthusiasm, interest, and enjoyment! The things I like most about these crustaceans are that they come in a wide array of colors, shapes, sizes, and patterns(even within species!), are simple to reproduce, have very good value as a cleanup crew, and display many isolatable phenotypes.

Reactions: Like 1


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## All About Arthropods (Mar 1, 2017)

Jerry said:


> I keep isopods for one reason and one reason only there AWESOME
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Woah, looks like you have some awesome morphs there! I see some orange C.convexus(a morph that isn't even isolated in the hobby yet) and very high yellow A.vulgare, you should definitely try an isolate those!


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## SlugPod (Mar 1, 2017)

Why I keep isopods: 

They're easy to keep. Don't require much space, easy to feed, easy to control humidity.
They're easy to breed and reproduce fairly quickly.
There are a lot of different morphs available for species, and it's possible to even develop some yourself. I have a few projects going even!
They're easy to get. You can often just go out into your yard or a park and collect some (depending on where you live). 
A lot of people like Isopods, even if they don't tend to like 'bugs'. 
They're good for vivariums and terrariums. 
They're cute! And fun to watch. 
Overall, they're just an awesome critter that I enjoy having and am enjoying expanding my collection of species. 
They're something relatively simple but a lot of fun.

Reactions: Like 2


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## xsearcher (Mar 4, 2017)

I initially got them to be used as janitors and occasional snacks for my geckos.  Then I noticed that they are interesting to observe and are generally more active and interesting than my geckos.  Low cost, ease of breeding and wide variety also makes them great pets.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Ghoul (Mar 4, 2017)

I also want to add that most species look like they are constantly grumpy due to their eye shape which I personally find hilarious

Reactions: Like 1


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## InvertsandOi (Mar 5, 2017)

Isopods are a perfect example of why I love inverts in the first place. They demonstrate that nature isn't just in far off wilderness places like national parks and things like that. Nature is in our backyards and everywhere we go. It is not separate from us, and we can see it everywhere if we just know how to look. They also demonstrate that an animal doesn't have to be exotic in order to be beautiful and fascinating.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Love 1


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## moghue (Mar 6, 2017)

I started keeping them as clean up crews when I kept dart frogs. due to health reason I pretty much sold off all my critters except some isopods and millipedes I had. Way easier to take care of and interesting to look at. plan on getting a few more typesof isopods and millipedes soon.

Reactions: Like 1


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## dragonfire1577 (Mar 8, 2017)

Why not?

Reactions: Like 2


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