# Isopod colony setup



## Stylopidae (Jul 30, 2006)

Isopods are popular mainly with tarantula and centipede keepers because they scavenge food remains and generally keep the tank free of nasties.

Here's how I set my colony up.

Step one: Find isopods.

1.)You need to find a large, secluded wooded area. An old stand of woods is preferable. This is where you're likely to find fallen trees.

2.) After you find a fallen log, the thing you need to look for is loose bark. Isopods love to nest in fallen bark. It's food and shelter all in one, and it's guarrenteed to be moist enough for them to live. They'll be congrated here more than in the leaf litter covering the ground. Higher population density means that you don't need to spend as much time looking.


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## Stylopidae (Jul 30, 2006)

When you peel back loose bark, it'll always come in long strips. Just knock the isopods  from the strips into a plastic sack, and then transfer them to your collection container.

I always like to put a few peices of bark in with the isopods. The bark usually yeilds springtails and pseudoscorpions, other things like that.

I have my colony on a bed of bed a beast with the strips of bark on top of them.

Whatever you do, certify that the bark is termite free before putting it in your house.

I prefer the flat type of isopod, rather than the round type. I've never had any luck with the round type breeding.

Isopods seem to need a high population density to breed. The babies will appear as very tiny, mini white isopods. You need to look closely to see them. They generally hang out in the substrate, so never throw the substrate out unless you need to.

Isopods will eat almost anything. I feed mine with oats and old moults from my superworm colony attempt. I suspect that they eat lichen and moss from the bark I have in with them, as well.


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## Stylopidae (Jul 30, 2006)

Isopods don't need a whole lot of ventilation. Just a little bit is good, enough to keep mold from growing.

Here's the lid to my colony.

And there you have it, how to find, keep and breed isopods.

I reccomend breeding them for a few generations before tossing them in with your bugs to minimize contagious parasites and residiual pesticides.


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## PoPpiLLs (Jul 30, 2006)

:clap: Nice


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## bugmankeith (Jul 30, 2006)

I find plenty of them against my house, and under rocks in my garden. We dont have any fallen logs around here, just alot of grass.


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## 236260 (Jul 30, 2006)

Evil Cheshire said:
			
		

> I reccomend breeding them for a few generations before tossing them in with your bugs to minimize contagious parasites and residiual pesticides.



How long is a generational cycle?


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## Bark (Jul 30, 2006)

Evil Cheshire said:
			
		

> Isopods seem to need a high population density to breed.


How many did you start with? 20? 30?  I caught 6 of them yesterday and have followed your instructions.  I am assuming I need to get a ton more.


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## Stylopidae (Jul 31, 2006)

Bark said:
			
		

> How many did you start with? 20? 30?  I caught 6 of them yesterday and have followed your instructions.  I am assuming I need to get a ton more.


I have somewhere between 20 and 30. I waited until I started to see babies in the substrate before I posted this.

As for the generational cycle...right now, I have no idea. This is my first isopod colony so I'll have to PM somebody and ask.


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## Tleilaxu (Jul 31, 2006)

I sense another article nomination. WELL DONE! Off topic I like the pill bug because ther fun to roll around hehe...


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## Stylopidae (Aug 1, 2006)

Tleilaxu said:
			
		

> I sense another article nomination. WELL DONE! Off topic I like the pill bug because ther fun to roll around hehe...



Thanks for the props, but I won't nominate my own article...I'll just keep pulling it up every time I need it.

Isopods live for 2 or 3 years and can have two or three broods per year.


Another method of finding isopods...incredibly easier than stumbling upon them during bugging:

Leave your porch lights on. I collected about a dozen last night in the space of twenty minutes without even trying.


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## OldHag (Aug 1, 2006)

Another easy way is.. Have your kids go out with a deli cup and catch them for you 
My daughter Cheyann can catch 1000 in an hour.. NO joke!


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## arachnocat (Aug 3, 2006)

Sometimes I used to find purple and blue ones. I always wondered if that was a color morph or it meant the were going to moult. Have you ever seen ones that color?


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## Canfire (Aug 3, 2006)

Very cool guide. Ill be outside for 3 hours starting now.


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## Stylopidae (Aug 3, 2006)

xenobug said:
			
		

> Sometimes I used to find purple and blue ones. I always wondered if that was a color morph or it meant the were going to moult. Have you ever seen ones that color?


I've never seen purple...I have some that are dull orange and one that looks silver (it's the one involved in the story below, so I'm hoping it's a trait). The purple ones may be a color morph, and it may be a pillbug in the process of hardening it's exo. The blue ones (to my knowledge) are infected with an iridiovirus that will eventually kill them.

Interesting fact about isopods: pregnant females will give birth as a defense mechanism. I discovered this while taking a look at one of the more interesting colored ones the other day. I picked it up to see what color it was in natural light, and I see little white spots flee in all directions.

Fortunately, I had it over the enclosure so I hope that they grow up into silver isopods.


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## mikeythefireman (Aug 4, 2006)

I've never done it on purpose, but I could probably snag at least 50-100 of the little guys outta my yard.  Whenever my daughter leaves an article of clothes out on the lawn, there's a gazillion isopods under it the next morning before the dew is gone.

I think I may have to start a colony of the buggers now.


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## Texas Blonde (Aug 4, 2006)

xenobug said:
			
		

> Sometimes I used to find purple and blue ones. I always wondered if that was a color morph or it meant the were going to moult. Have you ever seen ones that color?



I believe the blue ones have a disease actually.  If memory serves, its called IIV.  Im sure you could find more in a search of these forums, its been talked about before.


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## kraken (Aug 4, 2006)

They do have a virus,actually its an irridovirus,a local guy to me posted some,and everyone was quick to tell him.The irridovirus makes them that pretty blue.Another thing cheshire,is that they need oak leaves for chitin,or a cuttlebone.I have a colony of about 1000 now that started out as 100.They need some source of calcium for sure,or the babies just wont grow.


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## Stylopidae (Aug 4, 2006)

kraken said:
			
		

> They need some source of calcium for sure,or the babies just wont grow.


You know...I've never heard that before. I have some old herp suppliment for my frog. I'm assuming that will work, won't it?


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## Tleilaxu (Aug 7, 2006)

I would think so...


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## kraken (Aug 7, 2006)

Evil Cheshire said:
			
		

> You know...I've never heard that before. I have some old herp suppliment for my frog. I'm assuming that will work, won't it?


Yes,or you could use small pieces of cuttlebone.


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## 8ball (Aug 7, 2006)

The tarantula's wont eat them?


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## Bark (Aug 7, 2006)

Ok so now I have my little isopod container and I keep them moist and well fed.  They all seem to hang out on one of the sticks in there for some odd reason.  On closer inspection, the container has a bunch of white mites and they are crawling on the damn isopods :wall: .  I can't win.


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## Stylopidae (Aug 7, 2006)

Bark said:
			
		

> Ok so now I have my little isopod container and I keep them moist and well fed.  They all seem to hang out on one of the sticks in there for some odd reason.  On closer inspection, the container has a bunch of white mites and they are crawling on the damn isopods :wall: .  I can't win.


Get a peice of tree bark. That will contain opillione eggs and springtails. Both will eat mites.

Try to find a bunch of pseudoscorpions...they will eat mites also.


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## Bark (Aug 9, 2006)

Evil Cheshire said:
			
		

> Get a peice of tree bark. That will contain opillione eggs and springtails. Both will eat mites.
> 
> Try to find a bunch of pseudoscorpions...they will eat mites also.


I could do that, but wasn't the point of the isopods to prevent the build up of mites in millipede enclosures?   If a dozen of them can't prevent mites in a large deli cup, how good are they going to be in a 10 gal aquarium?


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