I think I might've roasted my first isopods :(

[shoobinoob24]

So long story short I got a culture of dairy cow isopods last weekend and just last night I put them in a terrarium, I came home today and found them all dead besides a baby and an adult both of which were beneath rocks and leaves. I think what killed them was a buildup of heat that cooked them, but I'm not sure. I have a light directly above the terrarium with no lid on it and after removing the dead isopods I felt the temperature inside and it was at least in the high 80s and pretty humid. Is there any other possible cause of death, or was it probably the light causing making much heat in the terrarium that killed them?

 

[chanda]

You're doing it wrong. If you want to roast isopods, you should do so in the oven with garlic butter and salt.

Sorry for your loss. If you don't want your isopods roasted, then you should get rid of the light - or at least move it much farther away (if the room you're keeping them in is exceptionally cold). The terrarium will trap the heat from the light, kind of like a hot car on a summer day - even with the window open.

My husband and I have always kept our isopods at room temperature, with no supplemental heating - and they're doing fine.

 

[shoobinoob24]

It was for the plants, not the isopods.

 

[shoobinoob24]

I think what I'll do is keep the light further away and leave the terrarium more open next time.

 

[BoyFromLA]

It was for the plants, not the isopods.

Then it would be a good idea to separate the isopods from the plants, and keep them separately.

 

[Smotzer]

the heat is definitely the cause of death of the Isopods.

you’re likely using the wrong type of light of you are growing plants in a terrarium which can build up heat easily.

 

[shoobinoob24]

What would you suggest I use? It's a glass jar with a cork top.

 

[shoobinoob24]

Big reason I got them was to be a clean up crew in closed and open planted terrariums

 

[Smotzer]

Big reason I got them was to be a clean up crew in closed and open planted terrariums

send me a pm and ill go over this with you in more detail, Im just about to make a long 'how to' post probably here in the next week.

 

[Eggiess]

So long story short I got a culture of dairy cow isopods last weekend and just last night I put them in a terrarium, I came home today and found them all dead besides a baby and an adult both of which were beneath rocks and leaves. I think what killed them was a buildup of heat that cooked them, but I'm not sure. I have a light directly above the terrarium with no lid on it and after removing the dead isopods I felt the temperature inside and it was at least in the high 80s and pretty humid. Is there any other possible cause of death, or was it probably the light causing making much heat in the terrarium that killed them?

No reason for additional lighting, you did cook them sadly. Remove and keep at room temp

 

[Dry Desert]

Big reason I got them was to be a clean up crew in closed and open planted terrariums

You can always use a stat to control the temperature,
Easy really.