Iso pods , pill bugs!

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Caught recently , very cool .. not sure if the container is too wet but I can let it dry out a little more. Or add more dirt.

 

[jbooth]

Dry side, wet side, food on dry side if you add any, otherwise just rotting leaves and wood lol. and some kind of calcium source. I've got a wild A. vulgare culture going too, lots of golds and yellows. They don't like it soppy, but if it gets completely dry in the whole enclosure all the babies are gone, and the adults soon after... They breed fairly quickly though I lost all the babies this winter letting it dry out, but they're back.

 

[SpookySpooder]

First pic--way too wet, these aren't aquatic isopods

Like jbooth mentioned, you want to give them a gradient to choose from. Some people do 1 side wet 1 side dry, some people do bottom wet, top dry. Just depends how you set it up.

IME, the side technique is better, if you let water sit too long at the bottom it becomes moldy and stagnant.

Also, you trying to satisfy your arthropod addiction with any source you can find bro?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

First pic--way too wet, these aren't aquatic isopods

Like jbooth mentioned, you want to give them a gradient to choose from. Some people do 1 side wet 1 side dry, some people do bottom wet, top dry. Just depends how you set it up.

IME, the side technique is better, if you let water sit too long at the bottom it becomes moldy and stagnant.

Also, you trying to satisfy your arthropod addiction with any source you can find bro?

Yeah I been actually looking for some but all the logs I check around my house are all empty of these . And yes , maybe these will do well I hope .. I can’t just set traps in the backyard anymore .. and catch them my moms always cleaning up wood piles the new dog likes to eat sticks .. get some practice dealing with ISOs .

 

[SpookySpooder]

Isopods are super easy. You gotta shift your mindset from caring for them like a T and imagine them more as a part of the ecosystem.

With isopods, the better you set up their environment, the less care you have to give them. Essentially they are "set it and forget it" type pets. The only maintenance they really need is a variety of food items for a healthy diet and water.

Did you collect any decaying leaf litter where you found them from?

 

[viper69]

I’ve seen these in the wild and the soil is barely damp - subjective I know

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Isopods are super easy. You gotta shift your mindset from caring for them like a T and imagine them more as a part of the ecosystem.

With isopods, the better you set up their environment, the less care you have to give them. Essentially they are "set it and forget it" type pets. The only maintenance they really need is a variety of food items for a healthy diet and water.

Did you collect any decaying leaf litter where you found them from?

No but I can go back anytime , what variety of foods like stuff roaches eat ?

I’ve seen these in the wild and the soil is barely damp - subjective I know

I’m actively drying out the container , here’s current pictures. I could just add a pinch of dry sub .

 

[SpookySpooder]

I’ve seen these in the wild and the soil is barely damp - subjective I know

Man I'm starting to see what you mean about all these subjective measurements and adjectives.

No but I can go back anytime , what variety of foods like stuff roaches eat ?

I’m actively drying out the container , here’s current pictures. I could just add a pinch of dry sub .

A PINCH AINT GONNA DO ANYTHING! Lol you practically have them drowning in there.

I'd take them out, mix the sub with some dry sub, or even blow dry the sub you got and redo the enclosure. You shouldn't be able to squeeze a single drop out of the sub. When it's that damp, then you can put them back in and only add water as needed.

Go back to where you found them, collect dead and decaying leaf litter. Not the stuff that's dried and still intact (grab some of that too though) but find the stuff that is like half rotten and falling apart and looks like it's been chewed or rotted by the dirt.

That's what they need, that's the best stuff for them.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Man I'm starting to see what you mean about all these subjective measurements and adjectives.


A PINCH AINT GONNA DO ANYTHING! Lol you practically have them drowning in there.

I'd take them out, mix the sub with some dry sub, or even blow dry the sub you got and redo the enclosure. You shouldn't be able to squeeze a single drop out of the sub. When it's that damp, then you can put them back in and only add water as needed.

Go back to where you found them, collect dead and decaying leaf litter. Not the stuff that's dried and still intact (grab some of that too though) but find the stuff that is like half rotten and falling apart and looks like it's been chewed or rotted by the dirt.

That's what they need, that's the best stuff for them.

I didn’t even think of that at the moment I could had easily grabbed plenty leaf litter . Thanks!

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Does this look better?? Until I get leaf’s ..

 

[SpookySpooder]

Looks better but show me what's underneath. Stacking dry on dripping wet sub doesn't work, did you mix it together to get an equilibrium?

 

[viper69]

Man I'm starting to see what you mean about all these subjective measurements and adjectives.


A PINCH AINT GONNA DO ANYTHING! Lol you practically have them drowning in there.

I'd take them out, mix the sub with some dry sub, or even blow dry the sub you got and redo the enclosure. You shouldn't be able to squeeze a single drop out of the sub. When it's that damp, then you can put them back in and only add water as needed.

Go back to where you found them, collect dead and decaying leaf litter. Not the stuff that's dried and still intact (grab some of that too though) but find the stuff that is like half rotten and falling apart and looks like it's been chewed or rotted by the dirt.

That's what they need, that's the best stuff for them.

Precisely- subjective tells you nothing

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Looks better but show me what's underneath. Stacking dry on dripping wet sub doesn't work, did you mix it together to get an equilibrium?

I mixed them together I didn’t just stack them. A small part is damp the rest dry .

 

[SpookySpooder]

Sounds good!

Once you get the moisture level perfect and grab some leaf litter it should be perfect for them, remember to add a source of calcium to the earth, in the form of powdered eggshells or cuttlebone

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Sounds good!

Once you get the moisture level perfect and grab some leaf litter it should be perfect for them, remember to add a source of calcium to the earth, in the form of powdered eggshells or cuttlebone

Is this leaf wilted enough? I’ll go and get a bag of leaves from the park soon .
Ground up powdered eggshells? I’ll have to add some soon.

 

[SpookySpooder]

Nah too fresh. That'll be good for them later but you wanna find the half eaten rotten ones like it's already falling apart on it's own. Stuff that lost the yellow/brown color and is like fading to grey/falling apart.

Like this:


Also, I would blend the eggshells with a bit of water. You want a fine dust, not small chunks. This is a really good and cheap source of calcium for my garden, worms, and your isopods.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

They burrowed away hopefully it’s a good sign 🪧.. 🫡

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

All 3 still Alive and doing well .

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Man I'm starting to see what you mean about all these subjective measurements and adjectives.


A PINCH AINT GONNA DO ANYTHING! Lol you practically have them drowning in there.

I'd take them out, mix the sub with some dry sub, or even blow dry the sub you got and redo the enclosure. You shouldn't be able to squeeze a single drop out of the sub. When it's that damp, then you can put them back in and only add water as needed.

Go back to where you found them, collect dead and decaying leaf litter. Not the stuff that's dried and still intact (grab some of that too though) but find the stuff that is like half rotten and falling apart and looks like it's been chewed or rotted by the dirt.

That's what they need, that's the best stuff for them.

I have to add deeper substrate they dry out too quickly or limit my air vents .

 

[SpookySpooder]

You can have air vents from substrate to ceiling. Air vents in the substrate will aerate the substrate (at a lesser rate) and release humidity into the air.