Isopod help! Specifically Cubaris sp. Rubber Ducky

[BepopCola]

No they don't, I've bred all my species of isopods on plain old coconut fiber, so long as dead leaves are placed on top of the substrate and they are offered supplemental foods too, (dog food, fruits, veggies, etc.), they do fine and thrive. Y'all are acting like they're millipedes, most of which DO need a completely nutrient rich substrate to induce decent reproduction, with isopods it's the layer of leaves on top of the substrate that's their breeding stimulus. The substrate itself only needs to serve as something to hold humidity, and something for them to burrow into, it does not need to be edible...

Orin McMonigle has reared his many isopod species on a variety of different substrates, many weren't nearly as nutrient rich as some people claim they need to be for "optimal reproduction"... Keep in mind, a lot of the isopod "bigwigs" that insist a very rich substrate is needed for breeding even the most basic of isopods also happen to sell "premium" substrates...

This is good to know!
I was just going with a "better safe than sorry" strategy with duckies, since they stay buried more often. (I also mostly keep millipedes, so I have a bias there as well)

My rub with acrylic is how easily it gets scratched which is another reason I opted for the terrarium.

Yeah, that's true... I have mine all scratched up because I stack them.

 

[Hisserdude]

This is good to know!
I was just going with a "better safe than sorry" strategy with duckies, since they stay buried more often. (I also mostly keep millipedes, so I have a bias there as well)

I mean it certainly doesn't hurt to add more materials to your substrate, especially if you anticipate forgetting to feed your colonies often, as an edible substrate can serve as a good backup source of food. It just rubs me the wrong way when I see people saying that an organically rich substrate is absolutely essential to a healthy isopod colony, when that information clearly contradicts the experiences of myself, other hobby experts, and several of my friends.

I really highly doubt that duckies are any different given their relative ease compared to other Cubaris species, (they're basically pretty C.murina TBH). Which is why I asked Orin for his advice here.

 

[The Odd Pet]

No they don't, I've bred all my species of isopods on plain old coconut fiber, so long as dead leaves are placed on top of the substrate and they are offered supplemental foods too, (dog food, fruits, veggies, etc.), they do fine and thrive. Y'all are acting like they're millipedes, most of which DO need a completely nutrient rich substrate to induce decent reproduction, with isopods it's the layer of leaves on top of the substrate that's their breeding stimulus. The substrate itself only needs to serve as something to hold humidity, and something for them to burrow into, it does not need to be edible...

Orin McMonigle has reared his many isopod species on a variety of different substrates, many weren't nearly as nutrient rich as some people claim they need to be for "optimal reproduction"... Keep in mind, a lot of the isopod "bigwigs" that insist a very rich substrate is needed for breeding even the most basic of isopods also happen to sell "premium" substrates...

Do you keep Cubaeis sp."rubber duckies"? I've been keeping isopods for over, 6 years and use to keep all mine I'm coco coir. Orin got his rubber duckies from me and got advice on how to keep them from me also. They can be kept on it but they would not be very healthy and you would be adding leaves twice a week. Since I started using a mix "that yes is just like what I use for all my millipedes" all my isopods are much healthier and I only have to feed them supplemental foods about once a week or less with some species. Plus that wouldn't look very good at all in the setup he's going for.

 

[Hisserdude]

Do you keep Cubaeis sp."rubber duckies"? I've been keeping isopods for over, 6 years and use to keep all mine I'm coco coir. Orin got his rubber duckies from me and got advice on how to keep them from me also. They can be kept on it but they would not be very healthy and you would be adding leaves twice a week. Since I started using a mix "that yes is just like what I use for all my millipedes" all my isopods are much healthier and I only have to feed them supplemental foods about once a week or less with some species. Plus that wouldn't look very good at all in the setup he's going for.

Not yet, but I plan on getting them later this year, and I'll be keeping them on plain coir and comparing growth and gestation rates as well as brood sizes compared to other expert keepers who use a more rich substrate mix, (I suspect there will be little to no difference).

I've been keeping isopods even longer, (coming up on 8 years now? I isolated the original Oniscus asellus "Mardi Gras Dalmatian" morph, you may be familiar with them), most of my colonies were in the hundreds, (if not nearly thousands for some like my "MGD" colony), just on coconut fiber substrate. Some leaf litter was added every few weeks, and supplemental foods offered every few days, (as that's the schedule I used for my roaches and beetles).
Orin wrote in his recent isopod book that the duckies were very easy to care for, and didn't note that they needed any special substrate, (and in the substrate section of the book, says coconut fiber, sphagnum peat, potting soil, compost, etc., all work well as substrates).

As long as decent care is given often, I have yet to find an isopod species that actually needs a completely edible substrate to thrive... I've literally never had a problem with using basic substrates for pods. Of course it doesn't hurt to give them a more nutrient rich substrate, but it's just not necessary for a totally healthy colony in my experience, to me it's like offering filtered spring water to pothos plants... Sure, doesn't hurt, but it's kind of overkill when tap water works just fine, (well most tap water).

 

[The Odd Pet]

I don't disagree. I would love to see what your experiment comes up with.
I actually breed Armadillidium klugii "pudding" my line. They are what most people in the US have unless they got them from Martin.

 

[Hisserdude]

I don't disagree. I would love to see what your experiment comes up with.
I actually breed Armadillidium klugii "pudding" my line. They are what most people in the US have unless they got them from Martin.

Thanks, I'm looking forward to it!
Nice, that's a pretty morph for sure, congrats on isolating it!

 

[The Odd Pet]

Thank you. I'm pretty positive I was first to get them to breed true but Martin had one pop up and made that name. I had them available months before he did yet he got the credit.

 

[BepopCola]

As long as decent care is given often, I have yet to find an isopod species that actually needs a completely edible substrate to thrive... I've literally never had a problem with using basic substrates for pods. Of course it doesn't hurt to give them a more nutrient rich substrate, but it's just not necessary for a totally healthy colony in my experience, to me it's like offering filtered spring water to pothos plants... Sure, doesn't hurt, but it's kind of overkill when tap water works just fine, (well most tap water).

It gives me some ideas on recycling my spent millipede substrate.

 

[FinalBlue]

Okay so slight issue the temp in the house dropped today and my poor little terrarium heater didn't keep up well . They were a cozy 75 when I left for work and we're sitting at 68 when I got back home. I'm getting the temp back up again. Not sure what went wrong to cause it to dip since the heater was running in the house and terrarium when I got home. They should technically be okay since it wasn't that cold, right?

 

[The Odd Pet]

Okay so slight issue the temp in the house dropped today and my poor little terrarium heater didn't keep up well . They were a cozy 75 when I left for work and we're sitting at 68 when I got back home. I'm getting the temp back up again. Not sure what went wrong to cause it to dip since the heater was running in the house and terrarium when I got home. They should technically be okay since it wasn't that cold, right?

In my experience they like it more cool. I keep mine at 72° and the temperament drops down to 68° all the time. Remember they came from a cave.

 

[The Odd Pet]

It gives me some ideas on recycling my spent millipede substrate.

I'm too afraid to use mine. I always leave it for a long time just in case there are eggs. I actually just found a ton of baby albino Narceus americanus in a tote that's been sitting for a while.