Isopod blog. So whether you want to start your own isopod colony or learn more about these fantastic creatures, you’ve come to the right place! Articles Identifying Isopods: Taxonomy Compared to other invertebrate taxa, terrestrial isopods are considerably understudied, especially those from the oriental regions. Read our guide now! Introduction to Isopod Colonies Isopod colonies are fascinating creatures that have captured the interest of invertebrate enthusiasts around the world. Essential tips for new owners. Listen online or download the iHeart App. This On average, the Giant Antarctic Isopod grows to 9cm (3. C'est la folie chez les Ardentiella sp "Scarlet" #ardentiellalava #merulanella #isopod #isopods #ardentiella #isopodlovers ️ #ardentiellascarlet #ardentiellalava #merulanella #isopod #isopods Curious about how long isopods live? Learn about their lifespan, factors that affect it, and tips to keep your isopods thriving. Read now! The aim of this website is to have it eventually become the one stop guide for the natural history of different insects from all over the world with information that I have accumulated from my breeding experiences, such as photos, species descriptions and care guides. 5in. Learn about habitat setup, diet, and care for these fascinating creatures. The word Isopod litteral means same foot. Discover the best isopod species for your vivarium setup. Keeping them in a vivarium is quite easy and give you a lot of creative freedom. Setting up a thriving isopod terrarium not only provides an engaging hobby but also helps create a balanced ecosystem that supports plant health and soil quality. Many Isopod hobbyists now experience fulfilment in the sale of isopod species as there is currently a growing demand for organisms that consume dead or rotting organic materials. Are There Benefits to Wild Springtails? Wild springtails can provide several benefits to a bioactive enclosure: Isopods Isopods have exploded in popularity as both pets and “clean-up crew” for bioactive terrariums, reflecting the wider rise in popularity of isopods among invertebrate keepers. First off these Sowbugs aren't bugs at all and are related to land crabs and crustaceans. Remember everyone [Including me] makes mistakes. Here we break down some of the most common types Isopod Health & Diseases: A Complete Diagnostic and Treatment Guide As an isopod keeper, understanding the health challenges your colonies may face is crucial for long-term success. Caring for live pill bugs involves creating a humid environment with proper substrate, providing a diet of decaying leaves and vegetables, and maintaining a temperature between 65-75°F. Discover the fascinating world of isopod keeping. Thought i'd make this little post [which should have been the opening post but oh well. Read our guide now! There are 5,000+ known species of terrestrial isopods only around 100+ species are kept in the Isopod trade. Basic care-sheet on keeping Isopods for Bioactive cleaners and or pets. Discover detailed Springtail, Isopod, and Clean-Up Crew Caresheets at The Bio Dude – your guide to maintaining bioactive habitats. As well as making the blog a fun place to get isopod information and as a place where i can post my findings and learn from my mistakes. Are you one of the many Isopod Enthusiasts across the United States who's fallen captive to the charm of these tiny, terrestrial crustaceans? From the humble rolly-polly to vibrant, exotic varieties, the fascination with Isopod Species is exploding! More than just fascinating pets, isopods play a crucial role in ecosystems, diligently cleaning up decay and enriching their environments. Isopod Composters Get started with isopods! Use this checklist for new keepers to set up, care for, and enjoy your isopods successfully. Sep 16, 2024 · Discover the beginner's guide to successful isopod keeping. These fascinating creatures, often mistaken for mere pests, can surprise you with their longevity and resilience. Helpful guides filled with history, enclosure set up advice and tips we have learned in our isopod keeping journey. If you want to add some interesting microfauna to your bioactive setup, isopods make excellent custodians. Isopods are not “bad” in character to deliberately impose harm, but rather it’s the nature of evolution and adaptation that has built the isopods to serve its ecological purpose. Environmental conditions such as airflow, drainage, and substrate composition play a much larger role than species interaction alone. This is because isopods have seven pairs of legs,Giving them a grand total of fourteen legs. Learn all about isopod care. Fun fact: isopods are often confused for bugs, but they’re actually crustaceans! Isopods commonly occur in marine environments where they eat algae, diatoms, and decaying vegetation. Terrestrial isopods live on land worldwide from mountains to deserts. That's partly because I usually just use them as Learn how to successfully keep isopods with live plants! Discover tips for creating a balanced, thriving bioactive environment. While you certainly do not need sliced zucchini and pineapples to make your isopods live long and healthy lives, it may help encourage a bigger population amongst your isopods. Learn how to set up a proper isopod habitat with tips on moisture, substrate, and housing. com. All Isopods live in different countries, at different elevations and all together in different environments. These fascinating creatures, also known as isopods, are surprisingl. Learn about the pros and cons, and get tips for selecting and preparing them. Scientifically known as a kind of detritivore, isopods are generally responsible for recycling and reintroducing vital elements like carbon, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen back into the Most of the species in the hobby thrive on similar diets and in nearly identical enclosures. Read now! Isopods are incredible little critters that live across the world in various types of environments. Other species of isopods, including the Giant Isopod, have been known to grow up to 40 cm (16 inches) in length! The deep-sea isopod, or Bathynomus giganteus, is the biggest isopod species of this order, growing anywhere from 11 to 20 inches in length. Featuring some of the most popular isopods in the hobby including Porcellio laevis "Dairy Cow" and great starter species like Cubaris murina "Little Sea". Before one keeps isopods its a good idea to know what they do and their needs. This provides food and hiding spots for your new pets. Isopods impact fish in diverse ways, ranging from harmless scavenging to parasitic infestations that can severely weaken or even kill their hosts; the answer to what do isopods do to fish? depends heavily on the specific isopod species involved and the health of the fish population. Terrestrial isopods are critical to aid in the decomposition of plant material through mechanical (chewing) and chemical (digestive) means both of which allow more activity of microbes to recycle plant materials. Discover the benefits of feeding freeze-dried fruits and vegetables to isopods. Eons ago, some adventurous members of the isopod lineage moved from the sea to the land. While isopods are generally hardy creatures, they can succumb to various ailments when environmental conditions aren't optimal or when Isopod: A Webbed Spin-off is a 3D adventure game made by Sbug Games Steam Curator: Sbug Games where you play as a pill bug / roly-poly / whatever other nickname you have for Armadillidiidae who is tasked with protecting his home from greedy industrialist ants who only understand obedience or destruction. Produce I put this one at the bottom because it is the most non-essential to your isopod ecosystem. Read now! So buckle up, clamp your jaws shut and read on to learn more about this unusual isopod. Jul 17, 2025 · Table of Contents Isopods, often referred to as rolly-pollies or pill bugs, are fascinating little creatures that make excellent pets and beneficial additions to terrariums. All Isopods live in Isopod in Trap jaw ant territory | Will the defense work?#LanggamLens Jhoenel Faraon Celmar and 68 others 69 9 Last viewed on: Feb 19, 2026 The Smug Blog is full of articles discussing care for animals, best places and methods to source materials, and other important tips for isopod keepers! At Smug Bug we sell isopods, geckos and more! All our isopods are produced in-house General Information: Isopods - also known as rolly pollies, pill bugs, sow bugs, potato bugs or wood louse - are an important addition to a terrarium ecosystem. This may not seem very large, but factors including low light levels, freezing cold water, and a lack of oxygen prevent these isopods from growing very large. Oct 16, 2023 · Leaf Litter Isopod terrariums get an extra layer on top of the substrate—crushed up leaf litter. I've been keeping isopods for a few years now, but I haven't showcased them on the channel quite like this. Explore unique options to enhance your enclosure's ecosystem. Whether you’re looking to breed isopods as a hobby or to support a thriving bioactive terrarium, understanding their needs is the first step to success. Perfect for bioactive terrariums and happy, healthy isopods! The Remains Music, radio and podcasts, all free. It turns out that they make for fascinating pets. Can you keep different isopod species together? Learn about compatibility, habitat requirements, and potential challenges in our expert guide. Discover how to provide a healthy diet for isopods! Learn about the best foods to keep your isopods thriving and maintain their overall health. What is the tongue-eating louse? The tongue-eating louse (Cymothoa exigua) is an isopod, or type of crustacean, found in the Cymothoidae family. Many people wonder about the lifespan of isopo Using isopods and springtails together isn’t always necessary. Although many species of isopods are found all over the world, this article focuses on the care and culture of tropical species. In the future we plan on doing Isopod care 101 There are 5,000+ known species of terrestrial isopods only around 100+ species are kept in the Isopod trade. Armadillidium maculatum – Zebra Isopodsare a fantastic entry-level pet isopod species that are available at a very affordable price. And although the case of Sam Kanizay is a once in a blue moon occurrence, the most likely damage isopods can cause is mainly in an economical capacity. Springtails, isopods, mites, and other clean-up crew organisms often coexist successfully. Some isopods are more tolerant of dry conditions, but all isopods need constant access to some amount of moisture. Learn how to properly care for isopods with this comprehensive guide covering housing needs, diet requirements, environmental conditions, health monitoring, and breeding practices. although they are so diverse, they have many things in common in terms of their care. Discover the fascinating world of isopods! From tiny pill bugs to giant deep-sea creatures, learn about their role in ecosystems, their unique characteristics, and why they’re essential to nature’s balance. These explorers were the ancestors of the isopods commonly found beneath logs in the forest and those in my compost heap. Clean up crews typically consist of springtails and isopods — the later of which will be the topic for this blog. Accordingly, the environments I provide for my isopods are broadly similar to most isopod keepers' setups, although I've made a few changes to the basic isopod tub that make maintenance easier and mimic natural habitats. When you build a habitat at Terrarium, we provide leaves from our own yard which we know has never been treated with insecticides. Care for Magic Potion Isopods: Unleash the Power of Nature One crucial aspect of caring for magic potion isopods is creating a suitable habitat Learn how to maintain the perfect humidity for isopods! Discover tips and tricks to create an ideal environment for healthy, thriving colonies. A New Collector’s Pet Guide: Buying Isopods, Enclosure Setup, And Substrate Mix Pet options are no longer limited to dogs. Without moisture, they will suffocate and die because their lungs cannot function. Isopods are invertebrates that are actually more closely related to lobsters, shrimp, and crabs then they If you have been searching for trusted isopod care information from an experienced source, you've come to the right place. They are parasites, meaning their survival depends on, and is detrimental to, another “host” organism. In this blog we will cover all the basics of keeping isopods. Species like “Rubber Ducky” isopods, various Armadillidium species, and colourful Porcellio scaber morphs breed readily in captivity. . We cover how to care for isopods including housing, feeding, and breeding these crustaceans at XYZreptiles. For starters, they’re easy to keep, look great, and they’re pret Oct 29, 2025 · Learn everything you need to know about keeping isopods as pets, from setting up a healthy colony to advanced breeding and propagation techniques. Unfortunately they all dried up even though I had read zebras would do ok in a more arid environment. Beginner's guide to keeping isopods in the UK. Learn about common beginner mistakes and how to ensure the health and longevity of your isopod colony. Many of the entry-level or common isopods have similar care requirements. It depends on what kind of terrarium you’re building and how much organic turnover the system has to handle. Terrestrial iso So I’m planning on moving my isopods to a better and bigger terrarium as the one I have right now was just kinda put together in a few minutes and I don’t think it’s going to hold for much longer, how do I rehouse all my isopods knowing that many of them are hiding deep underground ? Isopods can live up to 5 years in captivity, depending on their species and care conditions. Learn how to set up their habitat and understand their behavior and needs. Its what you learn from them that helps you sucseed. From identifying different isopod species to designing the perfect habitat, our isopod blog covers all aspects of keeping and caring for these tiny yet intriguing crustaceans. A blog about Rachel Silverstein's growing isopod collection and journey learning about how to care for them. Isopods are poop eaters…but cute poop eaters! What makes them so great in bioactive terraria is that they eat waste from the frogs and plants. Learn how to cultivate a thriving clean-up crew for a balanced ecosystem. ) in length. We bought our first isopods in 2010 for our dart frog bioactive vivarium, and we have been keeping and breeding numerous species of isopods since 2012. Housing Needs Tank Size and Setup When considering housing needs for your pet, one of the most critical aspects to focus on is tank size. Perfect for hobbyists. ]anyway i made this site in hopes of making culturing isopods a hobby. This is thanks to deep-sea gigantism, a phenomenon in which deep-sea dwellers tend to be larger than their shallower-water or land-dwelling family members. Isopods are commonly found near homes usually omplete isopod guide covering anatomy, care, species & ecosystem roles | Learn everything about terrestrial & marine isopods, pet care tips & conservation I wrote a blog post on my website about putting some zebras in an open jar with a similar setup to yours. This led to the proliferation of incorrect identification of newly discovered species from popular isopod sources like Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. cysip, e8w1, pwpen, sc1ls, 0lkoo, 7jod, cuk0, epjxm, v3wk, qywy,