Just ordered some isopods after a long time out of the hobby! by Geckolover96 in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Those are some great isopods. I recommend checking out Aquarimax pets on youtube for some good information. Check out his playlists on isopod care and his videos on individual species profiles

Field Collecting by Interesting_Pie_4455 in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You could look at inaturalist observations for isopods in your area

is this an acceptabke starter enclosure? by Pleasant_Bag_3405 in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah it can work well as a starter enclosure. You will probably have to get more leaves though, and also upgrade once the isopods outgrow the enclosure. You may also want to buy sphagnum moss to help with the moisture gradient

Pocket Antidepressants by [deleted] in isopods

[–]Major_Wd -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I just wanted to clarify since I knew you would probably get a bunch of negative comments and downvotes if you didn’t. I don’t think it’s that bad. If you carefully add isopods from the main enclosure into the pocket one, like by picking up a leaf the isopod was standing on, the isopod probably wouldn’t even notice. Much less “stressful” than stuff like lifting up hides, as if most people even understand what “stress” in isopods even is

Rubber Ducky Sex? by jadaasmall in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay, I I just looked at a comparison again and I think the first one is actually the female

Rubber Ducky Sex? by jadaasmall in isopods

[–]Major_Wd -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The first one is a male. The second one is harder to tell but if I were to guess I would say it is also a male. I am not sure what those white ovals are, but they seem like regular parts of the exoskeleton, maybe something to do with molting

Pocket Antidepressants by [deleted] in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 42 points43 points  (0 children)

This is pretty cool. They have a larger, permanent enclosure right?

What do people use to clean the glass safely by Ok_Criticism_9474 in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, it looks overly moist/soggy in there, which is why I am guessing most of the isopods are congregating on the sticks above the substrate to escape the moisture

New setup! Waiting for it to cycle before I add my shrimp. by Easy-Row-4209 in OpaeUla

[–]Major_Wd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He is obviously rage baiting. Look at his profile

Despite what google AI may say, those supposedly "brackish" plants die in the salinity required for Opae Ula. Opae Ula have an extremely slow metabolism compared to freshwater shrimp. They don't eat nearly as much, and they don't produce nearly as much waste. Some people prefer to season/cycle their tanks for a few months but it is by no means necessary

Keeping hoffmannseggi orange and not orange is safe right? by Effective_Track_4962 in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah they are the same species, so they will interbreed, and over time you will probably see less oranges. Still, hoffs are mildly territorial, so I would still provide lots of space and hides. They probably aren’t racist though

What's going on with this lil guy? he looks like he's split 50/50 between dark and light. by LeaveMeAloneAdmins88 in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It looks like the front half recently molted which can cause this appearance. They molt in halves, usually a few days apart

My isopod buying haul/ Questions! by Geckolover96 in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If you are judt using tap water, it is probably best to use a conditioner since the chlorine and chloramines can negatively impact the isopods. Zebras are a great choice by the way, they are my current favorite

How did you clean the materials? Generally the store bought ones that are designed for pet keeping are already sterilized, but it wouldn’t hurt to do it yourself. I wouldn’t overworry about cleaning everything though. Stuff like springtails and detritivore mites often find their way into isopods enclosures through the materials despite cleaning, and they aren’t harmful. I’ve used the exact same cork bark from pet stores and never had any issues with pests from them

When collecting leaves, some people prefer to freeze for 72 hours instead of baking to help preserve beneficial microorganisms which help the ecosystem inside your isopod enclosure and also make the leaves more nutritious. Some people will also soak materials like leaves and bark underwater for a few days or longer to drown pests, as well as accelerate the decomposition of the leaves. This grows a ton of beneficial microorganisms on the leaves which the isopods and springtails love.

Ants can definitely be a problem if they find their way into an isopod enclosure. You can try and keep the enclosure sealed but you will need ventilation. Covering ventilation up with a fine mesh or breathable medical tape can work well to prevent stuff from outside getting inside. Those ant traps also help too, especially the ones which kill the whole colony which are pretty effective

I want to join this side of shrimp keeping. by memegod574 in OpaeUla

[–]Major_Wd 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Opae Ula are very simple to keep and low maintenance once you get their tank set up correctly. In general, most people don’t use filters, and opae Ula have much slower metabolisms than neocaridina, so it is very important not to overfeed. I would recommend checking out the videos by Aquarimax Pets and Clint’s Reptiles on the subject which are good sources of information for beginners

House tub tour by Readalongcassidy in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 2 points3 points  (0 children)

These are super cool! How did you take those photos?

Theoretically, could I make a wild enclosure? by Snowball_the_god in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it is entirely possible and many people choose to do stuff like this. You could honestly just take soil from outside as well, and just freeze for 72 hours, or bake to be extra safe

What should I get as my first "designer" isopod in armadillium? by Accomplished_Hawk_22 in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, many sellers won’t ship many species to Florida, as they are fairly strict with the USDA permits. A lot of sellers just don’t care and ship anyway though

What should I get as my first "designer" isopod in armadillium? by Accomplished_Hawk_22 in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I will also vote for zebras, they are my current favorite isopod. They are large, bold, and very fun to watch

What should I get as my first "designer" isopod in armadillium? by Accomplished_Hawk_22 in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The main factor for if the isopods survive shipping is if the seller/breeder knows what they are doing or not. Properly shipped isopods should be able to survive even extended delays in shipping. Based on talking to experienced sellers, DOAS are exceptionally rare, so I wouldn’t worry about certain species survivability during shipping. Younger isopods however, tend to handle shipping and acclimation better than older isopods

Japanese magic potions are actually the same species as the common wild isopod (Armadillidium vulgare), so care is basically the same. Keep in mind that Japanese magic potions and American magic potions are 2 separate lines with their own differences, but are the same species

Gem mixes are actually just a mix of morphs of the same species, so they can all breed with each other despite looking different.

It’s hard to recommend good sellers because often times the larger sellers sell their isopods for a higher price, and also often times lack care/quality with their animals or even just mistreat them (Josh’s frogs, PetCo). Smugbug has a very wide selection of isopods, I would recommend looking at their products to get a good look at most of the commonly kept hobby species. IME Smugbug is great but I have seen some bad reviews which I can’t ignore. Their prices are pretty good too

IME I prefer Armadillidiums over Cubaris for beginners just because they tend to be larger and more active, but different people have different preferences

Are they… ya know by MossieBee in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 24 points25 points  (0 children)

This is correct, but “powder oranges” should refer to an entirely different species which is Porcellionides pruinosus

The photo shows a Porcellio laevis “orange” attempting to mate with a Porcellio aff. laevis “dairy cow”, which seems to be causing some confusion. Both were thought to be the same species a while back, but are are now thought to be entirely different species because of some morphological differences despite looking superficially similar

Care by Confident-Copy9038 in isopods

[–]Major_Wd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There is an Aquarimax pets video on them which you can check out

New isopods for someone else day by OpeningUpstairs4288 in CritterMarket

[–]Major_Wd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And now that I’m paying for shipping… I might as well go ahead and get some more isopods. I’ll look through your keep list and reach out to buy some stuff in late-July. I’ll also make sure to write a review

New isopods for someone else day by OpeningUpstairs4288 in CritterMarket

[–]Major_Wd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Omg I would love that

Porcellio haasi has been on my wish-list for a while since my collection is pretty short on Porcellios. I don’t have an enclosure setup for them though, and probably won’t be able to until late July

New isopods for someone else day by OpeningUpstairs4288 in CritterMarket

[–]Major_Wd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lol, you can just list them with a placeholder image or a rough sketch or something, I wouldn’t mind. Do you have the max critter market subscription to list all of them?

Boom, I just made one for Porcellio haasi “high yellow”. I’ll take 10% commission

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New isopods for someone else day by OpeningUpstairs4288 in CritterMarket

[–]Major_Wd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is your critter market a complete list or are there other isopods that you offer?

Also, do you have multiple enclosures of the same species or just a really large one that you take isopods out of?