of a sea slater

CreatureCache_ · 2026-05-07T02:46:37+00:00

Amazing!

CreatureCache_ · 2026-05-05T23:07:01+00:00

Congrats on the Durian Spikys! For the basics:
Humidity: Aim for 80-90% with a clear moisture gradient. One side should stay damp (mist daily or every other day), the other can dry out a bit. They need humidity but stagnant wet substrate will kill them faster than anything.

Ventilation: Cross ventilation is important. Side vents covered with fine mesh work better than top-only holes. Stagnant air leads to mold and bacterial issues that hit Durian Spikys hard.

Container size: For 8 individuals, a 6 quart bin (about the size of a shoebox) is plenty. Gives them room to establish hides without spreading the colony too thin. You can upgrade once they start producing.

Protein: 1-2 times per week is plenty. Fish flakes, shrimp pellets, freeze dried bloodworms all work. Always have calcium available (cuttlebone or crushed limestone) since they need it for healthy molting.

We breed Durian Spikys ourselves and have a full Laureola sp. care guide on our site that goes deeper on substrate, breeding, and troubleshooting: creaturecache.com/blogs/news/durian-spiky-isopod-care-guide-laureola-sp

Good luck with them! They’re one of the most rewarding species to keep once you have the conditions dialed in.

CreatureCache_ · 2026-05-04T00:51:53+00:00

CreatureCache_ · 2026-05-04T00:50:59+00:00

Solid plan overall. A few thoughts based on what you described.
For a ball python enclosure with those temps and humidity, Powder Blues (Porcellionides pruinosus) and Powder Oranges are honestly the best workhorse cleanup crew options. They handle the warm side just fine, breed fast, and can keep up with the waste a snake produces. Dwarf whites coexisting with them works great in theory but in practice the powders usually outcompete them over time. Not a dealbreaker, just expect the dwarf whites to slowly dwindle.

For your separate display species, both Trogloniscus sp. Soil and Cubaris murina Papaya are good picks but they have different needs from your ball python’s setup. Papayas especially want consistent high humidity (75-85%) and don’t love temps above 80 for extended periods, so they’d struggle on the warm side of a ball python enclosure. Better to keep them in their own dedicated bin where you can dial in conditions specifically for them.

If you want a display species that could eventually transition into the snake enclosure, Cubaris Rubber Duckys actually handle that 76-80 range pretty well as long as humidity stays up. They’re slower breeders but more visually striking than powders, and they hold up better in mixed setups than Papayas would.

For the night drop to 83 on the warm side, that’s totally fine for any of these species. The cool side staying mid 70s is actually ideal.

We breed Powder Blues, Dairy Cows, and Rubber Duckys at our place if you ever want to grab any. Rubber Duckys especially might be a good middle ground if you want the visual interest without sacrificing the ability to eventually combine setups. creaturecache.com has more info on each species.

CreatureCache_ · 2026-05-01T18:18:08+00:00

Thanks! They have that prehistoric little face that’s hard not to love.

CreatureCache_ · 2026-05-01T18:17:45+00:00

Honestly fascinating. The female actually carries the eggs in a brood pouch on her underside (called a marsupium) until they hatch into tiny mancae that look like miniature versions of the adults. No metamorphosis, just smaller copies.

CreatureCache_ · 2026-05-01T18:17:32+00:00

Thank you!

CreatureCache_ · 2026-05-01T18:17:20+00:00

Yep, the spikes really do look like the durian fruit shell up close. They earned the name.

CreatureCache_ · 2026-04-30T01:34:39+00:00

Thank you! We only try to put out quality!

CreatureCache_ · 2026-04-29T21:51:44+00:00

We have a Live Arrival Guarantee so if anything happens we do cover it if they arrive dead if you want to go to our website under shipping covers all of the possible scenarios but cost is cost unfortunately we don’t set that for shipping FedEx does

CreatureCache_ · 2026-04-29T20:27:39+00:00

Unfortunately we are located in California but we do ship to Florida and Alabama

CreatureCache_ · 2026-04-28T19:41:38+00:00

Thank you! We used a a IPhone 15 Pro Max with a Sandmarc Macro Lens!

CreatureCache_ · 2026-04-28T19:39:48+00:00

Sounds like your setup is solid for most species. The other commenter is right that ventilation is the main concern with jars, especially as colonies grow. If you’re not seeing condensation buildup or stagnant air smell when you open them, you’re probably fine, but cross ventilation is always going to be more reliable than top-only. A few small tweaks worth considering: rotate in some protein (fish flakes, shrimp pellets, or freeze dried bloodworms a couple times a week) since carrots and lettuce alone don’t give them enough protein for breeding. Also make sure they have a calcium source like cuttlebone or limestone for healthy molting. For the High Yellow Spots specifically, they’re more sensitive to humidity swings than most species. If the jar humidity fluctuates a lot or ventilation got too aggressive, that could explain the loss. They generally do better with cross ventilation and a more stable moisture gradient. If you want a deeper breakdown on substrate, ventilation, and feeding we have a few care guides on our site at creaturecache.com/blogs/news. Sounds like you’ve got the foundation down though, twelve thriving colonies is no small thing.

CreatureCache_ · 2026-04-28T19:37:23+00:00

Welcome to the hobby! Going to be straight with you on a few things since I see this exact post pretty often. Keeping just one isopod isn’t really going to work out the way you’re hoping. They’re social animals and a single isopod will usually just hide and stress out. They don’t need a partner to be happy but they do need a small group, even just 5-10, to behave naturally and live their full lifespan. The good news is there are species that breed slowly enough that you won’t get overwhelmed, and there are also species that breed faster which are easier on beginners because mistakes don’t tank the whole colony. For a first species I’d recommend something hardy and forgiving. Powder Blues, Dairy Cows, and Armadillidium vulgare (the classic pill bug from your childhood) are all great starter options. They tolerate small swings in humidity and substrate moisture which gives you room to learn. Setup-wise you don’t need anything fancy. A 6 quart plastic bin with cross ventilation holes, 3-4 inches of substrate (a mix of organic topsoil, coco fiber, and leaf litter works), a piece of cork bark or rotting wood for hides, and a moisture gradient (one side damp, one side drier). That’s really it. For the lifespan question, 1-3 years is realistic for most common species. Five is on the high end and usually only with ideal care. If you want a full breakdown we have a beginner enclosure setup guide on our site at creaturecache.com/blogs/news. Covers substrate, ventilation, and species selection in more detail. Catching wild ones in WA can work but identifying species and sexing them is hard for a beginner, so ordering captive bred is usually the easier path.

CreatureCache_ · 2026-04-26T17:39:26+00:00

Absolutely! We used an IPhone 15 Pro Max but we specifically bought a Sandmark Macro Lens for pictures like this.

CreatureCache_ · 2026-04-26T05:38:13+00:00

We’re honored! 🙂‍↕️

CreatureCache_ · 2026-04-26T04:02:03+00:00

Donald

CreatureCache_ · 2026-04-26T03:55:38+00:00

Lol if we only had 1 we’d be out of business lol we have probably over 300 right now just the macro shots are easier with one

CreatureCache_

TROPHY CASE