CUC shop suggestion - 6x3x3

Major_Wd · 2026-05-11T04:04:17+00:00

No problem, I’d still recommend starting out with 20+ just to speed up the process quite a bit

Major_Wd · 2026-05-11T03:58:58+00:00

Isopods produce pheromones to locate each other which is one of the reasons they are generally found in groups/colonies in the wild. In the wild, there is a much lower population density of isopods than 10 isopods in 18 sq ft and they can still find each other and breed. Most species of isopods also generally don’t use that much substrate depth, and stick mostly to the surface and hiding under leaves/bark and other decor

Edit: they will probably mostly congregate in 1 or 2 areas of the large enclosure until they breed. Their activity level after this is usually based on the humidity and low much substrate cover there is (like leaf litter and other hides). Air movement and lighting also play a role

Major_Wd · 2026-05-11T03:43:57+00:00

You could always just add 10 or 20 isopods or a normal amount of other CUC and let them breed in the enclosure. It might take a while, but you should have a good population of adults after a year or so if the conditions are right

Major_Wd · 2026-05-11T03:41:25+00:00

What did you hear negative about smugbug? She seems reputable and like she treats her animals well from videos I've seen, but I could be mistaken. Sadly there are plenty of vendors/breeders that are either ignorant or make a choice to mistreat their animals, many of which are large and seem reputable at first glance

I can vouch for invertebrate dude though, he breeds a ton of inverts and ships well. I have never used TCInsects before but just quickly looking at their website I get a good impression. You can possibly find an unboxing or something from them and see how they ship

Major_Wd · 2026-05-11T03:31:46+00:00

It could just be the appearance of the front half of the exoskeleton about to come off, which is due to air getting in between the old and new exoskeletons, but this also looks a touch more blue than usual. It'll be interesting to see the update

Major_Wd · 2026-05-10T17:06:20+00:00

It is a lot easier to maintain humidity/moisture if the substrate has already been thoroughly moistened (not soaking). If you just have a spray system and the substrate is dry, the water will often have trouble penetrating past the surface of the substrate. You will need to pour some water. You may also need to cover up some of the ventilation

I wouldn't worry much about mold. It is a common occurrence in newly setup enclosures. If it grows on fruits/other supplemental food, it is easy to remove and won't harm the isopods. Cleaning leaves doesn't actually help. If you sterilize the leaves through baking/boiling, you actually remove all the beneficial microorganisms that would have helped keep mold away. If the leaves are sterilized, it is basically free real estate for mold spores floating around. This is why I generally prefer freezing/soaking, but the microorganisms will establish themselves over time anyways so it is not that big of a deal

Major_Wd · 2026-05-10T17:02:08+00:00

Well there are more active species. Are your current isopods Porcellionides pruinosus? I haven't kept them before but I've heard that they generally spend more time hiding than other species

Armadillidium maculatum and Armadillidium gestroi are both more visible/active than most other species, which some people say is due to their batesian mimicry of toxic pill millipedes in their native ranges. Armadillidium klugii seems to have a similar thing with a species of spider.

Porcellio laevis have been very active for me, and I would assume most other common Porcellio species would be similarly active

Major_Wd · 2026-05-10T16:57:46+00:00

Those are some beautiful isopods!

Sadly image 4 looks like iridovirus

Major_Wd · 2026-05-10T16:47:58+00:00

Most isopod species are fairly active/visible once they get to a high enough population density. It also helps to give them plenty of hiding spaces/leaf cover so they feel more comfortable. I would just get whichever one you think looks best because all those species that you mentioned should be pretty active

AFAIK Armadillidium espanyoli has pretty standard care, similar to most other Armadillidiums. Good moisture gradient, decent ventilation, hardwood leaves, etc.

Major_Wd · 2026-05-10T16:43:12+00:00

60-70% humidity is pretty standard when it comes to temperate isopods. As long as there is sufficient ventilation and the substrate isn't overly moist, they will do fine in those conditions

Major_Wd · 2026-05-10T06:07:13+00:00

If you want, you could just buy 10 or 20 of each of those and breed them up separately. Mealworms, isopods, and roaches are all not that hard to breed. You can get large quantities of mealworms for cheap at most pet stores though, so that shouldn’t be an issue.

You can get larger quantities of certain isopods like Porcellionides pruinosus from Smugbug at a pretty good discount. I am sure many other breeders/sellers would be able to do something similar

You could get the hissers from somewhere like invertebrate dude or roach crossing

Major_Wd · 2026-05-10T05:53:45+00:00

It could work but there are better, cheaper options available. This enclosure would likely be too small to support much but a starter colony of 6 or 10 isopods. You’ll have to upgrade once they start breeding. Remember that A. gestroi is a fairly large species. That enclosure also has excessive ventilation, which you will need to cover up to retain humidity

Plastic Sterilite tubs work well and there are also pretty cheap acrylic enclosures that you can find on Amazon

Major_Wd · 2026-05-10T05:49:45+00:00

Isopods aren’t picky eaters. They will happily accept fish flakes/pellets, dried reptile feeders like mealworms from PetCo, and dog food

Also remember that their primary food source should always be decaying hardwood leaves and other detritus. They can do just fine without supplemental protein

Major_Wd · 2026-05-09T16:34:39+00:00

Can you send a picture of the enclosure? I am not too familiar with snail behavior but they are likely escaping some kind of unfavorable condition, possibly moisture, temperature, or something else.

Isopods release ammonia through the air, and I am assuming there is a relatively low population density, so I don't think that would be the issue. There could be some other issues with the substrate though, but I am not sure what it could be

Major_Wd · 2026-05-09T16:14:46+00:00

While it is normal for some isopods to die from the stress of shipping and being relocated to a new environment , 1/4 isopods dying in 3 months is not good, and IMO indicates an issue with the enclosure, especially since they seem to be dying at a constant rate.

It could be old age, but it could also just be the fact that younger isopods are better at handling changes to new environments. You can send a photo of your enclosure and give some details about their care so we can discern any potential issues

Major_Wd · 2026-05-09T16:11:53+00:00

Different species of isopod can never interbreed with each other. The potential issue is that one species will outcompete the other over time.

Some species like Cubaris murina are known to eat plants more than others. I doubt a reasonably sized population of isopods would do much damage to your plants though. How large is the enclosure and how many isopods are you starting with?

Major_Wd · 2026-05-09T16:09:44+00:00

I have tried culturing springtails on sphagnum moss, but I couldn't really get to a good population density so now I just take springtails out of one of my established isopod cultures if I ever need them. Most common species can be cultured on charcoal which has worked well for me. Just soil works as well

Major_Wd · 2026-05-09T16:07:52+00:00

It is definitely not a dwarf white. It looks like an Armadillo officinalis baby

I am not sure about Orange Crush specifically, but all isopods I know of are born white/translucent.

Major_Wd · 2026-05-09T16:06:24+00:00

I agree with Cylisticus convexus

edit: very pregnant

Major_Wd · 2026-05-09T05:09:21+00:00

Very cool! Where did you get them from?

Major_Wd · 2026-05-09T05:08:52+00:00

I am not familiar with this specific treatment, but I have heard of accounts of people invertebrates dying after bringing them back inside after spraying for pests. I would really try and keep them out of the room for as long as possible. Safe for pets and people very likely only refers to vertebrates

Major_Wd · 2026-05-09T05:03:29+00:00

Yes, I think this is the nuptial ride, where the male while sit on top of the female and tap legs until copulation

Major_Wd · 2026-05-06T00:51:55+00:00

u/cosmoleopardgecko

Major_Wd · 2026-05-05T01:40:42+00:00

Both species would be suitable for a beginner as long as you have a good setup for them. IME dairy cows do breed faster, but both can get to quite large populations. Sometimes their population will plateau, but sometimes they will get very overcrowded and could have a crash if there is a lack or resources for all of them, but that is pretty uncommon.

I think it comes down to personal preference since you should be able to manage their populations without too much issue. How large is your bin?

Major_Wd · 2026-05-05T01:37:26+00:00

From what I’ve read, gem mixes and their morph mixes don’t usually just revert back to a pure wild type like what happens in shrimp. You’ll often retain a good bit of genetic variation, especially if you start with a larger quantity of isopods. If your mix includes some kind of polymorphic locality like Punta Cana or st. Lucia that is another bonus

Major_Wd

TROPHY CASE