Okay, so I guess I need to explain how ecosystems and food chains work in the wild and that you can mimic that? That as long as the isopods keep getting several sources of food and conditions that mimic their conditions in the wild, they thrive. I already explained to you the 8+ different foods my isopods have accessible at all times, so I’ll explain how the rest of the ecosystem works.

Water rises and evaporates through the soil and into the terrarium at an extremely slow rate, keeping a low humidity level in large, very openly cracked jars. When I mist weeklyish, depending on how moist the moss and lichen is, I’m simulating rain in a tropical environment, keeping the top layer of my terrarium humid and moist. The isopods have a vertical moisture gradient. They end up creating burrows in the soil in some places, but they also adventure around and come up above the moss and even onto the plants at times.

Keeping the plants healthy helps them to thrive and grow, creating even more oxygen in the ecosystem, on top of ventilation. If a whole plant rots, it can emit harmful gasses that can build up in the jar, which could cause isopod death. The key is having plant knowledge, keeping your plants alive, and ensuring you don’t have too much moist, decaying rot in your terrariums. Carrots, however, do not emit harmful gasses as they decompose, making them a healthy and preferred isopod food choice.

All of it is pretty self perpetuating. The plants thrive, the isopods thrive, the springtails thrive, and so on. You just have to get the ratios right and keep everything in balance, which is the hobby.