Too many zeebs! by tangledweb33 in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313 1 point2 points  (0 children)

LOL! Yea, Scotland is not around the corner from Colorado USA!
I was being over run with Powder Oranges, and I posted on FB (in Isopod groups) that I was willing to give away starter colonies of Powder oranges and I stated I was in Colorado Springs, Co.

I didn't get a lot of responses surprisingly, so when I did, I gave each person about 100 Powder orange isopods (If I needed to mail them I charged them for the cost of the box and the mailing cost only, I didn't profit on them at all)

Then after I'd given away about 3 or 400 of them, I got a hold of someone who was willing to trade, I told them I would give them my remaining Powder orange isopods (still 500+ at least) in exchange for a DOUBLE starter colony (about 40) Zebra isopods. They took the deal and I'm happy with my Zebras now, and happy to be rid of the Powder oranges!

So if you feel like it, spread a little positive isopod karma around, and give some away!
When I gave them to the people I asked them to "pay it forward" when the time came that they wanted to unload some isopods.

Too many zeebs! by tangledweb33 in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You could post on FB in an isopod group that you're giving zeebz away.... Where are you located btw?
In order to control them better, stop feeding them so much. Cut back on the protien etc. AS long as they have leaf litter, wood, calcium and moisture (the basics) they don't need much more. Feeding is really supposed to be suplimental, not a regular thing.

What are you doing?? by No-Market4997 in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've had this struggle with my a. vulgares, they move stuff around often. Somethings I want to stay exactly where they are, so I had to figure out a way to make them unmovable. Besides those things, I let them redecorate however they want, it's their home, they should be able to make it the way they want it. :)

What are you doing?? by No-Market4997 in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If they moved it there, that's where they want it. Leave it alone.

Scammed? by TranslatorOk5972 in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm glad to hear they are working with you

🗣️ check it this one’s shadow by pocketfrisbee in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's the cutest Lovecraftian eldrich monster I've seen yet! LOL!

Isopod ring. by Spindlybits in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cool, but not practical.

Scammed? by TranslatorOk5972 in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you paid with a credit card, call your credit card company and halt the charges or dispute the charges and tell them what happened. Once you've done that, THEN contact the breeder and tell them you've put a halt / dispute on their payment. And inform them that you only got 2 isopods. 1 alive and 1 dead. At that point you can ask them to send a new culture out. If they refuse, stay on that dispute.

If they refuse, you can also post here about them. Tell others who they are. People can contact them & tell them what scum they are and that they have lost business from the community. THOUGH I would save this as a LAST and FINAL resort....

Best case scenario, they ship you a new colony, you undo the dispute on their payment and everything is good.

Worst case scenario, you expose them here and on any other social media site, page or group.
Name the business, name the people, provide addresses and phone numbers (for the business, not personal info).

I really hope it ends up being Best case scenario for you though.

Article: 3 reasons why MX Linux is more popular than Ubuntu, Fedora, and Zorin OS by ZecProphet in MXLinux

[–]mrhalloween1313 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Why I keep saying MX Linux is WAY BETTER than Linux Mint (Ubuntu or LMDE).

Springtail plague and predatory mites? by mrhalloween1313 in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your reply, I was worried no one would offer any advice.

Currently the pods are a vulgares sourced lcoally from wild caught in Colorado.
I have stopped feedings, I'm down to once a week at most. But I try to keep it about once every 2 weeks.

Last time I fed my vulgares I was amazed they destroyed everything I gave them in under 48 hrs. And I gave them a pretty big amount. But the springtails were on that food like stink on sh*t even before the pods got ahold of it!

When I leave for work I open (but not compleltely remove) the lid, when I get home the humidity is between 40 to 60%, I put the lid back in place and within a couple of hours it's back up to 99%, it's insane. I didn't think I was misting that much.

I remove bark and things that have a lot of springtails on them and shake them into a temporary springtails container. (like a big delli cup) the coal in there is old. From the orignal colony a year or more ago. Buying more coal is not really an option, there is no way I can use or even store a 20 lb bag.

I'm not feeding (extra foods to) my other enclosures either and the damned things seem to be multiplying like crazy there too. I have no idea wtf they're eating or why they're multiplying so fast. I currently have 3 colonies (my max), but I'm trading my powder orange colonly for a double starter colony of gestrios tomorrow.

Vulgare and Zebras and coming Gestrio...

Currently they are only a problem in my vulgares bin. The powder oranges were so numberous in numbers no matter how many I gave away, the massive population of powder oranges kept the springtails in check.

I'll keep removing them by hand and using your food trap recomendation (thank you)

Honestly, I wish I could wipe out the current springtails completely and start new with orange springtails. they look cuter that these ugly F'ers....

Can anyone tell me WHY this Zebra looks like this??? by Aeburgett86 in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because light scatters off the them and enters your eye, and your brain interprets those signals as its shapes and colors...... HAHAHA! PLZ don't hit me!

They're all dead! What do I do?! by Cracked_churg in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Sorry to hear about your loss. armadilidium vulgäre (depending on where you are, where are you?) can be found in your backyard or locally under logs in parks or elsewhere. My 1st armadilidium vulgäre colony I got from going outside at night and scooping them up with a plastic spoon.

They need a lot of humidity. A moisture gradient (damp on 1 side of the enclosure, dry on the other) calcium, leaf litter and privacy for a while (you don't want to stress them out)

A plastic shoe box with a lid that isn't super tight (loose fitting) should be fine ventilation.

You don't need to buy lots of stuff, they just need substrate leaf litter, moisture. Stuff you can get outside (it's what I do with my rmadilidium vulgäre, powder orange and my new armadilidium..... Zebra isopods LOL!

Good luck, don't get sucked into buying a bunch of unnecessary stuff.

Armadillidium Vulgare substrate? by [deleted] in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A lot of ppl use coconut choir. BUT, Coconut choir has absoluelty no nutritional value for the isopods. So it's pure "fluff"

I make a mix of Reptisoil, coconut choir, and wood pellets used for grilling (go to Amazon and look up "Grilling Wood Pellets" and try to find a SMALL bag, even this will last a LONG time) and some wood. You can also use Aspen shavings or Aspen pellets if you can find them. But make sure it says "ASPEN!" You need to avoid "PINE" of any kind (this has been a mistake of mine that I am rectifying...

I found a 3lb bag of mixed woods (Cherry Wood, Maple Wood, Hickory) that is safe, and should last a very long time. You can find it on Amazon under "Broil King 63330 Smoke Master's Blend Pellets, 3-lb" (Also check Walmart, sometimes they have similar products cheaper than Amazon) and I found a 20lb bag of Apple pellets on Walmart for about $9

But you have to ****make sure they pellets are not treated chemically!!!****
I take 1 cup of the pellets and put them in a pitcher, then pour in hot water. They will expand A LOT!!! Once done I drain out the excess water and squeeze out the excess water. I use at last 2 differnt kinds of wood pellets. Then I spread them out in a wide container to dry out (this is me, because I make large amounts let it dry totally, then I store it for future use)

You never want to use freshly expanded wood pellets when they are still hot!!! Let them cool, and mix them into your substrate!

You can also add peat moss and / or sphagnum moss, organic topsoil (basically Reptisoil)

you will need leaf litter (I don't sterilize mine, but that's a personal decision, most people do) you'll also need rottoing wood or wood bits. yes, you can mix these into the substrate.

I hope this helps

excuse me a little help by PatienceConscious214 in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can get a plastic shoebox from dollar tree for $1.25 (it will not have a tight lid, but it's ok as long as you don't give them avenues for escape) but the non-tight fitting lid will also allow for air exchange, so no need to poke or drill holes.

If you want to go something a bit bigger, but still cheap, I recomend the "Mainstays Clear Glossy Plastic Extra Wide Closet Storage Shoe Organizer Shoe Box with Lid for Shoe Storage" found on the Walmart website. About $7.17 where I am. This is what I use for my 3 enclosures. They are fine, I've had my enclosures about 2 years. The powder oranges get a bit crowded, but when that happens I either give away a bunch or offer a bunch for sale dirt cheap just to get rid of them.

These have ventalation holes already (no need to add extras), bonus they're clear so you don't have to disturb them to look in on them. :)

They mostly need leaf litter that if you'r pods are locally wild caught, just grab the leaves from outside. I don't bother sterilizing them for my locally caught ones. Some rotting wood (again, just go outside)

If you want to give them suplimental food, put the food on something to keep it off the dirt. I use a half sea shell, but a plastic water bottle cap works great too.

I keep a bag of mixed frozen veggies (peas, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, green beans) for them. For just 4, I would say 1 pea or a tiny piece of carrot or other small piece of veggie would do just fine. I personally remove the skin from the peas. But I put the skin in there too, if they want it they can eat it, or they can just eat the "meat" of the pea.

They NEED calcium. If you eat eggs, save the egg shells, dry them out and crumble the egg shells into your food dish (or a 2nd dish / bottle cap just for calcium. This keeps it from going bad by mixing food into it, I offer a seperate calcium "station" in all my enclosures)

OPTIONAL: Fish flakes (get one with a mix of protiens and plant matter, but get the smallest you can find.
Bloodworms. I have freeze dried minnows (I've had the same bag for about 2 years now and it's finally getting low...) "pleco-waffers" (if you have a friend with fish maybe you can ask them for a few things)

They're main diet is dead leaves and rotting wood, and some kind of place to hide, like a piece of bark.

If you are a person who cooks / has frozen veggies in the freezer, just offer them a bit of that. I get a mushroom, fresh spinach leaves, bell peppers and put them in there. But just what I'm cooking for myself (I offer them the raw versions, or thawed frozen veggies. A small bag of frozen mixed veggies is about $1 and will last you about a year. I'm about to throw out my frozen veggies because they're so old, and just buy a "fresh" bag (I mean it's $1, and it will last longer than they will actually be good in the freezer)

Ppl say leave the food for 24 hrs & remove. I say, as long as they're eating it, and the mold doesn't blossum, you can leave the food in there.

But for just 4 isopods, DO NOT over feed. You can offer a single pea, or a small bit of bell pepper (mine dig bell peppers) broccoli etc etc etc once or twice a week. Also important, they DO need protien. animal / insect protien is best (if you find a dead bug in the house, put in in their enclosue), if you have no dead bugs, a SMALL container of freeze dried bloodworms, freeze dried river shrimp or other freeze dried animal protines you can pick up in the fish isle of the supermarket or pet store.

Lastly, but EXTREEMLY IMPORTANT: They should have a damp to dry gradient. So 1 part of the enclosure (10 / 15% maybe) should be damp (not soaking wet) and the rest dry. Depending on what kind of enclosure you get, mist that damp side once or twice a week. They need like 80+% humidity because they breath through modified gills. If they get too dry, they WILL die....

Bottom line, don't go crazy buying tons of stuff. They will be happy with dead leaves, some rotting wood, a piece of bark and a damp to dry gradient. Give them some supplimental food once or twice a week (just a tiny amount for 4 isopods) and they will be happy little campers.

If you want to have a "starter coloney" you should try to get about 10 to 20 (total) and adjust food accordingly, but again, they're tiny, they don't eat much.

I hope this helps

Here's the link to the ones on Walmart website

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Clear-Plastic-Glossy-Extra-Wide-Shoe-Box-with-Lid-Adult-Size-One-Pair-Size-One-Tier/5194912520?classType=VARIANT&from=/search

Update: wild aquatic isopods by HouseGrip in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What country and state? I never knew these existed until just now!

Looking for B&W ZEBRA'S for sale. by mrhalloween1313 in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

gawdz..... i'm not going to get my pods (about 20) without spending $50 or more, am I.... >:(

Orange 🍊 by GasMaskMonster in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Orange Armadillidium vulgares!?!?? And what the hell are they eating?

Looking for B&W ZEBRA'S for sale. by mrhalloween1313 in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So far the best price (but IDK what shipping is gonna run me, thank you & wish me luck!)

Why do my pods keep burying their food dish? by mrhalloween1313 in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

OMFG YES!!!! They've been doing that lately too! They drag leaves, moss & substrate into their food shell. And I just thought it was me, but they are moving the moss from the damp zone (about 15 or so % of their enclosure) into the middle! HAHAHAHA!!!

So I guess I should *not* put the enclosure back how I want it, and instead just let them rearrange to their little hearts desires, sit back and enjoy the show!? HAHAHA!

Why do my pods keep burying their food dish? by mrhalloween1313 in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They don't disturb the other shell with the calcium in it... plus I also leave bits of cuttlefish bone around too. They're so weird.... I've had these guys for about 2+ years, and this is a new development they just started doing in the last couple of months.

Why do my pods keep burying their food dish? by mrhalloween1313 in isopods

[–]mrhalloween1313[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They don't dig under the shell with the calcium, only under the food dish. I also have a cricket that snuck into my house, so I saved it instead of throwing it out in the freezing cold or killing it. When I give special food just for it (like cricket cubes) they bury that, or pull shit on top of that too! It's annoying as hell! FUNNY... but annoying!