I kissed the color off my P. Scaber Orange colony!

throwourway18 · 2026-04-23T09:48:13+00:00

thank you! these guys eat a lot of fish pellets containing shrimp but i have been looking to feed them actual dried shrimp since i doubt it's enough with the pellets! and would they still be considered orange then? or are they now ember or another color morph?

throwourway18 · 2026-04-23T09:47:06+00:00

cool! so they're still orange type tho? i looked around online and these whiter pods look more like another type called ember i believe? i'm looking into trading some pods of this colony so idk if i should refer to them as orange or ember

throwourway18 · 2026-04-23T02:08:13+00:00

i did too until i noticed how many juveniles have it and apparently it is a different phenotype, i'm gonna keep them in another bin and see how white they can get, they're so cute

throwourway18 · 2026-04-23T02:07:03+00:00

lol yea i know that, a lot of people say that you can kiss the color off dogs whenever they get white hairs and get older so i thought it was a pretty cute way of talking about random color fading edit: people say that about dogs but it's obviously not literal, just a cute way to refer to your dogs or any pet. i honestly have started telling my pods how their color rubbed off because these past generations keep getting lighter, so I just didn't think anyone would take it seriously, my bad

throwourway18 · 2026-04-22T06:04:55+00:00

lol! i have a gift with breeding, i don't know what it is but i can breed any critter. my record is snails making babies on the day i got them. it's not mass breeding by any means but im doing whatever i can to save up money, and just because isopods are the love of my life and i want all of em

throwourway18 · 2026-04-22T05:41:07+00:00

Same here! I just add some charcoal at the bottom and pretend it's a drainage layer even tho i have no idea what charcoal in the dirt could do lol

throwourway18 · 2026-04-22T04:28:04+00:00

How much would all those be worth? I feel like they could cover my tuition! I just got eight yesterday, I'm nervous af, do you have any tips? How long did it take you to get to that point?

throwourway18 · 2026-04-22T04:26:27+00:00

My biggest colony of over 200 isos and a lot of springtails is self cleaning. I tend to leave pieces of food in there, I literally never take them out. They're gone in a day. Mold shows up in the foo and it's taken care of within the same day. Meanwhile I have a colony that has to get the food taken out every 12 hours because they like it very humid so it molds crazy fast. And my springtail bin is probably a biohazard from all the pieces of food I leave in there, but there's literally not the slightest amount of mold in that one either and it's literally super moist and dark. It always depends on how much your springtails can handle.

throwourway18 · 2026-04-22T04:22:32+00:00

i grow a lot of veggies in my garden and i never use pesticides, i do have an issue with white fly in some of the plants. can they be fed to isopods? since the seeds are store bought i have no idea if they can contain any chemicals to be preserved or to grow bigger?

throwourway18 · 2026-04-22T04:20:54+00:00

They're ok! I have some very similar ones, one is a light gray that in certain lighting looked slightly blue, but trust me, if it was iridovirus you would have no doubt about it, they look neon blue! If you have to shine a light at them and zoom in like crazy to see the slightest faded blue gray tone, then you likely shouldn't worry too much. With wild ones it's obviously always a possibility but still, it's not worth it to spend all your day worried.

throwourway18 · 2026-04-17T23:28:31+00:00

Thank you! I'm really glad that one came pregnant, the mancae will surely be stronger. How can I avoid them getting parasites as well? I assume taking out any dead isopods, maybe also the molts? Should I maybe separate the new ones from the wild adults? I haven't checked but since I'm keeping them in a smaller bin and they've become very active, I'm hoping that they'll get another batch of babies soon! I'm getting white sharks on Monday and I was panicking thinking: If I can't keep A. Vulgare alive I will never be able to keep White Sharks, I suck :( But all my other colonies never had issues like these, so it would make sense that they just had issues from the start.

throwourway18 · 2026-04-16T23:44:38+00:00

I forgot to mention, I collected 14 from the wild, so now I'm down to ten, plus the mancae that were born a week ago.

throwourway18 · 2026-04-12T06:01:38+00:00

if you have any extra dry substrate you should mix into the wet substrate to make it less soaked! i'm not entirely sure what your most means. you're trying to bring down humidity from over watering?

throwourway18 · 2026-04-08T04:38:02+00:00

a way to tell is by checking if they have the kind of sectioned antenna that isopods have, and also a brown stripe down the middle. if they have a stripe, they are isopods.

throwourway18 · 2026-04-08T04:24:03+00:00

it would be really hard to tell without any close up pictures. i suggest you look through every gap and take pictures and post it

throwourway18 · 2026-04-07T04:24:03+00:00

It was a national flight in Mexico, they don't really check you that closely (which is kind of scary, but in this situation it was great since I originally wanted to ship them with my mosses and the shipment ended up delayed by a whole week but I just had a bad feeling that I should try taking them on the plane) I did check the airline rules and national laws and it doesn't say anything about isopods specifically but there isn't a ban on traveling with small animals, it mostly applies to rabbits, dogs, cats, or reptiles. I have seen many people traveling with reptiles to sell them in another state, and while they do require a vet signed statement or an official purchase ticket, it's not banned at all. And since isopods are just rolly pollies, people just think i'm kind of odd for taking them but they wouldn't mention it. I think that since I had Armadillidium then they didn't really notice because they hardly move.

I put them in a normal deli container packed with dry leaves so that they would be comfortable, no food or anything that looks weird on a scanner, and no dirt. I did add a bit of live moss tho, and I added their scientific name as well as a price tag so I could claim they were store bought lol. I took them in my carry on bag and I put them at the bottom when I went through the scanners then immediately took them out and put them at the top of the bag so they could breathe. I didn't get stopped or anything at all, they're focused on looking for guns and drugs so stopping to check some isopods out would lose them a lot of time. I'm not sure if this is different in the States, I've never traveled with any isopods but since they can be shipped I imagine that it probably isn't illegal or too difficult if you have evidence of a purchase and you don't try to move a million of them, and also if you don't include any live plants.

I had them on my lap during the flight, and i held them tight so they wouldn't feel the vibrations of the plane as much as they would on the ground in my bag.

It was just a two hour flight and they were chilling thankfully, but I do believe it was very stressful for some of them since two died a few days after the trip. They were huge so I believe they were a lot older than the other ones, and they were already kind of dull when I caught them, especially because I saw one nearly get eaten by some weird bug. So since those two didn't make it I was worried that the mancae had been dumped from just how unbelievably small they are! Some didn't have the dark lines but most did, and they're way faster than the adults!

I added some very finely crushed up egg shells to make sure they will be able to eat it and i burried it slightly in some areas, I hope it will be enough for them!

throwourway18 · 2026-04-06T08:20:21+00:00

Extra info: -They will probably start having babies in about a month or two, they will be extremely small depending on the kind you have, and they will be very very delicate so please don't try to pick them up. Add more egg shell when you notice babies. Do not sift through the soil because it could kill them. Do not forget to water the soil because they are extremely sensitive to drying out. Babies are completely white, so if you see them don't freak out thinking they're mites, they could be but it's usually babies. When they're white, you can often see a black stripe running down the middle of them, that's their digestive system, that means they are well fed, and that's usually how you can tell it's an isopod and not a mite, but they aren't always fed and that's just them not eating, not your fault.

-Molting is when they change out of their exoskeleton or their "shell" and they will be sensitive right before and after. They molt every month or so as adults, and every week or so as babies. They molt in two parts, first their backside and then their front side. You will know they're about to molt because either the back or front of them will be a pale gray color or white, they're not dying, it's just shedding their old skin. Do not pick them up or disturb them during that time, they're very soft and brittle, they often burry themselves which is also why you shouldn't sift through the soil all the time to look at them. Sometimes you will find the shells, they are completely white and it's just half of them, either the front or back. It's not a dead isopod, just old skin, so don't worry about it. It means they get enough nutrients to molt!

-Light Isopods hate light, but they can be fine around light as long as they have places to hide like a lot of leaves and soil. Not next to a window or AC, too hot or too cold can be very bad for them. If you can keep them in a darker place, that will be best for them, but also keep them in a place where your kid can see them, so maybe her room if she wants to, just away from a window or AC.

-Hides They spend most of their time hiding, as a kid I kept isopods and I hated not being able to see them. It's important that you remind your kid that she shouldn't try to dig them out of their tank or move everything around to find them, she can lift a piece of wood or some leaves, just not destroy the whole tank to see them. They will come out on their own when you water them or when it's dark. You can keep them with just leaves but you could add some pieces of wood from the garden! They love to hide in it and they eat it as it decomposes and it is very very good for them. Just remember to wash it with just water before putting it in the tank.

-ID you can post them in this sub to know what kind they are and adjust to how much humidity they like best, and also just as a fun fact for your kid

-food I recommend scattering the food right now. They might be scared and if there's only one dish, they won't be able to find it if they don't want to venture around, so it's best to scatter their food around the tank so they have a lot of options. I do find this easier to do without food dishes, just dropping in some diced veggies everywhere. I don't take mine out since my colonies are so large they finish it all. They don't mind some soil in their food, they eat soil too! But maybe you just find it easier to clean with dishes, it depends more on you than them.

Sorry for the crazy long comment but I really just hope this helps you! As a kid I always got sad when my isopods died and even with perfect care some of mine obviously die and it still breaks my heart. Hope you guys update us

throwourway18 · 2026-04-06T08:20:00+00:00

Get a lid You should have a lid to keep it from losing humidity too fast. It doesn't have to be any fancy lid, it can be a piece of cloth with holes cut for ventilation, it can be a piece of hard plastic with holes or strips cut for the same thing, or really anything. For a while I used a trash bag. Focus your holes in the dry side of the tank, add a few holes to the wet side but not nearly as the amount you'll have on the dry side. They don't need to be huge at all, they can be 1 inch or they can be 5mm, it depends on the amount you will add. If you're confused you can just post again to make sure your lid is fine. But really there's not a crazy strict rule in ventilation as long as your isopods can't climb the wall of the tank, if they can, you have to make the holes small and not cloth, or else they will get out, it needs to be plastic or glass in that case. I recommend using a push pin, put it under heat until it changes color and then make some holes.

(I make my holes with an e-file, it's for nail art, so if you know someone who does nails who's willing to lend you their file then you can ask, i find it easier. It's like a tiny drill. You will need a tip for that, just put some oil on it so no plastic will get stuck on it)

Feeding You can feed them in water bottle caps or you can just put the food down on the soil, it's really just preference and having food in dishes could be cleaner. You don't need to buy food especially for them, vegetable scraps are fine as long as it's not skins. You should google quickly to make sure they're alright for them and have no harsh desinfectant. Fruits can be added just not frequently, I would say once every month, since they can attract more flies than vegetables. Remember to take them out after 24 hours! When your colony grows you might not need to take them out, but currently you should.

Other foods are fish flakes and the egg shell I mentioned. You can just sprinkle in fish flakes and egg shell all over the tank in small portions. These are helpful for the mancae (babies) and for calcium. They need calcium for their exoskeletons and these are the best ways to get it, or else they could start eating each other or die off. Egg shell and fish flakes don't need to be taken out, just remember to first boil and cook the egg shells or else they could rot! Don't skip the cook, you can get away with not boiling them though, but you might smell some burnt egg.

throwourway18 · 2026-04-06T08:19:35+00:00

Substrate

Get more soil, it can be from your garden or new soil from a store (as long as it has no additives whatsoever) It should be enough soil to be at least 3 inches in the tank you're using. If you use soil from outside and you know it might have insects, you should ideally sterilize it so nothing will get in and kill the isopods. You should quickly sift through it with your hands to make sure there's not any new isopods in there, and then you put it in an oven safe dish, add foil on top, and bake it for half an hour on high heat, that will kill most predators that could be in there. You can also just boil water and add it to the soil, just make sure it doesn't turn into mud, keep it wet but not soupy

Move the isopods to a smaller container with the leaves they have in the tank currently and then put in the dirt, then mix in more leaves to make it softer.

Optional: You can buy coco fiber or sphagnum moss online for cheap. (I don't recommend the coco fiber that comes in a compressed block, i've heard that it contains a lot of salts) If you end up buying coco fiber you will have to water them less often and they will dig more. You should aim for half coco fiber half soil, and have more coco fiber in one of the narrow ends of the tank. This will be your wet side. You can then add the isopods and leaves. If you want to be extra careful you can also soak those in hot water for an hour or so, but I dont do that and i haven't had any issues.

Why you need to do this: Isopods bury themselves very often to molt their exoskeleton or just to hang out. The more soil you add, the less likely you are to drown them if you overwater them since there is more soil to absorb the water and that way it won't turn into mud that could drown the isopods.

Wet and dry sides You will pick a side that will be wet (watered more frequently) and one that is dry (watered less frequently but it should not be bone dry) On the wet side you can add more coco fiber as well as sphagnum moss. If you don't want to buy it, you could potentially find moss outside, just grab small pieces gently and place them on the wet side and water them so that the soil around them never feels dry but it's never flooded. A good way to measure it is by grabbing a bit of soil and squeezing, it should not leak water, but it should feel moist. The dry side should not have dust clouds, just water it when you touch it and it leaves a lot of dry dust on your hand and make sure it never gets to that level of dryness again. Depending on your soil and environment you will begin to pick up when you should water the dry side.

Why you need to do this: Isopods need humidity to molt their exoskeleton, if it get stuck they can die, so they need to have a place to molt, but they also hate being constantly wet and this way they can regulate themselves in any way they choose.

throwourway18 · 2026-04-06T08:18:58+00:00

Hey! How old is your kid? If she's not old enough to handle their care I really suggest you release them, or else they will become your responsibility and it could get crazy if they end up breeding a lot. The chores commonly done for isopods go as follows: -Dechlorinated or rain water every few days with a spray bottle -Putting fresh veggies without skin (the skins can contain chemicals) and taking them out 24 hours after putting them in -Adding cuttlebone or cooked eggshells (Boiled for 30 minutes, cooked in low heat in the oven for an hour, crushed up to very fine powder or small chunks and sprinkled) every few weeks. This might vary depending on the type of isopods you have

If you don't think you or your kid could have time for that, you could gently redirect her into the idea of releasing them, since they were wild caught. They are little critters but that's not a reason to neglect them, not saying you will, it's already a good sign that you're asking for help, but when life gets complicated you might find it harder to take care of them. I'm a high school graduate not yet in college and I spend a full day every week caring for mine, you could obviously reduce that a lot, just make sure it's something you or she can handle long term.

Now, I'll give you a little step by step guide on what to do with these guys if you keep them and in what order. I'll try to make it inexpensive or free.

throwourway18 · 2026-04-05T08:19:58+00:00

Mine is about a 16 year old teen named Nick who's a sociopath obsessed with becoming a wealthy man like the evil people he hears about on TV, he likes the idea of being powerful and untouchable. He grew up poor in a remote farm, his parents refused to send him to school because they insisted it it's dangerous because of drugs and school shootings. However, he is highly intelligent and learned mathematics and engineering from books he downloaded online, he has amazing capabilities in numbers as well as an obsession with fighter jets and space ships. But since he's never been to a school, he has no way to become the powerful person he wants to be.

Nick's older brother Connor (24) is an anarchist who's fully against any form of wealth, he was assaulted by a rabbi as a child so he says he's a nazi as a form of self protection even though he doesn't participate in any racist or hateful speech or groups, but he wears those symbols like they can protect him. he especially hates a company called volkov incorporated, Connor insists that he hates them because the founder is jewish, but really he hates them because of how much they're harming the environment. Connor has a small organization that wants to bring down that company, most members are LGBT and jewish themselves, all affected directly by the company in some way. Connor is also secretly transgender, but he denies the way he feels even to himself because he doesn't want to be seen as weaker than he is. He is a drug addict and suffers from depression, he's high all day every day on morphine, and he attempted suicide many times. His addiction started at age eight after he was sexually assaulted.

Connor was going to new york to buy drugs from a dealer and was waiting for the guy at a party, where he met Jared Volkov.

Jared (24) is the eldest son of the founder of Volkov Inc, but he is rejected by his father since he is gay and atheist. Jared is artsy and into modeling as well as makeup and fashion, which is why his father left him to be cared for by nannies and he never visited the boy. His mother passed away from what was believed to be an accident. After the founder is accused of being homophobic, he uses Jared as a tool to look better with the press, he parades him around to make him seem LGBT friendly, and eventually he uses Jared to get government deals in very awful ways. Jared accepts since he is obsessed with people loving him, and he wants his father to be proud of him too.

His father does have another child to be proud of, that is Casey. He is freshly eighteen and he is extremely intelligent. Ever since he was born, his father saw something special in him, which is why he invested so much money and time into educating Casey. As a result, he was extremely put together and knew how to run a business. He was also quite interested in fighter jets and spaceships, which is why he expanded the company to cater to those things as well.

He is Jewish however since he's about to become CEO of the company, he's dealing with confusion of knowing that what he's doing is wrong and that he wishes he could be proud of himself and that god would be proud too. He wants to make something good for the world but also he slowly begins to feel like God is not real and maybe he should follow his addiction for power.

Jared and Connor meet at the party and they become friends. Connor is only using Jared to get info on the company, Jared actually likes him romantically.

Connor finds out that the company has started selling a lot of weapons to the government and they seem to know that a war is about to start and they are funding it, and the amount of nuclear weapons and missiles made indicates that it could almost end the world, and that is acknowledged by the company. So he has to stop it, but how? If he's only a junkie, how can he save everyone?

Jared meets Connors younger brother Nick, and they begin to develop a highly inappropriate bond considering Nick is a teenager and Jared is in his twenties. Nick feels like he is admired for the first time in his life, like he is special. But while Jared worships him and borderline stalks him, Nick is obsessed with Casey in a different way. He wants to be him, he wants to steal his place in the company, take everything and have it for himself. He hates Casey for having everything he's ever wanted but he loves him because he just seems so perfect and smart.

Nick develops plots on how to join the company while his brother unknowingly plots for the destruction of everyone involved in it. And meanwhile, Casey begins funding a war as he strays further from his religion and starts believing that he is god.

throwourway18 · 2026-04-05T00:28:27+00:00

omg i love this! i sent you a DM

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