calcium

H

Homelander

Second Instar
Instead of using cuddlebone, would it be possible to use fine powdered calcium dust? What would happen to isopods without a source of calcium? Thanks!

 
As long as the calcium dust has no harmful additives, it should do just fine. 

If isopods had no source of calcium, the effect would differ for each species i think. Faster breeding/hardier isopods can probably do fine without a direct source of calcium, as some people use them as a cleaning crew for roaches, and roaches can die if provided too much calcium.

 
I kept all my isopod species without calcium supplements besides whatever was in their leaf litter and dog/chick feed, never had any issues... @Allpet Roaches (Orin McMonigle) has reared most of his species without additional calcium supplements as well, some of his colonies are decades old and still thriving without them, which leads me to believe all the "isopods need extra calcium to grow/breed well" stuff is BS... 😅 

 
There are a lot of different opinions on care on the internet and most things can accept a wide range of parameters so it is tough to argue that one person's advice is really good or bad except that most people who give advice don't have any real experience because most old-timers burn out on the same questions over time. My answer is cuttlebone or chalk, but of course you can keep almost any species for decades without supplemental sources simply because standard food sources have more calcium content than the isopods require. 

 
I personally don't use a dedicated calcium source and am having great success with my specimens. While there is the potential for calcium to eventually be exhausted within an enclosure, certain supplemental foods contain calcium and likely offset any disparity.

That said, I know many use it "just to be safe", whether through calcium powder, cuttlebone, or as mentioned above chalk, and to that end I don't consider it harmful, just not necessarily necessary, ha ha.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 
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I know a balanced diet will supply everything.  Has anyone used ground egg shells, curious?  I'm expecting my first isopods soon.  They are the ones that require more moisture.

 
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