terrestial isopods

D

Daniel

Third Instar
Hi!

Isopods is a group of invertebrates that I think is sometimes underrated as "pets". One of the species I keep is over 2 cm (nearly 1 inch) long and yellow and black banded. Its a neat little creature. Unfortunatly I have some problems with the survival rate of the offspring. I get a lot of small young but very few passes the first stages. Does anyone have any idaes? I have been thinking about lack of any essential nutrient. I feed mine with dead leaves, rotten wood, chicken feed, vegetables and fruit, calcium supplement, etc.

If you breed (or can collect) any isopods let me know and maybee we can exchange some species.

Regards

Daniel

 
Daniel,

I breed a few different species of Isopods too. Unfortunately there are a couple of species that don't seem to do well in captivity. One thing I've noticed that does make a difference is overfeeding. In the wild these guys do well in leaf mold, but when confined to an enclosure, it's almost as if it becomes toxic to them if there is too much mold or fungus. The best results I've found have been with a container of clean peat or coconut fiber, with pieces of wood laying on top, and I only feed them a dusting of a food I created called Bug Feast, which covers all the bases for their nutrition. Even with all this, there are still species that don't do well. Do you have a picture of your colony? If I have the same species, I can tell you how I deal with them specifically.

Paul

Daniel said:
Hi!Isopods is a group of invertebrates that I think is sometimes underrated as "pets". One of the species I keep is over 2 cm (nearly 1 inch) long and yellow and black banded. Its a neat little creature. Unfortunatly I have some problems with the survival rate of the offspring. I get a lot of small young but very few passes the first stages. Does anyone have any idaes? I have been thinking about lack of any essential nutrient. I feed mine with dead leaves, rotten wood, chicken feed, vegetables and fruit, calcium supplement, etc.

If you breed (or can collect) any isopods let me know and maybee we can exchange some species.

Regards

Daniel
Click to expand...
 
Hi Paul,

I also use peat as a base substrate.

Unfortunatly Im not good at taking pictures so I have some problems with posting a picture on the culture.

I have a lot of other species in culture that works very well. What species do you keep? Maybee we could exchange some species?

Regards

Daniel

 
Daniel,

Right now I have Armadillidium vulgare, Oniscus asellus, Dwarf White isopods, Pygmy maroon isopods, and the common gray and bright orange cultures of Porcellio. I also get in some Philoscia muscorum - those are the difficult ones to breed.

What species do you have over there?

Daniel said:
Hi Paul,I also use peat as a base substrate.

Unfortunatly Im not good at taking pictures so I have some problems with posting a picture on the culture.

I have a lot of other species in culture that works very well. What species do you keep? Maybee we could exchange some species?

Regards

Daniel
Click to expand...
 
Hi Daniel,

I would absolutely love to see a photo of the yellow and black species if you have any friends with a digital camera. I've never seen a colorful species other than the orange Porcellio.

Have you bred captive reared young of the yellow and black species or been unable to keep any young alive? They probably will breed at 7-8mm. One thing about all isopods is they are capable of reproduction well before they reach full size. We have a geographically isolated CA isopod that grows to 20mm but they'll reproduce at less than 8mm and it takes a few years for them to reach full size. It's nice if you're trying to build up a colony but it makes selecting for size a near impossibility for any species.

 
Paul:

I keep the following species:

Trichorhina tomentosa

Isopoda sp. Brown tropical isopod. Small fast mowing isopods

Armadillidiidae sp. from Spain. Grows to 20 mm. Some completely grey and some with yellow speckles.

Porcellionidae sp.? from Spain. Grows to 20 mm. Completely grey.

Isopoda sp. from Spain. Grows to over 20 mm. Black and yellow banded.

Armadillidiidae sp. from Canada.

Porcellionidae sp.? from Canada. Grey with white speckles.

Orin:

I will try to get a friend to take some photos. Didnt know that isopods could start to reproduce so early, thank you for that information. I have only managed to get very few young to survive. I have one young that has reach about 8 mm.

Cheers!

Daniel

 
Daniel said:
Paul:I keep the following species:

Trichorhina tomentosa

Isopoda sp. Brown tropical isopod. Small fast mowing isopods

Armadillidiidae sp. from Spain. Grows to 20 mm. Some completely grey and some with yellow speckles.

Porcellionidae sp.? from Spain. Grows to 20 mm. Completely grey.

Isopoda sp. from Spain. Grows to over 20 mm. Black and yellow banded.

Armadillidiidae sp. from Canada.

Porcellionidae sp.? from Canada. Grey with white speckles.

Orin:

I will try to get a friend to take some photos. Didnt know that isopods could start to reproduce so early, thank you for that information. I have only managed to get very few young to survive. I have one young that has reach about 8 mm.

Cheers!

Daniel
Click to expand...
Such a selection !!! I only have the Spanish Orange (Porcellio) and the Dwarf Whites....

:( Now I NEED MORE !!!

 
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