ISOPODS
It started like many people started, with seeing a Rubber Ducky. A Rubber Ducky Isopod showed on my screen one day and I fell hard. I'd always adored roly-polies, collecting them as a kid and seeing them roll up. But I had no idea people kept them permanently as pets. I started researching, found bioactive tanks and realized I had an excuse to keep some isopods. Then I had to choose a type...supposedly one type...now I have:
- Agabiformius lentus
- Armadillidium klugii 'Montenegro / Clown'
- Armadillidium maculatum 'Zebra'
- Armadillidium nasatum 'Peach'
- Armadillidium vulgare 'Orange Vigor'
- Armadillidium vulgare 'Punta Cana'
- Atlantoscia floridana "Florida Fast Isopod"
- Cubaris murina "Little Sea Roly Poly"
- Cylisticus convexus "Teardrop" or "Curly"
- Nagurus cristatus 'Dwarf Grey'
- Niambia capensis "African Dawn"
- Oniscus asellus "Common Isopod"
- Porcellio dilatatus 'Giant Canyon'
- Porcellio laevis 'California Mix'
- Porcellio laevis 'Dairy Cow'
- Porcellio laevis 'Milkback'
- Porcellio laevis 'Orange'
- Porcellio scaber 'Calico'
- Porcellio scaber 'Calico' II
- Porcellio scaber 'Dalmatian'
- Porcellio scaber 'Lava'
- Porcellio scaber 'Lottery Mix'
- Porcellio scaber 'Orange'
- Porcellio scaber 'White'
- Porcellio scaber 'Wild Type'
- Porcellio spinicornis "Brickwork Woodlouse"
- Porcellionides pruinosus 'Powder Blue'
- Porcellionides pruinosus 'Powder Orange'
- Trichorhina tomentosa 'Dwarf White'
- The Weird Mix
Agabiformius lentus
Got these 2021-04-29 from SmugBug, but they're small and difficult to see, so hopefully I'll get their photo up soon.
These smaller isopods are so successful they are found all over, including Europe and the Americas. They are originally from Greece.
Armadillidium klugii 'Montenegro / Clown'
New Arrival. I just got these in March 2021.
These are excessively adorable isopods that have a red rim around their base, sort of like clown shoes.
They are already proving to be good breeders and I'm very happy with them.
Armadillidium maculatum 'Zebra'
Supposedly one of the most appropriate isopods for me, and the only one that isn't doing well. Zebra Isopods are a stunning black and white striped isopod and in a surprisingly large size. They are Armadillidium, so can roll up like the common Armadillidium maculatum most people find outside their homes and call roly-poly.
While Zebras are supposed to like it a bit drier than other isopods, I have a feeling mine are a bit too dry. One thing I've found for me is that the deeper the substrate, the better the isopods do because it's very dry here normally and the deeper substrate holds humidity better. The Zebras have shallower bedding, so are drying out more than the isopods in the tanks near them, which may be why they aren't doing as well.
I'll be making the substrate deeper soon, so hopefully they will do better as they really are a stunning isopod.
I got my Zebras from someone selling them on Craigslist around May 2020. They are one of the first isopods I purchased.
Armadillidium nasatum 'Peach'
New Arrival. I just got these in March 2021.
Armadillidium Nasatum Peach Isopods are also called the Nosy Roly Poly. They are a subtle, medium-sized isopod with a smooth, gentle color of peach. Similar to Armadillidium vulgare, but they are smaller and more mellow looking.
These isopods need more ventilation and less humidity than others, making them a good choice for tanks that are a bit dryer for other isopods.
I'll be adding them to my Leopard Gecko 'Alabama Hills' Tank, and will let you know how they turn out. So far, just in the isopod colony I'm loving them. Even having bought only a few they are already visibly doing well.
Armadillidium vulgare 'Orange Vigor'
Ordered and on the way as of May 2021! This colony came from Aquarimax.
Orange Vigor are of course, orange, but they differ a bit from my Porcellio laevis 'Orange' and my Porcellio scaber 'Orange'. The texture of their shells make for a different orange effect, almost metallic, and being Armadillidium they can roll into a ball, so they can look like cool, little citrus fruit.
This line of Orange Vigor also has a bonus, lots of variety in color. The oranges can be more neon shades or wild-type-tinged, and there may even occasionally be yellow ones too.
If they're as successful as I hope and most Orange Vigor are, I hope to eventually divide these by shade and get some specific orange colors breeding. Should be fun.
Armadillidium vulgare 'Punta Cana'
I had been meaning to get these isopods for a while. They come in stunning almost pastel metallic creme colors that I absolutely adore. Recently Josh's Frogs started stocking them at a very good price so I picked some up in September 2021. I'm already loving them.
Atlantoscia floridana 'Florida Fast Isopod'
Got these 2021-04-29 from SmugBug and I already think I'm going to love these guys. They're smaller isopods, a bit bigger than dwarves, but a lot smaller than Dairy Cows, and they're very well camouflaged with a patterned of tan on brown, though it's hard to see as they trick the eye a bit.
They're also fast. Yeah, with that name what would one expect? But they're faster than even their name makes them seem. As they don't like attention or light and they're both fast and blend in, it's very hard to see these little ones, but it also makes them great isopods for cleanup crews in tanks with fast predators.
Previous to getting my main colony, I may already have had a Florida Fast Isopod. When I ordered my Bumblebee and Scarlet Millipedes they came from Florida where they were naturalized. Along with them came a few other creatures, including one very fast and smallish critter that looked like a Florida Fast Isopod, though it was hard to get a good look at it as it blended in pretty well and the camera had a difficult time focusing on it. I left him in the millipede tank, so we'll see if a population starts forming in there too.
Cubaris murina 'Little Sea Roly Poly'
Got these 2021-04-29 from SmugBug.
My first Cubaris species! These little guys are a much easier and plainer version of the famous Rubber Ducky isopods. Since Rubber Duckies are extremely expensive and hard to keep alive, I'm starting with the Little Sea to gradually work my way up.
The Little Sea may be the plainer cousin, but they're definitely cute in their own way. Their gray is plain, but a deep, slightly blue shade that is lovely. They also have that Cubaris bodystyle with an almost fake look to their curves.
Cylisticus convexus 'Teardrop' or 'Curly'
New Arrival. Just got in March 2021.
Teardrop Isopods are so called because when they curl up it is into more a teardrop shape than the normal roly-poly Armadillidium. It looks unique and interesting even though these are simply a Wild Type. I hope to get some other morphs of Curly Isopods soon.
These isopods are often ignored and forgotten when it comes time to build a bioactive tank, but they are one of the best out there for a clean-up crew.
Nagurus cristatus 'Dwarf Grey'
Got these 2021-04-29 from SmugBug. These Dwarf Grey Isopods are smaller ones, like their name implies. They are common, though not as common as other dwarves such as White Dwarf Isopods.
They have a pretty, pale grey pattern that looks lovely.
Niambia capensis 'African Dawn'
Got these 2021-04-29 from SmugBug. I'm calling this my invisible shipment because while I was able to spot some of the isopods, it was difficult. That's because most of the types I ordered were dwarf species. Little bitty, bits of cuteness, that don't show up well for the camera or get much attention from bigger predators, making them a great choice for cleanup crews.
The Niambia capensis isopods are smaller, dwarf isopods from Africa, with no common name, so I've started calling them the African Dawn Isopods as they are that pale, perfect morning color.
As they are originally from Africa, I'll be putting a few in the Ball Python's bioactive enclosure when I rebuild it. I'd like to have some native species in with him and this lovely, little isopod would be perfect.
Oniscus asellus "Common Isopod"
These are called the common woodlouse or common isopod for a reason, they are one of the most commonly isopods found around the world. Apparently much of the time the roly-polies you find in your backyard are this kind, though personally I've never found them. Common isopods can be the best isopods because they are found all over in different environments because they are successful at surviving. This makes them a perfect starter isopod.
I got these common, but stunning isopods from Josh's Frogs in September 2021.
Porcellio dilatatus 'Giant Canyon'
How I feel about these isopods was a bit like a roller-coaster. These were the ones I was most excited to get. Some of the pictures I saw of them showed them pretty orange and large, which are two of my favorite traits in isopods. Then I got them and they were smaller than I thought and a rather plain gray.
I've since found out a few secrets. While they look plain gray, some of the isopods had the very faintest of hints of orange patterns and these are very slow growing isopods. Their size is more in their width, not their overall size but even so it takes them a while to get there. Give them time and look at them closely to see their unique beauty. It almost reminds me of the hint of lichen growing on a desert rock.
These isopods really surprised me the other day. I was keeping them in a 12x12x18 Exo-Terra and decided to move them to a bin that would hold humidity better. The Exo-Terras work okay, but they tend to dry out and don't have room for a lot of substrate.
I had seen some Giant Canyons when I fed them, but mostly they were obscured by the leaf litter and small size of the tank. So when I pulled the leaf litter away and started moving substrate into the bin I wasn't expecting quite so many isopods to crawl out of the woodwork. They had been in there doing a great job at reproducing without me even being aware of it.
I got my Canyons from someone selling them on Craigslist around May 2020. They are one of the first isopods I purchased.
Porcellio laevis 'California Mix'
This is an interesting mixture of Porcellio laevis morphs. Like the Lottery or Gem Mixes, this is a combination of different colors of isopods, specifically Porcellio laevis ones. Unlike many others, this originated from an area of California, thus it's name of California Mix.
The colony has the genes for white, peach, pied, wild types, and some that look like Milkback as well as some that look like Peach Milkback! It'll definitely be a fun variety, especially considering how much I like Porcellio laevis isopods.
Coming May 2021 from Aquarimax.
Porcellio laevis 'Dairy Cow'
Dairy Cows are my favorite isopod to keep. They're just so easy and cute. These prolific little breeders look like black and white dairy cows, aided by their comfort in hanging out and about and grazing on the substrate in full view.
I got my Dairy Cows from someone selling them on Craigslist around May 2020. They are one of the first isopods I purchased and are the best.
Cute, right? Not only that but they breed better than anything else with the least amount of care.
Slightly bigger and more prolific than the Orange type of Porcellio laevis, Dairy Cows fit into most environments and breed fast enough to feed hungry mouths. Most of the Porcellio are on the larger side of isopods, and the Dairy Cows get fairly large, making them suitable in tanks where you might want large feeders.
Be cautious of using them as cleanup crew in tanks with vulnerable pets. These guys like lots of protein, and there are rumors of them taking down soft pets like dart frogs or at minimum eating their eggs. I haven't had any problems with them, but I also make sure to provide extra food for them, so they don't starve.
Good for cleanup crews and as feeders, Dairy Cows also make great pets as well. Tanks where you really want to observe the isopods readily benefit from Dairy Cows as they don't seem to care about light and are very active all the time.
Their coloring also makes them easier to see against darker substrate. The translucent quality also makes them vary a bit in color depending on what they're eating (fun with fish flakes). Also, their markings and larger size allow Dairy Cows to be identifiable too if someone just wanted to keep a few as pets. So fun!
Porcellio laevis 'Milkback'
Just in case the Porcellio laevis 'California Mix' doesn't have enough Milkbacks or I don't want to separate any from the mix, I also got some Milkbacks on their own. Ordered and on the way, May 2021 from Aquarimax.
These are a cool looking isopod, similar to the Dairy Cows, but with a grey body tinted with white in areas. Like they had milk spilled on them. Guess they really got into some cookies as they're kinda chunky too. Cute!
Porcellio laevis 'Orange'
One of the most common types of isopods, Porcellio laevis has several varieties readily available. I currently have the Oranges, Dairy Cows, and wild type. Laevis means smooth, which these isopods are in comparison to the also common Porcellio scaber (known as rough). I really wish they had kept that in mind and called these orange smoothie isopods, but sadly that is not the case.
I got my Oranges from someone selling them on Craigslist around May 2020. They are one of the first isopods I purchased along with several other types, including the Dairy Cows.
My Orange Isopods don't quite do as well as the Dairy Cow morph. They are breeding and I have lots, but I think their tank was drying out too much so they've recently been moved into a bin. Moving them did reveal a lot of Oranges living in the soil, so there are tons more than I started with, but compared to the Dairy Cows I would have expected a bit more. As many of them were buried in the substrate I'm sure I'll have some losses, so it may take a while to really get going once more.
Watch the YouTube video where I set up their enclosure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1TlMvqbsDQ
And the update video too:
Porcellio scaber 'Calico'
My Calico Isopods are very cute. The females are brownish red with a subtle pattern like Tortoiseshell cats, while the males look like wild type isopods. Not all of the Calico isopods are this way, just certain lines.
My Calico isopods are doing okay. They are breeding and there is plenty of movement when I open their tank, but they could be doing better. I think their enclosure is keeping in too much humidity (the opposite of every other enclosure), so I recently added some more air holes and am hoping to see an improvement.
I got these Calicos from someone selling them on Craigslist around May 2020. They are one of the first isopods I purchased.
Porcellio scaber 'Calico' II
I already have some Porcellio scaber Calicos, and really like them, but I decided to get a few more from another bloodline to have some variety. Calicos already have a large amount of variation among themselves, but different bloodlines have even more variation. Some are sex-linked, like tortoiseshell cats, but with males looking to be wild types instead of being sterile. Some Calico lines have all calico patterns and don't produce Wild-Type males.
This line from Aquarimax has a lot of variety, regular calicos, pale calicos, and wild-types too.
Porcellio scaber 'Dalmatian'
Dairy Cows are Porcellio laevis, but Porcellio scaber also has a cute black and white patterned isopod, the Dalmatian. They aren't as impressive, many have bland patterns, spots, or no patterns at all, but Dalmatians are one of the most common types of isopods available for a reason, they're interesting and hardy.
Ordered and on the way, May 2021 from Aquarimax.
Porcellio scaber 'Lava'
I've been wanting these isopods for a long time. I love my Porcellio scabers, they really are some of the best types of isopods, but this morph is my absolute favorite. I love geology, especially volcanology, and I love orange and black isopods. Putting that all together gives us Lava isopods--isopods that have markings that look like lava flows. Awesome, right?
These isopods are typically black or dark grey with brilliant orange markings in various patterns across their backs. Each one is unique. Some are more orange, others look a lot like burning embers. All are stunners, especially because this is a larger P. scaber morph. So you can really see the patterns.
I'm putting together a Hawaiian-themed bioactive tank for my Hawaiian mourning geckos, so I hope to add some of these to it. Putting large scabers in with small geckos can potentially be a problem, but it's a minor chance and I'll offer food often to everyone so no geckos become snacks.
When I saw Josh's Frogs starting to sell these at a good price I had to order some. So, I started with about 10 in September 2021.
Porcellio scaber 'Lottery Mix'
My Porcellio scaber Lottery Mix Isopods are not one type, they are several different colors and patterns of scaber isopods put together and interbreeding for an interesting mix. You never know what you are going to get, so they call this Lottery Mix.
There seems to constantly be more baby isopods in this group, but I do want to separate some out into specific color group bins to breed as I think there are White Isopods, Spanish Orange, Wild Type, and maybe even Dalmatians. And since the genes for Dalmatian and Orange can exist in the same isopod, there may even be Orange Dalmatians.
These isopods were living in my ball python's bioactive tank where they did fantastic. I overfilled Azi's water bowl and flooded the area underneath, making sure it stayed humid for the isopods and springtails and it kept Azi shedding well and clean. Sadly, due to an ant invasion Azi's tank needs a complete reworking, so he's in a temporary tub and the isopods are in bins.
I got the Lottery Mix from someone selling them on Craigslist around May 2020. They some of the first isopods I purchased.
Porcellio scaber 'Wild Type'
I thought it was finally time to get a batch of the basic, common isopod many people can find around their home. Plain grey isopods can be cute in their own way, plus I plan on dividing them into two bunches and having a sacrifice colony to test run anything I'm not sure about like weird foods or beddings.
If you went outside and collected isopods, you would likely find some that look like these depending upon where you live. Thus the name, Wild Type. Porcellio scaber, laevis, and Armadillidium are some of the most commonly introduced isopods around the world. And while common can mean boring, it can also mean the most successful, because while isopods like Rubber Duckies are adorable, they're expensive and hard to get a hold of because they are difficult to breed and even keep alive.
Common isopods are common because they survive a lot of environments and reproduce even in challenging circumstances. This makes them a great isopod for situations where less common isopods wouldn't survive, like tanks with borderline environments.
Porcellio spinicornis "Brickwork Woodlouse"
This is an unusually behaved isopod. It is nicknamed the Brickwork Woodlouse because it is commonly found on bricks and stones instead of buried under leaves like most isopods. They even do better with rocks in their enclosures.
These isopods are very interesting looking too. They are one of those isopods that looks spiny with a regular dappled pattern on their backs. Typically yellow to tan to gray, they are even in cool colors.
I got mine from Josh's Frogs in September 2021.
Porcellionides pruinosus 'Powder Blue'
Got these 2021-04-29 from SmugBug and I already know why these are one of the most common and popular types of isopods.
Powder Blues are sturdy, good-eaters who blend in with their environment but are big enough to occasionally act as feeders for hungry pets. They also have the breeding capabilities to keep producing more isopods as long as there's enough cover for some to keep safe and reproduce.
These little ones were doing spectacularly, but somewhere along the line I must have slipped up on decontaminating their bedding or supplies as some baby centipedes appeared. Unlike their friendlier cousins, the millipedes, centipedes can be fast and dangerous, and more importantly are more carnivorous. Since there were several very tiny, ferocious centipedes in with the isopods I had to separate out the isopods into a fresh bin and empty the centipedes and unfound isopods into a more secure enclosure. The bedding was full of baby isopods too small to catch, so my numbers took a hit with the cage change.
Porcellionides pruinosus 'Powder Orange'
New Arrival. I just got these in March 2021 from Aquarimax.
The Powder Orange Isopod is so called because they often look like they are coated in powder.
They are one of the most popular isopods because they breed well and can handle drier conditions than other isopods. Though beware, they are escape artists and being able to handle drier conditions mean they can sneak into other tanks and explore.
Trichorhina tomentosa 'Dwarf White'
New Arrival. Just got in March 2021.
The quintessential isopod for keeping as in a bioactive clean-up crew, Dwarf White Isopods are very small and are easily confused with larger white springtails. This makes larger reptiles often not eat them and also makes them a great food for reptiles needing to eat tiny food.
This is a parthenogenetic species, so composed of all females, and just one single isopod can start an entire colony, though of course the more you start with the better the results.
The Weird Mix
I'm calling this the weird mix because that's how it's coming to me. I made an order on FB Marketplace for some isopods. They were cheap and I'm always interested in getting new types. The only thing is, it seems like this person pet some of everything in there, so I have no clue what I'm going to get.
He described it as: "An amazing selection of isopods for sale including Springtails, Dwarf Whites, Porcellionides, Armadillidium, Porcellio and more!"
So, I'm assuming it should have some tiny little ones, springtails and Dwarf Whites, along with some common roly-polies and Powder Oranges or Blues and maybe some Dairy Cows or something. Should be fun, I adore good surprises.
All The Supplies You Need for Isopods are on This Amazon List
Springtails
Temperate White Springtails
These Springtails were my first. The colony came from Craigslist and has since been divided again and again to populate tanks, new colonies, and sell some too.
These are probably Folsomia candida Springtails because they're the most commonly kept white springtails, but I don't know for sure what they are besides really awesome.
They're so small and need such little care, but watching the tiny springtails scurry around is as soothing as watching a fish tank. Plus they do a lot to improve life for any creature that has them added to their enclosure.
Sinella curviseta Springtails
New Arrival. Just got in March 2021.
These springtails are already doing well and hopefully soon will be ready to seed my leopard gecko bioactive tanks as well as have enough for sale.
I think I may like these even more than the Temperate White Springtails.
Pink Springtails
I ordered some broken down compost / bark mixture from eBay, and the seller mentioned he could include some Pink Springtails in the bag, so of course I told him to toss those right in. When it arrived it was chilled through and nothing was moving, but I'm hoping there might be some eggs or something alive in there.
Most of the bag went in with my millipedes, but I set a handful aside in a springtail set-up, so I'm crossing my fingers that I end up with some cute pink springtails.
He didn't know what type they were, just the color, but it's likely they're Sinella curviseta Springtails as they commonly come in pink.
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