Best Isopods for Arid Enclosures?

The Best Isopods for Arid Bioactive Enclosures? Isopods are some of the best pet invertebrates, but only some isopods are suited to arid bioactive enclosures for pet reptiles and invertebrates. In this video I talk about some of the best isopod species for bioactive vivariums.
Here is a link to the Biodude’s website, where you can find bioactive supplies of all kinds, including his Terra Sahara for arid setups.
i.refs.cc/w4QzX...
smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo4MTYyNDk5NX0%3D
Here is a link to the Kathy Auto Magic Fungus gnat trap. It also works for other pest insects, such as fruit flies and mosquitoes!
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Check out these LINKS to Isopod foods and supplies below. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
#ad here is a link to the Fungus Gnat trap I tested in this video: amzn.to/3qtA2pn
#ad I use this breathable medical tape to cover ventilation of some of my isopod enclosures: amzn.to/35oMTkn
I really enjoy my enclosures from www.tarantulac...
Vivariums in the Mist makes some great isopod foods: www.vivariumsi...
Wally at Supreme Gecko makes a great Isopod food: www.supremegeck...
superior shipping supplies.com makes the smaller isopod enclosures I show in the video.
#ad When I feed my isopods Repashy Bug Burger, they love it:
#ad 6-oz jar of bug burger: amzn.to/2PhSVKg
#ad 12-oz. jar of bug burger: amzn.to/2Mg3Nal
#ad Repashy morning wood is also a very popular isopod food my isopods love: amzn.to/2WdJq23
Isopods will munch on dried River shrimp as well!
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#ad To give your isopods calcium, you can use cuttlebone: twin pack: amzn.to/2S9H3hG
I own a copy of book on isopods by Orin McMonigle, a great source of isopod knowledge:
#ad amzn.to/2VArO1g
#ad here is a link to the sphagnum moss I use to help hydrate my isopods: amzn.to/36BxXiz
#ad here is some organic compost. I use organic compost as an isopod substrate component: amzn.to/3ptpoPK
#ad here are the oak pellets I use for my isopod’s substrate: amzn.to/2JYaznQ
#ad here are some cork bark hides, perfect for isopods: amzn.to/3kyRaX7
#ad here is the coconut fiber brick that can be used in isopod substrate : amzn.to/38I4si6
#ad Here is a link to the 6-quart sterilite tubs I use to house many of my isopods: amzn.to/2syYGZJ
#ad Isopods love cork bark pieces as hides: amzn.to/2WaYOfu
#ad One of the best food/substrate ingredients for isopods are oak leaves, such as these heat-treated red oak leaves: amzn.to/2We6GNm
Isopod Substrate ingredients:
#ad 1 part Organic Compost: amzn.to/2Wn4VO1 (You can probably find it much cheaper at your local garden supply or hardware store)
#ad 1 part Alder Pellets: amzn.to/2MBYj9O
#ad 1 part pesticide-free hardwood leaves, you may collect them locally or purchased pre-sanitized: amzn.to/2We6GNm
#ad I make my own isopod substrate, but here is a link to Josh’s frogs isopod substrate : amzn.to/2TfyC1D
#ad For FREE 2-Day shipping on qualifying orders, try Amazon Prime: amzn.to/2N2HuFb
#isopods #bioactive

[@WolfieDawn]

List of isopods: 4:00 Giant Canyons, bury selves, active at night. 4:22 Powder Blue, small and fast, likes warmer temps, prolific, out during the day. 5:28 Wild type, Ukraine Pied, burrows. Moderately prolific. 5:47 Peach, White out, Pearl, prolific. Tolerates range of conditions. Can conglobate = roll into a ball. 6:20 Zebra pillbug. Can roll up. 6:26 Punta Cana. Can roll up.

[@BillieRC]

I love when they roll into a ball

[@sienguo69]

Woah, I’ve been trying figure out what isopod I should accommodate with my leopard gecko, and this vid comes just in time! Thank you so much for the info, I’ll be getting a batch of powder blues for him

[@amiahallen934]

Same!

[@ithewho6603]

I had a patch of orange pruinosus but they all died. Now I'm going with p. laevis orange and they seem to be doing fine. I have the room temp side of the enclosure quite humid and the warm side rather arid. Overall it's 30-40% humidity but I have moss under the logs and I spray the cool side and under the log.

[@HardcoreSlot]

Yes! Exactly the info I needed. I want to set up my hognose bioactive. Look forward to seeing the tropical version of this video too!

[@hognoseharley2137]

Same me too !!

[@thechickenwizard8172]

I'm looking into setting up an arid bioactive setup in a few months, and this video really helped. Thanks!

[@frankdughtank8327]

I know many people that would find this video helpful

[@Aquarimax]

Share it with them if you like! 😊👍

[@SupremeGecko]

Really good video Rus. Most needed.

[@Crystalspets]

I just love the information you bring to the table there is away so much to learn

[@Aquarimax]

Thank you Crystal! I always appreciate your support!

[@logancarroll8329]

Terra Sahara works great for my beardie ! I love the Biodude🤘🏼 springtails thrive in my terrarium. Gonna try out some isopods.

[@sneekyalexa2657]

I'm still trying to learn about species as far as clean up crews, Do you happen to know what type of springtails they are? Like common and or scientific name? I'm trying to make sure I get some that are arid tolerant for a leopard gecko bioactive vivarium! 😊

[@Tarasaurus13]

I'm also curious about what kind of springtails you have!

[@reneryan8427]

I was just wondering about this today. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@christieburt4181]

Thanks for another informative (and timely!) video! I always feel more confident in my choices when I can back up my research with info from your channel. :)

[@HellyeahRook]

Oooh this is perfect! I am making an arid bioactive enclosure for my uromastyx! Thank you for this info. :)

[@jdssurf]

You put isopods in there? I wouldn't think there would be any humidity at all, also figured they would cook from that heat. How did it go

[@oun6661]

Thank you again. Just found your channel tonight, and as I scroll your knowledge is definitely helping in my research.

[@C.S.M.Hageroth]

Great video Rus. Beautiful presentation and great information. Thank you! 😊👍

[@hal-c]

Just ordered some powder oranges for my kenyan sand boa bioactive vivarium I'm setting up. I've watched this video several times during the planning phase of the setup. So much good info!

[@itsSaps]

Hey how are the powder orange isopods doing in ur setup?

[@hal-c]

@@itsSaps I hardly ever see them. I think they are content to stay underground closer to the moisture. Ever once in a while I'll see one or two exploring the surface. Started with 60 of them and they haven't been in long enough for the population to increase.

[@Stien58_]

Ive also seen people use porcellio scaber Giant Orange isopods with success, as well as dwarf whites

[@nomadhomad3685]

I just use the regulat purple rollie pollies that pop up here in R9b and they seem to do fine. The beetles pick up the slack too

[@Aquarimax]

That is likely the last species of isopod I I mentioned on this list…a solid option

[@LifeOfCrestedGecko]

ayo i love isopods i got some milk cows and they are doing really good 😀👍 keep up the good content

[@Aquarimax]

Thank you!

[@rdnkenki]

I've been using Dairy Cow isopods for my Leopard Geckos with Top Soil, Sand, Moss mixture

[@Aquarimax]

They can be a good option too, especially since the leopard gecko may snack on them and help keep the population from exploding too much

[@quinnblacklivesmatter]

Awesome video!! Thank you!

[@Aquarimax]

Thank you!!

[@jordantucker9799]

Are there any more videos of different cleanup crews, such as spring-tails and maybe beetles? Would very much like to know more.

[@Aquarimax]

I talk more about springtails in my bioactive substrate video. I need to do one on beetles!

[@IsabelleHalverson]

i have a lot of Taratulas and mostly have spring tails in their bioactives for mold but I would like to experiment with isopods with my adults and my arborial species. i have Powder blues so I think ill start there!

[@Aquarimax]

Some tarantula keepers hesitate to use isopods for safety reasons, it seems like isopods with arboreals would be safer than with terrestrial species.

[@IsabelleHalverson]

ya safty for my Ts is #1 so im starting with one of my full grown arborials and using dwarf isopods. as long as the T is healthy isopods have plenty of coverage they shouldn't bother her @@Aquarimax

[@headstanding_Penguin]

I just started mealworm breeding and was wondering wheter I could include some kind of cleaning crew into the setups

[@Aquarimax]

@@headstanding_Penguin good question! Generally, mealworms serve as their own cleanup crew. If you include a moisture gradient in your mealworm enclosure, isopods could live there, but they might serve more as competitors rather than a cleanup crew.

[@monsterkajiu1912]

Best Isopods for Temperate Enclosures!!!

[@ProgressiveDiscussions]

I have so much of the powdered orange.

[@Aquarimax]

They will reproduce like mad!

[@joyglocker8318]

Thanks, that helped

[@justinkmiddleton21]

My beardies isopods are doing excellent they over populate so much that I have to remove them occasionally the powder greys and orange especially

[@michellekent1289]

Which ones do you use? Trying to find some for my beardie

[@jdssurf]

i guess none would make it with Blue Death Beetles unless you made a separate smaller enclosure maybe and sunk it into the beetles habitat, keep the smaller enclosure humid, leaving openings for the pods to come and go. could be interesting.

[@lerican7704]

My C. Convexus Ukraine pied culture crashed while I was away for too long of a vacation ): they were my favorites.

[@Aquarimax]

So sad! I really like them too. So underrated in the hobby!

[@lerican7704]

@@Aquarimax Yup! I got them from somebody in NY for great price. My local person sells them for twice the price. Will give them another try for sure. I loved them

[@Aquarimax]

@@lerican7704 I hope you are able to get some! I have them available too 😁

[@lerican7704]

I saw that you can ship these to Florida, any reason other than the heat?@@Aquarimax

[@Aquarimax]

@@lerican7704 I need to update the website. I recently updated my permits, and can now ship that species to Florida!

[@alexeizankevich1244]

Hey Russ. I have a ball python bioactive setup that is usually pretty humid and I was wondering what do you think would be best for the pall python. I also have lots of wood in the vivarium which gets moldy at some times. I know it is long after this video was posted but would love to hear your thoughts

[@Aquarimax]

Porcellionides pruinosus would be a good option, as would Porcellio dilatatus, or Porcellio laevis. Cylisticus convexus would be an option as well

[@alexeizankevich1244]

@@Aquarimax WOW thanks for the fast response. I’m just very afraid of putting these things into my tank as I feel they will hurt the ball python. But I would like the mold cleanup and waste cleanup. Also how would I control the amount in my tank because I feel like once they go in they won’t stop multiplying?

[@Aquarimax]

If you are concerned, I would go with Porcellionides pruinosus, as they have a reputation for being quite safe. They will reproduce for sure, but there will be some limits imposed by the amount of food they get.

[@alexeizankevich1244]

What happens if too many are in the vivarium. It is a 40 gallon tank and I would find it very hard to get rid of them. Also a big question. I have a cork bark piece that my snake loves to hide under. I know that the isopods love to sit under them. Would that be a problem. Would they still be there if my snake is and vice versa.

[@dantewhiterose1958]

I have tortoise enclosures all arid species. 4 tortoise per enclosure. The enclosures are open top. Humidity levels are about 45- 60. I was thinking about using springtails and isopods. But I don’t want insects all over my Apt. what do you advise? Thanks, Dante

[@Aquarimax]

What are the enclosures made of? Isopods can’t climb clean, smooth glass or plastic, but scratched or dusty surfaces, or rough surfaces are easier to scale for them.

[@dantewhiterose1958]

@@Aquarimax Hi, it’s smooth plastic. Pics were sent to your Facebook page. And what about springtails? Same question. 😊 Dante

[@Minyassa]

Uh oh. The one thing I was questioning, whether I can keep any isopods in with my BDFBs, lookin' pretty doubtful right now since you showed a BDFB when you talked about bone-dry enclosures. I've been watching your breeding videos and I was considering a large setup with a moister end for larvae; would that be viable to keep A. nasatum and springtails in with my beetles, in BioDude's substrate?

[@Aquarimax]

It might work…with that moist area . I have seen people keep A. vulgare with BDFBs as long as there is a good moist area.

[@tylerk4641]

Hey thanks I just came from the comment I left and you replied to on your other video. So if I have a dish filled with water in cooler side of tank would that be fine ? Or should I still spray the substrate in area to

[@Aquarimax]

I would still provide a humid area under a hide. You could dampen it regularly by spraying or trickling water there

[@userFreeWilly8]

The hydration station (for the zebra pilbug): does that needs to be on the ground / on top of the soil? Or can I also build that higher up in the terrarium?

[@Aquarimax]

It is best to have it in a corner either moss all the way down to the bottom of the enclosure, on on top of the substrate in a corner, on the surface of the substrate.

[@jonathanlim3614]

Can I keep giant canyons with powder blues in my bearded dragon enclosure?

[@Aquarimax]

Their niches are different enough that they might not outcompete one another, especially in a large enclosure. It’s worth a try

[@jonathanlim3614]

@@Aquarimax thanks so much! Do you have a recommended amount I should get? I have probably about 25 or more powder blues. How many canyons would you recommend? 10 or 20? It’s a 67 gallon tank

[@Aquarimax]

@@jonathanlim3614 with a tank that size, I would start with more if possible. 50 of each if you can. Is there already a beardy in there?

[@perwarmell5741]

How about about Hemilepistus Reaumuri? Is there anyone who's been able to breed them? I'd love to get those to my arid settings.

[@guilhermemelo3741]

hello do u know anny online stor of isopods in europs that deliverst to portugal i only know a guy here in potugal put he only sell a couple species.

[@Aquarimax]

I wish I did...

[@chuckbronson4710]

Can you use an arid isopod in a more tropical environment? Isopods are hard to find due to the winter months and my local pet store has powder blues. Just curious.

[@Aquarimax]

If they have enough ventilation, powder blues can do well in humid environments. Not as well as in areas with a gradient, but still just fine.

[@lerican7704]

Would an enclosure for Uromastyx still be ok with these isopods?

[@Aquarimax]

If you had a humid hide on the cool end, and a nice deep substrate, it might work, but it is hard to say.

[@lerican7704]

@@Aquarimax Well I'll be letting you know in the future how they do!

[@Rockdog333]

Oreo crumbles look alot like dairy cows

[@Aquarimax]

They do! Mini, turbo dairy cows!

[@junajunifah.radiani4514]

To bad in my country indonesia i cant find who selling tara sahara from biodude 😭😭. Do you have any recommended except that ??

[@Aquarimax]

I am not sure what is available there in Indonesia, unfortunately.

[@junajunifah.radiani4514]

@@Aquarimax i just have to make "experiment" i guess.. Hopefully it is works..😂 Cause here in indonesia no one's who ever tried arid bioactive enclosure,, they're "the cons" one's bout' this. If you know what i meant 😂