We NEED to make some changes in how we keep ISOPODS!

[@izchildress]

I have been looking EVERYWHERE for a video that discusses isopods in their natural habitat, but every video I've seen only talked about husbandry-related topics. I am incredibly psyched that you made a video discussing isopod ecology!!! The diversity of isopods, roaches, parasitoid wasps, etc. as they exist in the natural world is a subject that I can't get enough of. Typically, I have to stick to reading research articles. It is very refreshing to be able to watch a video like this. I look forward to more of your content!

[@swayback7375]

It’s brutal when you want to learn about things that seem so basic and you know it’s been studied, sometimes we’ll studied, sometimes not, but the only results you can find thru search are research articles that are often very dense and almost always very specific… I think it makes a barrier of entry for those outside academia, and really having a well read expert that can help understand big picture stuff… It also serves to turn regular intelligent people into experts that dive deep and learn on their own. Good luck

[@izchildress]

@@swayback7375100%. It is lovely to speak to other people who can relate 😊

[@realmnatura]

@@izchildress there’s tons of content coming. Been on a break for awhile dealing with health and family matters but going to be coming back bigger than ever. Some massive things already in the works

[@Reptiles4ed]

What a great video! Thank you! I just got into Reptiles and bioactive enclosures. In doing that I have stepped into the world of isopod. This is one of the best videos I’ve seen on isopod!

[@realmnatura]

That is beyond kind, thank you

[@donteague614]

It seems that a lot of people like to depend on care sheets. Its nice to actually do some natural history of said animals. Props to you.

[@realmnatura]

That’s truly kind Don, thank you. I’m fairly compulsive by nature so always striving to learn more. Culturing Isopods in captivity we have so very much to learn still. Thats what he big part of the fun

[@ensick]

used your tips while redoing my ducky colony a couple days ago after they stopped breeding, and they already seem much more active! Submerging the gathered materials to remove pests seemed to work pretty well and ive seen no signs of any harmful pests yet. edit: only downside ive noticed is a bit of mold growth, likely due to not giving the materials proper time to dry, so keep that in mind

[@themadaquarist]

That’s truly wonderful news! Thank you for sharing your success

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

It would be great if you could do a video focusing on these misconceptions and proper techniques in a less conversational form and more structured, like a list or something, bullet points. I know that would help out a lot of us.

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

Great video though. Learned something new.

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

Great video though. Learned something new.

[@davedunks4647]

he has a video from about 4 months ago on isopod substrate that is detailed

[@davedunks4647]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rn6sgIyKmLepb68

[@rwvisuals]

I love the part when the clown stormed through all of the springtails.

[@realmnatura]

Came in like a wrecking ball

[@steve-adams]

This was reassuring. I started a colony of dairy cows last week, and I based my culture around intuitions from my fish keeping. I seeded my aquariums with all kinds of local bacteria, bugs, and other critters from local aquatic systems, so I essentially did the same with the isopod culture. It's all just junk from the woods where I'd normally find isopods. So far they seem okay! I managed to acquire a slug and some local isopods accidentally, but they don't seem to be harming anything so far.

[@scottrivers8706]

HEY Mr Biggs! 😀

[@realmnatura]

Hello my UK friend

[@phillipsfishworks]

Yes this is the way!

[@realmnatura]

Thank you

[@ZuloYT]

i don't think people are so worried about bacteria or fungus on the leaves or wood, its more so for all the unwelcome guests you will get in your enclosures if you don't. Such as predatory mites, or other small pests that are hard to catch with the naked eye. other than that cool vid

[@chaoman122333]

He mentions submerging in water for 24 hours before using it, do you think that won't be enough?

[@votecharlieg]

@@chaoman122333 I'm also curious about this. I just did a revamp of my enclosures and went further toward the sterilization route, because my prior enclosures all got completely overrun with soil (i think) mites to the point they were exploding out the the boxes and I had to keep them stacked on a tray of diatomaceous earth to prevent them getting all over the house. The mites seemed to kill off my springtails and I could barely get any to survive after some point. So now I am focusing on making sure the springtails are well stocked and have 14 separate springtail cultures going to keep the supply available... will see how it goes. If it's successful after some time, I may try experimenting with introducing some non-sterilized forest products and will test the water submerged idea.

[@KLLDZR-se1qk]

Pests are also my main reason going the steril route

[@ACNArchAngel]

What an amazing video. Everyone in the isopod keeping hobby needs to see this, what a great bit of information. Love the new hair, btw. 😂

[@realmnatura]

That’s very kind thank you

[@barbhelle5481]

Thank you, great information. I have been doing it your way for awhile. Works great.

[@Ssj0rdan]

I absolutely love the moss hat/hair at the end lol

[@realmnatura]

lol thanks. Usually covered in mud or something anyways

[@gabrielhenning1620]

Really good video, as an invertebrate and reptile keeper i’m always trying to balance fashion and function, I like setting my animals up in nice large display enclosures, but the materials have to benefit the animals, it can be a hard balance to achieve but the animals needs have to come first!

[@realmnatura]

Well said!

[@matthewturnbull3070]

I’m so glad this is being suggested now, Iv been collected bark strips from downed trees with lichens & moss growing on them for years now & the only sterilising Iv done like you’ve suggested is submerging in water. Iv never had any issues.

[@jase123111]

I read that many isopods also feed on the bacteria, fungi and biofilm that covers rotting leaves and wood. If we boil them or cook them we are destroying this!

[@amyesworldcatherinesminime7945]

Nice hat. Thanks for this vid. After I baked my first few batches of leaves I was struck by the oddness of giving my isopods cooked food. I don't have many (or even big) enclosures so I decided I would rinse and check the leaves instead. I have plenty of stringy moss in the lawn - my P. scabers LOVE it.

[@smister3259]

Amazing video I don’t even own isopods I keep arachnids and centipedes but just listening to ur enthusiasm and knowledge is fascinating and would definitely love more videos like this style.

[@realmnatura]

So nice of you

[@OfTheChurchInTheWoods]

I put together my first enclosure last week using your methods! Thank you for these videos

[@realmnatura]

That is awesome! How did it turn out? Do you love it? was it a super fun build?

[@OfTheChurchInTheWoods]

It turned out so good!

[@marthanewsome6375]

All mine breed crazy in terrariums. No sterilizing anything ever. They live happily with small snails and millipedes. I collect branches with lots of bark and they munch on them. I add branches and leaf litter. But to deal with waste I use plants. I use false bottoms on them all. I found adding seiryu rock naturally helps them with calcium. They use the rock like a salt lick. My set ups are semi closed, but I live in the sub tropics. If you don't have suitable leaf litter, Indian Almond leaves is a great substitute too and break down slowly. Collect branches and bark that is well dried out and not green. I don't wash anything, just examine it well before I put it in. I missed a spider once and just removed it and put it back outside.

[@realmnatura]

Sounds like a great setup you have going!

[@mateuszsz8771]

This is how I set up all my terrariums, including pouring in some liquid compost tea and mycorrhiza starter to create a good base microbiome. I find that it makes the whole system more stable, resilient to changes and the flora thrives much faster in a new system. Sometimes you also get mushrooms, lichens and fern spores popping up like they would in nature. The more complex you make your system, the better it works. Of course sometimes you get some hitchhikers such as soil mites or nematodes but they also add to the complexity of the ecosystem by filling in the gaps in recycling biomass leftover by the isopods. If you want your critters to act as they would in nature, try to observe and recreate their natural habitat as closely as possible. Same goes for aquariums.

[@SanosukeSagara18]

Don't forget deserts! You can find isopods in deserts too. They don't have access to leaf litter unless it's from a tree we humans have planted and you might have a hard time finding any above ground unless it has recently rained. But they live and thrive here too!

[@pennyrockysmomma4445]

I live in SW Kansas and we are in an semi-arid to at time’s almost arid environment. I found isopods in my neighbors dry, scrub dirt yard, next to a shed and under five gallon buckets that probably hadn’t been moved in a couple years, and when I lifted the first bucket up, there were hundreds of isopods underneath the bucket, and hundreds of babies on the bottom side of the bucket. I have never seen so many in my 65 years. I scooped some of the babies, and was able to capture about ten huge adults, before they got under some old leaf litter, and put the bucket back. I moved the second bucket that was about four feet away, and there were as many if not more isopods, and some were so tiny I thought they were eggs, and some were so huge I was shocked! We had not had any rain for at least four months, but we had had the wettest spring in many many years. I’ve lived here over seven years, and just this summer i found five or six isopods under some bricks where my air conditioner dripped. I lived for 58 years in Iowa, and isopods, or roly polys were a part of my childhood and adult gardening. I know have two thriving colonies of my isopods, and have put some in two of my jumping spiders enclosures, my Tlilocatyl Albopilosum tarantula enclosure, and a wolf spider enclosure in a low moisture terrarium. I can’t use soul and leaf litter from outside, because of the chance of picking up fire ants. I did collect a lot of elm bark from downed tree limbs, and scalded it and baked it, and was able to crumble up a lot and mix in the potting mix I use. I feed fresh vegetables and fruit, and if I find a dubia moly, or deceased dubia or cricket, I toss in my isopods and they devour them. : Edit: I collected my isopods on a 78 degree F day in mid October.

[@siyg]

Same here guys. I live kind of on the edge of a desert but it’s still dry, dead bushes for miles and miles. I’ve found isopods in my front yard (there’s trees there and lots of leaf litter) but still very dry under the leaf litter. It’s surprising how dry it can get and the isopods are still alive.

[@jeffer2350]

I've had tarantulas for a while and experimented with use of springtails for clean-up. I recently bought some armadillidium gestroi for my first fully bio-active isopod only terrarium and am loving it. Your videos are great and have helped me a lot.

[@realmnatura]

I’m truly honoured my friend

[@adrianrainbow4106]

Awesome technique for 'sanitising' leaf litter. It's very similar to a technique used for reclaiming cannabis colas, that have gotten moldy. Submerging them kills off the fungus, but leaves the trichomes untouched. As a bonus byproduct, the soaking also removes any tannings, and makes the 'erb, really smooth to smoke.

[@bolezy9070]

Love the hat!!

[@realmnatura]

lol it’s a combover

[@tristan-ec6hz]

such a great hat you found, you look fantastic

[@realmnatura]

Why thank you, no sunburn for me

[@JarMaster]

I think a big point to be made depending to the species to is that most people keep isopods inside thus the temperature variable changes how they would naturaly act through temp changes.

[@realmnatura]

European species definitely however all the cubaris, Merulanella types are all fairly equatorial

[@JarMaster]

@@realmnatura I agree, but the temperature variation between day and night is still greater than inside. Thats why i think its important to have your terrarium either by a window or near a crossbreeze.

[@ChantalsCritters]

Great video as always.

[@realmnatura]

Thank you, how was the expo this weekend?

[@ChantalsCritters]

@@realmnatura it was great. Busy for the size. Thanks for asking.

[@nishi1870]

AS A VERTEBRATE, i approve of this message

[@realmnatura]

Lol

[@horsehorsemen87]

Ive been using cork like a fool!

[@realmnatura]

I started the same way

[@ryneboi]

Excellent video, the hobby needs to realize that these are dirt lovin detritivores not sterile lab animals

[@realmnatura]

Thank you, very true. If most of them weren’t so incredibly resilient I doubt the hobby would be alive

[@ThatJourney]

I just created my first isopod container this morning. All items were naturally harvested. Boiling/baking leaves and bark seems insane lol

[@echoesvayne9790]

try rinsing baking rinsing and baking play sand for my hamster baths lol

[@realmnatura]

Lol

[@realmnatura]

We’ve learned so Much in such a short time

[@siyg]

Great video! It’s obvious that you take a lot of time to learn how to best keep isopods through research and trial and error. Lots of people just follow strict care sheets and how people have been keeping isopods for years even if it’s not the best. Some comments: 4:05 The main reason I and lots of other people use cork bark instead of decomposing wood/bark is because cork bark takes forever to decompose and isopods eat it extremely slowly. Cork bark is used as a hide that you only have to replace every few years. 4:17 Could you clarify on the benefits of naturally harvested live moss over sphagnum moss? I generally use sphagnum moss to retain moisture, I find that it retains moisture very well and isopods eat the sphagnum moss (although somewhat slowly, especially if there is lots of other nutrients in the enclosure). I do sometimes feed live moss (especially to Armadillidiums) which I harvest from some of my moss cultivation bins and it’s eaten up extremely quickly. 3:00 What isopod is this? I’m guess maculatum but I’ve never seen these shades of yellow before. 6:30 Good look with your Merulanellas! I’ve heard of very experienced keepers having lots of crashes with these guys and struggling to keep them long term. Looks like they’re coming back to me! 8:00 I’m loving this conversational format! 11:50 Excellent advice! I do like to keep the leaves underwater for more than 24 hours, usually for a few days or even over a week. The leaves get slimy and smelly, film starts forming, etc. Isopods love this stuff. 14:50 cool hat

[@melbapeach162]

This was really validating to me, you basically took all the 'controversial' things I do with my pods and said "yes, this is okay, you're doing the right thing" 🥲

[@realmnatura]

Well that’s wonderful news! Thank you

[@TheSeptemberRose]

Now I don't feel like such a weirdo for gathering rotting wood and moss in the woods near my home.

[@themadaquarist]

Still may very well be but as long as you don’t feel like one then that’s good, lol

[@clairew1987]

This is fascinating for me…I would love to not have to worry about sterilising everything! Ironically I have fungus gnats and soil mites (and whatever else) in my enclosure anyway…would you soak the bark in the same way as the leaves? I collected some dry rotting white wood the other day but chicken out using it because it was stuffed full of some creatures eggs…would soaking for 24 hours kill the eggs? Thank you! Great video and beautiful isopods! The moss hairdo is very fetching too haha x

[@Evelighte]

amazing video though there is always a risk when introducing outside/wild sources into captive bred species’ environment. And some people don’t live in areas that have these materials outside. For me, I live in a desert that has limited fauna and most fauna is adapted for dry and arid environments, so if i tried putting in fauna from outside into my enclosures, there would be problems not only due to the fact that the fauna would probably not thrive, but also the many opportunities for pathogenic organisms to be introduced into my home and other animals. Valley fever is common where I live for one example, and i have a dog and a few reptiles, i can’t risk anything like that. However, for people that live in more tropical or abundant environments, it is not a bad thing to sterilize or simply clean your materials. I’m not advising anyone to do anything, but in a scientific standpoint, captive bred species are generally less adapted to wild-type organisms and other pathogens that your colonies might not have the immunity or strength to fight. While it is good that many have success in creating wild environments for their isopods/inverts, there is always a risk when bringing stuff from outside, not just for the isopods, but for the rest of your house too.

[@KokomoJuggalo]

Do you have any tips for keeping those tiny mold gnats away? That's the only issue I'm currently having.

[@realmnatura]

@@KokomoJuggalo yes very easy. Local hardware, home store or Amazon will carry mosquito dunks. Completely natural and harmless to your pods

[@ChrisChurch161]

That’s how you get “springtail” size tree ants that you will not see until it’s to late. I still have the ants in a fishbowl they don’t climb. Ruined a whole colony’s worth of substrate.

[@redsoulheart5040]

I have read that bringing bark/leaf litter from outside can lead to diseases within the colony. I got a new colony of Clown isopods (just got em today) how do I prevent such diseases/mold growths etc, I'm worried that if I introduce things from the outside enviroment, especually decaying materials like wood our leaves without properly sanitizing them that it'll cause disease and my isopods will die.

[@KitchouaTembo]

That's also my worry. I got some Porcellio scaber from my backyard and I don't mind putting any random shit in there since they are from the same environment, but living in Canada, the Armadilidium maculatum I have don't even come from the same continent and I can easily see diseases destroying them, predators doing their work or other organisms outcompeting them. These are my first colonies, I would rather not risk their lives by doing this. My plan for now, in case that helps you, is to provide all my colonies with stuff I gather outside but still bake it. Then, if one of them gets big enough that I need to create a second habitat (like the dairycows I just got), I'll experiment with that new box. I'd rather not kill them of course, but if something happens I'll be a little bit less sad since it would be an offshoot of the main colony. All this to say, I totally understand your worries, I have the same. I understand the dude's point, but that seems like advices I'd take once I know what I'm doing and I know what threats look like. I figure he knows what to lookout for, but you and I don't and we can make some critical errors that an experienced breeder would have not made.

[@carissahensley4476]

How do you dry the leaves after soaking prior to adding to vivarium? I have been collecting from the woods for years but have moisture issues with my pods that need dryer environments so bake them. Would like to skip that step.

[@jase123111]

I dried mine on a back tray out in the sun.

[@Spacebaby420x]

3:06 what type are these ones?

[@kyrstylarson7148]

Tehee he said do do

[@themadaquarist]

Lol😂

[@miniscenesgb]

[@marthanewsome6375]

Yes and No. Depends on how much you feed them and what. They breed more when you feed them more. I feed mine bug bite tropical fish flakes and bee pollen once every 2 weeks. Just a teaspoon and the population stays pretting stable. But when you first start with a few, you need to feed more often to get them to kick off their breeding to populate their terrarium. (Mine are all in highly planted terrarium enclosures with false bottoms.) I also replant regularly to make sure the plants are taking care of the waste.

[@miniscenesgb]

@@marthanewsome6375 sounds like I have this right then. It's a gorgeously planted terrarium with loads of places for them to burrow and hide, lots of leaf litter and a deep drainage layer. and yes fish food Thanks so much

[@smexygecko9053]

anyone kno the species at 3:26 ? they r so pretty

[@themadaquarist]

Yes Sir, Armadillidium badium 'Castledaccia'

[@jase123111]

A lot of the things marketed for isopods and other pets are rubbish.. Just there to make someone money.