Any of you using isopods in your terrariums?

[Jenniferinfl]

The local pet shop happened to have some isopods, so I picked some up for the fun of it. I don't have a tarantulas big enough to justify them yet, but, thought I could get a culture going anyways.

Unfortunately, I did just sort of buy them on a whim and I bought these cute little powder orange ones. Unfortunately, I've been told that this species is a bit protein hungry and not safe to have in with a molting T. At least I checked before adding them to any enclosures, so these will just be pets I guess.. lol

Anyone use another species longterm without issue? Obviously, they aren't appropriate for every terrarium, but, thought they'd be fun in any moisture dependent enclosures.

 

[octanejunkie]

In order for isopods to be successful you need the conditions that they require, usually a bioactive enclosure with decaying organic matter like leaves and wood and boluses and uneaten prey.

I have spring tails and isopods in all of my bioactive enclosures and so far all species have peacefully coexisted, but that's usually because I established the bioactive environment and the custodian species before adding the display animal. So I know the conditions are right for the custodians.

I don't know that I would consider springtails and isopods a risk to a molting tarantula if they are in an environment that is conducive to their needs.

Why don't you go ahead and start an enclosure specifically for your isopods and don't worry about adding them to a tarantula enclosure. There are many hobbies that just collect isopods

 

[Jenniferinfl]

In order for isopods to be successful you need the conditions that they require, usually a bioactive enclosure with decaying organic matter like leaves and wood and boluses and uneaten prey.

I have spring tails and isopods in all of my bioactive enclosures and so far all species have peacefully coexisted, but that's usually because I established the bioactive environment and the custodian species before adding the display animal. So I know the conditions are right for the custodians.

I don't know that I would consider springtails and isopods a risk to a molting tarantula if they are in an environment that is conducive to their needs.

Why don't you go ahead and start an enclosure specifically for your isopods and don't worry about adding them to a tarantula enclosure. There are many hobbies that just collect isopods

Oh yeah, the ones I bought will just be pets. I set them up in their own enclosure right away, they were going to be a starter culture if they were the right kind. They are definitely the wrong species to go in with tarantulas, already found that out with a bit of reading. I don't particularly mind, I doubt they'll be my last isopods anyways. I'd love to get some rubber duckie isopods, but, going to wait and see if these guys continue to reproduce and so on before making that leap.

For what it's worth, I kept planted aquariums for a long time. Comparatively speaking, bioactive tarantula enclosures seem a lot easier, but we'll see. I have temperate and tropical springtail cultures going, but, won't be using them until I'm actually using my adult size enclosures. I kept all my led growlights when I got out of fish, they're on the basic side, but, if they'll grow submerged plants they'll grow regular plants even better. I have a bunch of terrarium plant cuttings already going, something like 10 kinds of pothos and some interesting small ferns and so on. As soon as my cuttings are rooted enough, I'll setup my adult enclosures so the plants can grow into the enclosure before I add the tarantula. That's when I'd setup isopods and springtails, provided I've bought the right isopods by then.

 

[organgrinder79]

Yes I use springtails and wood lice they clean up the boluses nice

 

[octanejunkie]

Yes I use springtails and wood lice they clean up the boluses nice

Wood lice is a colloquialism for isopods, pill bugs, rollie pollies, etc = samsies

 

[octanejunkie]

They are definitely the wrong species to go in with tarantulas, already found that out with a bit of reading.

Wrong species? What did you read that suggested that?

Oh yeah, the ones I bought will just be pets. I set them up in their own enclosure right away, they were going to be a starter culture if they were the right kind. They are definitely the wrong species to go in with tarantulas, already found that out with a bit of reading. I don't particularly mind, I doubt they'll be my last isopods anyways. I'd love to get some rubber duckie isopods, but, going to wait and see if these guys continue to reproduce and so on before making that leap.

For what it's worth, I kept planted aquariums for a long time. Comparatively speaking, bioactive tarantula enclosures seem a lot easier, but we'll see. I have temperate and tropical springtail cultures going, but, won't be using them until I'm actually using my adult size enclosures. I kept all my led growlights when I got out of fish, they're on the basic side, but, if they'll grow submerged plants they'll grow regular plants even better. I have a bunch of terrarium plant cuttings already going, something like 10 kinds of pothos and some interesting small ferns and so on. As soon as my cuttings are rooted enough, I'll setup my adult enclosures so the plants can grow into the enclosure before I add the tarantula. That's when I'd setup isopods and springtails, provided I've bought the right isopods by then.

I, too, come from a planted aquarium background, now I just keep one riparium with both emersed and emerged, bog plants, Endler's guppies and Amano shrimp.

Pothos, pilea, spats, ferms, etc will all do well in bioactive tarantula terraria with finnex or similar spectrum lighting on a timer or even just indirect sun/ room light - think house plant.

 

[Jenniferinfl]

I found it here, but, warning, it's gross.. lol

(GRAPHIC CONTENT) Hungry bioactive cleaner crew: P. Scaber "Giant Orange" aggressive protein seekers!

A friend of mine, big in to Bio active substrates, seeded his substrate with these marvels (P. Scaber "Giant Orange"). They eat everything but absolutely love Protein! Pinky Rat after 24 hours. Pinky Rat after 48 hours! Wow, amazing! I wonder how dangerous they could be to our Chameleons...

www.chameleonforums.com

Your riparium sounds awesome, I love endlers and shrimp. I had wild-type bettas and licorice gouramis. Unfortunately, we had an extended power outage due to a hurricane and the water fluctuated too much because it was 90 degrees in the house, I lost the parent gourami's and a bunch of babies. I rehomed the bettas after that because they were still uncommon in the hobby and it didn't feel right to keep them. We're out sort of at the outskirts, so when our power gets knocked out for a storm it's often off for weeks before they get to us. That's why I don't have reptiles anymore either, just way to much struggle to keep conditions decent when the power is out. We may end up putting in a real generator when we do our house remodel, then I'd feel comfortable trying fish again.

Yeah, I'm sticking to plants that are low light or 'indirect' light, that way I don't have to run the lights that long.

 

[octanejunkie]

I found it here, but, warning, it's gross.. lol

(GRAPHIC CONTENT) Hungry bioactive cleaner crew: P. Scaber "Giant Orange" aggressive protein seekers!

A friend of mine, big in to Bio active substrates, seeded his substrate with these marvels (P. Scaber "Giant Orange"). They eat everything but absolutely love Protein! Pinky Rat after 24 hours. Pinky Rat after 48 hours! Wow, amazing! I wonder how dangerous they could be to our Chameleons...

www.chameleonforums.com

There are many species of woodlice in the Porcellionides genus that are typically considered as compatible with tarantulas and are mentioned in the Tarantula Keepers Guide, p.182. Do your research.

I use Procellio pruinosus in addition to springtails in my bioactive enclosures adult tarantula. No problems so far.

 

[organgrinder79]

Wood lice is a colloquialism for isopods, pill bugs, rollie pollies, etc = samsies

So is this bad lol I’m a truck driver so these big words lol

 

[octanejunkie]

So is this bad lol I’m a truck driver so these big words lol

Nope, they are all just different names for the same things; isopods.

 

[MBullock]

def dont add any porcellio or oniscus- those are pretty vicious lol

 

[Jenniferinfl]

So is this bad lol I’m a truck driver so these big words lol

Nah, the only big words that are really important in tarantula keeping are the Latin names.

Other than that, you can get by on regular words just fine. My spouse tries to get by just using the common names for tarantulas, but, there are so many really similar names that he gets lost pretty soon, plus, once you know the Latin names, you know a lot about a tarantula just from that first part of the name. I was initially resistant to using the Latin names because I come from a particularly anti-intellectual area and I got harassed for big words when I was a kid, so, been careful not to sound too smart around here... lol But, it's harder to keep track of the common names than the Latin names, so just makes sense.

I worked in a library for many years and you'd be surprised how many truck drivers consume a ton of audiobooks, especially the long haul drivers. We had a guy who came in once a month when he was back in town and checked out rolling luggage full of audiobooks.. lol

 

[m0lsx]

So is this bad lol I’m a truck driver so these big words lol

I worked in a library for many years and you'd be surprised how many truck drivers consume a ton of audiobooks, especially the long haul drivers. We had a guy who came in once a month when he was back in town and checked out rolling luggage full of audiobooks.. lol

I drove trucks for years & found audiobooks were popular among a lot of the drivers over here too, as was Radio 4.

 

[Vermis]

it's harder to keep track of the common names than the Latin names, so just makes sense.

I see it a bit like the dinosaur names most people learned when they were young, but with fewer 'sauruses' and more 'pelmas'. (Everyone knows dinosaurs by their scientific names! The closest thing to a common name among dinosaur species is the insistence on calling Tyrannosaurus rex 'Teerex'.) And what's more difficult, Lasiodora parahybana and Pterinochilus murinus, or Opisthocoelicaudia skarzynskii and Thanatotheristes degrootorum?

Anyhoo, yes, I agree. It does get easier, more certain, and even a bit more informative, when you make an effort with scientific names. There are a lot of times when I look at a common name and think "Amazon... giant... pink hair... huh? Wha?", followed by "Oh, it's some form of Grammostola."

 

[Jenniferinfl]

I see it a bit like the dinosaur names most people learned when they were young, but with fewer 'sauruses' and more 'pelmas'. (Everyone knows dinosaurs by their scientific names! The closest thing to a common name among dinosaur species is the insistence on calling Tyrannosaurus rex 'Teerex'.) And what's more difficult, Lasiodora parahybana and Pterinochilus murinus, or Opisthocoelicaudia skarzynskii and Thanatotheristes degrootorum?

Anyhoo, yes, I agree. It does get easier, more certain, and even a bit more informative, when you make an effort with scientific names. There are a lot of times when I look at a common name and think "Amazon... giant... pink hair... huh? Wha?", followed by "Oh, it's some form of Grammostola."

Yeah, exactly.. The worst thing is there's a lot of similar common names.

We were at a shop and they had a Panama Blonde and my spouse was immediately like, oh, they have one of your favorites because he thought they meant Nhandu tripepii when they actually meant Psalmopoeus pulcher. Pretty different enclosure needs though.. lol Then they had an Arizona Blonde and he was again confused.. lol

Though, I do sort of think all blondes confuse him.. lol

 

[organgrinder79]

Nah, the only big words that are really important in tarantula keeping are the Latin names.

Other than that, you can get by on regular words just fine. My spouse tries to get by just using the common names for tarantulas, but, there are so many really similar names that he gets lost pretty soon, plus, once you know the Latin names, you know a lot about a tarantula just from that first part of the name. I was initially resistant to using the Latin names because I come from a particularly anti-intellectual area and I got harassed for big words when I was a kid, so, been careful not to sound too smart around here... lol But, it's harder to keep track of the common names than the Latin names, so just makes sense.

I worked in a library for many years and you'd be surprised how many truck drivers consume a ton of audiobooks, especially the long haul drivers. We had a guy who came in once a month when he was back in town and checked out rolling luggage full of audiobooks.. lol

Yes I love audiable passes the time especially New York to California

 

[organgrinder79]

Yeah, exactly.. The worst thing is there's a lot of similar common names.

We were at a shop and they had a Panama Blonde and my spouse was immediately like, oh, they have one of your favorites because he thought they meant Nhandu tripepii when they actually meant Psalmopoeus pulcher. Pretty different enclosure needs though.. lol Then they had an Arizona Blonde and he was again confused.. lol

Though, I do sort of think all blondes confuse him.. lol

I label all my enclosures so don’t take long to remember the Latin

 

[organgrinder79]

Nope, they are all just different names for the same things; isopods.

Ok good I was like oh no !!! Lol

 

[neogold]

There are many species of woodlice in the Porcellionides genus that are typically considered as compatible with tarantulas and are mentioned in the Tarantula Keepers Guide, p.182. Do your research.

I use Procellio pruinosus in addition to springtails in my bioactive enclosures adult tarantula. No problems so far.

Happened to listen to one of Tom Moran's podcasts today talking about the (potential) risks of isopods.
If you're interested it was the March 24th 2019 issue (and the one after that comes back on the topic somewhat) - I'm listening to all of them in sequence when I walk my dog). His advice (at least my interpretation ) is to be careful when using them except for semi arboreal and arboreal) as the isopods do not climb too much.

 

[Jenniferinfl]

Happened to listen to one of Tom Moran's podcasts today talking about the (potential) risks of isopods.
If you're interested it was the March 24th 2019 issue (and the one after that comes back on the topic somewhat) - I'm listening to all of them in sequence when I walk my dog). His advice (at least my interpretation ) is to be careful when using them except for semi arboreal and arboreal) as the isopods do not climb too much.

Yeah, I'm going to skip isopods in my tanks for now. I really like them on their own, so I'll just enjoy them as they are without bothering to add them to enclosures. I'm going to stick with just springtails for now. My tarantulas are all a bit too small to add isopods and it seems like they would be really hard to get rid of short of dumping the whole enclosure and starting over. I might change my mind on them later, but, I'm just getting back into the hobby and don't want to overcomplicate it.