# Best isopods for D. auratus?



## adamm (Dec 29, 2016)

Silly question here. I'm looking into getting some auratus in the next month or two at either the Baltimore Repticon or the Hamburg show. My vivarium has been set up for about 3 months now and is seeded with a healthy and growing population of springtails, but I'd also like to add some bigger isopods in the near future while I continue tweaking and refining the tank. Does anyone have any tips for the best species to consider to match with auratus? Not sure what morph yet, but I'm assuming that wouldn't matter much for this question. 

I like the idea of isopods that look interesting for the times that they might be out and visible but that will also serve as an alternate food source for the frogs. Thanks for any tips.


----------



## cam1941 (Jan 16, 2014)

If you are looking for isopods that will be out and about and add a lot of interest than you should go with zebra isopods.

In the tank I have then in there are at least 3 visible at all times. I honestly have been seeing them more than the frogs and they are probably the coolest looking isopod.

The only cons I can think of are that fact that they aren't incredibly fast producers. So you need to keep a culture and not just dump them in the tank. Also wait till that culture is booming before putting them in harms way. 

They really do add so much to the tank I have them in.

Good luck


----------



## adamm (Dec 29, 2016)

cam1941 said:


> If you are looking for isopods that will be out and about and add a lot of interest than you should go with zebra isopods.
> 
> In the tank I have then in there are at least 3 visible at all times. I honestly have been seeing them more than the frogs and they are probably the coolest looking isopod.
> 
> ...


They look really cool - I definitely think I'll go for them. Are they often available at reptile shows, or is it a safer bet to order them online? I did some browsing and it appears they're out of stock at many (but not all) of the online retailers I can find, so maybe they're a bit of a hot commodity in the isopod world?


----------



## cam1941 (Jan 16, 2014)

They are definitely more rare, probably partly because it takes a while to get them going. 3 months give or take in my case. 

I found out how cool they are in vivs on my own. I've never seen it discussed that they are out and about during the day in vivs. Most other types of isopods are usually hidden with the occasional run thru.

Also you can use them along with dwarf white iso's as they are more likely to remain in you substrate and keep things healthy deep within it.



adamm said:


> They look really cool - I definitely think I'll go for them. Are they often available at reptile shows, or is it a safer bet to order them online? I did some browsing and it appears they're out of stock at many (but not all) of the online retailers I can find, so maybe they're a bit of a hot commodity in the isopod world?


----------



## Zeroxstaticlife (Mar 8, 2017)

Thanks very useful information here. I was searching for an answer just like this.


----------



## doclizard (May 6, 2012)

I've seeded my tank with dwarf white isos and springtails (and have colonies going for both), does anyone mix species of isopods?


----------



## cam1941 (Jan 16, 2014)

My first tank had powder blue, orange, dwarf white, purple and giant canyon isopods. 

The giant canyon out competed everything but the dwarf whites. (side note: the dwarf whites out competed the purple. same niche) I would do a mix again but just remember that nature is nature and you may not like the end result.

Now I'm picky about what I seed my tanks with in the first place.

Giant canyons are prolific beasts. If you want an indestructible borderline pest species Giant canyons are a great go to. 

I have so many I use them as one of the feeders for my lizards. They can't eat them fast enough and they are naturally high in calcium.


----------



## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

I kept dwarf whites and dwarf purples together in many vivs. I'm going to say over 20. I never had any problems with one out-competing the other. 

Now in a culture, that's a different story. In a mixed culture, one type wins out in the end.
In a well put together viv, particularly one with a calcium bearing clay substrate with a good thick layer of leaf litter, there can be room for several types of microfauna to get along together for years.


----------



## cam1941 (Jan 16, 2014)

Makes sense, I just don't see them I guess. Honestly never did, they blend in so well and I don't dig around in the vivs particularly because I have calcium clay substrate. 

Dwarf whites show themselves much more in my experience. 

Same with my amphipods, I know they are there if I dump out my isopods traps with water they'll hop around. Otherwise they are ghosts.





Pumilo said:


> I kept dwarf whites and dwarf purples together in many vivs. I'm going to say over 20. I never had any problems with one out-competing the other.
> 
> Now in a culture, that's a different story. In a mixed culture, one type wins out in the end.
> In a well put together viv, particularly one with a calcium bearing clay substrate with a good thick layer of leaf litter, there can be room for several types of microfauna to get along together for years.


----------



## adamm (Dec 29, 2016)

cam1941 said:


> They are definitely more rare, probably partly because it takes a while to get them going. 3 months give or take in my case.
> 
> I found out how cool they are in vivs on my own. I've never seen it discussed that they are out and about during the day in vivs. Most other types of isopods are usually hidden with the occasional run thru.
> 
> Also you can use them along with dwarf white iso's as they are more likely to remain in you substrate and keep things healthy deep within it.


I got my zebra isopods today! Thanks again for the suggestion - I can't believe how cute they are. I definitely did not expect to have that reaction when I actually saw them. I love to garden and I come across a lot of isopods in general, which I feel pretty neutral about... but these are really awesome.


----------



## cap7 (Dec 4, 2016)

I love my Zebra Isopods, very slow but steady to get going. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

