# Isopod eating blood worms



## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

My isopods do ok but not great. I was thinking about what I could do improve my cultures. Seems like I read somewhere (was it Pumilo?) about them eating each other (the dead?) and maybe needing protein.

So I have this, almost full, container of blood worms for my one little tad. I sprinkled some in with my lone Tan Isopod (he's more of a pet than a culture at this point  ). 

Once, when I put fish flakes in with him, he ran over to the fish flakes and picked one up and carried it off while holding it vertically in front of him. Neither here nor there, I just thought it was interesting to watch. 

Anyway, I put some blood worms in his container, while he was chomping away on fish flakes. He dropped his fish flakes and sprinted over to the blood worms. He picked up one end of a worm and went to work.

I'm going to make sure to add protein to my bug cultures. 

Here are some pics.


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## Arpeggio (Jan 15, 2011)

What kind of isos are those? They look like the ones around here.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

He's what's left of my Tan Isos. I got them here: Other feeders

I think I have some young ones in another container. I've got my fingers crossed that they are and I'll get another culture of them going.


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## Arpeggio (Jan 15, 2011)

Ooooh sweet! How big are they? Do your darts eat them or what do you use them for?
sorry for the dumb questions.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Heh, I don't mind questions. He's pretty big, as far as feeders go. It's the babies that the frogs like. Maybe a terribillis would eat him. Here's a pic of him on my finger with a penny for size reference.


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## Arpeggio (Jan 15, 2011)

Oh I see. Thanks. 

That's really cool I think I may start a culture now.
How do you do your cultures?


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

I've tried them lots of different ways; dirt, paper, dirt and paper mixed with clay. Now I have them in orchid bark, oak leaves, sphagnum moss. 

Sometimes I put cardboard on top. Not much any more though. Now I put broken up peat pots (like you start seedlings in) and lay those on top. They really seem to like it. 

They need to be damp but not too wet. I really like isos.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Here's the thread that got me started on them: http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/46452-how-i-culture-woodlice-isopods.html


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## Arpeggio (Jan 15, 2011)

Do you use a solid lid, so its completely closed, or do you keep it ventilated like an FF culture?


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

I keep them in plastic containers with a solid lid. Like a food container. This is to help keep the mites out. I also throw in some veggies. 

Oh, one good reason to keep isopods is that they are great at keeping your frog tank clean, while providing babies for frog snacks.


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## Arpeggio (Jan 15, 2011)

How visible are they in the viv? Do they come out much?


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

They are nocturnal, so you don't see them much. Every now and then I see one crawl across a leaf or a piece of wood and then dive back into the substrate.


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

They are high in calcium also.


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## Arpeggio (Jan 15, 2011)

Thanks FrogFace, yet again. 

and oddlot


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Depending on the level of calcium in the cuticle of the isopods, they can have a high demand for calcium for thier growth. Shed skins or molts are eaten (often aggressively) as a ready source of the minerals needed for the cuticle. Many of the set-ups for culturing these invertebrates do not provide a lot of calcium so the isopods tend to be efficient at scavenging it (which is also why at night you can find them feeding on spilled supplements in seeded enclosures). Many flake foods contain readily metabolizable levels of calcium so it isn't odd that the isopod would seek to consume it. I tend to be careful about using foods like those in the cultures as they can result in massive mite outbreaks. 

Ed


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Thanks Ed. Any opinion on the dried blood worms? What about tossing in a little RepCal?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

frogface said:


> Thanks Ed. Any opinion on the dried blood worms? What about tossing in a little RepCal?


They'll eat virtually anything.. If you want to add a small amount that should be okay.. I'm just not sure of thier tolerance to D3.


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## packer43064 (Nov 30, 2010)

Ed said:


> Depending on the level of calcium in the cuticle of the isopods, they can have a high demand for calcium for thier growth. Shed skins or molts are eaten (often aggressively) as a ready source of the minerals needed for the cuticle. Many of the set-ups for culturing these invertebrates do not provide a lot of calcium so the isopods tend to be efficient at scavenging it (which is also why at night you can find them feeding on spilled supplements in seeded enclosures). Many flake foods contain readily metabolizable levels of calcium so it isn't odd that the isopod would seek to consume it. I tend to be careful about using foods like those in the cultures as they can result in massive mite outbreaks.
> 
> Ed


What do you suggest to stop mites from invading cultures? I've been using cucumbers, carrots, and mushrooms and other veggies around the house. They seem to love it and within a few days their almost gone.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Hey Frogface, that was me that noted that I have seen the giant oranges and the dwarf whites eating their dead. After noting that and also reading MarkBudde's thread, http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/46452-how-i-culture-woodlice-isopods.html , I have begun using a very high quality dog food for some extra protein. So far I'm having great results.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

packer43064 said:


> What do you suggest to stop mites from invading cultures? I've been using cucumbers, carrots, and mushrooms and other veggies around the house. They seem to love it and within a few days their almost gone.


Try to keep the amount of food to what the isopods can readily eat in a few days. Try to keep the isopod cultures away from the enclosures as this helps keep detrivore mites out of the cultures. Some isopods will eat mites but a real outbreak due to too much food can cause issues. 

Ed


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Pumilo said:


> Hey Frogface, that was me that noted that I have seen the giant oranges and the dwarf whites eating their dead. After noting that and also reading MarkBudde's thread, http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/46452-how-i-culture-woodlice-isopods.html , I have begun using a very high quality dog food for some extra protein. So far I'm having great results.


The dog food is also additional source of calcium and other minerals needed for the cuticle...


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