# Taking isopods to the next level



## dan d (Aug 9, 2008)

I am having success raising dwarf white isopods in my bug cabinet (a cabinet I maintain between 78-80 degrees) I don't have the harvesting issues I see posted. Cardboard with yeast sprinkled on top seems to attract & hold them there. 

Fruitflies have always been a challenge / pain in the backside for me. I can grow them but have my struggles with mites & crashes. 

I only have a pair of azureus who love the dwarf whites, I think I can easily keep them feed out of my 3 cultures. Now for my question.

Does anyone dust isopods ? I have a feeling the dry dust on a moisture loving insect would quickly kill them, maybe I'm wrong, I would love to be able to dust & feed isopods. 

Another thing I am wondering is about bug burger, it sounds like this is a gut loading food ? It's sounds like isopods love it, so if I feed only bug burger on my cardboard pieces & then place the isopod covered cardboard pieces into my frog tank my two frogs would get their vitamins from the gut loaded isopods ?

Just curious how to take isopods to the next level as my primary food source.
Thanks,
Dan


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## radiata (Jul 24, 2010)

Dan,

Sorry for not being able to quote a source, but I've read that isos breathe through some vent holes on their sides, and that dusting will clog the holes and kill the isos. You may wish to test this further...

The Bug Burger question is interesting, but I doubt that any studies have been done that quantify the benefits of any one iso gut-load food over any other.

Regards,
Bob


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

You can dust Isopods. 

Bug burger is great stuff and will definitely provide a very nutritious food source for your bugs.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

I would really recommend getting a hang of the fruit fly culturing. While it might seem like you have enough isos now, they reproduce at a small fraction of the speed that FFs do, so you might find yourself with not enough food. What issues have you been having with the FFs?

Be it iso or FF, you HAVE to dust your frog's food (most forum members would recommend repashy calcium plus), otherwise your frogs won't be getting the right dietary supplementation, which will cause them health problems. I wouldn't worry too much about the dust blocking their air -- they only need to be moving long enough for the frogs to eat them!

Bug burger will not replace the need to dust the bugs. It might make them slightly more nutritious, but you'll still have to dust.


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## dan d (Aug 9, 2008)

I have the "hang" of raising fruit flies, I have been raising them for 7+ years now.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

Sorry I misunderstood -- I thought you were struggling with mites and crashes


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