# Pillbugs: cultivating and feeding.



## shockingelk (May 14, 2008)

These are some sort of "isopod"? There seems tio be more than one species - or one of the sexes is colored a bit.










Do I cultivate them more like crickets or more like springtails?

Can I just throw them in a terrarium with sphagnum and leaf litter and let them cultivate themselves? 

Will sub-adult auratus eat them?


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## Frognut (Jan 31, 2005)

the dwarf isopods are better for a viv, My thumbs will eat adults! I have cultivated the larger species as well. they do best in a course substrate with lots of leaf litter that decomposes quickly, as well as rotting fruit and mushrooms. the larger isopods will eat their young if not enough food is present. I have not observed this in my dwarfs, as size may be an issue? not seen? 

Hope this helps


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## shockingelk (May 14, 2008)

Here's a thumbnail sketch good enough for a starting point: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alan.cann/ ... dlice.html


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

Frognut said:


> the dwarf isopods are better for a viv, My thumbs will eat adults! I have cultivated the larger species as well. they do best in a course substrate with lots of leaf litter that decomposes quickly, as well as rotting fruit and mushrooms. the larger isopods will eat their young if not enough food is present. I have not observed this in my dwarfs, as size may be an issue? not seen?
> 
> Hope this helps


Yes.
The larger pill bugs "roly poly" will do ok in a viv, but are really limited as far as a feeder goes, I think I heard they taste good in chowder :wink: . A word of caution on the larger ones as well, they will eat tender plants, especially jewel orchids.
Erik, I can set you up with a starter of dwarf whites when you pick up you're auratus.
The best substrate for me seems to be layers of coconut fiber mat, and wet cardboard...they really like the wet cardboard. They may take a couple of months to get going, but are good producers once they do...you can also just throw them in the viv, and should be able to find places to thrive and reproduce, so long as you don't offer them like a meal to you're auratus.


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## shockingelk (May 14, 2008)

Dancing frogs said:


> A word of caution on the larger ones as well, they will eat tender plants, especially jewel orchids.


I put them in a Glad container with a wet sponge and stuff I dug out of the trash from the human dinner. The carrots were quite a popular item with them and now that you mention this, I realize I should have made the connection that a carrot root would not be too different for them than ones I want in the viv.



Dancing frogs said:


> Erik, I can set you up with a starter of dwarf whites when you pick up you're auratus.


Awesome! PMed you immediately before reading this. Thanks Brian !


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## Roadrunner (Mar 6, 2004)

Looks to me as those are all rough woodlice, not roly poloies or pillbugs, which come from a different microhabitat. Rough woodlice will not roll into a ball and they live in wetter environments than pillbugs. Rough woodlice like carrots, potatoes and the like and don`t do well on mushrooms or yeast. They throw tons of offspring which will be consumed readily by most frogs and adults are too big to be eaten. 
There are about 5-6 common, larger woodlice in the U.S. and they prefer different microhabitats and food items and culture different, i suspect. Some live on beaches, some streamside, some in the forests and some can manage across the board. The only place I`ve found more than 2 types in the same envirnment is here in the swamp. I usually find the greatest diversity in convergence zones along streams and swamps into upland forested areas. I`ve only tried about 5-6 and only 3 I have had good success w/ culturing outside the tank. 
The pygmy reds prefer bannana and live streamside or really wet environments. The dwarf striped seem to like it moist but can handle dryer conditions and will eat carrots, yeast, etc. The rough woodlice described above and the rollie pollies, pillbugs or armadilaria prefer it dryer and eat carrots, potatoe, etc.
Know what you have. It`s always best to culture them first before throwing wild bugs into your tank.


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