# moving isopods



## ColleenT (Aug 21, 2014)

i was not sure where to put this Q- if it is in the wrong area, i won't mind if it gets moved. 

i have a Q about isopods. i am getting more but i don't really want to add the entire contents of substrate into my viv. is there another way to get them out of the substrate they come in and into the viv? And also when i want to add more into the viv, from another container, same Q applies. i know with Springtails you can flood them and grab the floaters. Not sure how to wrangle isopods.


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

If they`re the oranges just let crawl onto your hand and just drop em in.

With the dwarfs it depends on what they`re shipped in.
One person I get them from ships them on a damp paper towel, so I just shake the paper towel in the tank and out they come. If they`re shipped in soil you can just carefully pick them out. I use a plastic spoon.

*Edit- if you don`t mind bugs crawling on your hands that is


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## ColleenT (Aug 21, 2014)

i don't mind isopods, mine are dwarfs. i have white, purple and i just ordered some dwarf striped. i guess i'll get a plastic spoon and a small plastic tub to sort them.


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## Sammie (Oct 12, 2009)

Give them a treat like a piece of fruit or something, wait for an hour and then just lift it out and shake em of in the tank. Repeat until you have enough.


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## readygrown (Apr 5, 2008)

Put small squares of corrugated cardboard in your culture. They tend to congregate on it.


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## ColleenT (Aug 21, 2014)

readygrown said:


> Put small squares of corrugated cardboard in your culture. They tend to congregate on it.


i have done this, 2- 2x2 squares. i keep it moist in there, but they are never on the cardboard. i got them about 5 weeks ago. maybe it just takes longer than that at 68 degrees.


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## dam630 (Dec 11, 2009)

68 is a bit cool, you may want to shoot for 74 - 78.


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## ColleenT (Aug 21, 2014)

well i don't have any room that warm. 

i'll see if i can put a heat pad under some towels and put it on top of the towels. i know i don't want them super warm, but the low setting might work at one end of the container?


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## dam630 (Dec 11, 2009)

Thats going to have to be trial and error.
I would start on one end thru a couple towels, and keep a thermometer stuck in the substrate. Increase the amount of surface sitting on the towels until you get to desired temp.
OR
Assuming your culture is in a plastic shoebox, place the whole shoebox in a larger tub, fill without about 1" of water, get a submersible aquarium heater (some are set for 78 degrees and no adjustment) and place that in the water. The water will reach 78 degrees and your culture will be almost up to that.


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## imzenko (Feb 2, 2013)

put them on your lights if you can. should warm them up. then pick them out.


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

I saw this method on here a while back...its not my idea so I won't take credit but it always seems to work for me. Get one of the small 1.5 oz (I believe) condiment cups, and dig it into the substrate so that the lip on the top is just under the substrate. Put a piece of bug burger or food in there and isopods will crawl in and won't be able to climb out. Take the desired amount of bugs from the cup and put the rest back in the culture. This method has always worked for me and gets me a good amout of isos every time!
Good luck!


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## scooter7728 (Sep 1, 2014)

my culture is fairly new but everytime I lift potato pieces I have 4 or 5 isopods on the bottom.


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## scooter7728 (Sep 1, 2014)

I assume wait at least a month before you pull from a culture


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## ColleenT (Aug 21, 2014)

i have had them about 5 weeks.


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## run91 (May 28, 2013)

I saw this thread and am in a similar predicament.*I have cultures that I want to introduce to established tanks. Isopods are slow to get booming (mine took a couple months to get going especially strong). I recommend cardboard on top to keep moisture in, and I've found the isopods love it.

Anyway, as far as moving isopods, I just tried this (today, actually) and am fairly happy with the results. I turned an old yogurt cup on its side in the culture and put some superbug in it (maybe a tablespoon). After three days, there were about 70-100 isopods in it. I just dumped it into my viv and tapped out the ones hanging onto the wall. Don't feed the rest of the culture when you do this or there won't be much of a draw to the cup. 

Hope that helps.


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