# isopods



## ccfrogbreeder (Sep 13, 2010)

Is there a good way to mass culture these?

Mine have no mites, but what else do people feed them? I feed mango






I now have white, orange, and tan Isopods.


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

they will eat just about anything, but a variety of foods would be best. 

the best way to mass culture them is once you get a nice culture going then just transfer them to a container with a large surface area and that will get them to produce better, but over time you will have a nice large culture where you can feed out on a regular basis.


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

Im thinking of getting a cheap 10 gallon tank to make a large culture of isopods. Id say choose your fastest producing of the three and do the same. I'm OCD so I want a matching 10 gallon on my rack, but you could easily get away with large plasic bins. I feed mushrooms, carrot peeling, fish flakes, or cucumber slices. Pretty much anything I have on hand.


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## Eric Walker (Aug 22, 2009)

fresh mushroom and cucumber here too. 

they do take a while to really get up and going good.


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

keeping them warm will also get them to reproduce faster.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

I keep my Orange Isopods in a large plastic bin in my closet (near a heater). The substrate is ABG mixed with a little clay and a lot of egg crate on top. Also there's a bunch of leaf litter mixed in. I keep a deli cup lid in one corner for the food, which ranges from fish pellets to vegetables and fruits. Humidity is kept very high, but I only mist in one corner to allow the isopods to choose which spot they like best (I forget the technical term for this). The culture has only been set up for 2-3 weeks so I haven't seen any production yet, but I'm sure I will soon


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

Are people seeding their tanks with adults? If not, how do you feed out the young?

David


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

dmartin72 said:


> Are people seeding their tanks with adults? If not, how do you feed out the young?
> 
> David


I keep a couple slices of potato in my cultures. The young crawl all over it. Then I just thump it inside the tank and they fall off. Also can do this with cardboard. Just take out a bit that has some crawling on it and tap it into the tank. Or blow on it.

I feed mine tropical fish flakes, cucumber, potato, carrots, whatever other veggies I have going bad in the fridge.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Here is a cut and paste on how I culture my Isopods.
_I'm working with Dwarf White Isopods and Spanish Orange (or Giant Orange). I found myself with more ABG mix than I knew what to do with so I mixed in a bunch of Oak leaves and am culturing them in there. They are loving life! I have been experimenting with more than a few foods. I tried baby oatmeal and Baby Rice Cereal. While the loved it, the foods brought mites into the cultures. I've considered vacuum packing them and boiling the whole vacuum pack to sterilize it and kill any mite eggs.
They did eat mushrooms but didn't go nuts over them. I tried cucumber as I have seen many people say that Isos love them. They do love them but my kids love ice cream...doesn't mean I'm going to raise em on ice cream! I only say this because I am worried about the nutritional value of cucumber...It's actually very low. I am now using mostly yellow banana squash (also sometimes called Crookneck squash). Much higher in nutrition and they do LOVE their squash! I have also found that they eat their own dead so I am thinking a protein would be in order. In referencing this thread, http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/46452-how-i-culture-woodlice-isopods.html , I am going to start trying adding some very high quality dog food. In addition, I ask my wife to save some peelings, or a chunk, of whatever fresh veggie she may be cooking with. Carrots, zucchini, eggplant, and pumpkin have all found their way in there. They seemed to especially like the pumpkin, which is a squash, so I'm thinking any type of squash may be appreciated._

Since I posted this, I have set up 13 cultures according to the "how I culture woodlice" thread that I referenced above. To early to tell how they will work out but according to the thread, should work nicely.
Doug


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

dmartin72 said:


> Are people seeding their tanks with adults? If not, how do you feed out the young?
> 
> David


I seed my tanks.Depending on the species,the frogs may eat the adults.If the adult is too big for your frog to eat then it will breed and seed your tank as well as help clean it up.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

dmartin72 said:


> Are people seeding their tanks with adults? If not, how do you feed out the young?
> 
> David


Isopods are primarily nocturnal and the dart frogs are diurnal. So many of the adults stay tucked away under the leaf litter and don't get eaten. This allows them to breed and establish a nice in-viv colony.
Doug


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Does anyone have any other methods of feeding isos out of the culture? The cardboard method works okay and is fine, but are there easier methods?


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## Bokfan1 (Oct 17, 2010)

I like to fill the culture part way up with dechlorinated water and then pour it through a vented fruitfly lid...the water goes through the fabric while the isos or springs are filtered out. Then I set the lid in my viv or just shake them out into it.


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## tim13 (Feb 1, 2011)

when my culture really gets going, ive thought about scooping out the substrate and woodlice with a small fishnet and just pouring water over em till all thats left is the woodlice. they would also be moist for supplements to stick really well. just an idea i had.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> I like to fill the culture part way up with dechlorinated water and then pour it through a vented fruitfly lid...the water goes through the fabric while the isos or springs are filtered out. Then I set the lid in my viv or just shake them out into it.


Wouldn't that only really work with charcoal? If you were using coco fiber or something the whole culture would get waterlogged if I understand what you're saying correctly. Also I don't culture the isos in ff cups anyways. 



tim13 said:


> when my culture really gets going, ive thought about scooping out the substrate and woodlice with a small fishnet and just pouring water over em till all thats left is the woodlice. they would also be moist for supplements to stick really well. just an idea i had.


Hmm good idea. I could see that possibly working.


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## MountaineerLegion (Apr 8, 2008)

I'll just throw this out as I haven't tried it. I'm still setting up my micro fauna cultures.

During college I took an entomology class where we collected leaf litter out of the forest. We placed handfuls of the litter in a funnel with a screen in the bottom (a kitchen colander might serve the same purpose) which kept the litter from plugging the small end of the funnel. We then placed the small end of the funnel in our collection cups. A standard light bulb was placed at the top of the funnel. The heat from the light drove the organisms to the bottom of the funnel where they fell into our collection cups. Then we got to stare into microscopes for hours on end ID-ing them.

I would think this approach would then allow you to replace the litter back into the culture to be reused. Just an idea.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

MountaineerLegion said:


> I'll just throw this out as I haven't tried it. I'm still setting up my micro fauna cultures.
> 
> During college I took an entomology class where we collected leaf litter out of the forest. We placed handfuls of the litter in a funnel with a screen in the bottom (a kitchen colander might serve the same purpose) which kept the litter from plugging the small end of the funnel. We then placed the small end of the funnel in our collection cups. A standard light bulb was placed at the top of the funnel. The heat from the light drove the organisms to the bottom of the funnel where they fell into our collection cups. Then we got to stare into microscopes for hours on end ID-ing them.
> 
> I would think this approach would then allow you to replace the litter back into the culture to be reused. Just an idea.


Wow, very good idea. I also have the perfect desk lamp for just the task! Thanks.


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## Mworks (Mar 23, 2008)

I use a very simple method for collecting from both my isopod and springtail cultures - a pooter! Quick and efficient and doesn't disturb the cultures too much either.

Regards
Marcus


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## earthfrog (May 18, 2008)

I feed mine leaf cuttings from plants in my viv, and leftover vitamin powder that lands in the viv---this is for my in-viv colony. (I don't go out of my way to feed them in there---they do great on their own.)


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Mworks said:


> I use a very simple method for collecting from both my isopod and springtail cultures - a pooter! Quick and efficient and doesn't disturb the cultures too much either.
> 
> Regards
> Marcus


Hi Marcus

Can you show us an examle or link, to the size of pooter you use?


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## zaius (Feb 21, 2008)

Glen,

Here's a link on how to make a simple pooter.
Bugs Ed - Interactive insect workshops for all ages

I like using a vacuum bug gun you can catch small insects even springtails and escaped crickets.
You can get them at toys r us
Backyard Safari Bug Vacuum - New and Improved - Summit Toys - Toys "R" Us


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## Mworks (Mar 23, 2008)

frogfreak said:


> Hi Marcus
> 
> Can you show us an examle or link, to the size of pooter you use?


This is identical to the ones I use.

NHBS - Pooter

Regards
Marcus


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

How does one use a pooter?


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## tim13 (Feb 1, 2011)

Omg. I am so going to toys r us tonight. 

You suck on one end and it sucks bugs into a container at the other end


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