# Battle of the dwarves



## Apoplast (Mar 17, 2020)

Just curious. Are there relative merits to the dwarf white vs. dwarf purple isopods? One more sought after by frogs? One easier to cultivate large numbers of? One spend more time on the surface where frogs can get at them? With no other information, I am leaning toward the purple simply because they are smaller. I'd love to hear from folks who has experience with both. Thanks!


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## Organics (Jan 17, 2020)

I find my dwarf whites are more prolific and are out in the open more often, this may be a case only example though as most reports I’ve read state the opposite for the species. Dwarf purples are considerably smaller 1/2-3/4 the size of dwarf whites. I know a place to get them fairly cheap(cheapest place I’ve seen) for both species, PM if you are interested in source. 


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

When I saw a thread called Battle of the dwarves, I was really excited...at first. I thought I would be reading of some epic battle between armies of dwarves in a Tolkien-esque universe of some sort! Alas, it was not to be...

Way back when, I bought both purple and white isos (and giant orange) from Doug Hollister (pumilo). I kept them separate, or so I thought. Through cross contamination, over time, I ended up with only dwarf white. I probably transferred the eggs using the same plastic spoon or some such. What I learned was that, at least under the conditions in my cultures at the time, dwarf whites were able to out-compete two other kinds of isopods to the point of extirpation. Right or wrong, I established a policy of only putting one kind of isopod in my vivs at a time, assuming that coexisting populations of multiple isopods is difficult or impossible over time. Nothing other than anecdotal evidence to back that up. I currently keep cultures of a few different isopods, but the dwarf whites are the only ones that I have had for six years. "Fully-armed and filthy", indeed. 






Mark


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## Broseph (Dec 5, 2011)

Weird. My experience has been the opposite. I think the dwarf purples reproduce faster in my cultures (back when I kept pure cultures), and when I grab a handful of substrate out of a long running viv, I get more purples than whites (but always some of each). 

I currently only have dirty mixed cultures with purples, whites, and silver springtails to seed new vivs. Temperate white springtails are my only pure culture right now (and I intend to move them over to clay per @Pumilo's experiments).


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## Louis (Apr 23, 2014)

Interesting, I've also found that dwarf purples really noticeably outcompete dwarf whites in my enclosures. I wonder what the variables are that can flip this around.


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

I wonder if there aren't more than one kind of dwarf purples. The ones I had were basically identical to the dwarf whites except for the color. Probably just a different color morph of the same thing. Maybe the ones you guys are talking about are different.

Mark


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## Organics (Jan 17, 2020)

In vivarium they are on clay substrate with heavily leaf litter, in cultures they are on ground sphagnum peat with some leaf litter and cardboard mixed into the substrate, fed fish flakes once a week. My whites are noticeably more prolific for me.

We could definitely be talking about different species. I believe there are multiple purple isopods mine are dwarf Puerto rica, 

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## Apoplast (Mar 17, 2020)

I see you have figured out my strategy @Encyclia : create a very interesting subject line as click bait and then hope people aren't too upset by the disappointing content to respond to any questions I have. But, shhhh. Don't tell anyone. I'd hate for advertisers on the internet to learn of this strategy. Can you imagine?!


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Organics said:


> dwarf Puerto rica


This comes up blank on Google. Costa Rica?

So, I get more production out of dwarf purple 'Costa Rica', both on ABG with extra northern oak leaves, fed Morning Wood and mushrooms mostly, and with cuttlebone added. I like the whites because I cannot really see the purples against the ABG.


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## Organics (Jan 17, 2020)

Socratic Monologue said:


> This comes up blank on Google. Costa Rica?
> 
> So, I get more production out of dwarf purple 'Costa Rica', both on ABG with extra northern oak leaves, fed Morning Wood and mushrooms mostly, and with cuttlebone added. I like the whites because I cannot really see the purples against the ABG.


Brain fart of the day goes to me, definitely meant Costa Rican.


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## Blizz (Nov 12, 2021)

I ordered both purple and white dwarfs from NEHerp putting them in a 36x18 and there's a small grow out bin with dwarf white from petsmart let's see if I end up with just one or if they find a balance lol


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## Apoplast (Mar 17, 2020)

Blizz said:


> I ordered both purple and white dwarfs from NEHerp putting them in a 36x18 and there's a small grow out bin with dwarf white from petsmart let's see if I end up with just one or if they find a balance lol


I'd love to hear how that turns out for you. Updates appreciated!


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## Blizz (Nov 12, 2021)

Apoplast said:


> I'd love to hear how that turns out for you. Updates appreciated!


Will do, or atleast I'll try to remember to.


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## Helo (5 mo ago)

Hey I was wondering what the website you were talking about in this comment

QUOTE="Organics, post: 3090626, member: 123992"]
I find my dwarf whites are more prolific and are out in the open more often, this may be a case only example though as most reports I’ve read state the opposite for the species. Dwarf purples are considerably smaller 1/2-3/4 the size of dwarf whites. I know a place to get them fairly cheap(cheapest place I’ve seen) for both species, PM if you are interested in source.


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[/QUOTE]


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## Blizz (Nov 12, 2021)

Apoplast said:


> I'd love to hear how that turns out for you. Updates appreciated!


So far I almost never see any lol, occasionally I spot a dwarf white (probably only 4 times since February) , I haven't seen any of the dwarf purples they very well might still be in there where they are harder to see. I've tried baiting them with "springchow" from tincman herps (amazing food for my springtail cultures, supposed to be good for iso's too) placed under a leaf but they must have plenty of other food available because I only seen fruit flies congregating around it with a few springtails but digging around the viv enough I found a dwarf white elsewhere.


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