Are you interested in getting started with pet isopods? Here are some practical things to consider before diving in!

1. If your enclosure is designed well, you may not see them much

… At least at first. Be aware it’s not like an aquarium where animals are more on display. Isopods like their hidey-holes, and new isopods can disappear into leaves and substrate for weeks.

Have patience, and expect them to be active more during the night than day. You can try other techniques to encourage them to come out, like propping up sticks for them to climb. A lot of cultures' populations will start to take off when they are around 3–4 months old.

2. They are 'okay' feeders/cleaners

The value of isopods as a feeder species and bioactive terrarium cleaner can be overblown. Not all isopod varieties serve well for this and some types are more ornamental than functional. If you are buying isopods for this purpose do some research first to find a compatible species for your terrarium.

As cleaners, dwarf white isopods are a staple for bioactive terrariums. If you want to go with a different species it’s important to ensure a match with the terrarium’s humidity level or your isopods will die off or hide instead of roaming and cleaning. 

Finding a good feeder can be more complicated. Slower-breeding isopods like cubaris species aren’t the best choice as feeders because they may not reproduce fast enough to keep up with your pet’s appetite. Some isopod varieties have a harder shell that can be less appetizing to some pets. Even if in theory it’s supposed to be a fantastic feeder, your pet could be picky and reject it. My anole Dinky does a prissy move where if she doesn’t want to eat a bug she kick-yeets it off the branch.

3. Prepare to battle soil gnats

Meet your nemesis. If you have houseplants there’s a good chance you already have soil gnats. You know, these jerks: 

The larva live in soil, which is why they are attracted to planters and isopod enclosures. Soil gnats aren't dangerous, just decently obnoxious. Populations can bloom in a moist dirt isopod enclosure. There are ways to avoid and control them, but be prepared in advance. 

4. There are unpleasant smells

Isopods are detritivores: they love and live in dirt and decay. Air inside enclosures can get quite dank and musty especially in higher-humidity set-ups. Mushrooms can grow and make the enclosure quite pungent.

If you are sensitive to smells, you may wish to reconsider or think carefully about how you design your enclosures to limit excess mold, fungi, and mushroom growth. Ultimately though, these are bioactive enclosures and they are going to do bioactive things with bioactive smells!

Some of isopods’ favorite foods also smell like absolute hell, like dried shrimp, crab meal, spirulina, and bee pollen (you’d think it’d be pleasant, but you’d be wrong). I keep their food in a plastic bin.

5. They gonna do it. A lot.

That’s where the baby isopods come from! Male isopods will frequently mate-guard, or attempt to claim a female by climbing on her back and riding around for days. Males do this waiting for the opportunity to mate, as well as to block other males from mating with her. The females often seem sick of their crap, and may conglobate (roll up) or try to buck them off like a rodeo bronco.

It can all just be a bit much. As people who have kept sea monkeys can attest, it grows wearisome at times. But ultimately mating is a great sign because it means your isopods are happy and healthy enough to be breeding.

6. They are a life-long pet

If you have a single isopod, it will live 1–3 years. But what you’re getting yourself into is a reproducing colony; in theory you will have isopods indefinitely. If you’re fully aboard the isopod train that might sound perfect! Others may find “forever” to be a larger commitment than they are prepared for.

“Life-long” is probably an exaggeration since colonies can collapse, but don’t count on them being short-lived like sea monkeys. The point is to think ahead about how long you think you will be able to keep them and care for them, and whether this will be a practical pet for you. Can you bring them if you move? Have an exit plan if you need to. It is unethical to release them into nature so if you can't rehome them be prepared to euthanize.

7. Not all isopods are created equally

Would you go to a puppy mill for a new dog? If you (hopefully) answered "ew, no" then do not let yourself be blinded by low prices. Capitalism is starting to rear its ugly head in this hobby, which means some people are trying to get in on the breeding game without entirely knowing what they are doing.

Buy from a source who you trust is knowledgable about isopod care and breeding, or you may end up with a colony with poor color expression—or worse, poor health. 

8. Once you pop you can’t stop

When you have had your first isopod culture for several months, you may start to feel confident enough to try more exotic varieties. There are so many neat types of isopods, it can be easy to get sucked into getting more, and more…

Do some research on varieties before you pick your first colony. Stuff like Dairy Cows and Powder Blues are often recommended for beginners because they are cheap, common, and reproduce rapidly. Realistically though if you understand the principles of care and the needs of the particular species, there is no reason you as a beginner can’t spring for a more unusual variety. Most cubaris, armadillidium, armadillo, porcellionides, and porcellio scabers are equally straight-forward to care for, but some types take much longer to breed.

My best advice is to just be real with yourself about buying supplies: if you know you’re going to keep getting new types of isopods, you can save a lot of money if you start buying in bulk early. Buy 12-packs of plastic bins, get your soil at the hardware store, buy Costco-sized bins of protein powder, that sort of thing!

In conclusion

Have you seen this cutie patootie though?