Wally, Did just that and sent you an enquiry/request. One word on your website - "BRILLIANT" - especially when I looked at the first animal in the LIBRARY section. I repeat - "BRILLIANT". Unfortunately, I only managed to get the "slider" down about a third before need of sleep overcame me, hence no time for Y/T comments tonight. Will resume viewing tomorrow. Regards, Jim.
Outstanding comment. Thank you very much. Doing these videos is very uncomfortable for me so I will try to relax a bit more and try doing it more conversation style in the future. Thanks again.,
Hey man. I’ve no interest in isopods and only chances upon it. However, it’s great to see someone so passionate about something, it’s really wholesome. Keep up the good works
Well, thank you so much for the very kind words. I'm extremely pleased that the passion shows. And thank you for watching, even though it is not an interest to you. I appreciate that.
I know i’m writing this on a 2 year old upload, but I just wanted to say that this video was very informative and I love the way you communicate ideas. In my opinion your channel is very underrated, you deserve to be more known. I subscribed btw👍
I really enjoyed the video, Wally! Your facility is truly impressive, clean, standardized, and organized! In my experience one isopod doesn't outcompete another until the population of the intruder really becomes overly prevalent in the new quarters. When I migrate into a smaller but taller container I generally increase the depth of the substrate too, to offset some of that extra, potentially desiccating air space and to increase living space for the inhabitants. It was a real treat to see your operation and now I'm dying to know what a Porcellio sp. sevilla looks like, so I'm off to watch that video!
Thank you very much. Is this the first of my videos you've seen? I certainly try not to come across as a know it all. I feel transparency is very important to me. If I make a mistake, I want to make sure 'you' don't. Thank you for the very nice comments. To be honest, some days, I don't feel so organized. Yes, I do the same with the substrate for higher enclosures. Thanks again!
@@SupremeGecko The online isopod hobby has changed so much in the many years I've been keeping them. I don't even recognize 75% of the ones being kept these days, which is awesome and a reflection of how far I am behind with the growing, expanding hobby and all the wonderful new husbandry techniques! I really appreciate watching your videos about them and Rus's. It's always great to compare notes. Right now I have a rampant fungus gnat outbreak in my tanks due to getting lazy about them the past few months after a nearly fungus gnat free spring and summer. Always a labor of love, eh? Thanks again, Wally. Watching your videos is always very motivating!
@@bugsincyberspace I think the boom in the hobby is great but also has it's issues as well. Cool to see the many different color forms and species, not so good to see it so commercial.
This guy is awesome! I honestly feel like I could just have a casual conversation with this guy over morning coffee haha. I love the video and I will also subscribe! Greetings from Maine sir.
Thank you so much Steve. I feel like we are building a community of keepers here. This channel is all about no judgement, passion for the animals, and education. Thanks again for watching and welcome to the community. Actually, you have me thinking that it's time for a live tomorrow! Thanks for the suggestion :)
Great video! As you know, I have had the same issue, and it had changed my husbandry too. I am tempted to move to gasket seal bins like the one for my garter snakes...
I always feel like I leave out so much in these videos- I wanted to highlight how much the Powder Blues are so aggressively predators. But in the end, again I was just happy not cursing and not looking like a babbling fool as I did this in one run :) Not sure how everyone else looks so calm and collected (esp. you!) I watched your latest video Rus and that tub is really nice. I'll be looking into them. Thanks for sharing.
You're so knowledgeable and kind!! I just recently dove into bioactive vivariums and this helps a LOT! Thank you for sharing what you know - sometimes mistakes are the most valuable lessons!
Well of Jurassic park ever taught me something is that you can’t contain life regardless how hard you try. Glad you caught it, I would place the wood chunks further from the walls
Well, thank you very much. I certainly did not look comfortable doing this without any script/1 run through. But I sure saved a ton of time in editing. Thanks for watching my friend.
Good video Sir. I spent 1 hour at night with my daughter looking for isopods and go about 25 of them, I took a look today and found them all dead, would making screen holes like yours prevent them from dying? I used coco coir and leafs from the same place I got them from.
What a great time you and your daughter must have had. Great bonding! I am not a fan of coco coir fiber at all. I would suggest you take a look at a couple videos on my channel about putting together the substrate and the tubs for the animals. Good luck and keep me posted.
I have somehow never faced this problem but I have heard that other keepers have had this happen a lot. I will definitely do this if it ever happens to me
Can you let me know how that goes? People ask me this all the time- what isopods can I add to lizard enclosures. Do you have a moist area for them? Thank you.
I'm not familiar enough to say either way. Sorry. Do you find any isopods in the areas you can collect the silver birch leaves? What I would do is start a small tub and try collecting the leaves to use in the tub. Let me know on this.
The babies easily climb and easily get through gaps. Yeah, you want a foam or rubber gasket seal to keep them from escaping. It also helps keep pests from invading.
@@SupremeGecko Oh sorry, I have snails in with them, which leave slime which may be what gives them something they can climb. However, I personally recommend a lid that seals to everyone for anything. I feel that it is best to make all holes for air, in your full control.
Greetings from Mississippi! I loved this video. Very informative yet easy to understand. What do you use to secure your screen for air holes. I use silicone for my worm bins. Would that be safe for the isopods?
I really wish they made tubs like that that were completely see throught! All the ones ive seen on Amazon are way to expensive. The pods im keeping are for me to observe.
I know!!! Have you thought of keeping them in 5 gallon aquariums? Also, a couple companies are now producing larger, acrylic enclosures (although acrylic scratches easily).
My favorite all around isopod has to be the dairy cow. They breathe extremely fast and attain a decent size to be a secondary or primary food source for invertebrates and amphibians. The only problem is feeding them in such a humid environment create mold quickly, I am assuming that possibly isopods consume mold. I have never seen fungus gnats with my isopods. I have an Asian forest scorpion that used to feed exclusively on isopods for months until I built up a nice colony of Dubia roaches.
@@SupremeGecko so in general when mold appears it usually means that the enclosure is too humid and or the substrate is too moist? I know mold to humans is toxic. This is why ventilation is a tricky subject especially for humidity loving creatures, too much of a good thing is never good. And this is not counting annoying fungus gnats.
Thank you very much. I've never been concerned about showing the mistakes I make as long as I know it will help others. Thank you again for watching buddy.
Thinking of keeping Isopoda and springtails soon but 1 nowhere inside to put them (I fear spiders so not outside) 2 they release ammonia and I have a fish tank in my room
"I don't think I swore once!" Hahahahha!! I had a culture of madagascar hissing roaches on the top shelf of my rack like that one. It had a bloom of mites, and one day I walked in and found them EVERYWHERE, crawling all over every shelf. :( I've also had zebras escape and use the openings in the rack as an access point to other enclosures. Little jerks!
Oh, on the videos I edit for hours, there are many CUT! moments :) On those hissers- had a friend that had the wire mess ventilation top of their dubias fall on one size. Made a nice ladder for their colony. He woke up with one on his face (in the bedroom 2 rooms down from his reptiles) and the house loaded with them! Thanks for sharing :)
Not sure why but I keep getting an error when using the link in description to your store...maybe the last hashmark at the end? I opened it up via google search and that last character isn't there.
It does work for me but that might be due to me owning the site. I tried w/o the "/" and it worked as well so I changed it. I may go back and change all the existing videos too. Thank you for mentioning this!
@@SupremeGecko Well the / is back & I'm still getting a 'Server Not Found' page come up when I click it...or did you change it in the default upload settings for future vids? I'll be sure to check your next video link & let you know!
I feel like this is a fairly obvious suggestion but why don’t you just melt small holes into the bins? You can use a heated up screwdriver, safety pin, soldering iron, etc to make small holes in the tops of the bins. I’ve done this for my isopods and they’re doing great.
I think the answer was explained in the video. Melting plastic is not my favorite thing to do. It takes a lot of time and produces some extreme toxic gases. I've used soldering iron holes for HUNDREDS of tanks and the drilling is WAYYYYY easier and quicker. And, I am sure you're isopods are doing great. It's not a question about where we are going, it's a question about easiest and quickest path.
My daughter was gifted with powder orange and powder blue..I put them in the same containment without separating them. While it's clear they are breeding lots of new babies I'm not seeing any blues just all orange some of the orange have grey striped on the backs..do isopods compete in a way where maybe the orange guys killed off the blue ones??
I am guessing the two genes (blue and orange) and mixing and you are getting the dominant geme (orange) more. One would think you would get Powder Greens :) Thanks for watching with your daughter and keeping her in touch with nature.
@@SupremeGecko thank you! Good information lots of little ones so we will see what happens that would be so interesting to get some new green friends! She loves her bugs and plants! I just found your channel but we have both enjoyed watching your videos! She loves zebras and shes interested in dairy cow isopods next!
What kind of isopod are the common grey colored ones u find outside under rocks? The ones we have here will attempt to roll into a ball when startled they uniform grey color and have two little things like antennae coming off their back end, i think they are common grey woodlouse?
My Dalmatian P. scaber isopods outcompeted and drove my blue powder isopods into effectively into extinction. Edit: the seller claimed these were p. Scaber Dalmatians, but based on their appearance and reproduction rate I am confident they are actually P. Laevis dairy cow morphs. Does that make more sense now as to why the outcompetes the powder blues?
@@SupremeGecko Edit: the seller claimed the black and white spotted isopods were P.Scaber Dalmatians, but after researching their appearance, behavior, and breeding rate I am confident that they are dairy cow morph of P. Laevis. how invasive the blue powders are or the Dairy cows , or both? I have some hypotheses on why the diary cows beat out the powders. 1. The diary cows have an extremely high sex drive. I see the same male mate with multiple females on a daily basis, which would lead to higher diary cow populations. I never noticed any mating behavior in the blue powders. 2. It may be that diary cows are more adaptable than blue powders. I initially had the blue powders and diary cows together in a Mason jar. After several months in the Mason jar there were only a couple blue powders left from the original 10 and the original 10 diary cows had already produced a second generation that were about half the size of their parents. I had several other species of isopods in different mason jars (all semi-self maintaining ecospheres) and combined them, their substrate, plants into a1.5 gallon terrarium with way more space for them than they had in the jars. The diary cows still exhibit the same hyper sexual behavior in this new environment and have once again created another generation of juveniles since being transferred to the terrarium a few months ago. Unfortunately, the blue powders died out before I could transfer them so I don’t know if they weren’t mating because they were in a poor environment or if the diary cows were just more prolific, and larger so they could easily push around the small blue powders and monopolize the resources in the smaller container leading to the blue powders extinction. While the blue powders were nearing extinction in the jars, I noticed an odd behavior. The powders would ride on the backs of the diary cows! I know isopods of the same species will sometimes ‘cuddle’, but this behavior seemed different. My only guess is that it was a last ditch attempt to get the dairy cows away from food so the blue powders could eat, but that is a total guess, anyone have any better explanation? I suspect the blue powders would do fine in the new terrarium because they wouldn’t need physical strength to control food sources because the terrarium is huge with extensive tunnels build by worms and isopods, plenty of decaying and living plants, fungus, and mites/mite eggs to eat.
@@fatdamon4167 Evasive- both! Reason... they BOTH have a high sex drive and both can tolerate almost complete dryness and swampy conditions. It might be the age of the PB if the scenario was a small group. They may have just died out of old age and were not able to propriate quick enough.
Great question Jordan. Mites are extremely difficult to get rid of. First though, you need to determine if you have harmful mites or not. If they are harmful, the best way to rid your enclosure of mites is to dry it out (only have a small area of moisture for your isopods), get rid of uneaten food after 3-4 hours, and clean often. To clean, apply a fine line of Vaseline at the top of the container, wipe off every day, and reapply. Do this until the mites are gone.
There are lots of isopods in my potted plant, is there any way to control the population, and another question, do they eat roots because i don't feed them still they keep growing.
@@SupremeGecko there is a seedling and there are no animals, they are in my pot, also i have seen youtube videos where these pill bugs are eating leaves, that's why i am concerned.
Wally, just a thought that came to mind regarding gaps and escapees from lids. Having just bought a dozen 35 litre containers similar to yours in a bargain buy at my Co-op store (you may not have them over in the USA) but not ones with secure latches like yours, mine were (£12 for 3) :-) Have not used this idea yet on plastics, but I wonder if that double sided tape, about 1/4" wide may just do the trick. I used it to seal my new wooden loft hatch, and it sealed the gap spot on. It does wear away in time, but it is cheap enough. I guess I should have tried it myself first, and then could have given an answer with authority, but just throwing it out there. It may not like plastic, I will try it and get back to you, but it is just a thought. - Regards, Jim.
Please do. This is interesting. 2 issues with the 2x sided tape though that I see- 1) you will need to replace it once in a while (may not be that big of an issue) 2) it will 'capture' attempted escapes but the result will be lost isopods. I think you are on to something and would suggest maybe 1 sided tape might be slippery enough to deter runaways. Maybe.
@@SupremeGecko Wally, I may have not given the correct description of this product and so may have caused confusion. To clarify, I still don't know what it is called, but it comes in a coil. It looks like a coiled piece of sponge with white tape on both sides. It is still still about a 1/4 inch, and one side of the product peels off for fixture to the area that needs to be sealed and cushioned. The opposite side is just left alone to provide a seal. Hope that clarifies, better still, hope it works as I have yet to buy more to test it out. Used it on my loft hatch to seal the small gap on closure, and prevent loss of heat up into the loft. Regards, Jim.
@@jameswalls2696 Ahhhh. Completely understand now. Thanks for clarifying. I have a group of P. sp Seville and I did this with this group. Works perfect!!! Instead of transferring the group, I wanted to experiment with them and this is a good solution!
@@SupremeGecko Wally, I'm overjoyed to hear it and pleased to have had a hand in helping to solve a major problem for you. You have made my day - (thumbs up) I have not patented the idea so you may claim it as your own :-) :-) and put the word out there, perhaps in a future video to help other followers as they may have missed our conversation. A suggested title could be "How to help solve the problem of escapees". I was previously going to also suggest sticking a label inside the container "WARNING - ATTEMPTED ESCAPEES WILL BE SHOT", but you would have had the added inconvenience of having to do it in several languages - :-) :-) Regards, Jim
Let me see if this works- www.harborfreight.com/05-gallon-multi-purpose-sprayer-56167.html?cid=paid_google|||56167&gclid=CjwKCAjwnIr1BRAWEiwA6GpwNVz6GSvyDTlYI0PHw1dChGHjWQkNUDkqDpwnyK304WDg_RQW7Sr95hoCNKoQAvD_BwE
Should I continue to feed my spring tails once I placed them in my frogs enclosure and also would I continue to feed isopods once I place them in my enclosures?
I would, and do. Certainly less than if they do not have 'other material' to consume. But, you will need to monitor and manage the amount you feed. A good fishfood or powdered food is best with a small slice of veggie about once a week or week would be perfect.
I have a problem and if I could get some help I would appreciate it very much. I just recently (3 weeks ago) got my springtail and isopod culture set up in a bin. They are infested with what I believe to be fungus gnats. At first it wasn't too bad so I tried to remove the larvae I saw and sat there an hour doing that and then covered the substrate with dry matter such as more substrate and some sphag moss that of course I didnt spray. Thinking that wiuld inhibit the gnats from laying but I just looked in again and turned over some of the substrate and there are larvae everywhere!!! What can I do? Do I physically remove all the isopods and try to float out some of the springtails and start over or what is the best course of action here? I don't have much time because I want to get this taken care of before these larvae turn because then I'll have a huge mess on my hands. As it stands now, I probably won't even risk opening the bin indoors anymore and take it outside. I already have so many of these flying garbage critters in my room I really don't need to add to that. Any insight would be helpful!
This is a VERY common problem isopod keepers need to battle. Once a culture is well established, the gnat issue will all but go away. But, if you are like most of us and setup 2 or 3 or more at a time, the new cultures draw the gnats like magnets. The first option is make sure your culture is not too damp- without negatively impacting the isopods. Another option is Mosquito Bits. Aquarimax Pets did a great video on this product a few weeks ago. Only issue with this is it takes weeks to kick in. Finally, and I hate even mentioning this- yellow fly strips. Let me know if you go with any of these methods.
I noticed the isopods I placed in my terrarium started eating the plants that lived there. Why is that and what can I do to make them stop? I placed pieces of bark, dried leaves and they still ate the living plants.. I wanted to use them as a cleaning crew.
Supreme Gecko Ive made 5 closed terrariums where i house my jumping spiders. There is nothing else that could eat the plants other than the isopods. I know this because in one of the terrariums I managed to remove the isopods and the succulents weren't getting eaten any further. They are some local isopods I picked up from underneath a rotten log in my garden. I live in northern Croatia, if that helps. I don't really know much about isopod spieces and types, but they were dark gray with bright patterns that can curl up and light gray patternless ones that couldn't ball up. I could send pictures if necessary...
@@SupremeGecko they actually do enjoy eating certain plants. To alleviate a couple small pieces of carrots or kale works. However make sure uneaten stuff is taken out after awhile.
I went outside and I collected some isopods but some look like rolli poli and some look like isopods but I was wondering can I keep them in a bioactive terrarium
@@SupremeGecko they work well Just limit their numbers to a degree. They will not bother live inhabitants. Only dead inhabitants including their own kind will be consumed.
Hi there! very informative thxs alot. Jus got my colony of 15 dairy cows. may i know how long it take for them to fully house in a 500mm x 250mm tank? They always in hiding can't see them in sight.
Great video! Just wanted to let you know that your website link in the description has an extra ““ in it. Should be “www.supremegecko.com” Have a good day!
@@SupremeGecko Are you an insect rights activist lol ? That's just the way it is , they are too many and invade your space , not going to think twice about killing them right away . Plus I have insect phobia . This is nature friend and like it or not you and I are part of it , not above it so there is no morality here to question . Most insects are damaging to crops , plants and humans with only bees and a few other insects actually contributing in a positive way .
@@pizdanpula223 wrong. They all do. Each and every fills a niche. And maybe there is some truth to what u said. But I'm not really one to kill indescriminately
Make sure you check our our Isopod and Millipede store at supremegecko.square.site/s/shop?page=1&limit=60&sort_by=name&sort_order=asc
Wally, Did just that and sent you an enquiry/request. One word on your website - "BRILLIANT" - especially when I looked at the first animal in the LIBRARY section. I repeat - "BRILLIANT". Unfortunately, I only managed to get the "slider" down about a third before need of sleep overcame me, hence no time for Y/T comments tonight. Will resume viewing tomorrow. Regards, Jim.
@@jameswalls2696 Thanks for the kind words (catching up on comments- sorry I missed this).
I actually prefer the videos that feel like a conversation versus a lecture. The laid back atmosphere is great. 👍🏻
Outstanding comment. Thank you very much. Doing these videos is very uncomfortable for me so I will try to relax a bit more and try doing it more conversation style in the future. Thanks again.,
Hey man. I’ve no interest in isopods and only chances upon it. However, it’s great to see someone so passionate about something, it’s really wholesome. Keep up the good works
Well, thank you so much for the very kind words. I'm extremely pleased that the passion shows. And thank you for watching, even though it is not an interest to you. I appreciate that.
I know i’m writing this on a 2 year old upload, but I just wanted to say that this video was very informative and I love the way you communicate ideas. In my opinion your channel is very underrated, you deserve to be more known. I subscribed btw👍
I ALWAYS love hearing these comments. It means these videos have staying power. Thank you so much for the kind comment.
One take, mad respect
Thank Marshall ;)
I really enjoyed the video, Wally! Your facility is truly impressive, clean, standardized, and organized! In my experience one isopod doesn't outcompete another until the population of the intruder really becomes overly prevalent in the new quarters. When I migrate into a smaller but taller container I generally increase the depth of the substrate too, to offset some of that extra, potentially desiccating air space and to increase living space for the inhabitants. It was a real treat to see your operation and now I'm dying to know what a Porcellio sp. sevilla looks like, so I'm off to watch that video!
Thank you very much. Is this the first of my videos you've seen? I certainly try not to come across as a know it all. I feel transparency is very important to me. If I make a mistake, I want to make sure 'you' don't. Thank you for the very nice comments. To be honest, some days, I don't feel so organized. Yes, I do the same with the substrate for higher enclosures. Thanks again!
@@SupremeGecko The online isopod hobby has changed so much in the many years I've been keeping them. I don't even recognize 75% of the ones being kept these days, which is awesome and a reflection of how far I am behind with the growing, expanding hobby and all the wonderful new husbandry techniques! I really appreciate watching your videos about them and Rus's. It's always great to compare notes. Right now I have a rampant fungus gnat outbreak in my tanks due to getting lazy about them the past few months after a nearly fungus gnat free spring and summer. Always a labor of love, eh? Thanks again, Wally. Watching your videos is always very motivating!
@@bugsincyberspace I think the boom in the hobby is great but also has it's issues as well. Cool to see the many different color forms and species, not so good to see it so commercial.
This guy is awesome! I honestly feel like I could just have a casual conversation with this guy over morning coffee haha. I love the video and I will also subscribe! Greetings from Maine sir.
Thank you so much Steve. I feel like we are building a community of keepers here. This channel is all about no judgement, passion for the animals, and education. Thanks again for watching and welcome to the community. Actually, you have me thinking that it's time for a live tomorrow! Thanks for the suggestion :)
Great video! As you know, I have had the same issue, and it had changed my husbandry too. I am tempted to move to gasket seal bins like the one for my garter snakes...
I always feel like I leave out so much in these videos- I wanted to highlight how much the Powder Blues are so aggressively predators. But in the end, again I was just happy not cursing and not looking like a babbling fool as I did this in one run :) Not sure how everyone else looks so calm and collected (esp. you!) I watched your latest video Rus and that tub is really nice. I'll be looking into them. Thanks for sharing.
You're so knowledgeable and kind!! I just recently dove into bioactive vivariums and this helps a LOT! Thank you for sharing what you know - sometimes mistakes are the most valuable lessons!
It is completely my pleasure
I like those new tubs hefty makes that have the foam in the lid that creates a water tight seal. It’s helped me keep my dehaani from trying to escape.
I have one of these. Love them. Good call!
@@SupremeGecko I only wish I knew an about them sooner.
Well of Jurassic park ever taught me something is that you can’t contain life regardless how hard you try. Glad you caught it, I would place the wood chunks further from the walls
Good call..... or lockable bins :) Thanks for watching.
Wally out here killin’ it! Another informative piece. Thanks.
Well, thank you very much. I certainly did not look comfortable doing this without any script/1 run through. But I sure saved a ton of time in editing. Thanks for watching my friend.
This is great! Most people waste their time on sports and TV but the Isopoda are unaccountably ignored.
Well, if sports and TV are their thing, that's cool. But #1 is the care of animals!
Good video Sir. I spent 1 hour at night with my daughter looking for isopods and go about 25 of them, I took a look today and found them all dead, would making screen holes like yours prevent them from dying? I used coco coir and leafs from the same place I got them from.
What a great time you and your daughter must have had. Great bonding! I am not a fan of coco coir fiber at all. I would suggest you take a look at a couple videos on my channel about putting together the substrate and the tubs for the animals. Good luck and keep me posted.
I have somehow never faced this problem but I have heard that other keepers have had this happen a lot. I will definitely do this if it ever happens to me
It really bites when it happens!
Was just looking for information to make an isopod vivarium but still happy I came here, interesting video
Thanks. I hope this video helped you. There are other videos in our playlist that have more with vivarium build information.
I know I have just found a great channel by looking at the first ten comments. People love this guy!
Thank you and I hope you not only stay a viewer but also watch some of the prior videos. Thanks again.
are wood louse and isopods the same ?
They absolutely are. Thanks for the question.
Awesome! I just got some dwarf purple for my tegu enclosure!
Can you let me know how that goes? People ask me this all the time- what isopods can I add to lizard enclosures. Do you have a moist area for them? Thank you.
Bro your the man!!! Thanks great knowledge on here!!! Sub
Thank you for the sub, and for the nice words (again, not sure why I'm just now seeing this, sorry for the late reply).
Thank you, learning how enclosure form affect the isopod culture
I hope this helped.
@@SupremeGecko yes, help much, especially for newbie like me
Wow you have such a passion and it shows!
Wow, thank you very much for noticing, and for watching.
Do you think Isopods and spingtails could climb out a tall tub without a lid? I want to grow large plants like a terrarium but not contained.
I do. I've seen it.
Im so happy to see that your passionate about isopods and im really loking forward for new videos!🤩
Well thank you very much. I appreciate this. And, it is a passion!
if the ventilation was on the side, and you stacked them on a cart, you could stack twice as many tubs!
Maybe. Thanks for watching.
Love those totes, transport my Cavies in them. Thank you for sharing your knowledge 👍
Absolutely my pleasure.
Hi, I live in the UK and was wondering if I could use silver birch leaves for my isopodes.
I'm not familiar enough to say either way. Sorry. Do you find any isopods in the areas you can collect the silver birch leaves? What I would do is start a small tub and try collecting the leaves to use in the tub. Let me know on this.
The babies easily climb and easily get through gaps. Yeah, you want a foam or rubber gasket seal to keep them from escaping. It also helps keep pests from invading.
Thank you for the advice.
@@SupremeGecko Oh sorry, I have snails in with them, which leave slime which may be what gives them something they can climb. However, I personally recommend a lid that seals to everyone for anything. I feel that it is best to make all holes for air, in your full control.
Great video buddy, really informative
Thank you very much. Trying to be as transparent with info as I can be. Hope it helps someone else.
Greetings from Mississippi! I loved this video. Very informative yet easy to understand.
What do you use to secure your screen for air holes. I use silicone for my worm bins. Would that be safe for the isopods?
Welcome! My family is from Mississippi! Thank you. I use hot glue. Easy to apply. Silicone (aquarium grade) absolutely is safe.
@@SupremeGecko, awesome! Thank you!
@@SheilaG971 My pleasure
I NEVER would have guessed that they could not only get out, but make their way into another culture. Good to know!
Thank you for watching Paige. It does happen.
I really wish they made tubs like that that were completely see throught! All the ones ive seen on Amazon are way to expensive. The pods im keeping are for me to observe.
I know!!! Have you thought of keeping them in 5 gallon aquariums? Also, a couple companies are now producing larger, acrylic enclosures (although acrylic scratches easily).
@@SupremeGecko i wasn't sure how the tank would work with the ventilation. But I'll deff go that route!!
My favorite all around isopod has to be the dairy cow. They breathe extremely fast and attain a decent size to be a secondary or primary food source for invertebrates and amphibians. The only problem is feeding them in such a humid environment create mold quickly, I am assuming that possibly isopods consume mold. I have never seen fungus gnats with my isopods. I have an Asian forest scorpion that used to feed exclusively on isopods for months until I built up a nice colony of Dubia roaches.
I never like to see mold in isopod cultures. I just don't think this is good. Your container might be too moist.
@@SupremeGecko so in general when mold appears it usually means that the enclosure is too humid and or the substrate is too moist? I know mold to humans is toxic. This is why ventilation is a tricky subject especially for humidity loving creatures, too much of a good thing is never good. And this is not counting annoying fungus gnats.
@@ProgressiveDiscussions It means there MIGHT be too much humidity or moisture.
Solid video I hope it sorts its self out with those changes. Good video
Thank you very much. I've never been concerned about showing the mistakes I make as long as I know it will help others. Thank you again for watching buddy.
If they escape, will they breed in my home then or are they going to die when they get outside their box?
Without good moisture and numbers, they will normally not survive.
Coul I make a display enclosure in a 10 gallon? I have some rubber duckys that i would really like to show off
You absolutely can! Many people are starting to do that.
I love your isopods vlogs even i dont have any
Thank you so much! I have fun doing them and love comments like this.
Do you have a rubber ducky isopod? Where did you buy it? Is it available in philippines?
@@jheyms3788 I do. The Isopod Chick. Tell her Wally sent you there.
@@SupremeGecko can you give me some cheap isopod please
@@jheyms3788 Sure! You can find my wep store at SupremeGecko.com
Love it Wally! Good job!
Thanks Angie. Feel free to share it on FB, tag me, and include any 'constructive comments' ;) ;) ;)
Haha
Thinking of keeping Isopoda and springtails soon but
1 nowhere inside to put them (I fear spiders so not outside)
2 they release ammonia and I have a fish tank in my room
They release a very small amount of amonia. If you are changing the water regularly on the fish tank, this is a non issue.
@@SupremeGecko oh that’s good, possibly refurbishing garden next year. I will probably get one
@@SIRO_GLYDER Very cool! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hello i found this useful but i have a question i found a web like structure under there cave, whats going on?
Is it mold? Could it be a small spider?
"I don't think I swore once!" Hahahahha!! I had a culture of madagascar hissing roaches on the top shelf of my rack like that one. It had a bloom of mites, and one day I walked in and found them EVERYWHERE, crawling all over every shelf. :( I've also had zebras escape and use the openings in the rack as an access point to other enclosures. Little jerks!
Oh, on the videos I edit for hours, there are many CUT! moments :) On those hissers- had a friend that had the wire mess ventilation top of their dubias fall on one size. Made a nice ladder for their colony. He woke up with one on his face (in the bedroom 2 rooms down from his reptiles) and the house loaded with them! Thanks for sharing :)
@@SupremeGecko Haha! I would freak. out.
@@makeitkate3240 I would MOVE! Maybe ;)
Great job my friend. Your info helps a ton!
Thanks buddy!
Not sure why but I keep getting an error when using the link in description to your store...maybe the last hashmark at the end? I opened it up via google search and that last character isn't there.
It does work for me but that might be due to me owning the site. I tried w/o the "/" and it worked as well so I changed it. I may go back and change all the existing videos too. Thank you for mentioning this!
@@SupremeGecko Well the / is back & I'm still getting a 'Server Not Found' page come up when I click it...or did you change it in the default upload settings for future vids? I'll be sure to check your next video link & let you know!
@@Beansie www.supremegecko.com/
Does that work? I noticed the link in the video description has a double http.
If you are going to buy Isopods Wally is the guy! Excellent experience!!!
Thank you so much Bob. Best of luck with yours and your kids will LOVE them.
Great channel by the way.
Thank you so very much Dean.
I feel like this is a fairly obvious suggestion but why don’t you just melt small holes into the bins? You can use a heated up screwdriver, safety pin, soldering iron, etc to make small holes in the tops of the bins. I’ve done this for my isopods and they’re doing great.
I think the answer was explained in the video. Melting plastic is not my favorite thing to do. It takes a lot of time and produces some extreme toxic gases. I've used soldering iron holes for HUNDREDS of tanks and the drilling is WAYYYYY easier and quicker. And, I am sure you're isopods are doing great. It's not a question about where we are going, it's a question about easiest and quickest path.
Simply poking holes might be better. But do so carefully.
@@SupremeGecko and yes. Not melting
Not safe.
@@AfterAllWeAreHuman How would you poke holes in the plastic without melting it? Interesting thought.
@@SupremeGecko poking it carefully with something sharp. Needle like if need be
What are the regular backyard isopod species called
There are many different species and are different in most states.
@@SupremeGecko copy
My daughter was gifted with powder orange and powder blue..I put them in the same containment without separating them. While it's clear they are breeding lots of new babies I'm not seeing any blues just all orange some of the orange have grey striped on the backs..do isopods compete in a way where maybe the orange guys killed off the blue ones??
I am guessing the two genes (blue and orange) and mixing and you are getting the dominant geme (orange) more. One would think you would get Powder Greens :) Thanks for watching with your daughter and keeping her in touch with nature.
@@SupremeGecko thank you! Good information lots of little ones so we will see what happens that would be so interesting to get some new green friends! She loves her bugs and plants! I just found your channel but we have both enjoyed watching your videos! She loves zebras and shes interested in dairy cow isopods next!
@@keycartier9100 Shoot me a message on FB when you are ready and I will make sure you get a Supreme Gecko YT channel discount :)
What kind of isopod are the common grey colored ones u find outside under rocks? The ones we have here will attempt to roll into a ball when startled they uniform grey color and have two little things like antennae coming off their back end, i think they are common grey woodlouse?
It depends on where you live really.
@@SupremeGecko im in AZ
Very good video. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Barb
My Dalmatian P. scaber isopods outcompeted and drove my blue powder isopods into effectively into extinction. Edit: the seller claimed these were p. Scaber Dalmatians, but based on their appearance and reproduction rate I am confident they are actually P. Laevis dairy cow morphs. Does that make more sense now as to why the outcompetes the powder blues?
Really! I would have thought the other way around. Either way, great info. More hobbyist should understand how evasive these are.
@@SupremeGecko Edit: the seller claimed the black and white spotted isopods were P.Scaber Dalmatians, but after researching their appearance, behavior, and breeding rate I am confident that they are dairy cow morph of P. Laevis. how invasive the blue powders are or the Dairy cows , or both? I have some hypotheses on why the diary cows beat out the powders. 1. The diary cows have an extremely high sex drive. I see the same male mate with multiple females on a daily basis, which would lead to higher diary cow populations. I never noticed any mating behavior in the blue powders. 2. It may be that diary cows are more adaptable than blue powders. I initially had the blue powders and diary cows together in a Mason jar. After several months in the Mason jar there were only a couple blue powders left from the original 10 and the original 10 diary cows had already produced a second generation that were about half the size of their parents. I had several other species of isopods in different mason jars (all semi-self maintaining ecospheres) and combined them, their substrate, plants into a1.5 gallon terrarium with way more space for them than they had in the jars. The diary cows still exhibit the same hyper sexual behavior in this new environment and have once again created another generation of juveniles since being transferred to the terrarium a few months ago. Unfortunately, the blue powders died out before I could transfer them so I don’t know if they weren’t mating because they were in a poor environment or if the diary cows were just more prolific, and larger so they could easily push around the small blue powders and monopolize the resources in the smaller container leading to the blue powders extinction. While the blue powders were nearing extinction in the jars, I noticed an odd behavior. The powders would ride on the backs of the diary cows! I know isopods of the same species will sometimes ‘cuddle’, but this behavior seemed different. My only guess is that it was a last ditch attempt to get the dairy cows away from food so the blue powders could eat, but that is a total guess, anyone have any better explanation? I suspect the blue powders would do fine in the new terrarium because they wouldn’t need physical strength to control food sources because the terrarium is huge with extensive tunnels build by worms and isopods, plenty of decaying and living plants, fungus, and mites/mite eggs to eat.
@@fatdamon4167 Evasive- both! Reason... they BOTH have a high sex drive and both can tolerate almost complete dryness and swampy conditions. It might be the age of the PB if the scenario was a small group. They may have just died out of old age and were not able to propriate quick enough.
Do you have any tips how to get rid of mites in isopod cultures?
Great question Jordan. Mites are extremely difficult to get rid of. First though, you need to determine if you have harmful mites or not. If they are harmful, the best way to rid your enclosure of mites is to dry it out (only have a small area of moisture for your isopods), get rid of uneaten food after 3-4 hours, and clean often. To clean, apply a fine line of Vaseline at the top of the container, wipe off every day, and reapply. Do this until the mites are gone.
@@SupremeGecko I think I have compost mites
@@SupremeGecko or grain mites
There are lots of isopods in my potted plant, is there any way to control the population, and another question, do they eat roots because i don't feed them still they keep growing.
Is this potted plant in your animal enclosure, outside, inside? Isopods prefer dead and decaying plant matter.
@@SupremeGecko there is a seedling and there are no animals, they are in my pot, also i have seen youtube videos where these pill bugs are eating leaves, that's why i am concerned.
@@akhileshsuresh4933 hope my response answers you questions. If not, please let me know.
Take as many as u can and maybe culture them? Or repot the plant? Or lastly release the caught ones?
Would it be okay to just add springtails to my geckos tank??
Sure. As long as you have some areas that are moist enough for them.
Wally, just a thought that came to mind regarding gaps and escapees from lids. Having just bought a dozen 35 litre containers similar to yours in a bargain buy at my Co-op store (you may not have them over in the USA) but not ones with secure latches like yours, mine were (£12 for 3) :-)
Have not used this idea yet on plastics, but I wonder if that double sided tape, about 1/4" wide may just do the trick. I used it to seal my new wooden loft hatch, and it sealed the gap spot on. It does wear away in time, but it is cheap enough. I guess I should have tried it myself first, and then could have given an answer with authority, but just throwing it out there.
It may not like plastic, I will try it and get back to you, but it is just a thought. - Regards, Jim.
Please do. This is interesting. 2 issues with the 2x sided tape though that I see- 1) you will need to replace it once in a while (may not be that big of an issue) 2) it will 'capture' attempted escapes but the result will be lost isopods. I think you are on to something and would suggest maybe 1 sided tape might be slippery enough to deter runaways. Maybe.
@@SupremeGecko Wally, I may have not given the correct description of this product and so may have caused confusion. To clarify, I still don't know what it is called, but it comes in a coil. It looks like a coiled piece of sponge with white tape on both sides. It is still still about a 1/4 inch, and one side of the product peels off for fixture to the area that needs to be sealed and cushioned. The opposite side is just left alone to provide a seal. Hope that clarifies, better still, hope it works as I have yet to buy more to test it out. Used it on my loft hatch to seal the small gap on closure, and prevent loss of heat up into the loft. Regards, Jim.
@@jameswalls2696 Ahhhh. Completely understand now. Thanks for clarifying. I have a group of P. sp Seville and I did this with this group. Works perfect!!! Instead of transferring the group, I wanted to experiment with them and this is a good solution!
@@SupremeGecko Wally, I'm overjoyed to hear it and pleased to have had a hand in helping to solve a major problem for you. You have made my day - (thumbs up) I have not patented the idea so you may claim it as your own :-) :-) and put the word out there, perhaps in a future video to help other followers as they may have missed our conversation. A suggested title could be "How to help solve the problem of escapees".
I was previously going to also suggest sticking a label inside the container "WARNING - ATTEMPTED ESCAPEES WILL BE SHOT", but you would have had the added inconvenience of having to do it in several languages - :-) :-) Regards, Jim
Hi! I am keeping powder orange isopods and white dwarf isopods together. Is this ok?
Should be ok as the dwarf whites will burrow. But, if not fed enough protein, the powder orange will overtake the dwarf whites.
Supreme Gecko What kind of protein do your mean? What should I feed them?
Super vids! !!learned a lot ❤💪 greets Netherlands. Just started this beautyful species❤
Thank you for watching. Congrats on the new species. Let me know if you ever have any questions.
@@SupremeGecko u perfect ❤
Great info brother
Thank you!
thank you for this knowledge!!!
It is entirely my pleasure
Be right back. Gotta set my dwarf purples on the bottom. 😰
:) Good idea.
This is what it is like to be in charge of a super max prison.
:)
Hi, what kind of pump mister do you use?
Let me see if this works- www.harborfreight.com/05-gallon-multi-purpose-sprayer-56167.html?cid=paid_google|||56167&gclid=CjwKCAjwnIr1BRAWEiwA6GpwNVz6GSvyDTlYI0PHw1dChGHjWQkNUDkqDpwnyK304WDg_RQW7Sr95hoCNKoQAvD_BwE
Should I continue to feed my spring tails once I placed them in my frogs enclosure and also would I continue to feed isopods once I place them in my enclosures?
I would, and do. Certainly less than if they do not have 'other material' to consume. But, you will need to monitor and manage the amount you feed. A good fishfood or powdered food is best with a small slice of veggie about once a week or week would be perfect.
I have a problem and if I could get some help I would appreciate it very much. I just recently (3 weeks ago) got my springtail and isopod culture set up in a bin. They are infested with what I believe to be fungus gnats. At first it wasn't too bad so I tried to remove the larvae I saw and sat there an hour doing that and then covered the substrate with dry matter such as more substrate and some sphag moss that of course I didnt spray. Thinking that wiuld inhibit the gnats from laying but I just looked in again and turned over some of the substrate and there are larvae everywhere!!!
What can I do? Do I physically remove all the isopods and try to float out some of the springtails and start over or what is the best course of action here?
I don't have much time because I want to get this taken care of before these larvae turn because then I'll have a huge mess on my hands. As it stands now, I probably won't even risk opening the bin indoors anymore and take it outside. I already have so many of these flying garbage critters in my room I really don't need to add to that.
Any insight would be helpful!
This is a VERY common problem isopod keepers need to battle. Once a culture is well established, the gnat issue will all but go away. But, if you are like most of us and setup 2 or 3 or more at a time, the new cultures draw the gnats like magnets. The first option is make sure your culture is not too damp- without negatively impacting the isopods. Another option is Mosquito Bits. Aquarimax Pets did a great video on this product a few weeks ago. Only issue with this is it takes weeks to kick in. Finally, and I hate even mentioning this- yellow fly strips. Let me know if you go with any of these methods.
I want to learn about isopod and keeping as pets. Gladly i found you channel. You new subscriber.
Thank you for subscribing
Good luck. Besides the normal stuff, they will eat goldfish flakes and koi pond sticks.
@@FusionDeveloper yeah .. but now I don't have any species yet to keep. Still research.
I think I might start keeping isopods
Let me know if you do as, a frequent commentor, I would certainly offer a nice discount to you on isopods and food.
Supreme Gecko thank you so much I’ll try and find space for them
We’re do you ship?
@@myloherps8955 I ship to the US currently.
Supreme Gecko oh I live in England
I noticed the isopods I placed in my terrarium started eating the plants that lived there.
Why is that and what can I do to make them stop?
I placed pieces of bark, dried leaves and they still ate the living plants..
I wanted to use them as a cleaning crew.
What type of isopods? Are you sure they are eating the plants. Isopods are mostly known for eating dead and decaying food items.
Supreme Gecko Ive made 5 closed terrariums where i house my jumping spiders. There is nothing else that could eat the plants other than the isopods.
I know this because in one of the terrariums I managed to remove the isopods and the succulents weren't getting eaten any further.
They are some local isopods I picked up from underneath a rotten log in my garden.
I live in northern Croatia, if that helps.
I don't really know much about isopod spieces and types, but they were dark gray with bright patterns that can curl up and light gray patternless ones that couldn't ball up.
I could send pictures if necessary...
@@SupremeGecko they actually do enjoy eating certain plants. To alleviate a couple small pieces of carrots or kale works. However make sure uneaten stuff is taken out after awhile.
Good stuff.
Thanks Todd. Not easy for me doing this without a script and all in one run. Not my comfort zone :)
Great Video
Thanks for checking it out and for the nice words.
Do they bite and can they live with giant african land snails
They do not bite. I don't have giant African land snails so I am not sure if they can or not.
@@SupremeGecko ok
I went outside and I collected some isopods but some look like rolli poli and some look like isopods but I was wondering can I keep them in a bioactive terrarium
You sure can. If you already have animals in the enclosures, you should quarantine the pods first.
How should I do that just put them in a separate container and let them breed out a generation or 2
@@lunaz_reptilesig7438 That is an excellent option.
@@SupremeGecko they work well
Just limit their numbers to a degree. They will not bother live inhabitants. Only dead inhabitants including their own kind will be consumed.
Hi there! very informative thxs alot. Jus got my colony of 15 dairy cows. may i know how long it take for them to fully house in a 500mm x 250mm tank? They always in hiding can't see them in sight.
You could certainly submit a video for me to review. Depending on how old they are, you can expect young in about 3-4 months.
@@SupremeGecko which channel to submit to? btw do u hav oversea shipment for isopods?
Great Video !!
Have you tried weather stripping under the lid? This is something I'm going to try with my worm bin and then try it with isopods.
Oh! That's a great idea. Of course, with over 100 bins........... (thanks! I may try this with a few that seem to like to crawl up).
sorry tha happend but thank you for sharing
No worries Andrew. Lesson learned. Thank you for watching.
Eggs on your hands when touching Powder Blues transfered to the other culture.
?
STOP Isopod Teleportation!
:) #nomore-tele-a-port
So.. how many non-native species have escaped their containers there because the young fit through your choice of screen, or loose lids?
36 :)
I really want to own isopods but idk how to care for them
Oh....... if only there was a RUclips channel that was posting isopod care videos .......... ;)
@@SupremeGecko yep just only! Umm can you Hold them!
@@breaunasreptileworld Umm sure
💚
ty
I assume you must sell vireties of isopods, how can i purches?$
Www.supremegecko.com or message me on FB
@@SupremeGecko do you carry blond rubber ducky iceopod? If so how much? Thank you fir your help. Id gladly add you on fb.
@@scottlatessaii9501 not currently. No worries.
I know how excited you were when they came in and how disappointed in this situation but they will come back.
Agreed. Still enough to have a nice colony by next year
Great video! Just wanted to let you know that your website link in the description has an extra ““ in it.
Should be “www.supremegecko.com”
Have a good day!
Thank you very much. I will fix this. Did you want to be entered into the giveaway? Just say the secret words :)
Fixed. Again, thank you so much
Supreme Gecko No problem! And no thanks for the giveaway, just wanted to let you know about the link. :)
They look too much like insects so they probably end on my kill list if I saw one
It's so much more important that we learn to understand and appreciate animals, including insects, in our world rather than destroying them.
@@SupremeGecko Are you an insect rights activist lol ? That's just the way it is , they are too many and invade your space , not going to think twice about killing them right away . Plus I have insect phobia . This is nature friend and like it or not you and I are part of it , not above it so there is no morality here to question . Most insects are damaging to crops , plants and humans with only bees and a few other insects actually contributing in a positive way .
@@pizdanpula223 most insects contribute quite a bit.
@@pizdanpula223 wrong. They all do. Each and every fills a niche. And maybe there is some truth to what u said. But I'm not really one to kill indescriminately