November 16th, 2021
You can see them running around here.
I have never kept Isopods before.
So, there I have a lot of things to learn about them.
One of the main concerns for me is to figure out what food Isopods like to eat.
Here I give them a slice of apple to try.
Originally, I put peat moss, wilted leaves, some live moss, cholla wood, and a rock in this terrarium.
I tried to recreate the natural environment Isopods live in.
You can see the whole setup in my previous video.
Here you can see both types of Isopods I have.
The powder blue I found in a hallway of my building.
And the darker one I brought from a park.
I wonder if they can be crossbred...
We’ll see about it.
My isopods mostly stay active and visibly on the surface after dusk.
Isopods hide away from bright camera light every time I turn it on.
Apparently, Isopods don't like bright light.
So, the best observations I could make with dim light only.
Isopods like to gather in certain spots - like under this log for example.
There are 3 or 4 isopods here right now.
Here two Isopods run into each other in a surprise collusion.
Seems like it's not a big deal or hurt feelings for either of them.
And then things gets a bit tense under the log.
One of the isopods seems to claim the spot and stands its ground against all the other isopods.
Yeah, real estate comes with the same issues in every world.
That's a lot of action for such a small world!
Eventually, all is settled and I never see it happen again.
December 3rd, 2021
It's been about a month since I set up this terrarium.
I notice a little white critter moving on the glass you can see here.
Otherwise, there is not much action anymore...
Well yes, the spot under the log is apparently the prime real estate for my isopods.
Some hot spot for sure!
Once a week or so I change the food to see what Isopods like to eat.
They hardly touch the slice of apple at all.
Here I give them a slice of beet to try.
And a slice of cucumber goes in.
December 5th.
I spotted a young isopod!
No one seems to be interested in the cucumber...yet.
I spray some water to keep it all moist.
December 8th
It looks like someone chewed a bit on cucumber.
And the slice of beet has marks of chewing on it.
Great!
Let's put a fresh slice of beet.
The following day I put a slice of banana for Isopods to try.
December 12th.
A close look at a tiny white bug reveals that it is a baby isopod!
And here is a closeup view of an adult Isopod.
Occasionally, I get a chance to see Isopods in a bright day light, like in this example.
Here you can see an Isopod checking a slice of potato I give them on December 21st.
December 26th.
Let's remove the potato.
And put some wilted leaves I picked in the park.
On December 29th I added some live moss.
In my previous observations, Isopods show interest in live moss...
So, let them have more fun with it.
On January 2nd 2022, I decide to make some renovations in the terrarium.
First I pull out...hmm...half of the stuff from the tank.
Here you can see an Isopod digging in a hole.
Yes, that is where Isopods hide for most of the day.
Let's move the peat moss a bit to level it up.
Now I put a layer of wilted leaves.
My Isopods seem to like wilted leaves the most.
They hide under the leaves and eat them.
Here goes a pretty piece of bark with some green growth on it.
Ah...let's put some moss under the bark first.
And now put more moss on top of the bark.
And the log with more wilted leaves on top.
I wish the mouth of the jar was wider for my hand to go through.
That would not be an issue in a large size terrarium I've been planning to build.
And now let's moisten everything.
Here you can see a new gang of baby Isopods exploring their renovated house.
Let's take a closer look at them.
It's amazing how fast baby isopods move around.
And baby Isopods grow very fast too.
Here you can see a couple weeks old Isopods digging in the moss one week later on January 10th.
And...let me zoom in on the tiny baby Isopod running on the wall.
Here you can see and compare their sizes.
And it is just a couple weeks of difference!
A time-lapse recording is a great way to make observations.
That is a view on the terrarium from the top.
A couple adults show up and a bunch of different age baby Isopods.
There is a lot of activity in the moss.
So in the first couple months, my Isopods had babies at least two times in this 1 liter terrarium.
By the speed Isopods breed and grow, I definitely need to build another terrarium - the sooner the better.
With so many tiny Isopods running everywhere, it gets even harder to move things around here.
Well, I am going to keep all the potato slices here for now.
Let's just add more wilted leaves - my Isopods favorite food.
I will set up a larger terrarium and show it in a follow up video for you.
Now let's spray it all with water to keep moist.
So, a little food and some water about once a week seems like all it takes to keep and breed Isopods.
I like it!
Will keep you updated.
Have fun and happy Isopods :)
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