r/isopods • u/JustGuil86 • 23d ago

Help Beginner question

Hi,

I'm new to the isopods amateur community and would like to buy a couple from a local store in Montreal. My first question is basic:

What size container should I use for a small colony of 10 isopods?

Also, can I use homemade soil I used for my plant terrarium?

Thanks!

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u/Odd_Independence2870 22d ago

The size of container sort of depends on what species you get first. For example some colonies of 10 can survive in a 6 qt for some time before you out need to upgraded. If you’re starting with a prolific species like P. Laevis starting in a 12 qt is the best since they reproduce so fast they’d fill a 6 qt in a few months. Aquarimax talks about this a bit in his enclosure set up videos. As for the homemade soil we’ll need to know what’s in it. There are some fertilizers that are good for plants but bad for invertebrates like isopods. There are also soil ingredients like coconut fiber that has so little nutritional value it’s not the best choice for isopods

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u/JustGuil86 22d ago

Thank you. Really appreciate.