Terrestrial isopods come in many shapes and sizes. Not only are they great pets, but they also make effective tank janitors, consuming excess food, dead plant matter, and animal waste in your naturalistic vivarium. Isopods are found almost everywhere on Earth, from the bottom of the ocean to your backyard, so there's sure to be an isopod for any type of environment.

Arid Isopods

Porcellio Scaber var., Porcellio Dilatatus, Armadillidium Klugii 

Temp (°F): 70–90+ 

Humidity: 20–60% 

What do I do with the culture?You can either add the isopods directly to your vivarium by dumping them under the moss or leaf litter, or set them up in a larger container to culture more isopods! To culture, fill a plastic shoe box with Josh's Frogs Isopod Substrate. Moisten the substrate enough that it’s wet to the touch, but water doesn’t come out when it's squeezed. Then create a hill of substrate in the back of the box that’s a few inches taller than the front. Add the contents of the 8 oz. isopod starter culture. Feed and mist once or twice a week.

What do I feed my Isopods? Isopods love to help break down decomposing matter. In the culture, feed them leaf litter, Josh’s Frogs Pod Power Isopod Diet, Josh's Frogs Clean-Up Crew Cuisine, Repashy Bug Burger, and small amounts of fruits and veggies.

Would these isopods make a good addition to my vivarium? These isopods would best fit arid environments with inhabitants such as bearded dragons, leopard geckos and other desert-dwelling reptiles and amphibians. Make sure there are plenty of hiding places and a moist spot where they can rehydrate, and these isopods will thrive! 

Many arid animals can be voracious eaters, so we recommend culturing arid isopods outside the vivarium. Once they produce offspring, introduce a variety of sizes and ages into your vivarium for best success.

Tropical Isopods

Porcellionides pruinosus, Porcellionides floria, Porcellio scaber

Temp (°F): 60–80 

Humidity: 40–80%

What do I do with the culture?You can either add the isopods directly to your vivarium by dumping them under the moss or leaf litter, or set them up in a larger container to culture more isopods! To culture, fill a plastic shoe box with Josh's Frogs Isopod Substrate. Moisten the substrate enough that it’s wet to the touch, but water doesn’t come out when it's squeezed. Then create a hill of substrate in the back of the box that’s a few inches taller than the front. Add the contents of the 8 oz. isopod starter culture. Feed and mist once or twice a week.

What do I feed my isopods?Isopods love to help break down decomposing matter. In the culture, feed them leaf litter, Josh's Frogs Clean-Up Crew Cuisine, Repashy Bug Burger, and small amounts of fruits and veggies.

Would these isopods make a good addition to my vivarium?These isopods would best fit warm and humid tropical environments with inhabitants such as crested geckos, dart frogs, and many other reptiles and amphibians. Make sure there are plenty of hiding places and these isopods will thrive!

Pet Isopods 

Armadillidium maculatum, Armadillidium nasatum, Armadillidium vulgare, Porcellio laevis, Venezillo parvus

Temp (°F): 60–80 

Humidity: 40–60%

What do I do with the culture?To set up a permanent culture, fill a plastic shoe box or similar container with Josh's Frogs Isopod Substrate. Moisten the substrate enough that it’s wet to the touch, but water doesn’t come out when it's squeezed. Then create a hill of substrate in the back of the box that’s a few inches taller than the front. Add the contents of the 8 oz. Isopod Starter Culture. Feed and mist once or twice weekly.

What do I feed my isopods?Isopods love to help break down decomposing matter. In the culture, feed them leaf litter, Josh's Frogs Clean-Up Crew Cuisine, Repashy Bug Burger, and small amounts of fruits and veggies.

Would these isopods make a good addition to my vivarium?These isopods are best kept as pets outside of your vivarium for a few reasons. First, they tend to have thicker shells that could pose a choking hazard to other pets. Second, they like to nibble on soft-bodied plants. Third, they reproduce either too slowly or too quickly to be effective in the average naturalistic terrarium. However, their striking colors, patterns, and unique behaviors make these isopods worthy of their own display.

Specialty Isopods

Porcellionides virgatus, Porcellio spinicornis, Atlantoscia floridiana, Cylisticus convexus, Cubaris murina

Temp (°F): 60–80 

Humidity: 40–80%

What do I do with the culture?You can either add the isopods directly to your vivarium by dumping them under the moss or leaf litter, or set them up in a larger container to culture more isopods! To culture, fill a plastic shoe box with Josh's Frogs Isopod Substrate. Moisten the substrate enough that it’s wet to the touch, but water doesn’t come out when it's squeezed. Then create a hill of substrate in the back of the box that’s a few inches taller than the front. Add the contents of the 8 oz. Isopod Starter Culture. Feed and mist once or twice weekly.

What do I feed my isopods? Isopods love to help break down decomposing matter. In the culture, feed them leaf litter, Josh's Frogs Clean-Up Crew Cuisine, Repashy Bug Burger, and small amounts of fruits and veggies.

Would these isopods make a good addition to my vivarium?These isopods fit a range of special vivarium environments, including temperate plains and wetlands (P. virgatus, P. Spinicornis, C. Cylisticus), beaches (C. Murina), swamps (A. floridiana), and rocky or cave-like environments. These isopods are great for use with pets such as hermit crabs, toads, salamanders, cave geckos, and many others!