I’m setting up a new enclosure with new substrate for some of my powder orange isopods, trying to get a large quantity so I can add them to my bio active enclosure.
My issue is, I just used a very basic and quick substrate using coco fiber, orchid bark, some charcoal, and some spagnum moss.
Since then I’ve ordered all the components of the ABG soil, and I’m going to mix some up to make enclosures for my isopods… is there a good way to move them from one enclosure to the other, without moving the substrate with it?
I didn’t know if anyone had some tips and tricks out there, or if I’m basically outta luck.
So you are saying you want to move the isopods only. Correct? Would they congregate on or under a piece of cork bark with some yummy food? You can just pick up the bark and scoop them up…… maybe! Lol!
I don’t think it’s possible to move 100% of them. I’m doing this with millipedes and what I did was removed all of them I could pick up (there were still tiny ones I couldn’t move) and then for the next few days I did the same thing. Now, I’m waiting because there are a lot of very small millipedes in there and there are likely eggs, so I’m waiting for them to grow enough where I can move them.
Your best bet will be to get them all on cork bark or a food item and move as many as you can, and doing it multiple times in a few days until you’re confident you got all the adults out. Then, you could either let the colony sit if you want to try to collect the babies, or you could pitch it (or freeze it and reuse the substrate).
I’ve used the cork bark idea several times. Sometimes it takes repeated attempts to get them all. Move as many as possible over, put the cork bark back with food on it and wait a couple of days. And I’ve just scooped all the dirt up one big spoon full at a time and went through all of it! Took a while either way.
That’s what I was expecting to hear, so I’m not terribly surprised. What food have you guys successfully put on the cork bark to really entice them onto it?
