Isopod and Springtail Clean up Crew Guides - Culturing, Care and Breeding
How Do I Add the Clean-Up Crew to my Bioactive Terrarium?
Adding springtails and isopods to your bioactive enclosure is simple once you know the right approach. In this guide, we walk you through the most effective ways to transfer your clean-up crew based on how they arrive.
- Josh Halter
Zebra Isopod Care Sheet
Armadillidium maculatum, commonly known as the Zebra Isopod or Zebra Pill Bug, is one of the most visually recognizable and popular display bioactive isopods in the hobby. In this care guide, we cover everything you need to successfully keep Zebra Isopods, including their temperature and humidity needs, feeding recommendations, substrate choices, and how to create the moisture gradients they rely on for healthy molts and stable colony growth. With their bold black-and-white banding, surface-active behavior, and adaptability to temperate and semi-arid setups, Zebra Isopods are an excellent choice for both bioactive clean-up crews and eye-catching display colonies in terrariums and vivariums.
- Josh Halter
Giant Canyon Isopod Care Sheet
Giant Canyon isopods are Mediterranean isopods prized for their large size and tolerance for drier conditions. In this care guide, we break down everything you need to successfully keep Giant Canyons, including their temperature and humidity needs, what they eat, and the best substrate choices for long-term colony health. With the right conditions, Porcellio dilatatus is one of the hardiest and most efficient clean-up crew members for arid and temperate bioactive setups, making them an outstanding choice for any desert or Mediterranean-style terrarium or vivarium with a high waste load.
- Josh Halter
Dalmatian Isopod Care Sheet
Dalmatian isopods are small, tropical isopods prized for their striking spotted patterning and fossorial nature. In this care guide, we break down everything you need to successfully keep Venezillo parvus, including temperature and humidity needs, what they eat, and the best substrate choices for long-term colony health. With the right conditions, Venezillo parvus is one of the most moisture-tolerant and effective detritivores available for tropical bioactive setups, making them an outstanding choice for any humid terrarium or vivarium.
- Josh Halter
Peraccae Isopod Care Sheet
Armadillidium peraccae, commonly known as the Peraccae Isopod or Bumpy Gray Pill Bug, is a hardy and visually textured bioactive isopod species well-suited for temperate and semi-arid vivariums. In this care guide, we cover everything you need to successfully keep Armadillidium peraccae, including ideal temperature and humidity ranges, feeding recommendations, substrate choices, and how to create the moisture gradients they rely on for healthy molts and long-term colony success. With their calm behavior, attractive armored appearance, and adaptability to drier bioactive environments, Peraccae Isopods make an excellent clean-up crew and display species for a wide variety of terrariums and vivariums.
- Josh Halter
Powder Isopod Care Sheet
Porcellionides pruinosus, commonly known as the Powder Blue or Powder Orange Isopod, is one of the most versatile and beginner-friendly bioactive isopods in the hobby. In this care guide, we cover everything you need to successfully keep Powder Isopods, including ideal temperature and humidity ranges, feeding recommendations, substrate choices, and how to create the moisture gradients they rely on for healthy molts and rapid colony growth. With their fast reproduction rates, active behavior, and adaptability across arid, temperate, and tropical setups, Powder Isopods are an excellent clean-up crew choice for nearly any bioactive terrarium or vivarium.
- Josh Halter
