HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Rollie pollies are entirely scavengers. They eat detritus, not living critters. I wouldn't worry about them attacking hermies.

I just threw out 200-300 rolypolies - considering that I started with just five or six, that's not bad. They just bred a bit too much lately

btw, the water gel is of no use to them. Better use a moist piece of tissue paper or moss when shipping them.

Jedediah wrote:I just threw out 200-300 rolypolies - considering that I started with just five or six, that's not bad. They just bred a bit too much lately ...

Ah, I wish I could've gotten some from you. Cannot find much this year over here, when compared to previous years......

Of course, shipping would be a bear...

Julia Coenobita wrote:Do the hermit crabs eat them alive?

My hermit crabs love to eat them live! They just grab one real fast.

Yesterday I sent CreepyCrawly 17 rollie pollies (she only asked for 10, but I expect casualties in the shipping process) and tomorrow we should expect a report and see if shipping them works.
I broke up a piece of the water gel into about eight little pieces, because I didn't see that post until today. Still, the gel should evaporate enough so that the little guys can breathe. I was reading up on them, they're actually the only crustaceans that don't use open water for any part of their life process. Cool!

kevinoh33 wrote: My hermit crabs love to eat them live! They just grab one real fast.

Same here.

I put a rolly polly in my crabitat.
I don't think they ate it yet, so that's good. I like roly polies.

NotaMallard wrote:Yesterday I sent CreepyCrawly 17 rollie pollies (she only asked for 10, but I expect casualties in the shipping process) and tomorrow we should expect a report and see if shipping them works.
I broke up a piece of the water gel into about eight little pieces, because I didn't see that post until today. Still, the gel should evaporate enough so that the little guys can breathe. I was reading up on them, they're actually the only crustaceans that don't use open water for any part of their life process. Cool!

Just got the package today. Sadly, they were all dead. Probably because it was baking outside. But the gel would definitely work, because it was very moist in the container. Poor rollie pollies... Looks like my crabs will have an amazing dinner though.

If putting rollie pollies in the tank means never having to do a deep clean EVER I'm sold!

Do they eat the crab poo too?
I just found some for the first time in their little digging spot in the EE eww...

I'd much rather have a rollie pollie do all the work while I relax and enjoy my little crabbies!

BobbyyzWorld wrote:If putting rollie pollies in the tank means never having to do a deep clean EVER I'm sold!

Do they eat the crab poo too?
I just found some for the first time in their little digging spot in the EE eww...

I'd much rather have a rollie pollie do all the work while I relax and enjoy my little crabbies!

I hear that, My rollie Pollies have done great. I think I have a thousabnd and counting in the Exotics tank. The Straws love to capture and eat em.

wow are you serious?! what size is your tank?

Isopods, isopods, that's not an isopod, this is an isopod:





Keith

Yeah, that a whole lotta isopod, all right....

May I ask exactly what it is?

Starfish wrote:Yeah, that a whole lotta isopod, all right....

May I ask exactly what it is?

It is a deep sea isopod, Bathynomus

Very interesting critters.

Keith