HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hello!

What is the best species of isopods for crab poop clean up? And where is the best place to get them? I have a 55 that I will be upgrading to a 75 eventually so I need A LOT.

Thank you!

*H, CVT*

Ok. Not sure if one species is better than the other. We have zebra isopods and they are doing a great job in our 55g


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How many did you get to start?

*H, CVT*

I know two websites a lot of people say are good:
http://isopodconnection.tictail.com
http://www.bugsincyberspace.com/

Mine came from my backyard and they are thriving. I put in about thirty initially. Now I have hundreds. A few of my crabs also hunt and eat them. I've had them a little over a year.

I got ours from Isopod Connection. Great customer service and if u email Stacy, she is pretty foot about responding to you and answering all of your questions I ordered a total of about 36 but she always throws in extra They are well packaged and ours are also thriving in the tat


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I purchased 36 from Isopod Connection as well. Great customer service, etc. I also collected about 20+ from my butterfly garden. I'm currently breeding mine. Have about 100+. I'm waiting until they are a larger colony before I take some to add to my crabitat, bc the last time I added 20, they disappeared...I'm pretty sure my crabs ate them!


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I read somewhere that if your tank is less than 50 gallons, 50 isopods is a good starting point, and if it's more than 50 gallons, 100 is a good starting point.

I raised my own from wild caught stock in a 10 gallon tank. I have 2-3 different species; all seem about the same. The isopod tank literally has 1000's of them growing and breeding. I pull about 100 at a time for the 40B and about 150 for the 55g.

PinchersAndShells wrote:I read somewhere that if your tank is less than 50 gallons, 50 isopods is a good starting point, and if it's more than 50 gallons, 100 is a good starting point.

I'd probably go more with 5 - 10 per 10g... Depending if you want to "see results" straight away or if you want the colony to build up.

aussieJJDude wrote: I'd probably go more with 5 - 10 per 10g... Depending if you want to "see results" straight away or if you want the colony to build up.

Makes more sense than the 50 thing, I don't think a ten gallon would really need 50 isopods.

So I have a question about isopod habitats for breeding, some people say they can be fun to watch. What do they do? How do you set up a habitat for them?

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kieagcarm wrote:So I have a question about isopod habitats for breeding, some people say they can be fun to watch. What do they do? How do you set up a habitat for them?

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They like to be warm and moist and will drown in water.

My habitat was an inch or so of cocofiber mixed with a bit of sand. Tons of leaf litter and some cholla wood. I sprinkled eggshells, dry crickets and veggies, and chunks of potato.

There were thousands of them. You do have to mist every couple of days.

Unfortunately some earwigs either hatched out or invaded and the whole colony was wiped out.

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kieagcarm wrote:So I have a question about isopod habitats for breeding, some people say they can be fun to watch. What do they do? How do you set up a habitat for them?

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There's a guide here! http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 26&t=92538 Of course everyone will have their own methods, but it's kind of like a general care sheet.

Is it possible for isopods to strive without you breeding them first? Aka just plop them into the hermie tank if you get some that prefer the same temperature?

I don't have the funds to breed them (just spent about 160 total preparing for hermies and now im poor again haha) but I love small critters and think they would be awesome in my tank. But if they will all die right away/be eaten, it wouldn't be worth the investment.