HCA: Hermit Crab Association

For those with isopods in your tanks, do you clean up the fresh foods in your tank or do you just leave it in the tank for the isopods to eat? We have very active isopods in our tank and they are everywhere including on the fresh foods. I usually like to take out the fresh foods after 24 hours to prevent mold. I usually have to shake off the isopods.


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Hi Kermie! It depends. Some fresh foods will attract gnats. I will leave most veggies, but not fruits or meats. I hope that helps.

I found that isopods will gather around meats that have touched the substrate, but not my fresh fruits and vegetables.
My crabitat is filled with thousands of Dwarf Whites and some regular wood lice.

So, i googled isopods and basically the picture that came up was what i called a "roly poly" growing up. I used to play with them growing up! So, yall add them into your tank for clean up? They don't bother the crabs and vise versa? I'm very interested in this!

GotButterflies wrote:Hi Kermie! It depends. Some fresh foods will attract gnats. I will leave most veggies, but not fruits or meats. I hope that helps.

Ok! Great! Thanks GB:) And these isopods u sent are AWESOME! And they are like crazy active! Thank you!


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StellaCrab wrote:I found that isopods will gather around meats that have touched the substrate, but not my fresh fruits and vegetables.
My crabitat is filled with thousands of Dwarf Whites and some regular wood lice.

Mine don’t seem to care (lol!) I have found them inside my egg shells munching on the fresh foods .


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ciaraalston wrote:So, i googled isopods and basically the picture that came up was what i called a "roly poly" growing up. I used to play with them growing up! So, yall add them into your tank for clean up? They don't bother the crabs and vise versa? I'm very interested in this!

Yep! But u don’t want to add the ones that have been exposed to any pesticides. I got mine from GotButterflies and they are great!!


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Kermie16 wrote:

GotButterflies wrote:Hi Kermie! It depends. Some fresh foods will attract gnats. I will leave most veggies, but not fruits or meats. I hope that helps.

Ok! Great! Thanks GB:) And these isopods u sent are AWESOME! And they are like crazy active! Thank you!


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Yw! Btw - make sure you provide them with calcium! They shed their exoskeleton just like hermit crabs. Cuttlebone and eggshell is fine.

Kermie16 wrote:

ciaraalston wrote:So, i googled isopods and basically the picture that came up was what i called a "roly poly" growing up. I used to play with them growing up! So, yall add them into your tank for clean up? They don't bother the crabs and vise versa? I'm very interested in this!

Yep! But u don’t want to add the ones that have been exposed to any pesticides. I got mine from GotButterflies and they are great!!


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where else can i get some? That'd be cool to add to my new 75 once its set up!

ciaraalston wrote:

Kermie16 wrote:

ciaraalston wrote:So, i googled isopods and basically the picture that came up was what i called a "roly poly" growing up. I used to play with them growing up! So, yall add them into your tank for clean up? They don't bother the crabs and vise versa? I'm very interested in this!

Yep! But u don’t want to add the ones that have been exposed to any pesticides. I got mine from GotButterflies and they are great!!


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where else can i get some? That'd be cool to add to my new 75 once its set up!

Hello! I can send you some! You just have to pay for priority shipping. I'll send you plenty for free! Mine breed like CRAZY. Just PM me when you are ready for some. This offer applies to anyone here on the HCA.

ciaraalston wrote:

Kermie16 wrote:

ciaraalston wrote:So, i googled isopods and basically the picture that came up was what i called a "roly poly" growing up. I used to play with them growing up! So, yall add them into your tank for clean up? They don't bother the crabs and vise versa? I'm very interested in this!

Yep! But u don’t want to add the ones that have been exposed to any pesticides. I got mine from GotButterflies and they are great!!


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where else can i get some? That'd be cool to add to my new 75 once its set up!

I got this shipment from GB! Really well packed and in perfect condition:) They are extremely active and do a great job cleaning after the hermies!


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Newbie here. So everyone would recommend adding isopods to their tanks? I have a 10 gallon and 2 crabs.

In moderation, yes. With a 10 gallon you don't need very many though

AHuff wrote:Newbie here. So everyone would recommend adding isopods to their tanks? I have a 10 gallon and 2 crabs.

They certainty do make great additions, and many do reccomend them. But short answer no, you're not required to add them in if you dont want to.

Many including myself reccomend starting off at around 10 (or many even suggest 1-5 per gallon) to ensure that you have both sexes, some may die due to crabs snacking on them or during shipping... but they will quickly breed, so there's no need to go out and purchase a lot, as in the right conditions (our tanks) they will quickly multiply IMO.

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Totally agree with the above!! I have had them over run my crabitats! It took several days of running a shop vac in my tanks to get them under control!