I saw one of my clypeatus hunting isopods last night!!! :D

[CrabbyMom33]

I grew up calling them rolly polly bugs, too.

[CrabbyMom33]

Can you have them in the crab tank without them getting out of control population wise, or do the crabs take care of that?

[wolfnipplechips]

I had never even seen a terrestrial "roly-poly" until I spent a summer in Fort Drum, NY. I would come home after spending the day at my mom's barn, would sit on the front porch and scrape the chicken poop out of my shoe treads before going in the house. When I would go out later in the evening to play with the neighborhood army kids, I would see a bunch of little things eating the poop! I asked my mom what they were and she told me "roly-pollies". They were the kind that could roll up completely into a ball.

[wolfnipplechips]

Can you have them in the crab tank without them getting out of control population wise, or do the crabs take care of that?

They'll only get as big as their food source. Even though I know they're reproducing (I see babies all the time), I only see the same rough total amount as before. My population hasn't really grown inside the crab tank. I think some may starve, die, and get eaten by the crabs, or by the isopods. It's a tough life.

[fate4003]

Forgive my ignorance....what happens when you mix up the substrate in the tank. Will they get hurt? How many are we talking in a tank? Can they be caught from the wild aka...under a rock? Bahahahah

[Xyloart]

That is so neat you got to see that!!! I had no idea hermies could hunt!

[wolfnipplechips]

I imagine some will get caught under the substrate and die, but it won't matter as far as the colony goes. They reproduce like...isopods. If you mix your substrate, the majority will be fine because they prefer to hang out just above the substrate on things like fake plants and wood. They have limited digging power, and if the substrate is still fluffy when you mix it up, some will be able to dig themselves up out of the ground. In my 55, I have maybe a couple hundred? In my 20 gallon (nothing but isopods and 3 millipedes), I must have over 1000 isopods. But there, I have die offs every once in a while because their population gets too big, even though they have all the food they can eat. They will fight and kill each other for space. But that's where I keep my main colony if for some reason, I need to add more to the crab tank.

Yes, you can get them from the wild. Just do NOT get the bright blue/purple ones if you see any. They are infected with a deadly virus that can potentially spread to the hermit crabs. As long as you stick to the normal-colored ones, you will be fine. Also, be sure to get at least 15 or so to prevent inbreeding.

[fate4003]

Wow. I'm going to try this. Id love to see crabs interacting with another species. I think that is something that crabbers miss out on, seeing how crabs would interact in the wild.

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[wolfnipplechips]

Agreed! I know monkeys eat the hermit crabs...saw that on youtube one time. My husband's boss went to Costa Rica, and said that there is this type of wasp that will sit outside a hermit crab burrow and try to entice it out by bobbing up and down, only to kill the crab and eat it. Would be neat to see! Wonder how the wasp would be able to do that!

[fate4003]

Agreed! I know monkeys eat the hermit crabs...saw that on youtube one time. My husband's boss went to Costa Rica, and said that there is this type of wasp that will sit outside a hermit crab burrow and try to entice it out by bobbing up and down, only to kill the crab and eat it. Would be neat to see! Wonder how the wasp would be able to do that!

im a little concerned...just how big would that wasp be?

lol

[DragonsFly]

They eat decaying food that the crabs drag around and into weird places, so it reduces your chances of getting mold and mites. They're little custodians. Plus, they're cute!! And they serve as an extra source of protein for your crabbies.

So they are the clean-up crew for your clean-up crew (hermits are already "custodians," niche-wise!). I wonder who cleans up after THEM???

[Rocky]

The bacteria do
That is seriously so cool to see, awesome! If you ever get a shot at a video definately take one

[JediMasterThrash]

An order of crustacean. So somewhat closely related to our little hermit crabs. They breathe through gills, like our hermits. There are many different species with many different lifestyles, some marine, some terrestrial, some equipped for a little of both!

That's not an isopod...



THIS is an isopod!

[fate4003]

THIS is an isopod!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! *running in circles screaming*

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[Rocky]

Oh my god!!!!
I want to cuddle it
How in the world did he get that big?