If you've been researching what to feed your isopods, you'll probably have come across Repashy Bug Burger - a popular prepared gel diet that crops up a lot in invertebrate-keeping circles. It's a genuinely useful product, and this guide gives you an honest look at what it is, how it fits into an isopod's diet, and how to use it - alongside the everyday foods that should still form the bulk of what your isopods eat.
One thing up front, in the interest of being straight with you: we don't currently stock Repashy in the PostPods range. It's widely available from specialist invertebrate retailers and reptile shops if you'd like to try it. We're including this guide because it's a product keepers genuinely ask about, not because we sell it - so what follows is balanced information rather than a sales pitch.
What Is Repashy Bug Burger?
Repashy Bug Burger is a calcium-fortified gel food, sold as a dry powder that you mix with hot water to create a firm gel. It was originally designed as a complete diet and gut-load for feeder insects like crickets and roaches, but it works well as a protein-rich supplement for isopods too. The gel both feeds and hydrates, and once set it can be cut into pieces, portioned, and even frozen to keep it fresh - which makes it convenient if you keep a lot of isopods.
It's fortified with vitamins and minerals (including added calcium, which supports healthy moulting), and its ingredient list is built around plant and algae meals plus a vitamin-and-mineral premix. In short, it's a tidy, shelf-stable way to add a nutritious protein-and-calcium boost to the menu.
Where It Fits in an Isopod's Diet
This is the important part, and it's where a lot of prepared-food marketing can mislead. Isopods are detritivores: their diet should be built on a foundation of decaying leaf litter and rotting hardwood, which together make up the bulk of what they eat in the wild and in captivity. A gel food like Bug Burger is a supplement to that staple - a source of extra protein - not a replacement for it.
Used that way, it's a good option. Protein supplements genuinely benefit most isopods, and they're close to essential for the more protein-hungry species like premium Cubaris and Ardentiella morphs, which need protein once or twice a week to support good colour, growth and breeding. Bug Burger is one way to provide that, sitting alongside other protein sources like fish flake, dried shrimp and the occasional dead insect. The key is variety and moderation: a little protein regularly, on top of an always-available base of leaf litter and wood.
How to Prepare and Use It
Preparation is simple. Mix one part powder with up to three parts hot (just-boiled) water and stir until smooth - it will thicken as it cools. Pour it into a container or mould and leave it at room temperature until firm, then cut it into small portions. Offer a small piece to your isopods, and store the rest sealed in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks, or freeze it for longer.
A few practical tips:
- Use less water for a firmer gel, more for a softer one - adjust to what your isopods take to.
- Offer small amounts. Like any rich food, too much left sitting in a warm, humid enclosure will go mouldy and can attract pests such as mites and fungus gnats.
- Remove any uneaten gel after a day or so, treating it like any fresh food.
- A permanent calcium source such as cuttlebone is still worth keeping in the enclosure regardless.
Do You Actually Need It?
Honestly, no - it's a convenience, not a necessity. Plenty of keepers run thriving colonies with no prepared gel food at all, using a base of leaf litter and rotting wood plus simple protein sources (fish flake, dried shrimp) and a calcium source. What prepared diets like Bug Burger offer is convenience and consistency: a single, shelf-stable, nutritionally-rounded supplement you can keep in the freezer and portion out as needed, which some keepers find easier than assembling protein from several sources.
So if you like the idea of a ready-made protein supplement, it's a solid choice. If you'd rather keep things simple and cheap, you can get excellent results from leaf litter, wood, a bit of protein and some cuttlebone - all of which we stock in our accessories range. Either way, the golden rule is the same: leaf litter and decaying wood form the staple, and protein - whatever its source - is the supplement on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Repashy Bug Burger good for isopods?
Yes, as a protein-and-calcium supplement. It's a convenient, nutritious gel food that works well offered occasionally on top of an isopod's staple diet of leaf litter and rotting wood. It shouldn't replace that staple, though.
Does PostPods sell Repashy Bug Burger?
No - we don't currently stock Repashy. It's widely available from specialist invertebrate and reptile retailers. We do stock the staples (leaf litter, rotting wood, cuttlebone) that should form the core of any isopod diet.
How often should I feed Bug Burger to isopods?
As a protein supplement, roughly once or twice a week is plenty for most species - more often for protein-hungry Cubaris and Ardentiella, less for hardy Armadillidium. Offer small amounts and remove uneaten portions to avoid mould.
Do isopods need prepared food like Bug Burger?
No. It's a convenience, not a necessity. Isopods thrive on leaf litter and decaying wood with simple protein sources and a calcium supply. Prepared gels just offer a tidy, consistent way to add protein if you prefer it.
How do I store prepared Bug Burger gel?
Keep it sealed in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks, or freeze portions for longer. Treat the gel you put in the enclosure as fresh food and remove anything uneaten after a day or so.
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