A Basic Guide to Setting Up &amp; Selecting Your First Isopods

When it comes to isopods, if you search online you'll find many different ways suggested for keeping them. Generally speaking (depending on species) isopods can be kept in a multitude of different ways with very good success. Isopods are terrestrial crustaceans, properly closely related to lobsters and crabs. They're also commonly known as woodlice (or woodlouse in singular), and they're popular as low-maintenance pets for beginners and hobbyists.

Isopods can be kept as primary inhabitants in a terrarium, or as part of a bioactive setup where they act as a cleanup crew, helping to maintain a healthy environment for other pets.

Here's a guide I've made below which highlights the way we'd personally set up and keep isopods. We get this question asked many times so I thought I'd write a blog post to try to help with this.

Enclosures

Isopods can be kept in a variety of containers, such as plastic containers, glass tanks, or terrariums. Most people begin keeping isopods in small enclosures such as 1.3 or 3-litre Braplasts. Whilst this can be done with great success, personally I find setting up isopods in larger containers from the start enables me to maintain the environment much easier for them — especially the humidity and temperature gradients.

When selecting a container, choose one with proper ventilation, adequate size, and escape-proof features. Plastic containers like Tupperware-style boxes are affordable and easy to modify for ventilation; glass tanks offer a more aesthetic look and are easy to clean, but may be heavier and more fragile. Both work as long as they provide good airflow and secure lids.

Due to this I'd personally recommend WHAM Crystal tubs from The Range. We generally start with the 11-litre tubs unless you're looking to set up a larger isopod species such as P. hoffmannseggii or P. haasi, in which case I'd go for a 17-litre tub.

Substrate

Selecting the right isopod substrate is crucial for maintaining a healthy environment for your isopods, as it helps retain moisture, provides burrowing opportunities, and can even serve as a food source.

For a quick solution you can use PostPods's own flake soil or crushed leaf litter substrate. Our friends at The Bug Room also sell ready-mixed substrates.

If however you'd prefer to make your own, here's how I personally create mine:

Organic topsoil — most brands are okay; just make sure they don't contain pesticides. I've used topsoil from Wickes and The Range and personally prefer the one from Wickes
Wood pellets — this is a trick I learned from my good friend Tom at Exotic Empire. One bag will last a long time: simply put some pellets in a container and add hot water, and the pellets will swell up and turn into a sawdust-like substrate. Some leave this overnight but I've found it swells and cools within a few hours. Always best to leave a little longer just to be safe. You can find these at retailers like Amazon and The Range
Worm castings — this isn't a requirement but more a nice-to-have. Like most things in this guide, the brand isn't important as long as it's organic

One note on peat moss: you might see it recommended elsewhere for moisture retention. We don't use it for two reasons — peat is properly acidic which can affect substrate chemistry over time, and peat harvesting raises environmental concerns. Coconut fibre (coir) is a better alternative if you want a moisture-retentive component.

It's important to create a moist area within the substrate — a patch of damp ground or moss — to maintain proper humidity and provide a retreat for moisture-loving isopods.

Other Staples

Cork Bark

Cork bark serves several purposes. Not only is it a great source of food for your isopods, but it's also a great hiding place — and it allows you to monitor your colony's population easier, as most isopods will generally hide on or under the cork bark.

Before adding to your enclosure we recommend putting it in the oven for around 45-60 minutes at 160°C (on a fan-assisted oven) to ensure any hitchhikers are killed and to ensure a safe environment for your isopods.

We stock our own small cork bark; Dubia Paul also stocks larger pieces.

Cuttlebone

Cuttlebone is a great source of calcium for isopods. You can achieve similar results from calcium powder or eggshells, but I find these can sometimes go a bit mouldy over time whereas I keep cuttlebone in my enclosures until the isopods have eaten it all. Cuttlebone also works as another great hiding place for your pods.

Browse our cuttlebone for stock.

Leaf Litter

Some people like to add leaf litter into the enclosure as a food source from time to time. We however find we personally have better results from keeping leaf litter available at all times. This also makes it easier if you're going away for a short time — they'll always have a food source available.

Browse our leaf litter for ready-prepared options.

Moss

Moss is a great source of food for the pods and also helps with humidity for them too — a properly nice win-win for the enclosure.

Ventilation

Ventilation can be added in a number of ways. The amount you need depends on the species you choose. These are the 2 ways we personally add ventilation:

Holes around the top of the tub — these can be added with a soldering iron or a drill
Screw-in air vents — vents are something we've started using more recently since Exotic Empire started selling them. We personally use Tom's 42mm vents where you drill a hole with a drillsaw piece and then the vents screw to the tub from either side. Tom makes these himself so please don't hesitate to ask him if you want them in a particular style or colour

We also stock our own screw-in air vents for keepers who'd rather order alongside their other supplies from us.

Moisture and Humidity

Moisture regulation is properly one of the most important aspects of isopod care. Different species have different humidity preferences — Mediterranean Porcellio species like drier conditions with moisture gradients, whereas tropical Cubaris and Ardentiella need consistently high humidity.

Most temperate hobby species do well at 60-80% humidity. Mist regularly with a spray bottle, focusing on one corner to create a moisture gradient. This allows isopods to choose between a damp area for burrowing and a drier spot for resting. Monitoring with a hygrometer helps you keep conditions consistent. Tailor your approach to the specific species you keep — for example, premium Cubaris will properly want 75-85%, whereas common Porcellio scaber tolerates 50-70% comfortably.

For deeper species-specific guidance, see our humidity article.

Food Choices

Feeding isopods a varied and natural diet that closely mimics what they would eat in the wild is essential. In their natural habitat, isopods feed on decaying organic matter, leaf litter, and other natural food sources. Proper feeding supports isopod health, growth, and breeding.

We generally alternate feeds between fruit/vegetables and a high-protein food source, providing a range of nutrients through both natural foods and supplements such as calcium. Cucumber and butternut squash are strong favourites, but they can be fed a wide variety of foods. The main thing I'd say is experiment and wash any food you give them thoroughly beforehand.

Fish flakes and TETRA pond sticks are useful as supplementary protein feed and are available from supermarkets and online stores. Properly use them in moderation rather than as a daily staple — small quantities offered weekly rather than dumped in large amounts.

For deeper guidance on isopod nutrition:

Springtails: The Essential Cleanup Crew

Properly worth a note that didn't make it into the original version of this guide: springtails are essentially essential alongside isopods. They handle fine debris, prevent mould, and properly create the bioactive ecosystem that makes isopod keeping low-maintenance.

Introduce springtails 2-3 weeks before your isopods so they establish first. Browse our springtail collection for cultures.

The Pods!

Common species like dairy cows and powder isopods are ideal for beginners — they're easy to find and care for. Most people would go for dairy cows for their first isopods which is a great choice. They're very, very resilient, have great appetites, and breed quickly.

However, personally I prefer Powder Isopods. These, like dairy cows, are relatively affordable and not picky eaters, with good appetites — but they're available in a variety of colours and are very active, which is one of the main reasons I prefer these over dairy cows.

We currently have these in 3 colours: Orange, Blue, and White.

For dwarf bioactive cleanup crew, Trichorhina tomentosa (dwarf whites) are properly excellent. Small size, fast reproduction, suitability for both tropical and temperate setups, and they don't compete with larger isopod species in mixed bioactive setups. Browse our dwarf white isopods.

For a more exotic option, you can also get Panda King Isopods. These will hide more than the powders and dairy cows when you first get them, but as they settle in and grow in numbers, so will the confidence of them. These are one of the easiest Cubaris to keep — so much so that we started keeping ours in a 17-litre tub but are now in a 62-litre tub due to how prolific of breeders they've become.