Everything you need to set up and maintain healthy invertebrate enclosures, in one place. Whether you're building your first isopod colony, housing a group of millipedes, or putting together a bioactive vivarium, the right supplies make a genuine difference - and most of what's here costs very little to get right.

Substrate & Food

The foundation of any isopod or millipede enclosure is what goes inside it. Our leaf litter and shredded rotten wood are the dietary staples these animals evolved to consume - not optional extras, but the core of their diet. Both are sourced from Southern England woodlands and processed to be pest-free. Leaf litter substrate, chopped and milled from beech and oak, gives you a finer, ready-mixed option that works well as a surface layer or blended through.

Flake soil - fermented European hardwood, originally developed for beetle larvae - is the single best thing to build a substrate around. It holds moisture like coir but actually feeds the colony, which matters when your animals eat the substrate they live in. It works equally well for tropical isopods, millipedes and beetle larvae, and our flake soil guide explains why. For species-specific nutrition, lichen sticks provide what Ardentiella genuinely need in their diet, and bat guano offers a nutrient boost particularly relevant to cave-dwelling Cubaris.

Protein & Supplements

Protein matters for breeding colonies, healthy moulting, and overall condition. Tropical fish flakes at 47% crude protein are a versatile staple across isopods, millipedes and cockroaches. Bee pollen has become a hobby favourite for good reason - the broad nutritional profile supports reproduction particularly well in slower-breeding species. Spirulina algae wafers, oak and algae wafers, and pond sticks round out a varied supplementary diet without the mould risk of fresh food.

Calcium

Calcium isn't optional for isopods and millipedes - it's fundamental to healthy exoskeletons and successful moulting. Our cuttlebone is hand-collected from UK coastlines and washed in RO water before packing, giving invertebrates a soft, accessible calcium source they can graze on as needed. Crushed oyster shell offers a slower-release alternative that works particularly well mixed into substrate for millipedes and burrowing isopod species.

Enclosures & Ventilation

Good ventilation makes the difference between thriving colonies and struggling ones. Our screw-in air vents give stable humidity and proper airflow without the hassle of organza or hand-drilled holes - they're what we use ourselves, after trying every other method. For display setups, the top-opening acrylic enclosures offer 360-degree visibility, proper ventilation and magnetic locking lids.

Décor

Cork bark is the single most useful piece of décor you can add to any enclosure - it provides shelter, creates humidity microclimates, and gets gradually consumed as a supplementary food source. Lotus pods make natural hides that isopods congregate in and eventually break down and eat. Boil both before adding them to an enclosure.

Shipping Supplies

During colder months, heat packs protect your invertebrates in transit. These 40+ hour packs are the same ones used by major UK invertebrate suppliers, and we recommend them whenever overnight temperatures drop below 5°C.

Frequently Asked Questions

What substrate do isopods need?
A nutritious base of flake soil, white-rotted hardwood and organic topsoil, topped with a generous layer of leaf litter, plus a calcium source. The substrate is a primary food source, not just a floor - so it needs to feed the colony as well as house it. Our substrate guide covers the full recipe.

What is flake soil?
Fermented hardwood - essentially a head start on the natural breakdown that takes months on a forest floor. It gives you moisture retention and real nutrition at the same time, along with a mature microbial community from day one. It's the best foundation for isopod, millipede and beetle larvae substrates alike.

Can you use flake soil for beetles and millipedes?
Yes - flake soil was originally developed for beetle larvae, and it works just as well for millipedes as it does for isopods. Any invertebrate that eats its substrate benefits from a nutritious base rather than an inert one.

Do isopods need cuttlebone?
Yes, or another calcium source. Isopods need calcium for moulting and brood formation, and without it you see failed moults and dropping breeding rates. Leave a piece of cuttlebone on the surface and let them graze it as needed - don't dust their food with calcium powder, which is reptile-feeder methodology and doesn't suit isopods.

What do you feed isopods?
Most of their diet comes from the substrate itself - leaf litter and white-rotted hardwood. On top of that, offer fresh vegetables once or twice a week and a small amount of protein (fish flakes or dried shrimp) weekly, with calcium always available. Remove uneaten fresh food after 24 hours to prevent mould.

If you're just getting started, keep it simple: leaf litter, rotten wood, cuttlebone, and a screw-in vent or two. That's the foundation everything else builds on. Browse our isopods, millipedes and springtails, or ask our live chat team - always happy to help.