Cubaris Isopods for Sale UK

Cubaris is the tropical genus behind the hobby's most famous isopods, the Rubber Ducky, the Panda King, the White Shark and the Crazy Horse among them, and this is my largest genus page, with over 50 lines. Almost every hobby Cubaris is an undescribed species sold under a trade name, which is why nearly every listing reads Cubaris sp.

They are not a beginner genus as a whole, but the easy end is easy: the Panda King and the Penguin are fine even as a first isopod. Unless a listing says otherwise, they are bred or grown on here in the UK, and they are posted Monday to Thursday by Royal Mail Tracked 24 or Next Day with the live arrival guarantee and a 20% overcount.

Where to start

The easy end. The Panda King is the usual way into the genus, and the Penguin, also sold as the White Side, is just as forgiving; my Panda King guide and Penguin guide cover both. The White Shark and the Little Sea Isopod (Cubaris murina, the one described Cubaris species on the page, in several colour forms) are easy starting points too.

The middle. Most of the page sits here: established lines that are striking and breed reliably once settled, as long as conditions stay stable. Each listing gives its own difficulty rating.

The premium end. The Rubber Ducky, the line that started the craze, and the Crazy Horse are the ones to save until you have a Cubaris colony or two behind you. If you are wondering what drives the price of the rarer lines, why isopods are so expensive explains it.

What Cubaris need

The care follows from ordinary woodlouse biology:

Steady warmth. Each listing gives its species' ideal range, and most sit somewhere between 20 and 28°C. An English home averages around 19°C through the heating season, so run a heat mat or heat cable on a thermostat on the side of the tub through the colder months.
Humidity that stays up. Woodlice lose water easily, and Cubaris want a humid tub. The still-air species, the Panda King family among them, want it kept high and even.
Some airflow, never none. Cubaris need less ventilation than many isopods, but a tub where the air stops turning over is a tub where colonies struggle.
Depth and calcium. A deep, nutritious substrate to burrow into, built on flake soil, white-rotted hardwood and organic topsoil rather than coco coir, and plenty of calcium, ideally including real limestone.
Patience. They breed slowly and take time to settle, so a new group needs patience before it builds numbers.

Sellers place most hobby Cubaris in the limestone country of Thailand and Vietnam, but no hobby form has a published description or collecting locality. My complete Cubaris care guide covers everything in detail.

Frequently asked questions

What are Cubaris isopods?
Cubaris is a genus of tropical pill woodlice in the family Armadillidae, with around 130 described species. The hobby forms are mostly undescribed and sold under trade names, and they are prized for their looks: the Rubber Ducky, with its yellow duck-like face, is the most famous.

What does Cubaris sp. mean?
"sp." means the species has not been formally identified. Nearly every hobby Cubaris is a form nobody has scientifically described, so it is sold as Cubaris sp. with a trade name such as 'Panda King'.

Are Cubaris hard to keep?
More demanding than the hardy temperate genera, but not out of reach, and the easy end of the genus is fine for a beginner. They need steady warmth, a humid tub with some airflow, deep substrate and plenty of calcium. The rarer morphs reward keepers who can hold conditions stable.

Which Cubaris is best for beginners?
The Panda King and the Penguin, both fine even as a first isopod, followed by the White Shark and Cubaris murina.

Why are Cubaris isopods so expensive?
They breed slowly and take months to settle, so supply builds slowly while demand stays high, especially for the Rubber Ducky and its relatives.

What substrate do Cubaris need?
A deep, calcium-rich substrate that holds humidity without going stagnant, with real limestone pieces rather than powdered calcium alone. Skip coco coir as the base: it holds moisture but isn't nutritious for animals that eat their substrate, and Cubaris do far better on a mix of flake soil, white-rotted hardwood and organic topsoil.

Do Cubaris roll into a ball?
Most do, as a trait of their family, though how tightly varies with the species. If your Rubber Duckies don't tuck into a perfect sphere, that's normal for the genus.

How long do Cubaris take to breed?
Slowly. Most groups need several months to settle before they breed, and a starter group commonly takes a year or more of stable conditions to build real numbers. They are a patience genus, not a quick-return one.

Pair any colony with springtails for a working cleanup crew. If you are new to isopods altogether, the Porcellio and Porcellionides pages have the hardiest species, and the beginner isopods page puts the easiest Cubaris beside them. Not sure which suits your setup? Get in touch before you order, and check back often: new Cubaris lines come through regularly and don't always stay long.