3L Braplast Tub (Invertebrate Enclosure)

The 3L Braplast tub is the workhorse enclosure of the UK invertebrate hobby: a clear plastic, stackable container with a pre-vented hinged lid, measuring 245mm by 185mm by 75mm. It is the standard housing for isopod colonies, springtail cultures and small hatchlings, giving you a useful balance of floor space and visibility without eating into your shelf space. The walls are transparent for easy observation, the construction is durable enough to last through years of use, and the tubs stack neatly so a growing collection stays tidy and organised.

Ask most experienced keepers what they house their inverts in and the answer is usually a Braplast. The 3L size sits in a happy middle ground: bigger than a cramped little pot, smaller than a full vivarium, and just right for the majority of starter and mid-sized colonies. The pre-vented lid means there is no drilling or melting to do before you get going, and because the dimensions are a recognised hobby standard, you can add matching accessories as your setup develops. It is the tub that quietly does the job, day in and day out.

Setting one up takes only a few minutes. Add a few centimetres of substrate such as flake soil, scatter a handful of leaf litter over the top and drop in a piece of cork bark for cover, and it is ready for a starter colony. The hinged lid clips shut securely, so nothing wanders off between feeds. The built-in vents suit adults and larger inverts well, but for prolific tiny species (springtail mancae, or freshly-emerged Cubaris and Ardentiella young) fit the matching vent plugs to keep the air moving while stopping escapes.

Whether you are housing your first isopods or keeping a productive springtail culture going, the 3L Braplast makes an easy, reliable home. Most keepers find one tub soon becomes several, and because they stack you can run a whole shelf of colonies in a surprisingly small footprint. Label each tub with the species and the date you set it up, and even a large collection stays simple to keep on top of.

Pick up a few alongside your substrate and cork bark, and have a browse through the rest of the accessories to round out your setup. Once you have used a Braplast you will understand why it is the tub the hobby keeps coming back to.