3L Braplast Plastic Tub

The 3L Braplast tub is the workhorse enclosure of the UK invertebrate hobby — a clear plastic stackable container with a pre-vented hinged lid that's become the standard housing solution for everything from isopod colonies to springtail cultures to small reptile hatchlings. At 245mm × 185mm × 75mm, it offers a useful balance of practical floor space and visibility without taking up significant shelf real estate. Combined with its durable construction, transparent walls for easy observation, and stackable design that keeps colonies organised without compromising ventilation, the 3L Braplast is the enclosure most experienced UK keepers use for the majority of their invertebrate setups.

What makes the 3L Braplast particularly popular is the combination: appropriate size for most starter-to-mid colony invertebrates, built-in ventilation holes in the hinged lid that work without modification, hinged-middle design allowing lid opening from either end (useful for fast-moving species), and stacking compatibility that lets you build vertical colony storage in limited space. For PostPods customers building their first invertebrate setup or expanding to multiple colonies, these tubs are genuinely the practical foundation.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 245mm × 185mm × 75mm (approximately 9.6" × 7.3" × 3")
• Capacity: 3 litres
• Material: Clear durable food-grade plastic
• Lid: Hinged in the middle, opens from either end
• Ventilation: Pre-installed ventilation holes in lid
• Stackability: Designed to stack without obstructing vents
• Weight: Lightweight for easy handling
• Cleaning: Easy to wipe clean and disinfect between colony resets

What's the 3L Braplast Best For?

The 3L size hits a genuinely useful sweet spot in the invertebrate hobby. Smaller than full vivariums (which can be overkill for starter colonies), but substantially larger than tiny spiderling pots (which constrain growth). For most species and most colony sizes, 3L gives you the right amount of working space.

Isopods

The 3L Braplast is appropriate for starter to mid-sized colonies across virtually every isopod species we stock. Specific suitability:

• Beginner Porcellio species like Dairy Cow, Powder Orange, or various Porcellio scaber morphs — comfortable starter housing for 10–20 individuals with room for colony growth.
• Armadillidium species such as Zebra Isopods, Magic Potion, and Jelly Bean — ideal for establishing new colonies that need observable conditions.
• Entry-level Cubaris like C. murina (Little Sea) and Penguin/White Side — 3L provides adequate depth for the deep substrate these species need to burrow effectively (with substrate filling roughly half the tub).
• Premium Cubaris including starter colonies of Rubber Ducky, Cappuccino, and Pak Chong — the moderate volume helps maintain stable humidity that demanding species require.
• Ardentiella species (Red Diablo, Batman, Lava, Yellow Phoenix) — useful as starter housing, though these arboreal species eventually benefit from taller terrariums providing vertical climbing space.

For most isopod species, a 3L Braplast comfortably houses a starter culture of 5–20 individuals with room for natural population growth before requiring an upgrade.

Springtails

The 3L Braplast is excellent for springtail cultures across all species we stock. Springtails don't need much vertical space (they're surface-active rather than climbing-active), so the wider footprint of the 3L works particularly well for:

• Orange Springtails and Thai Red Springtails — generous floor area supports larger productive cultures
• Standard white springtails — produce harvest-able cultures quickly
• Lilac Springtails — secure lid prevents jumping escapes (Lilacs are jumpers unlike Orange/Thai Red)

The hinged lid design makes harvesting springtails for seeding other enclosures straightforward — open one half of the lid while the other half remains closed, scoop your sample, and close again with minimal disturbance to the rest of the culture.

Small Inverts

Beyond isopods and springtails, 3L Braplasts work effectively for various small invertebrates:

• Young millipedes — early instars of species like Chocolate Millipedes can be raised in 3L tubs before upgrading to larger enclosures as adults
• Small roach colonies — Dubia roach nymphs, Surinam roaches, and similar smaller species suit 3L housing
• Small snails — juvenile land snails can be housed in 3L tubs before moving to species-appropriate larger setups
• Mantis nymphs — early instars suit 3L housing with appropriate vertical decoration
• Beetle larvae — useful for raising flower beetles or rhino beetle larvae through early stages
• Spider/tarantula juveniles — popular for raising spiderlings and small tarantulas through their growing phases

Why 3L Braplast Tubs Beat Generic Containers

You can buy any plastic tub from a household store and use it for invertebrates. So why specifically the Braplast?

Designed for the hobby. Braplast tubs were developed specifically for housing small animals and invertebrates — the dimensions, ventilation, and stacking design reflect real keeper needs rather than generic storage requirements.

Pre-installed ventilation. The hinged lid comes with ventilation holes built in. You don't need to drill, melt, or modify anything to get appropriate airflow — open the package, add substrate, you're ready to keep invertebrates. For keepers who don't enjoy DIY enclosure modification, this is genuinely valuable.

Hinged-middle lid design. The lid opens from either end, which matters more than you'd think for daily care. You can offer food or do spot maintenance without exposing the entire colony to ambient room conditions. For fast-moving species (spiderlings, certain roaches, active isopods like Red Edge or Ardentiella), partial lid opening means you're not chasing escapees during routine maintenance.

Stackable without compromising ventilation. The stacking design has been engineered so that stacked tubs don't block each other's vents. For keepers building multi-colony setups, this is essential — you can have 5–10 colonies in a single shelf footprint without ventilation problems.

Clear plastic for observation. The transparent walls let you observe colonies without lifting lids and disturbing animals. Particularly valuable for shy species (most premium Cubaris, Ardentiella mancae, springtails) where minimising disturbance directly affects colony health.

Durable and reusable. Quality plastic that doesn't crack or warp with normal use. Wipe clean and reuse between colony resets — no single-use waste like cardboard nursery containers.

Standard hobby size. The 245×185×75mm footprint is widely-used enough that you can buy compatible vents, mesh inserts, and accessories from third-party sellers if you want to modify your setup. The hobby standardisation matters.

How to Modify Your 3L Braplast for Specific Species

While the built-in ventilation works for most species out of the box, some setups benefit from modification:

For preventing small invert escapes: The standard ventilation holes in Braplast lids are large enough that smaller species (springtail mancae, juvenile isopods, tiny Cubaris mancae, certain mites) can escape through them. Our 3L Braplast Vent Plugs in black are specifically designed to fit into these ventilation holes, reducing their effective size and preventing escapes while preserving airflow. Custom 3D-printed from high-quality plastic by our friend Tim at Exotic Enclosures, these are genuinely essential for keeping prolific colonies of small species like Orange Springtails, Lilac Springtails, Ardentiella mancae, and juvenile Cubaris. Drop them into the existing vent holes — no drilling or modification required.

For high-humidity species (premium Cubaris, Ardentiella, tropical snails): Cover ventilation holes with masking tape strips to reduce airflow and retain humidity. Remove tape gradually if humidity stays too high. Alternatively, the vent plugs reduce airflow somewhat while still allowing some air exchange — useful for tropical species that need controlled rather than restricted ventilation.

For Mediterranean/drier species (Spanish Porcellio, Greek Shield, Crystal Pineapple): Drill additional ventilation holes on opposite sides of the tub for cross-ventilation. Cover all openings with fine mesh to prevent escapes.

For climbing species (Ardentiella, certain spiders): Verify the lid seals securely. Cover any gaps with fine mesh — some climbing species can squeeze through smaller spaces than you'd expect, particularly mancae and juveniles. The vent plugs are particularly useful here since Ardentiella mancae can climb effectively and escape through standard vent hole sizes.

For springtails: Many keepers actually cover most ventilation holes with electrical tape to maintain high humidity. Open the lid briefly every few days for air exchange rather than relying on constant ventilation. Counter-intuitive but effective. The vent plugs are particularly valuable for springtail cultures — they prevent the tiniest springtails from escaping through standard vent holes while still allowing some controlled airflow.

Building a Multi-Tub Colony Storage System

The 3L Braplast really shines when you have multiple colonies. A common keeper progression:

• Starting out: 1–2 tubs for first species (perhaps an Armadillidium plus springtail culture)
• Growing collection: 5–10 tubs across multiple isopod species, springtail cultures, and supporting species
• Serious hobbyist setup: 20+ tubs on dedicated shelving, organised by species, with the stacking design keeping the physical footprint manageable

The stackability and consistent dimensions mean your colony storage system stays organised even as it grows. Label each tub clearly (species name, date established, last maintenance) and you can manage substantial collections with reasonable time investment.

Pair With These Setup Essentials

To turn a 3L Braplast into a complete colony setup, you'll need:

• Substrate: Flake soil mixed with organic topsoil works for most species. Fills approximately one-third to one-half of the tub depending on species needs.
• Leaf litter: Magnolia leaves or bamboo leaf litter for cover and grazing.
• Calcium sources: Cuttlebone pieces, crushed limestone, or eggshells distributed throughout substrate.
• Hides: Cork bark pieces sized appropriately for your species — multiple pieces for social behaviour.
• Food supplements: Browse our accessories collection for protein supplements (fish flakes, daphnia, freeze-dried peas) and other essentials.
• Springtail culture: Add a springtail culture to any isopod or invertebrate setup for mould prevention.

When to Upgrade Beyond 3L

The 3L Braplast suits most starter-to-mid colonies, but some situations call for larger housing:

• Established prolific colonies — when your Giant Orange, Dairy Cow, or Naranjito Granulatum colony has grown to hundreds of individuals, upgrade to 5L or larger tubs (or split into multiple 3L tubs).
• Adult millipedes — full-grown millipedes need significantly more space than the 3L Braplast offers. The 3L works for early juveniles only.
• Large adult tarantulas — beyond juvenile sizes, most tarantula species need larger species-specific housing.
• Long-term Ardentiella display setups — taller glass terrariums let you build vertical climbing habitat that 3L tubs can't accommodate.
• Bioactive vivariums with plants — full bioactive setups with live plants need taller, deeper enclosures than 3L tubs.

For most keepers, the 3L Braplast remains the everyday workhorse — your premium Cubaris breeding setups, your bioactive cleanup crew cultures, your starter colonies all live happily in 3L tubs. Larger enclosures are upgrades for specific situations rather than universal improvements.

Who Should Buy 3L Braplast Tubs?

Ideal for:

• Anyone starting their first isopod or invertebrate collection
• Established keepers expanding to multiple colonies
• Springtail culture maintenance
• Breeding setups for premium species needing stable conditions
• Buyers wanting hobby-standard equipment with built-in ventilation
• Multi-species keepers benefiting from stackable consistent housing
• Anyone tired of modifying generic containers for invertebrate use

Not ideal for:

• Display-focused vivariums (use glass terrariums for showcase setups)
• Large adult millipedes or full-grown tarantulas (need bigger enclosures)
• Bioactive setups with live plants (need taller, deeper housing)
• Aquatic setups

Order Multiple for Multi-Colony Setups

Most keepers find they want more than one. The 3L Braplast quickly becomes your standard colony housing as your collection grows. Consider ordering multiples at once if you're planning to expand your collection, building a springtail culture system, or setting up dedicated breeding tubs for different species.

Browse our accessories collection for everything else you need to build a complete invertebrate setup, or our isopods collection to find species suited to your new tubs.