Cubaris sp. 'Frosty Jupiter' Isopods for Sale

Cubaris sp. 'Frosty Jupiter' is a selectively-bred colour morph of the popular Jupiter isopod, displaying reduced pigmentation that gives them a pale, frosted appearance compared to the standard variety. They retain the characteristic Jupiter patterning — light skirts, darker middle sections, and bright lines between body segments — but in much softer, lighter tones. Whether this is a true albino, leucistic, or hypomelanistic mutation is still debated within the hobby, but either way, they're an attractive variation on an already appealing species.

We'll be honest: having kept standard Jupiters for about three years before adding Frosty Jupiters to our collection in 2025, we still genuinely prefer the original variety — the contrast on normal Jupiters is more striking in our opinion. That said, the Frosty Jupiter is still a very cool-looking isopod and properly worth considering if you want something a bit different from the standard. Many keepers prefer the softer, paler aesthetic.

Like all Cubaris, the Frosty Jupiter conglobates — rolling into a defensive ball when disturbed. It sits naturally alongside its parent the standard Jupiter and other mid-range premium Thai Cubaris in our range. Browse the full Cubaris collection to compare options.

Quick Care Summary

• Scientific Name: Cubaris sp. 'Frosty Jupiter'
• Common Names: Frosty Jupiter, White Jupiter
• Family: Armadillidae
• Origin: Selectively bred from Thai Jupiter bloodlines
• Adult Size: 15–20 mm
• Lifespan: 1.5–2 years typical
• Difficulty: Medium — care identical to standard Jupiters
• Temperature: 18–26°C (they don't like it too warm — cave/forest-adapted)
• Humidity: 60–70% with a moisture gradient
• Ventilation: Low to medium
• Conglobation: Yes — rolls into a defensive ball
• Appearance: Pale cream to white or light yellow, retaining the Jupiter banding pattern in soft tones
• Behaviour: Shy and mostly nocturnal; calm temperament
• Breeding: Slow — seasonal breeders with modest reproduction rates
• Rarity: Rare

About the Morph

Frosty Jupiters are a colour mutation of the standard Cubaris sp. 'Jupiter', which originates from limestone cave systems and tropical forest regions of Thailand. The Frosty morph has been selectively bred to express reduced pigmentation, resulting in paler colouration while maintaining the distinctive banded pattern that gives Jupiters their planetary appearance.

Care requirements are identical to standard Jupiters — if you can keep one, you can keep the other. The main difference we've actually observed is behavioural rather than care-related: our Frosty Jupiters tend to hang around on lichen-covered twigs more than the standard variety, which prefer hiding under cork bark. This might suggest the Frosties are slightly less light-sensitive than standard Jupiters, despite their pale appearance — though it could also just be a quirk of our particular colony.

Physical Traits

• Adults reach 15–20 mm, making them a medium-sized Cubaris.
• Colouration is pale cream, white, or light yellow where standard Jupiters would show darker tones.
• The distinctive Jupiter patterning remains — light edges (skirts), darker central sections, and bright lines between each body segment — just at much-reduced contrast.
• They appear slightly stockier than standard Jupiters, though this may just be a visual effect of the lighter colouration (horizontal stripes aren't always slimming, as it turns out).
• Like all Cubaris, they roll into a defensive ball when threatened.
• The gene responsible is thought to be leucistic or hypomelanistic rather than true albino, though this isn't fully settled.

How Frosty Jupiter Compares to Other Cubaris

• vs Standard Jupiter: The key comparison — same care, opposite colour philosophy. Standard Jupiter is the bolder dark-and-yellow contrast version; Frosty Jupiter is the pale, soft-toned morph of the same species. Natural collection companions, and if you're choosing between them, the standard is the more dramatic look (and typically more affordable).
• vs Rubber Ducky: Both are premium Thai cave-origin Cubaris. Rubber Ducky is the iconic yellow-headed species; Frosty Jupiter is the pale Jupiter morph with a different banded pattern. Different lineages, similar care demands, both popular in the mid-to-premium tier.
• vs Panda King: Both are mid-tier premium Cubaris. Panda King is the easier, more accessible bold black-and-white morph; Frosty Jupiter is a slightly more demanding pale species. Panda King is a good stepping-stone before Frosty Jupiter.
• vs Cubaris murina: Cubaris murina is the easiest gateway Cubaris; Frosty Jupiter is a step up in both visual appeal and care precision. Master murina first.

Browse the full Cubaris collection for more premium options.

Setting Up the Enclosure

A 6-litre container with a secure clip-lock lid suits a starter colony, with larger setups (12L+) for established groups. Drill ventilation holes on opposite sides for cross-ventilation, covered with fine mesh. Aim for low-to-medium ventilation — enough airflow to prevent stagnation without dropping humidity below the 60–70% range.

Provide plenty of hides — cork bark, rotting wood, and (based on our observations with our colony) include some lichen-covered twigs or branches as well. Our Frosty Jupiters seem to particularly enjoy these, often choosing them over cork bark hides. The pale colouration shows particularly well against dark naturalistic substrate. Browse our accessories collection for appropriate enclosures, vents, and other essentials.

Substrate

Use a soil-based mix that retains moisture and provides calcium, with the cave/forest-floor character these isopods appreciate:

• Organic topsoil (pesticide-free) as the base
• Sphagnum moss for the moist section and moisture retention
• Flake soil for added nutrition and structure
• Rotting white wood pieces (important nutrition source)
• Limestone pieces or chunks — both as calcium source and to mirror their natural limestone-cave environment
• Hardwood leaf litter mixed throughout

We recommend a topsoil and sphagnum-based mix rather than coco coir. Substrate depth: 5–8 cm — enough for natural burrowing and to maintain moisture gradients throughout.

Top layer: Generous hardwood leaf litter — magnolia leaves, oak, and beech all work well — plus cork bark, decaying wood, and a sphagnum moss patch. Add some lichen-covered branches if you can find them.

Humidity and Temperature

Maintain humidity around 60–70% with a clear moisture gradient — keep approximately one-third of the enclosure consistently moist using sphagnum moss, while the rest stays drier with leaf litter and bark cover. They don't appreciate overly dry conditions, but they're not extreme-humidity Cubaris either. Mist the moist area as needed; never let the substrate become waterlogged. Low-to-medium ventilation prevents stagnation while retaining humidity.

As one PostPods customer noted about following the website's care guidance for Cubaris-type isopods, getting moisture right is the key to keeping them successfully — and for Jupiters specifically (both varieties), the gradient approach is more forgiving than chasing a precise humidity figure.

Temperature should be 18–26°C — they don't like it too warm, reflecting their cave-and-forest origins where temperatures are buffered against extremes. Avoid swings, draughts, and placement near heat sources or windows. Stability matters more than hitting exact numbers.

Diet

Feed Frosty Jupiters the same diet as standard Jupiters and other Cubaris species:

• Leaf litter (always available): Oak, beech, and other hardwood leaves — their primary food source
• Rotting wood: Particularly white-rotted softwood — essential nutrition; include pieces in the enclosure
• Vegetables (1–2x weekly): Carrots, sweet potato, butternut squash. Remove uneaten portions within 24–48 hours.
• Protein (twice weekly): Fish flakes, dried shrimp, or similar protein sources. Browse our accessories collection for the full range of protein supplements.
• Calcium (essential — always available): Cuttlefish bone, limestone pieces, eggshells. Like other Cubaris from limestone cave environments, Jupiters benefit from limestone in their enclosure — this may help maintain colouration and supports healthy moulting.
• Forest moss and lichens: Particularly appreciated by this species — they seem to enjoy grazing on these.

Behaviour

Jupiter isopods, including the Frosty morph, are shy creatures. They spend most of their time hidden and are primarily nocturnal — don't expect a highly visible colony. These aren't isopods you'll see wandering around during the day.

They have a calm temperament and aren't aggressive. When disturbed, they'll typically freeze or roll into a defensive ball.

One interesting observation from our colony, worth repeating: Frosty Jupiters seem slightly bolder than standard Jupiters, spending more time visible on lichen-covered branches rather than hiding under cork bark. Whether this is specific to our colony or a general trait of the morph, we can't say with certainty — but worth knowing if you want to maximise visibility.

Breeding

Like standard Jupiters, the Frosty morph is a slow breeder. They're described as seasonal breeders with a modest reproduction rate, though breeding can continue year-round under stable conditions.

Patience is required — don't expect rapid colony growth. This is normal for the species and not a sign of problems. Consistent conditions (stable temperature, humidity, and food supply) are more important than any specific breeding triggers.

For breeding success:

• Stable temperature (20–24°C is ideal)
• Consistent humidity (60–70%) with proper gradient
• Abundant limestone/calcium for breeding females
• Plenty of cork bark and lichen-covered hides
• Regular protein supplementation
• Minimal disturbance
• A larger starter group establishes faster and provides genetic diversity

Pair With Springtails

Add a thriving springtail culture to any Frosty Jupiter setup. Springtails handle mould and microbial growth at a scale isopods can't manage — particularly important around protein foods and in the moist zone. They coexist peacefully with the Frosty Jupiter and form an essential cleanup partnership.

Who Should Buy Frosty Jupiter Isopods?

These suit keepers with some Cubaris experience who want a colour variation on the popular Jupiter species. They're not significantly harder to keep than standard Jupiters, so if you've successfully maintained those (or similar Cubaris), Frosty Jupiters should be manageable.

If you're choosing between Frosty and standard Jupiters for your first Jupiter colony, we'd actually suggest starting with the standard variety — the colour contrast is more dramatic and they're typically a bit cheaper. But if you already have standard Jupiters and want to add something different, or you specifically prefer the paler aesthetic, Frosty Jupiters are a solid choice.

For complete Cubaris beginners, consider starting with easier species like Panda King or Cubaris murina before moving to Jupiters of either variety.

Realistic Expectations

You won't see them constantly. Like most Cubaris, Frosty Jupiters spend much of their time hidden. The Frosty morph may be slightly more visible than the standard (based on our colony's behaviour on lichen-covered branches), but this is still a "lift the hide to observe" species.

The contrast is softer than the standard. Set expectations toward muted, pale tones with the Jupiter banding visible but not high-contrast. If you want bold black-and-yellow Jupiter patterning, that's the standard variety.

Breeding is slow. Don't expect explosive colony growth — Jupiters are seasonal breeders with modest reproduction rates. Patience pays off.

The mutation type is debated. True albino, leucistic, or hypomelanistic — the genetics aren't fully settled. Doesn't affect care, but worth knowing if you're interested in the biology.

Building Your Setup

A complete Frosty Jupiter setup needs a humidity-retentive substrate, abundant calcium (especially limestone), generous leaf litter, plenty of cork bark and lichen-covered branch hides, and protein supplements. Browse our accessories collection for everything you need — enclosures, ventilation, leaf litter, calcium (cuttlebone, limestone, oyster shell), and protein supplements.

Browse the full Cubaris collection for more species — including the standard Jupiter as the natural sibling for a complete Jupiter pair.