Powder Blue Isopod Care: Complete Setup Guide
Powder Blue Isopod Care: Complete Setup Guide
What are Powder Blue Isopods
Powder Blue isopods are a popular, mono-color lineage of the isopod species, Porcellionides pruinosis. P. pruinosis is a very hardy, fast breeding isopod species that is common for bioactive terrariums due to their ability to effectively consume organic waste and detritus. Originally from Europe, this isopod species is now found on multiple continents including North America.
This isopod has a solid dark blue exoskeleton. Adult isopods tend to reach about half an inch in length when fully grown and can live 1-3 years with proper care.
Powder Blue Isopod Care & Terrarium Setup
Temperature: 65-80°F
Humidity: Aim for 60-80% with a humidity gradient. This can be achieved by placing Sphagnum Moss on one side or corner of your colony's housing.
Enclosure/Terrarium Size: 10-20 isopods can thrive in a space as small as 6 quarts. For larger colonies of 100+ isopods, it is recommended to provide them a space at least 4 gallons in volume.
We recommend this enclosure for isopods and other terrestrial invertebrates:
Polycarbonate Tarantula Enclosure – Scholarly Exotics LLC
Essential Supplies: The following are absolutely necessary to ensure that your isopods thrive under your care
1) Organic Substrate with no additives, or one specifically designed for isopods
4) Leaf Litter- leaves and other botanicals are crucial to an isopod's habitat. This supplements your isopod's diet with organic matter and also ensures they always have something to eat!
5) Springtails- springtails are invaluable to have with any isopod. They assist with additional waste breakdown and are well known for consuming mold and other unpleasant organic matter that may appear among your isopod colony.
Diet: Isopods should receive a well balanced, varied diet for optimal nutrition. We provide leaf litter every time as needed or when it is all consumed.
We also offer fresh produce such as carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, and lettuce in small portions once weekly. This ensures that your isopods receive additional moisture and nutrients not found in leaf litter or other food sources.
Porcellionidae isopods are well known for their additional protein demands and have been known to cannibalize if they have inadequate protein. We recommend using a high-quality aquarium fish food, or dried fish/shrimp/krill to ensure this need is met.
Isopods should be provided sources of calcium and other minerals to ensure that they can safely molt and grow under your care. We recommend a calcium fortified food to ensure that you are providing protein and essential minerals altogether!
Conclusions:
Thank you for reading this article on Powder Blue Isopods. If you have any questions, please contact us at our email address: scholarlyexotics@gmail.com; we will respond back as soon as possible!
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