Food

Staples: Leaf litter and decayed wood provide fiber and micronutrients.

Protein & chow: Fish flakes, isopod chow, or shrimp pellets to boost growth and reproduction.

Fresh veg: Offer small portions (squash, zucchini). Remove leftovers to prevent mold.

Calcium: Keep a cuttlebone or eggshell available at all times for healthy molting.

Moisture Gradient

Isopods breathe with modified gills, so they depend on ambient moisture. Create a gradient: keep one side moist (often with moss and leaf litter) and the other side drier so they can self-regulate. Mist the moist zone as needed; avoid soaking the entire substrate.

Substrate

Depth: 2-3 inches for most species to burrow and maintain humidity.

Base mix: Organic topsoil (no fertalizers or chemicals), hardwood leaves, sphagnum moss + some sand and rocks for drainage and structure.

Hides: Provide cork bark, lotus pods, sweet gum seed pods and leaf layers to reduce stress and protect mancae (juveniles).