A Guide To Isopods And Millipede Care For Beginners

Thinking of invertebrates as a pet? Caring for an invertebrate as your pet needs a comfortable enclosure. You must provide the right habitat and feeding for them. 

There are two types of invertebrates that hobbyists get addicted to. They are the isopods and millipedes. Both dwell in soil that look similar but are biologically different. 

Therefore, they must have separate housing to protect millipedes. Start to buy isopods uk for sale if you consider starting to keep them. 

Isopods

Isopods are not insects. They are defined as:

• rigid exoskeletons

• 14 jointed legs

Isopods need moisture to breathe. Many are interested in making them as pets. So, keeping them requires responsibilities like providing their habitat and feeding.

More hobbyists are considering this invertebrate as a pet.

Isopods come in different types, and they behave differently. Some of the isopods for sale are:

• Cappu cream isopods

• Cubaris cherry blossom isopod

• Cubaris sp. "Crabby"

• Cubaris sp. "Blind Saturn"

• Cubaris Daxin tricolor

• Porcellio Werneri Silverback

• Armadillidium Flavoscutatum "Redhead"

There are more of them for sale. It depends on which one you choose as a pet. There are colorful ones for those who want flashy-colored isopods.

Isopod care

Isopods serve double duty:

• bioactive cleanup crew in terrariums

• captivating pets in their own right

Housing

Isopods can thrive in simple setups. Here is what to prepare for their housing setup:

• Container. There are choices to set up an enclosure with ventilation, such as:

  • Plastic storage bin

  • Glass tank

  • Acrylic

The size depends on the colony size. You need a shoebox-sized container if you start a small culture.

• Substrate. Mix the following substrate of 2.4 inches deep:

  • organic topsoil

  • coconut fiber

  • sphagnum moss

  • leaf litter

The substrate provides the following:

• food

• moisture retention

• burrowing space

• Moisture. Keep one side dry, while the other side is moist. 

• Hides. You can provide hides and food sources by adding:

  • cork bark

  • driftwood

  • leaf litter

  • magnolia seed pods

Millipedes

Millipedes belong to the oldest animals living on land. They do not have a thousand legs, as is commonly believed. Yet, they have many legs, often dozens or hundreds. These many-legged arthropods break down the following:

• fallen leaves

• rotting wood

• other decaying material

Giant millipedes are gentle arthropods, making them tolerate careful handling.

You can check millipedes for sale if you are considering them as a pet. There list of beautiful millipedes are for sale:

• Burmese beauty millipede

• Bumblebee millipede

• Pink dragon millipede

• Ghana speckled leg millipede

• Hawaiian glow millipede

• African Giant chocolate millipede

• Red ring millipede

• Thai rainbow millipede

Set up a millipede habitat

Right enclosure

Use an enclosure that is easy to open and maintain. It must have moderate ventilation to place a deep substrate layer. A 10 gallon terrarium is the minimum size for smaller species like:

• Ivory

• Smoky Oak

Substrate

Most habitats use gravel or soil at the bottom. The primary diet of millipedes is to eat their substrate. Providing them with a mix of dried leaves and deep soil substrate gives them enough to eat to perform natural burrowing behaviors. Here are some substrates you can add:

• magnolia

• oak

• guava

• high-quality soil mix with organic material

• flake soil (made of fermented wood)

The general rule for a habit setup is to have a deep substrate as your millipede is long.

FAQs

Are millipedes high maintenance pets?

Millipedes are low maintenance pets. 

Are isopods aggressive?

Some larger species of terrestrial isopods can bite humans. Some small isopods are harmless and cannot break human skin.

What food millipedes and isopods need?

Millipedes and isopods do not require expensive feeds. Giving them nutrient-rich substrate is enough for them to survive.