I strongly believe #1 should be #1. If you were greedy and only cared about money, you would NOT have made this top 5 list. This video would only be made by someone who truly cares about isopods and wants to insure that other isopod owners will be happy with owning them. I fully respect you. You are great.
What a wonderful comment. Thank you so much for taking the time and saying this. Made my day! And, you know, I never even thought about what I have in stock and wanted to sell and..... :) Thanks!
I literally stumbled upon P. ornatus yellow spot when I first decided to get into isopods. I rather blindly picked up 20 from a seller online and now have more than I can count. Fantastic species and a perfect intro to the hobby.
I love collecting wild Isopods! ❤️ I collected them as a child before I had any idea what a “Rollie pollie “ even actually was! I can tell you really like orange!
I've recently caught the bug for keeping isopods during the quarantine. Your videos, by far, are my favorites. I caught some wild ones, and now got some dairy cows on the way. Thanks for all of the quality information.
It is my pleasure entirely. I have the bug too and thank you so much for the wonderful comments. If you ever need any more isopods in the future, look me up on Supreme Gecko web site and, as you are a viewer, I would love to give you a discount/free culture, or both depending on your order. Just message me on FB if you would.
Great video. I have native isopod cultures collected from my yard. Each culture went through a slight die off in the beginning and is now breeding and established. I have dedicated bins for: P.scaber P.scaber wild calico (yellow, sandy, reds) Oniscus asselius A.nasatum A.vulgare Philoscia muscorum My first purchased culture was P.scaber whiteout. Breeding and collecting natives is very interesting and gives really good insight to what each species prefers.
Great point (wish I would have added this to the video). My native cultures had an initial die off too, but then quickly bounced back! LOVE the whiteouts. Love them. Also, those Oniscus are Waaaaay underrated for variety.
My favourite are Granulated Isopids ..the white pearl morph. They get big, easy to care for, can roll into a ball, and the colour makes them really stand out.
I’m so glad you said native isopods! I’m starting with these despite being tempted with ember bees…I want to get to know them first. Had a few deaths but working to get it right. Thank you for the fun video (I know it’s 4 years old but new to me! Lol) x
Yes!!! Great decision. I know I struggled with my first group of Zebras (again, this was 6-7 years ago with not much info out there) until I played with wilds and figured things out.
Thanks Barb. You were soooooo close, it's scary. In the video (not sure you caught the end), I offered to send you a couple cultures for free if you are interested. What are you keeping currently? Which of the Top 5 could I send you. If these don't work for you, we can certainly work something out. Also, it might be easier to contact me on FB at Wally Kern or Supreme Gecko. Thanks again.
@@SupremeGecko I currently have dwarf whites, powder orange, wild type native to Kansas dwarf purple and I just got zebras a week ago. Thank you very much to you and Nanette. I hope I spelled her name right. I would love more isopods. It it very nice of you.
Thank you so much buddy. Love doing these but just need to keep getting better with the technical stuff, and maybe smile once in a while, and better with editing, and .........
Sorry you could not sleep. But thank you for watching the video. Hope you enjoyed and would love to hear any suggestions you have for future topics/improvements.
I can't wait til it warms up. I want to get some dairy cows. I am a beginner and it will be my first ones ❤️ I am so thankful for your videos so I know what to do and how to set up their enclosure. Your videos are so well put together and informative.
Pellie, thank you so much! I really appreciate that. I cannot wait for warmer weather either. However, we were very close last week and fingers crossed for this next week. You will do great with isopods I am sure. And dairy cows are soooo cute!
Hi, congratulations on your Isopod collection, it's spectacular. Great information ... now you have a new friend on your channel. I like this video I wish you a good start to the week. Best greetings from Italy. Marco
@@SupremeGecko Hello my friend! I have subscribe 🔔 👌 your channel! I hope you visit my animals channel! No Keep isopods now, but many fish and turtles .
I would agree with that list. I have worked with most of these species and they were supe easy. I have especially had a ton of luck with the powder orange isopods!
Big fan of isopods. I kept them since I was a boy (that's a long time ago lol) before you could buy wildly more interesting species than the ones in my garden.
Luckily the bins are small enough to fit into small places. So many, right?!? That's why I did that criteria sheet, then fudged the numbers a bit so I could make it work :)
Gary, I have more than I THOUGHT! You do a video like this and you get a feel for how much/how many. If someone would have asked, I would have said about 60 containers. Whew!
So...say someone had a chance at some good deals and purchased some of the first ones you mentioned to start with. Clowns, zebras etc..I will have 15 kinds. I fell in love fast ♡ I also raise red wigglers, mealworms, and dubia. Now you have me worried 😣
Psuedoarmadillo spinosus aren’t #1 on the list? This is absurd! Jk! Absolutely loved this and can really tell how much you truly do love these isopods and really care for the community and newcomers! I commend you man!
You recommended this video to me in another comment, and it's fantastic. I've always loved woodlice, and in keeping them, I've only fallen more for them. In the UK we have your very basic grey porcellio scaber, so I started with them (picking out some pretty orange speckles mostly), and expanded the same tub with wild caught A. vulgare. The porcellio are so shy, and the armadillidiums are really bold! My first "interesting" culture is the dairy cows. I'm doing my best, at the moment they're still very shy, but have slowly moved out of the wet moss side of the tub and are enjoying some dry birch wood and fish food. I'm really trying to soak in a load of isopod information, and between you and the /r/isopod subreddit, I'm starting to feel comfortable identifying the pods. Maybe this is a selfish request, but would you make another video on beginner isopods, but bespoke to the different orders? Best porcellio, best armadillidium, best cubaris, best other? Thank you for everything you do, and very finally, do you have any merulanella, or experience with?
Congratulations on finding some really cool isopods (it sounds like to me). And thank you for finding our channel and watching the videos. I love this idea and will add the idea to my list of topics. Thanks!!! I only have 1 merulanella so far, the red Vietnamese. I have mancae but only a few. Sounds like I'm adding another video topic ;) Make sure you watch tonight (4/23) as we go live with Isopod Setup Q&A.
I was watching a terrarium setup video where Isopods were accidentally introduced. Now I want to make the project only to intentionally introduce them. Thanks for the information. I am looking forward to catching some natives and giving them a good home.
Spot on! I actually started by keeping wild caught P pruinosis (blue), P virgatus, A nasatum, A vulgare, and P scaber (Calico and blue-grey). All of these were wild caught and my colonies are decent, now. I keep a few other (purchased) ones as well and have a native project or two as well, including Ligidium Sp (VERY cool).
I always look forward to your videos, Wally. I come for the excellent content but leave thoroughly entertained by the comedic spin you effortlessly inject into practically every upload. Music choice, comedic timing and editing are always on the money. Now for isopods! I don’t have any...YET, but I’ve grown enamored with these crustaceans and would love to take the plunge this spring. My one reservation is the thought of what to do about population control once/if my colonies start to thrive. I have limited space so this is a real concern and curious if you’ve made any videos addressing this specifically? Also, would you consider making a video on how to transition your isopod hobby into a small scale business? This topic could probably be an entire series but to start, I’m thinking just the first steps planning and logistical basics for folks with zero experience finding buyers, breeding and shipping animals. It all sounds very intimidating and your years of experience would prove invaluable to someone like me. Thank you for all you do!
What an unbelievable comment. I cannot thank you enough! Funny thing is that making these videos is about the most uncomfortable thing I an think of doing for me. Just not me. :) My spidy senses are telling me you are very, very close to getting your first isopod(s). For space, I would go with 6 qts. to start. I bred the titans in 6 qts a year ago! Population control is certainly a concern. For me, I have rooms full of geckos to help me with this (and a sales page) but this could be a problem. If you are just starting, again I could not recommend natives any more. And, if you find your bins getting too full with natives, you could always return them to the wild. An an option for non-natives, could you possibly use them as feeders or can you find some local pet stores that might be interested? Finally (and what a great segue) I will be doing a reptile/gecko/isopod 'business' series this year! I'm just putting together the outline right now but would like to help others with some of the experiences I've gained. Shhhh- don't let the cat out the the bag yet :) Thank you for the suggestion. It helps me confirm the info is needed and will be appreciated.
Supreme Gecko Thank you for taking the time to reply to my questions and concerns so thoughtfully and completely. What I really appreciate about guys like you and Rus from Aquarimax, and this cannot be overstated, is how generous you are with your subscribers in terms of time and engagement. It really sets you apart. I’m just thrilled that you’re coming out with a business series this year and very much look forward to it. Thanks again for the excellent advice and for being an awesome human.
@@grettelguerra7511 Thank you for such a wonderful comment Grettel. I will be using this in other social media places if you don't mind. Rus has the same desire as I do. Show, Teach, Educate, Share the passion!
Great to see such wholesome content. The love you have for your family is awesome. My guess: Zebras. Dairy cows. Dwarf whites. Clowns. P scaber. Go easy! Me
Thank you!!! Also, I was just talking to a couple friends last weekend about clowns and zebras. They mentioned THEY struggled with them too in the beginning. On a scale, I would put them just under the ones I mentioned in the video.
@@SupremeGecko thank you also! I have both zebras and clowns, and have had good experiences overall. But they have been exceptionally slow to breed. I'm ok with that since I know that is true about both species though. My clowns are out all the time in the dry side though, I love it.
My first isopods were armadilladium nasatums :D i found them next to my pigeon loft. They really like the poop that gets kicked out and probably the feathers too. I have a bunch of peach and brown from my wild bunch. I now also have dairy cows, trachelipus rathkiis, and powder oranges. Fun to keep. Id like to magic potions or zebras next.
My first isopod I ever got were Nagurus nanus. I am now a Nagurus nanus breeder but I don't keep much isopods But I currently keep: Venezillo sp. Armadillidium vulgare Nagurus nanus (of course) Trichorhina tomentosa (I love these) I am thinking of getting some Cubaris or others soon. Absolutely love isopods and your videos.
I have a bunch of colors of vulgare nasatum and powder blues that I started and so far my favorite is the powder blue. They are hidden a lot ut the vulgare and nasatum are out a lot as well so they make up for that. I haven't gotten them to breed yet but hopefully they do well.
The Powder Orange isopods that were half orange and half white were AMAZING! Is this a color morph you can selectively breed for?? Would this be done by just selecting out all the half-and-half colored ones and setting them up in their own breeding tubs?? Out of all the species I have seen on your channel and others, that specific coloration of the Powder Oranges was awesome!! I must know more about them!
Hi Scotty. No, when an isopod is half white like that, it indicates they are going through a molt. They go through 2 phases of molting (half their bodies). This is a short process and once complete, they are back to their original powdery orange color.
@@SupremeGecko Aw darn!! I would have moved mountains to get some half and half colored ones. Thanks for the reply! I didn't realize they molted in that way.
Should you keep native isopods in their own enclosure for awhile before adding them to your tanks with geckos to make sure there aren't anything harmful going on with them?? Thank you for your help 😊
I sadly cant find any native isopods in my backyard since lizards have taken over! Haven't seen a single isopod out there ever since. Even when I'm specifically looking for them.
I love that you put native isopods as your top choice. Do you know if wild collected isopods can carry parasites? I would like to collect some but I would be nervous to add them to my gecko's vivarium.
Thank you. What I do is isolate the native enclosure away from the other isopods, work/manage then last after all the others have been fed, and always wash my hands after working with them.
My two guesses are powder orange because I only have 10 of them but I ALWAYS see them in their huge container, same with my dairy cows. Other than that I would recommend you go catch wild caught ones. That's how I started. =)
@@SupremeGecko OHH. I didn't watch to the end till now. I got up to feed my pods. You definitely know what you are doing so I'm happy with my choices =)
@@Moostery A Top 5 video and you didn't stick around for #1 :) Just kidding. Thank you for watching and the kind words. Hope your isopods are doing well. What are you keeping if I may ask.
@@SupremeGecko It all started with some Oniscus Asellus and Porcellio Scaber from my woods. I traded some of the O. Asellus with two people for some powder orange, dairy cow, A. Klugii, A. Vulgare, and a black shadow roach. =) I have hissers too. They started my journey in to the bug world.
Interesting that Dairy Cow is number two because they breed well because I saw someone on reddit selling them for a lot of money because "they're hard to breed". Must be how that person is keeping them.
I would agree 100% For me, they are the most prolific of our isopods by far. Message me of FB or instagram at some point, if you are interested, and I will make sure you get a HUGE deal on dairy cows.... when you are ready. Just let me know your ID here on YT. Thanks again for watching.
Great idea. Let me know if you do decide on DCs as I can offer you a nice discount on them as a supporter of the channel. Just let me know your ID when you contact me on Instagram or FB (PM me at Supreme Gecko).
@@SupremeGecko Have you ever heard of Giant Powdered Isopods that are larger than Normal? I heard people found them on a Mountain somewhere and I saw someone listing some individuals for sale it’s very interesting
Just recently became interested in Isopods after seeing Rubber Duckies on a Serpa Design video. Then I found out how expensive they are. So I started searching for more info and found your videos. Feel like this is solid advice and going native seems like the best way to start. Couple of questions. Is there any sort of field guide to help identify the isopods you find in the wild? And, if you find more than one type, should you keep them in separate containers?
Maybe some natives need to adapt to artificial conditions - evolve or just some strains can thrive. I have an enclousure (shoebox) with cylisticus convexus ukrainian pied, cylisticux convexus captive breed wild type from Slovenia (1/2 of in numbers, as half did not survived a shiping) and later wild collected cylisticus convexus from a location in northern / estern europe of same number. They shared their shoe box home with wild collected porcelio spinicornis. Later enclousure still had mix of porcelio spinicornis with cylisticus convexus but of mostly ukrainian pied looks with fewer wild type and some with few white spots, I think a hybrid of pied and wild type. In short, pied cylisticus convexus took ower (or just survived) the wilds. But of corse I had not counted them so it's not a science.
I just started isopods, got dark grey ones from my backyard NY area (terrestrial isopod maybe?). it ain't an issue yet but what do you do with them if you feel you have too many? I know some multiply quickly others not so much. I know in my case I could just release them back outside from where I got them but if I got different ones, maybe something I bought from somewhere then what? I don't think it would be wise to release them in my area if there is a possibility that it's not native to that area so what do you do in a pinch if you have too many and you can't really get rid of them? I don't have pets except for an orb weaver that never seems to eat and I do keep venus fly traps but they will get everything they need from outside. any other ideas or do I just make a kill chamber of sorts? I'm not in that boat yet but I may eventually so I like to know a head of time ...
Do not release isopods back into the wild if you've purchased them. They could have an adverse affect of the local fauna. You can sell them, feed them off to other animals, or freeze them. IMHO
I'm a Chicago fan in Milwaukee. But, I love the home teams as well.... just not as much as the Cubbies, Sox, Bears, and of course Hawks! Man am I missing sports right now.
I actually have a Zebra video on my channel. You can check it out as well as 2 or 3 of the Isopod Setup Reviews that feature zebra isopods. Let me know if you have any questions.
Okay. I am trying incorporate iso pods in to some of my breeding bin. I have silk worms and hornworm bins that I am looking to do this with. What iso pods can I use that will not eat or harm the silkworms or horn worms?
I have never done this so I don't think I have a good recommendation. Unfortunately many isopods are protein hungry. You could try one that is is less so, like Armadillidium Punta Cana, or try Party Mix. Let me know how this goes for you. I'm curious.
@@SupremeGecko yeah... I am trying to something to brake down Mulberry leaves after the silk worms are done with them. Also possibly pick up after horn worms as well. I see that you have a lot and have been doing this for some time so what to get your input. I just started a iso pod set up yesterday after watch your video how you and you wife went cruising around looking for them. I took my kids out and we found a bunch of them. They had so much fun. Thanks for the idea!
your filming/editing/writing has grown by leaps and bounds. I watched your peanut beetle video and it was scary. In this video you seem totally normal hahaha the only isopods I know of are woodlice/sowbugs/pillbugs/rolly-pollies. I didnt know there was more than one kind of woodlouse - although I do remember seeing some with little white/creme spots, and others with a little yellow, other than the generic grey guys. Isopods look like they came out of the ocean 100,000,000 years ago, They are very fragile little guys for the most part. I think they molt or something, or else hiding under wood makes them fragile.... I HAVE found some big tough-shelled ones many years ago, those ones actually rolled up into a ball whereas most of the others don't These local isopods would make good, free aquarium fish food As a bored, magnifying-glass wielding kid I fried many a rollie-pollie. I would never have guessed that people pay to keep them - they can be found under any rock or rotting log that has some moisture underneath - often found around sharp-tailed snakes, beetles, and spiders
Hey, I'm still scary... and don't you forget it! :) Joking aside, thank you Grant so much for the comment. Not sure why it's taken so long but I feel it is coming together. Thanks!
I am starting with Native Vulgare, just ordered a small culture of the Jelly bean vulgare though kinda curious to se if they can breed with my native ones and what will happen if they do haha
Did you know you can order the Supreme Isopod Chow HERE- supremegecko.com/shop-online/isopod-food-and-supplies (or contact me at Supreme Gecko on FB).
.
I strongly believe #1 should be #1. If you were greedy and only cared about money, you would NOT have made this top 5 list. This video would only be made by someone who truly cares about isopods and wants to insure that other isopod owners will be happy with owning them. I fully respect you. You are great.
What a wonderful comment. Thank you so much for taking the time and saying this. Made my day! And, you know, I never even thought about what I have in stock and wanted to sell and..... :) Thanks!
this man is so cute i love how much he loves his isopods, so pure
Thank you. I think this is the first time I've been called cute.
Right? Woodl nerds are cute.
I literally stumbled upon P. ornatus yellow spot when I first decided to get into isopods. I rather blindly picked up 20 from a seller online and now have more than I can count. Fantastic species and a perfect intro to the hobby.
That is a great story. Glad you started with these rather than a more difficult one. And I agree. Perfect intro iso.
I love collecting wild Isopods! ❤️ I collected them as a child before I had any idea what a “Rollie pollie “ even actually was!
I can tell you really like orange!
Me too! Them and tadpoles, grasshoppers, dragonflies, etc. Orange is the new... whatever-color-is-popular-now.
I liked picking them up, holding them, and putting them back
I got some native isopods and few years down the line there producing some yellowish ones
Very cool! And that is one of the reasons I personally rank them #1
Well, now I have a starting point when making the decision on which isopods to begin with. Thank you for the great video.
Thank you Felicia. Thanks for watching. Let me know if you have any questions.
I've recently caught the bug for keeping isopods during the quarantine. Your videos, by far, are my favorites. I caught some wild ones, and now got some dairy cows on the way. Thanks for all of the quality information.
It is my pleasure entirely. I have the bug too and thank you so much for the wonderful comments. If you ever need any more isopods in the future, look me up on Supreme Gecko web site and, as you are a viewer, I would love to give you a discount/free culture, or both depending on your order. Just message me on FB if you would.
@@SupremeGecko Thank you.
your isopod cultures are impressive to say the least.. excellent video
Thank you so much. So is it an obsession or a passion. YOU decide ;)
@@SupremeGecko LOL I pick both!!
Great video. I have native isopod cultures collected from my yard. Each culture went through a slight die off in the beginning and is now breeding and established. I have dedicated bins for:
P.scaber
P.scaber wild calico (yellow, sandy, reds)
Oniscus asselius
A.nasatum
A.vulgare
Philoscia muscorum
My first purchased culture was P.scaber whiteout.
Breeding and collecting natives is very interesting and gives really good insight to what each species prefers.
Great point (wish I would have added this to the video). My native cultures had an initial die off too, but then quickly bounced back! LOVE the whiteouts. Love them. Also, those Oniscus are Waaaaay underrated for variety.
I watched wild isopods down here in Phoenix and they're breeding like CRAZY
Outstanding. What a great way to learn nature up close
My favourite are Granulated Isopids
..the white pearl morph.
They get big, easy to care for, can roll into a ball, and the colour makes them really stand out.
Nice call!
I completely agree I have all of them they are super easy
Congrats Tyler. How many different isopods are you currently keeping?
Thank you for sharing your knowledge on isopod care! I am a beginner and needed a reliable source of info on care for them 🖤
Thank YOU for watching. Best of luck and keep me posted on how you are doing.
I’m so glad you said native isopods! I’m starting with these despite being tempted with ember bees…I want to get to know them first. Had a few deaths but working to get it right. Thank you for the fun video (I know it’s 4 years old but new to me! Lol) x
Yes!!! Great decision. I know I struggled with my first group of Zebras (again, this was 6-7 years ago with not much info out there) until I played with wilds and figured things out.
Love this list! We currently have Dairy Cows, Powder Orange, and White Out... can't wait to get more!
Nice! What is your next isopod?
Wonderful and lovely video! I loved the #1 as a suggestion :D
Thank you very much
Great info as always brother like the 💡 of collecting
Thanks! Good luck collecting.
You did great I'm just getting started with isopods so I had no problem with what you was talking about
Thanks for the video, I am trying to build information on isopods. Thanks for helping
ANY questions, don't hesitate asking. Thanks again for watching.
That’s the best isopod collection of ever seen!!!!
Thank you.
Wow, I didn't realize you had so many. Thanks for the great information.
I didn't either :)
Great video
Thank you Andrew.
Thank you very much Wally. I think your list is great.
Thanks Barb. You were soooooo close, it's scary. In the video (not sure you caught the end), I offered to send you a couple cultures for free if you are interested. What are you keeping currently? Which of the Top 5 could I send you. If these don't work for you, we can certainly work something out. Also, it might be easier to contact me on FB at Wally Kern or Supreme Gecko. Thanks again.
@@SupremeGecko I currently have dwarf whites, powder orange, wild type native to Kansas dwarf purple and I just got zebras a week ago. Thank you very much to you and Nanette. I hope I spelled her name right. I would love more isopods. It it very nice of you.
@@barbhelle5481 Thank you Barb and you nailed her name!
Nice choices! I love my south. They are so active 👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks! I love them too. Very fun isopod.
MY FAVORITE CZcams! Love this my friend!
Thank you so much buddy. Love doing these but just need to keep getting better with the technical stuff, and maybe smile once in a while, and better with editing, and .........
Great choices.
Thank you.
Great information in general and nice guide for isopods keepers.
Thank you very much.
Thanks for info😁 i want to buy some isopods soon
Just let me know when you are ready.
Wally I love the collection!
Thank you.
I love my powder oranges! 🧡
They are cool! Thanks for watching.
Can't sleep tonight, and so glad I found this channel :)
Sorry you could not sleep. But thank you for watching the video. Hope you enjoyed and would love to hear any suggestions you have for future topics/improvements.
I can't wait til it warms up. I want to get some dairy cows. I am a beginner and it will be my first ones ❤️ I am so thankful for your videos so I know what to do and how to set up their enclosure. Your videos are so well put together and informative.
Pellie, thank you so much! I really appreciate that. I cannot wait for warmer weather either. However, we were very close last week and fingers crossed for this next week. You will do great with isopods I am sure. And dairy cows are soooo cute!
Hi, congratulations on your Isopod collection, it's spectacular. Great information ... now you have a new friend on your channel. I like this video I wish you a good start to the week.
Best greetings from Italy.
Marco
Thank you very much for your kind comments and for watching. Do you keep isopods also? Please come back often.
@@SupremeGecko Hello my friend! I have subscribe 🔔 👌 your channel! I hope you visit my animals channel! No Keep isopods now, but many fish and turtles .
What a great video Wally! Thank you for sharing
Thank you Chris. Hope you caught something from this video. Thanks for watching.
I would agree with that list. I have worked with most of these species and they were supe easy. I have especially had a ton of luck with the powder orange isopods!
Thanks! I was pleased with the list as far as the isopods we included and did not include.
Big fan of isopods. I kept them since I was a boy (that's a long time ago lol) before you could buy wildly more interesting species than the ones in my garden.
Same here. You probably collected all types of living critters to watch and study, like I did too.
LOL they cover every open space in your facility! There are so many to choose from, i have no idea how you can choose just 5!!!!
Luckily the bins are small enough to fit into small places. So many, right?!? That's why I did that criteria sheet, then fudged the numbers a bit so I could make it work :)
Oh wow surprised me with the number 1!
I think it surprised a bunch of people
WOW you have more then I thought! JUST WOW
Gary, I have more than I THOUGHT! You do a video like this and you get a feel for how much/how many. If someone would have asked, I would have said about 60 containers. Whew!
So...say someone had a chance at some good deals and purchased some of the first ones you mentioned to start with. Clowns, zebras etc..I will have 15 kinds. I fell in love fast ♡ I also raise red wigglers, mealworms, and dubia.
Now you have me worried 😣
Me too Ashley. Do what you can do and enjoy... right?
Your a wholelatta crazy.. just like me lol. Thanks for these very informative videos they're super helpful!
Passionate crazy is ok, right?
Psuedoarmadillo spinosus aren’t #1 on the list? This is absurd!
Jk! Absolutely loved this and can really tell how much you truly do love these isopods and really care for the community and newcomers! I commend you man!
Thank you very much Brett. And LOVE Psuedoarmadillo spinosus.
You recommended this video to me in another comment, and it's fantastic. I've always loved woodlice, and in keeping them, I've only fallen more for them. In the UK we have your very basic grey porcellio scaber, so I started with them (picking out some pretty orange speckles mostly), and expanded the same tub with wild caught A. vulgare. The porcellio are so shy, and the armadillidiums are really bold! My first "interesting" culture is the dairy cows. I'm doing my best, at the moment they're still very shy, but have slowly moved out of the wet moss side of the tub and are enjoying some dry birch wood and fish food. I'm really trying to soak in a load of isopod information, and between you and the /r/isopod subreddit, I'm starting to feel comfortable identifying the pods. Maybe this is a selfish request, but would you make another video on beginner isopods, but bespoke to the different orders? Best porcellio, best armadillidium, best cubaris, best other? Thank you for everything you do, and very finally, do you have any merulanella, or experience with?
Congratulations on finding some really cool isopods (it sounds like to me). And thank you for finding our channel and watching the videos. I love this idea and will add the idea to my list of topics. Thanks!!! I only have 1 merulanella so far, the red Vietnamese. I have mancae but only a few. Sounds like I'm adding another video topic ;) Make sure you watch tonight (4/23) as we go live with Isopod Setup Q&A.
That's a lot of isopods🤓👍Great info. Thnx for sharing
Thank you.
I started my isopod cultures all bc I found some and was super interested in them. And now here I am 6 months later with way to many
Happens to many keepers. I am fortunate that I have a lot of sales and geckos that munch on extra isopods.
I was watching a terrarium setup video where Isopods were accidentally introduced. Now I want to make the project only to intentionally introduce them. Thanks for the information. I am looking forward to catching some natives and giving them a good home.
Outstanding. Please keep me posted. Thanks.
I just caught some Porcellio Scaber. They are mostly a greyish colour but I did find a white one! They just started having babies 😁
Hi Amy. Fantastic. You will learn SO much keeping natives. Good luck, thank you for watching, and keep me posted with any questions..... or updates :)
@@SupremeGecko I will do! I'm already looking at getting some Dairy Cows. My sons want them so bad.
Spot on! I actually started by keeping wild caught P pruinosis (blue), P virgatus, A nasatum, A vulgare, and P scaber (Calico and blue-grey). All of these were wild caught and my colonies are decent, now. I keep a few other (purchased) ones as well and have a native project or two as well, including Ligidium Sp (VERY cool).
Ryan, that IS cool. I've not kept Ligidium. Hare are they to care for?
I always look forward to your videos, Wally. I come for the excellent content but leave thoroughly entertained by the comedic spin you effortlessly inject into practically every upload. Music choice, comedic timing and editing are always on the money.
Now for isopods! I don’t have any...YET, but I’ve grown enamored with these crustaceans and would love to take the plunge this spring. My one reservation is the thought of what to do about population control once/if my colonies start to thrive. I have limited space so this is a real concern and curious if you’ve made any videos addressing this specifically?
Also, would you consider making a video on how to transition your isopod hobby into a small scale business? This topic could probably be an entire series but to start, I’m thinking just the first steps planning and logistical basics for folks with zero experience finding buyers, breeding and shipping animals. It all sounds very intimidating and your years of experience would prove invaluable to someone like me.
Thank you for all you do!
What an unbelievable comment. I cannot thank you enough! Funny thing is that making these videos is about the most uncomfortable thing I an think of doing for me. Just not me. :) My spidy senses are telling me you are very, very close to getting your first isopod(s). For space, I would go with 6 qts. to start. I bred the titans in 6 qts a year ago! Population control is certainly a concern. For me, I have rooms full of geckos to help me with this (and a sales page) but this could be a problem. If you are just starting, again I could not recommend natives any more. And, if you find your bins getting too full with natives, you could always return them to the wild. An an option for non-natives, could you possibly use them as feeders or can you find some local pet stores that might be interested? Finally (and what a great segue) I will be doing a reptile/gecko/isopod 'business' series this year! I'm just putting together the outline right now but would like to help others with some of the experiences I've gained. Shhhh- don't let the cat out the the bag yet :) Thank you for the suggestion. It helps me confirm the info is needed and will be appreciated.
Supreme Gecko Thank you for taking the time to reply to my questions and concerns so thoughtfully and completely. What I really appreciate about guys like you and Rus from Aquarimax, and this cannot be overstated, is how generous you are with your subscribers in terms of time and engagement. It really sets you apart. I’m just thrilled that you’re coming out with a business series this year and very much look forward to it. Thanks again for the excellent advice and for being an awesome human.
@@grettelguerra7511 Thank you for such a wonderful comment Grettel. I will be using this in other social media places if you don't mind. Rus has the same desire as I do. Show, Teach, Educate, Share the passion!
Supreme Gecko Go right ahead, my friend
@@grettelguerra7511 Thanks!
Great to see such wholesome content. The love you have for your family is awesome.
My guess:
Zebras. Dairy cows. Dwarf whites. Clowns. P scaber.
Go easy!
Me
Thank you!!! Also, I was just talking to a couple friends last weekend about clowns and zebras. They mentioned THEY struggled with them too in the beginning. On a scale, I would put them just under the ones I mentioned in the video.
@@SupremeGecko thank you also! I have both zebras and clowns, and have had good experiences overall. But they have been exceptionally slow to breed. I'm ok with that since I know that is true about both species though.
My clowns are out all the time in the dry side though, I love it.
@@MIsopods Love the look and outgoingness of the species but a LOT of people just say they are hard to get going.
My first isopods were armadilladium nasatums :D i found them next to my pigeon loft. They really like the poop that gets kicked out and probably the feathers too. I have a bunch of peach and brown from my wild bunch. I now also have dairy cows, trachelipus rathkiis, and powder oranges. Fun to keep. Id like to magic potions or zebras next.
Nice collection. Wild are the best!
My first isopod I ever got were Nagurus nanus. I am now a Nagurus nanus breeder but I don't keep much isopods
But I currently keep:
Venezillo sp.
Armadillidium vulgare
Nagurus nanus (of course)
Trichorhina tomentosa (I love these)
I am thinking of getting some Cubaris or others soon. Absolutely love isopods and your videos.
Sounds like you are hooked :)
@@SupremeGecko I definitely am! Great video Wally!
@@PlecsExotics3 Thanks
@@SupremeGecko I got more! Pruinosus powder orange, Cubaris murina, Cubaris platin, Cubaris sp.
@@PlecsExotics3 Nice haul!! I love the C. platin. What is the Cubaris sp.?
wo wow wow I have all of the isos on your list and I only have 7 cultures !!! thank you for doing all you do !!!
You NAILED it! How are they doing. Guess we need to see an update video from you :)
@@SupremeGecko good idea!!
I have a bunch of colors of vulgare nasatum and powder blues that I started and so far my favorite is the powder blue. They are hidden a lot ut the vulgare and nasatum are out a lot as well so they make up for that. I haven't gotten them to breed yet but hopefully they do well.
I bet they will very shortly :) Thanks for watching.
So many isopods. I will probably get some once the weather warms a bit.
Good luck in your isopod search. Let me know if I can help at all.
I wish I had a crazy uncle like him!!!
I love how you threw in native isopods! I would like to try the powder orange some day. I may try the native ones first though. 🙂
Yes, try the natives for sure. Great 'experiment' isopod. Let me know if you do.
@@SupremeGecko I looked around under stuff today and didn't find any at all. I'll try again sometime. I looked under rocks and boards. 🤷♀️
@@DBhobbyfarm My fav spots are anywhere near water. Go up the bank just a bit and check under logs there. Good luck!
@@SupremeGecko awesome, thanks! I'll try there tomorrow.
The Powder Orange isopods that were half orange and half white were AMAZING! Is this a color morph you can selectively breed for?? Would this be done by just selecting out all the half-and-half colored ones and setting them up in their own breeding tubs?? Out of all the species I have seen on your channel and others, that specific coloration of the Powder Oranges was awesome!! I must know more about them!
Hi Scotty. No, when an isopod is half white like that, it indicates they are going through a molt. They go through 2 phases of molting (half their bodies). This is a short process and once complete, they are back to their original powdery orange color.
@@SupremeGecko Aw darn!! I would have moved mountains to get some half and half colored ones. Thanks for the reply! I didn't realize they molted in that way.
@@ScottyHunter My pleasure. Yes, half and half would be amazing. I can only dream of the color combos (I'm thinking sports team colors :)
Should you keep native isopods in their own enclosure for awhile before adding them to your tanks with geckos to make sure there aren't anything harmful going on with them?? Thank you for your help 😊
Absolutely! Wish I would have said that in the video. Great point!
I sadly cant find any native isopods in my backyard since lizards have taken over! Haven't seen a single isopod out there ever since. Even when I'm specifically looking for them.
Sorry to hear. My favorite spot is by river/stream banks that's dry but moist under the rocks/logs.
Thanks
great vid rlly helpful 😄
Thank you very much.
powder orange
Thanks
I love that you put native isopods as your top choice. Do you know if wild collected isopods can carry parasites? I would like to collect some but I would be nervous to add them to my gecko's vivarium.
Thank you. What I do is isolate the native enclosure away from the other isopods, work/manage then last after all the others have been fed, and always wash my hands after working with them.
@@SupremeGecko Have you ever added them to a reptile enclosure after a quarantine period?
@@sarahgroves8477 I have not. Nor would I. Just too much risk for me personally.
My two guesses are powder orange because I only have 10 of them but I ALWAYS see them in their huge container, same with my dairy cows. Other than that I would recommend you go catch wild caught ones. That's how I started. =)
Great suggestion. If you've finished watching the video, compare what my #1 was to your suggestion. ;)
@@SupremeGecko OHH. I didn't watch to the end till now. I got up to feed my pods. You definitely know what you are doing so I'm happy with my choices =)
@@Moostery A Top 5 video and you didn't stick around for #1 :) Just kidding. Thank you for watching and the kind words. Hope your isopods are doing well. What are you keeping if I may ask.
@@SupremeGecko It all started with some Oniscus Asellus and Porcellio Scaber from my woods. I traded some of the O. Asellus with two people for some powder orange, dairy cow, A. Klugii, A. Vulgare, and a black shadow roach. =) I have hissers too. They started my journey in to the bug world.
@@Moostery nice. Nice trade and nice collection
Interesting that Dairy Cow is number two because they breed well because I saw someone on reddit selling them for a lot of money because "they're hard to breed". Must be how that person is keeping them.
I would agree 100% For me, they are the most prolific of our isopods by far. Message me of FB or instagram at some point, if you are interested, and I will make sure you get a HUGE deal on dairy cows.... when you are ready. Just let me know your ID here on YT. Thanks again for watching.
you are crazy, hehe. awesome collection.
Hopefully you get a kick out of our videos but also learn too.
I think I'm gonna check out dairy cow isopods
Great idea. Let me know if you do decide on DCs as I can offer you a nice discount on them as a supporter of the channel. Just let me know your ID when you contact me on Instagram or FB (PM me at Supreme Gecko).
My instagram is legixn_yt
I was going to ask what you thought of native isopods!!
Now you know. I think it's so easy to go out and find natives.
@@SupremeGecko awesome! Thanks!!
Native isopods are extremely underrated one time at night I found a Powdered isopod that was Green but it went into a crack in the tree
Oh no! Yes, I feel the same way.
@@SupremeGecko Have you ever heard of Giant Powdered Isopods that are larger than Normal? I heard people found them on a Mountain somewhere and I saw someone listing some individuals for sale it’s very interesting
@@frankdughtank8327 I have not, but I will keep my eyes and ears peeled.
@@SupremeGecko 👍
Just recently became interested in Isopods after seeing Rubber Duckies on a Serpa Design video. Then I found out how expensive they are. So I started searching for more info and found your videos. Feel like this is solid advice and going native seems like the best way to start. Couple of questions. Is there any sort of field guide to help identify the isopods you find in the wild? And, if you find more than one type, should you keep them in separate containers?
Thanks for watching. The best is GScolar on Google.
I bought Dairy Cows from Wally because of all his videos! Awesome experience!!!
Thank you Bob. I greatly appreciate the feedback.
I have quite a few dwarfs that must have been hiding with the first isopods that I bought. I never purchased any dwarfs 🤦♀️
yes! excactly
Maybe some natives need to adapt to artificial conditions - evolve or just some strains can thrive. I have an enclousure (shoebox) with cylisticus convexus ukrainian pied, cylisticux convexus captive breed wild type from Slovenia (1/2 of in numbers, as half did not survived a shiping) and later wild collected cylisticus convexus from a location in northern / estern europe of same number. They shared their shoe box home with wild collected porcelio spinicornis. Later enclousure still had mix of porcelio spinicornis with cylisticus convexus but of mostly ukrainian pied looks with fewer wild type and some with few white spots, I think a hybrid of pied and wild type. In short, pied cylisticus convexus took ower (or just survived) the wilds. But of corse I had not counted them so it's not a science.
Exactly! And as you saw in the video was natives being one of my BEST BEGINNER isopods mentioned.
2:22. Idk if anyone actually comments their guesses but here’s mine:
Armadillidium maculatum “Zebra”
Porcellio laevis “Dairy Cow”
Porcellionides pruinosus “powder something”
Armadillidium Gestroi???
I’m out of ideas.
You can check the comments for the other people that have. Thank you. Really like your choices.
How do I make my local Isopods safe for my Crested Gecko Bio-Active terrarium?
I would not use wild unless I've kept them for some time isolated just to make sure. And, I would only use the 2nd generation.
hmm do you have shiny woodlice? I collected mine locally from under rocks.
when I say shiny woodlice I mean Oniscus asellus.
Absolutely! I think they are the BEST of the best beginner isopods.
@@SupremeGecko what is your opinion on Philoscia muscorum ?
Oh, so moderately crazy. Not bad. I think you have room for a bit more though :)
Maybe one or two :)
I am not sure how but, all of my orange dot porcellio ornatus died. They were breeding and died off slowly.
Oh no! I am so sorry.
Narrowing to top 5 is hard!
It was! I can think of 4 or 5 that JUST missed.
I just started isopods, got dark grey ones from my backyard NY area (terrestrial isopod maybe?). it ain't an issue yet but what do you do with them if you feel you have too many? I know some multiply quickly others not so much. I know in my case I could just release them back outside from where I got them but if I got different ones, maybe something I bought from somewhere then what? I don't think it would be wise to release them in my area if there is a possibility that it's not native to that area so what do you do in a pinch if you have too many and you can't really get rid of them? I don't have pets except for an orb weaver that never seems to eat and I do keep venus fly traps but they will get everything they need from outside. any other ideas or do I just make a kill chamber of sorts? I'm not in that boat yet but I may eventually so I like to know a head of time ...
Do not release isopods back into the wild if you've purchased them. They could have an adverse affect of the local fauna. You can sell them, feed them off to other animals, or freeze them. IMHO
I knew dairy cow would be on this list!
Had to be
Dig the hat, go hawks!
I'm a Chicago fan in Milwaukee. But, I love the home teams as well.... just not as much as the Cubbies, Sox, Bears, and of course Hawks! Man am I missing sports right now.
I wonder how many more orange types there are and where they could possibly go in the facility?
Easy enough to find out.
u rent a real isolopod lover unless u had one when they released
I second this.
?
Lol oranges are my favorite too
Love the orange!!! (another YT missed comment from me)
You have an addiction lol
Yes, so, what's your point? :)
lol no point...
You're not the only crazy one.
Thanks
I keep native isopods that i got from our wood line...what are some tips would you recommend for keeping zebras?
I actually have a Zebra video on my channel. You can check it out as well as 2 or 3 of the Isopod Setup Reviews that feature zebra isopods. Let me know if you have any questions.
Isopods as fishing bait?
Why not!!! :)
If the isopods live together outside, can you keep them together?
You can if you like. I've tried this with really bad results.
Can you keep different breeds of Isopods together?
I try not to as usually one will out compete the other.
@@SupremeGecko thank you!
Okay. I am trying incorporate iso pods in to some of my breeding bin. I have silk worms and hornworm bins that I am looking to do this with. What iso pods can I use that will not eat or harm the silkworms or horn worms?
I have never done this so I don't think I have a good recommendation. Unfortunately many isopods are protein hungry. You could try one that is is less so, like Armadillidium Punta Cana, or try Party Mix. Let me know how this goes for you. I'm curious.
@@SupremeGecko humm what about spring tails?
@@jodaddyswoodshop331 might work. My concern would be to maintain some humidity for the STs but that is not a requirement for silk worms at all.
@@jodaddyswoodshop331 just a note you probably know, springtails are not isopods
@@SupremeGecko yeah... I am trying to something to brake down Mulberry leaves after the silk worms are done with them. Also possibly pick up after horn worms as well. I see that you have a lot and have been doing this for some time so what to get your input. I just started a iso pod set up yesterday after watch your video how you and you wife went cruising around looking for them. I took my kids out and we found a bunch of them. They had so much fun. Thanks for the idea!
I started with natives and they are bin busters as far as prolific
What a great title for a video. BIN BUSTER PODS!
😆 🤣 😂 true 👍 👌
your filming/editing/writing has grown by leaps and bounds. I watched your peanut beetle video and it was scary. In this video you seem totally normal hahaha
the only isopods I know of are woodlice/sowbugs/pillbugs/rolly-pollies.
I didnt know there was more than one kind of woodlouse - although I do remember seeing some with little white/creme spots, and others with a little yellow, other than the generic grey guys.
Isopods look like they came out of the ocean 100,000,000 years ago, They are very fragile little guys for the most part. I think they molt or something, or else hiding under wood makes them fragile.... I HAVE found some big tough-shelled ones many years ago, those ones actually rolled up into a ball whereas most of the others don't
These local isopods would make good, free aquarium fish food
As a bored, magnifying-glass wielding kid I fried many a rollie-pollie. I would never have guessed that people pay to keep them - they can be found under any rock or rotting log that has some moisture underneath - often found around sharp-tailed snakes, beetles, and spiders
Hey, I'm still scary... and don't you forget it! :) Joking aside, thank you Grant so much for the comment. Not sure why it's taken so long but I feel it is coming together. Thanks!
I love your humor! jajaja Lol
Thank you. It's pretty corny but I like to have a good time.
9:14 Porcellio scaber dairy cow.....=>
thanks
I am starting with Native Vulgare, just ordered a small culture of the Jelly bean vulgare though kinda curious to se if they can breed with my native ones and what will happen if they do haha
Interesting. Keep me posted on what happens.
Is ANY isopod hard to keep?!
Many IMHO
I will say, Powdered Orange, Clown, Panda, Dairy Cow and Dwarf White.
Great choices!