Lonestar Isopods Care Guide
Simple Care. Healthy Colonies. Happy Isopods.
Isopods are easy to care for when their basic needs are met. Whether you're keeping them as pets, breeding a colony, or adding them to a bioactive enclosure, these simple guidelines will help your isopods thrive.
🏠 Enclosure
Use a secure enclosure with adequate ventilation. Add 2–4 inches of quality isopod substrate and provide cork bark or another natural hide.
The key is creating a moisture gradient rather than keeping the entire enclosure equally wet.
💧 Moisture
Keep approximately 1/3 of the enclosure moist and allow the opposite side to remain relatively dry.
Sphagnum moss works great on the moist side to retain water.
Never allow the entire enclosure to completely dry out.
🍂 Leaf Litter
Leaf litter is one of your isopods' primary foods and should be available at all times.
Oak, magnolia, maple, and other pesticide-free hardwood leaves are excellent choices. Add more as the colony consumes them.
🍽️ Food
A nutritious substrate, decaying wood, and leaf litter form the foundation of an isopod's diet.
Supplement occasionally with:
Isopod food
Dried shrimp or fish food
Vegetables
Nutritional yeast
Other protein-rich foods
Start with small portions and increase feeding as your colony grows.
🦴 Calcium
Calcium is essential for healthy exoskeleton development.
Keep a calcium source available such as cuttlebone, crushed oyster shell, or calcium carbonate.
🌡️ Temperature
Most commonly kept isopods thrive at normal household temperatures.
Recommended general range: 68–78°F
Keep enclosures away from direct sunlight and excessive heat.
🦠 Add Springtails
We highly recommend keeping springtails with your isopods.
Springtails consume mold, fungi, and decomposing organic material, helping create a cleaner and more balanced enclosure.
⭐ Quick Care Checklist
Substrate: 2–4 inches
Moisture: Moist side + dry side
Leaf Litter: Always available
Hides: Cork bark recommended
Calcium: Always available
Food: Supplement as needed
Temperature: 68–78°F
Springtails: Highly recommended