Keeping Armadillidium vulgare starts with a simple question: can the animals find moisture, shelter, and food in a ventilated home? Use this short checklist when you set up the enclosure and each time you check it.
Quick setup checklist
- Container: Use a covered container with ventilation and enough space for the number of animals you keep. A lid helps prevent escapes.
- Substrate: Add suitable soil or other untreated substrate that can hold moisture. Keep part of it damp, not waterlogged.
- Cover: Provide leaf litter and places to hide. Isopods often shelter beneath material on the ground.
- Location: Keep the enclosure out of direct sun and away from freezing or overheating.
- Food: Decaying leaf material is a useful base. Offer small additional portions and remove leftovers before they mold.
A short routine for checking the colony
- Look at the substrate and hiding places. If they are drying out, add water carefully. The right amount depends on your room, container, and ventilation; a fixed misting schedule is less useful than checking the habitat.
- Check for uneaten food and remove spoiled pieces. Replace depleted leaf litter as needed.
- Look for condensation, standing water, overheating, or a buildup of mold. Adjust moisture, ventilation, and food rather than assuming isopods will clean everything themselves.
- Keep a simple observation note: date, moisture condition, food offered, and animal activity. This is especially useful for a classroom colony.
Isopods help break down decaying material, but they do not make a habitat sterile, remove every contaminant, or replace regular enclosure care. There is no universal number of animals for every tank: decide from the enclosure, purpose, and your ability to care for them. If you are planning stations for a lesson, use our classroom count guide.
Before the animals arrive
Our first-colony setup and arrival checklist covers receiving and ongoing care. If you have a specific care question, contact us. You can compare current live isopod packs after the habitat is ready. Do not release purchased isopods outdoors.
General care references: Carolina Biological Supply, Care Guide: Terrestrial Isopods; University of California IPM, Pillbugs and Sowbugs.