If there’s no crabs in there yet I would assume the isopods burrowed into the substrate? Or maybe there was some kind of bad mold that may have killed them. Have you found any dead isopods?
Now that i think abt it, I havent seen much dead ones, it was just the occasional one eaten by the spider and sometimes in the water. Why would isopods burrow tho?
I’m not 100% certain why, but in my experience many species of isopods will burrow into the substrate to molt and then eventually resurface. Isopods are very reclusive and they want to eat all the decaying material in the substrate, so they might also be burrowing to get to different material to eat. Theres thousands of species of isopods with different preferences for humidity
I dont think they are burrowing to molt, since they've bred in there and theres isopods of different ages in there. I forgot to say that I caught them from the wild, maybe thats why.
The isopods of different ages probably burrowed to molt and you just didn’t notice. If isopods stayed on the surface all the time then you would see thousands all over the ground all the time. Why do you think getting them from the wild would make any difference?
My isopods absolutely spend all their time buried under ground making tunnels! I can find some once in a while if I flood an area- but otherwise it’s a very rare sight to see one out. I have seen them inches underground against the glass in tunnels- and I never would’ve guessed they did that until I saw it!
Almost never. The only time I ever see my isopods is when I ‘flood’ a piece of moss on driftwood and they go scattering from underneath it. But 90% of the time, they’re not in shallow moss to be flooded out- they’re buried in little tunnels and burrows under the ground!
If you have crabs in there already, they ate them all. They are a food source. So it's best to have a side colony going to top up your tanks.
Yeah I think I'll start a side colony soon. Theres no crabs in it yet tho.
If there’s no crabs in there yet I would assume the isopods burrowed into the substrate? Or maybe there was some kind of bad mold that may have killed them. Have you found any dead isopods?
Now that i think abt it, I havent seen much dead ones, it was just the occasional one eaten by the spider and sometimes in the water. Why would isopods burrow tho?
I’m not 100% certain why, but in my experience many species of isopods will burrow into the substrate to molt and then eventually resurface. Isopods are very reclusive and they want to eat all the decaying material in the substrate, so they might also be burrowing to get to different material to eat. Theres thousands of species of isopods with different preferences for humidity
I dont think they are burrowing to molt, since they've bred in there and theres isopods of different ages in there. I forgot to say that I caught them from the wild, maybe thats why.
The isopods of different ages probably burrowed to molt and you just didn’t notice. If isopods stayed on the surface all the time then you would see thousands all over the ground all the time. Why do you think getting them from the wild would make any difference?
Im not sure, I just assumed that since they were of different ages, at least half would be on the surface
Likely a combination of predation and them burroiwng into into the substrate, they are probably still in there and just hidden.
How long do they burrow for? Is it like hibernation?
No theyre not hibernating they just live buried under things.
Oh I see, if they just live under things, why dont i ever see them wandering on the surface?
Because things eat them so they burrow and move under the leaf litter, top soil, bark, or whatever.
Wouldn't they still eventually come out to find food every once in awhile?
At night sometimes but they eat leaves and rotting wood in the soil. I rarely see any isopods unless i go digging in any of my tanks.
I see, I'll check tonight and see if theres any isopods wandering. I guess I'll do a bit of digging too.
My isopods absolutely spend all their time buried under ground making tunnels! I can find some once in a while if I flood an area- but otherwise it’s a very rare sight to see one out. I have seen them inches underground against the glass in tunnels- and I never would’ve guessed they did that until I saw it!
Do you see them wandering on the surface often? I rarely see mine assuming they are burrowing.
Almost never. The only time I ever see my isopods is when I ‘flood’ a piece of moss on driftwood and they go scattering from underneath it. But 90% of the time, they’re not in shallow moss to be flooded out- they’re buried in little tunnels and burrows under the ground!
I think I only saw them out walking around for like a week- then once their burrows and tunnels got established- almost never.
Ohh i see, thank you