Isopods - also called pill bugs, woodlice or roly-polies - are small crustaceans that live on land and eat decaying plant matter. They've become one of the fastest-growing hobbies in India, both as pets in their own right and as a natural clean-up crew for reptile, tarantula and frog enclosures.
Most care guides online are written for cool homes in the US or Europe. This guide is written for Indian homes - hot summers, humid monsoons and long courier journeys included. If you're starting out, our isopod cultures and Isopod Starter Tub are the easiest way in.
1. Choosing Your First Isopod Species
Start with a hardy, fast-breeding species. Dairy Cow (Porcellio laevis) and Powder Orange (Porcellionides pruinosus) tolerate a range of conditions and multiply quickly. Dwarf White is ideal if you want a clean-up crew for a humid vivarium. If you want a Cubaris from day one, choose Murina Little Sea - the most forgiving of the group. Save rare Cubaris like Panda King and White Shark for when you're confident keeping humidity stable.
2. The Enclosure
A clear plastic storage tub of 5-15 litres is perfect for a starter colony. Ventilation is the most important feature: drill or melt small holes (or add mesh-covered vents) on two opposite sides so air flows across the tub. Too little ventilation causes stagnant air, mould and die-offs; too much dries the tub out. Start with a few holes and add more if you see condensation dripping on the lid. Our Ventilated Isopod Tub comes ready-made in 3L, 6L and 10L sizes if you'd rather skip the drilling.
3. Substrate
A simple, reliable mix: 50% coco peat, 25% crumbled dried leaves, 15% decaying hardwood or wood chips, and 10% crushed cuttlebone or limestone. Make it 5-8 cm deep. Moisten it so it holds together when squeezed, but no water drips out. Then spray one side of the tub more heavily to create a moisture gradient - isopods will move between wet and dry areas as they need. Our ready-mixed Isopod Substrate saves you the measuring.
4. Leaf Litter and Hides
Leaf litter is both food and shelter. Use dry, brown, pesticide-free leaves. Commonly used options in India include oak (in hill regions), Indian almond (catappa) and dried sal or teak leaves - confirm what's safe and available near you. Avoid leaves from roadside trees that may carry pollution or pesticides. Add pieces of cork bark as hides.
5. Food, Calcium and Protein
- Every day (available): leaf litter and decaying wood - their main diet.
- 2-3 times a week: cucumber, carrot, zucchini, pumpkin or sweet potato slices. Remove leftovers within 24 hours.
- Always available: cuttlebone or crushed limestone for calcium - essential for moulting.
- Once or twice a week: protein such as fish flakes, dried shrimp or a commercial isopod food.
6. Temperature and Indian Summers
Most isopods do best at roughly 22-28°C. Long periods above 30°C stress many species. In Indian summers: keep tubs on the floor of the coolest room (heat rises), away from windows and walls that get afternoon sun, never on top of a fridge or near electronics, and increase ventilation slightly. Clay or terracotta pieces in the tub help buffer heat. In winter in North India, most species are fine indoors above about 15°C.
7. Humidity and the Monsoon
Humidity needs vary: Cubaris and Dwarf Whites like it high, Porcellio prefer it drier. The moisture gradient handles most of this for you. During the monsoon, room humidity is already high - reduce spraying and add a little ventilation to prevent mould and mites.
8. Breeding
Female isopods carry eggs in a pouch called the marsupium, then release tiny babies called mancae. To encourage breeding: keep conditions stable, provide plenty of leaf litter, calcium and protein, and avoid disturbing the colony often. Fast species may produce young within weeks; rare Cubaris can take months. Don't separate babies - they grow best in the main colony.
9. Common Problems and Fixes
- Isopods dying soon after arrival: usually transit stress, heat or the wrong moisture. Keep the culture shaded, damp on one side and undisturbed for 48 hours.
- White fuzzy mould: normal on leftover food; remove it and reduce food. Widespread mould means poor ventilation.
- Tiny white mites: usually harmless in small numbers; they indicate too much wet food. Dry out the tub slightly and feed less.
- Fungus gnats: substrate too wet. Let the top dry out; add springtails.
- Bad smell: rotting food or waterlogged substrate. Remove leftovers and replace soggy substrate.
10. Isopods in a Bioactive Terrarium
Isopods eat waste, shed skin and mould in reptile, tarantula and frog enclosures. Choose a species that matches your enclosure's humidity, add springtails, and give them leaf litter and a damp hide. See our full isopod collection to find the right clean-up crew.
Ready to start? Get everything in one box with our Isopod Starter Tub, or browse our isopod cultures - captive-bred in Howrah and shipped live across India.