Isopod Substrate
Your isopods substrate is among the top critical aspects in their care and survival. The substrate is their primary living space and it's components along with its upkeep largely influence the success or failure of a culture. This is one area you don't want to skimp or compromise on.
Substrate Purpose & Functionality
Respiration- First and foremost it's critical to understand isopods are crustaceans. Not bugs, insects or any other type of invertebrate. Crustaceans have external gills for breathing. The extract oxygen from their environments by absorbing it through moisture. Your substrate is literally their life line to perform the most basic function they need as not to expire. A good moist substrate does just that. It's provides moisture directly from it's surface and also by raising the ambient humidity within the enclosure itself.
Structural support- Isopods need a moist medium in which to move around on and to burrow in while providing a proper breathable surrounding. While some isopods are more surface dwelling, many others spend most of their time buried only coming up to feed, forage and reproduce.
Micro Climate Ecosystem- Promotes a healthy environment for bacteria and fungi, which are vital for breaking down waste (frass) and decaying food as part of a bioactive setup.
Food and Supplements- When mixed with components like limestone pellets, crushed eggshells, calcium carbonate or cuttlebone, the substrate provides essential nutrients. Some species like Giant Canyon (Porcellio Dilatatus) consume the substrate as a food source making it even more vital in some cases.
Creating a Soil Moisture Gradient
Isopods can get oversaturated and essentially drown if the substrate and humidity is excessive high. Conversely they can desiccate and perish if things get too dry. Having a well balanced soil moisture gradient prevents either scenario. When properly set up, this means one portion of your enclosure has adequate moisture and humidity levels, while another part will have less moisture and humidity. This is what keepers are referring to when you hear the phrases "moist side and or dry side". With few exceptions, the bulk majority of isopods benefit by having a moisture gradient. For an in depth look at how to position your substrate for an ideal gradient see our moisture gradient article.
Isopod Substrate Components
It's very easy to make your own high grade nutrient rich isopod soil mix. Most components can be sourced locally or easily acquired online. With that said there are many different ingredients and additives one can use and is even sometimes a debatable topic among experienced keepers.
It's not our prerogative or intention to say who is right, who is wrong or what types of mixtures are better than others. Some isopod species do better in different mixture types based on their environmental needs far as what they have evolved for. But the vast majority will do just fine on a simple cost effective blend.
A Word on CoCo Coir
Coco coir or coco peat is a medium made from processed coconut husks, the hard outer layer. It is often advertised or mentioned as an ideal cost effective use for isopod substrate. One good quality it has is superb moisture retention, but that is more or less where it ends. Coco coir is completely safe and will not harm your isopods at all. However it is completely devoid of nutrients, vitamins and other essential core foundations you need for a good substrate. It is very inexpensive and readily available making it an attractive option.
Our primary recommendation is to avoid it altogether. But if you still feel the need to use it, ensure you use other quality ingredients in your mixture and keep the coco coir ratio to a minimum. Simply put, imagine all you ate were dry rice cakes. You won't starve, but your body is not getting any essential vitamins, nutrients, or minerals which would eventually take a toll. With so many other options that offer great moisture retention while simultaneously providing these key elements, it just makes sense to avoid using this item in your soil mixture.
We've taken the guess work and uncertainty out of this topic as with very few exceptions it need not be over complicated or over analyzed. The clip below will show you step by step how we make large batches of isopod substrate here in our shop for our numerous isopod species.